ROCK! Wanted Dead or Alive!

For a few months now Gene Simmons has gone on the internet and promptly put his foot in his mouth. However, Simmons lives in the same free country as I do and is allowed to say whatever he likes even things that go against the social zeitgeist of the internet. I’m not going to talk about any of his social opinions today. Who needs to light those fires again right? But, one of his fires is still lit. One that has been burning for a while now and it all started with Gene proclaiming the death of rock. Taking a quick look around the internet and a few music blogs of notoriety it, at first glance, seems he may be correct and yet there are dissenting voices out there that say Simmons is dead wrong about rock being dead! Har Har Guys from Judas Priest, Alterbridge, Brian Johnson, and Nikki Sixx, among many others saying that rock is still alive! Is it?

I remember when I was a kid there were bands that were called rock that are now called hair metal or classic rock and are played on hair nation or classic rock stations, and when I was and adolescent there was rock and it was called alternative and there was no alternative to alternative and that is now called classic rock too. and when I was a teenager, and an adult there was and still is indie rock, and that is slowy being merged with indie pop and becoming synthesized synthrock. And while that was going on there was always punk rock, rockabilly, metal, and so many other types of rock that I’m not going to name them all here, but you can see them for your self in this handy list.

So, what is my point exactly? My point is Gene Simmons may be entirely correct from his point of view. The rock he knew and played all these years may be dead, or if not, dying and then resurrecting itself and splintering into many different other forms of rock. Not just in terms of sound but also in subject matter, distribution models, and marketing as well. The rock ‘n’ roll train that started down the tracks in 50s and is till burning up the rails today and in order to keep on going and rocking hard it must consume itself over and over. Is rock dead? Certainly not. Is Gene’s rock dead? It is definitely dying and thank goodness for that because if it wasn’t then all of rock would truly be dead and if that happened it would be a sad day indeed.

– G808