A&E Biography on Gene Simmons

Tonight I watched the A&E Biography on one Gene Simmons. Bass player for arguably one of the world's most popular bands, Kiss, and one of rock music's more recognizable figures.

KISS, who I count as one of the bands that I would bow down to in the hierarchy of rock royalty, really had their heyday in the 70's and early 80's, and because of the recent obsession of everything 70's as kind of cool again since Dazed and Confused, KISS has enjoyed a new lease on life, not like they weren't around during the 80's and 90's. They had careers, just nothing compared to the insanity that was everything between the self titled debut, up to...like...Lick It Up. Regardless, Gene wrote a book I read, appropriately titled "Kiss And Make Up", which I thought was brilliant.

After watching the A&E biogrpahy though, my opinion kind of changed on him just a bit. I should also mention, I've been watching "ROCK SCHOOL", his new reality show set at some classical music academy in the U.K. somewhere. Gene really comes across to me as a guy who sells the whole arrogant rock star thing quite well, but who has been unable to capture the dynamic energy that made KISS what it was, individually. I've kind of seen this before, in guys like Paul Anka, like the old crooners or 50's icons in film and music, who essentially create cultural institutions with their entertainment personas, having achieved that timelessness that makes them sell out comeback tours, or fill Vegas showrooms. Unlike bands or icons like Madonna or U2, they have been less able to reinvent themselves, and get stuck in attempting to keep alive the fire at which they were at their brightest. They have the capacity to do quite well, but get stuck telling the same old story. Gene has become that rock hero that is unwilling, and not needing to prove himself anymore than he's already done. An icon? I don't think so...not the way I used to...I hate to say it. KISS was an iconic band, but he was a component of that. That band, was what influenced, not the individuals. I can however, understand why he stands out to some degree as kind of the spokesperson for the band.