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The Alternative Rock band Gene Simmons picked as a favorite
The bassist and singer Gene Simmons was a fundamental part of Kiss, not only as one of the co-founders but also as one of the band's main songwriters. He and Paul Stanley wrote most of the tracks released by the group during their 50-year career and were the only original members who remained in the band from the beginning to the end. Besides being a successful musician and entrepreneur, Simmons is also known for his honesty. He has always shared his true opinions on other artists and, interestingly, has praised bands that many Kiss fans might not expect him to like.
The Alternative Rock band Gene Simmons said is one of his favorites
One of the unexpected bands that Gene Simmons actually likes is the American Alternative Rock group Phish. He praised them in an interview with The Zak Kuhn Show, when talking about how Rock and Roll died during the past decades. He explained that between 1958 until 1988, the world saw many incredible artists like Elvis, Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Bowie and AC/DC. But since 1988, not many amazing Rock artists appeared and that's one of the reasons why he believes the music genre is not really alive anymore. He used Phish as an example of bands that are not known for the masses, like these other artists were.
"And from 1988 until today, it's something like almost 40 years, certainly 35 years. Who are the new Beatles?" The host mentioned Nirvana. Simmons replied: "Stop. We are blinded. I'm a major fan. If you walked down the street and asked a 20-year-old, 'Who's the bass player in Nirvana?' They wouldn't know what you're talking about. Or, 'Can you sing a Nirvana song?' No, no. The Beatles and, to slightly lesser extent, The Stones and Elvis. Everybody knew The Beatles. If you hated rock music, you knew about them."
When Kuhn mentioned Pearl Jam as another big Rock band, the Kiss member praised them. But said: "My point is if you randomly walk down the street and you ask the first young person you meet, a 20-year-old, and you say, 'Name me anybody in Pearl Jam.' Good luck with that. 'Name me or tell me a song. Hum a song.' They [can't]. The masses have no idea who's in Phish, one of my favorite bands, or Pearl Jam. They wouldn't have a clue, unless you're a fan," Gene Simmons said.
Phish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad8bvpdoEqE&pp=ygUFcGhpc2jSBwkJvwCDtaTen9Q%3D
The band was formed in Burlington, Vermont back in 1983. Their current line-up has the original members Trey Anastasio (Vocals, guitar), John Fishman (Drums), Mike Gordon (Bass) and Page McConnel (Keyboards), who first joined them in 1985. They are known for mixing many different kinds of music like Funk, Reggae, Progressive Rock, Folk, Jazz and more.
They are often compared to The Grateful Dead since they also improvise a lot during their live shows. That makes each performance a completely different experience from what was recorded on their albums. Groups like Phish and The Grateful Dead have often been labeled as 'jam bands.'
They have sold an estimated amount of more than 8 million records and DVDs in the United States. Their cult following grew through word of mouth, as they toured extensively in the '90s. Their live recordings, which were released as DVDs, also helped the band reach new audiences.
Phish's first album was "Junta", released in 1989 and since then they have released 15 studio albums. The most recent one is "Evolve" (2024).
The group was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025. Their frontman Trey Anastasio was the one who inducted the Progressive Rock band Genesis into the Hall back in 2010. During his speech he said something that could be related to Phish: "(They were) constantly striving for something more than the obvious".The post The Alternative Rock band Gene Simmons picked as a favorite appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.