After recently expressing his pessimistic stance on the current state of rock music and mildly ripping late Nirvana frontmanKurt Cobain, Kiss bassist Gene Simmonsonce again shared a similar attitude, acknowledging Kanye West‘s comments and putting Foo Fighters and Green Day on his “not superstar-worthy” list of performers.
During a chat with the Metal Hammer Magazine Show, Simmons was initially asked to comment on Kanye’s statement that rap is the new rock ‘n’ roll and that he’s the world’s No. 1 rockstar.
“I know Kanye and he’s playing the game and he’s got you wrapped around his finger because you are talking about him and we’re actually more about guitar and drums,” Gene said. “He’s right of course in the sense that rock has become a pale thing to what it once was.”
After denying that rap can be considered as the new rock, the bassist once again“played the game” of comparing the 1958 – 1983 era to post-1984 period. “Foo Fighters – great band. Green Day – great band. Iconic superstars? No,” he said. During the rest of the interview, Simmons discussed his recent US National Anthem performance, pointing out the importance of sticking to the original melody and paying the country respect it deserves.
“There’s something called style over content,” he explained. “Either you’re up there to pay respect to what the song’s about, or you’re there about yourself. So when you’re singing the national anthem of a country, it’s not about you. That song was written before you were born, save what you do for onstage and give the country the respect it deserves.” He concluded, “And so I feel that anybody who gets up there and starts to show off how well they do – it’s Yngwie Malmsteen disease – stop playing so many notes and give me a goddamn melody I can sink my teeth into. I mean that in the very nicest way by the way.”