Customer Reviews

Ass Hole

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This new solo album by Gene Simmons is hit & miss, just like most of what little new material KISS has released since the Revenge Era. It starts off great with " Sweet & Dirty Love " which is basically KISS without Paul Stanley. " Weapons of Mass Destruction " which features the same lineup is also great.

I also like the songs which are ballads pretty well, which surprises me. I wish the vocals had been better; I know Gene can do better. Especially with the Dylan written " Waiting For The Morning Light. " I was looking forward to this and was hoping it would be better. A lot of the songs like " Beautiful " would be better if he redid the vocals or found somebody who would sing in key. " One Thousand Dreams " has a nice slide guitar going on. I also like the bonus tracks " You're My Reason For Living " and the rocker " Everybody Knows ".

Everything else is either amusing, awful or both. It suffers from the same problem as the 78 solo, which is that styles jump around and it doesn't seem to have a real direction or blend well. Unfortunately I don't think this will attract new fans, but long time die hards like me will buy it. If you're an established fan you might want to give it a shot. If you're a new fan I'd recommend Alive ! I well before this.

Anyone buying this album expecting to hear "Son of Kiss," must not remember the ecclectic nature of Gene's 1978 solo album. THAT was not purely a hard-rock album, and NEITHER IS THIS. I've read a lot of AMAZON reviews, and a lot of the critics that slam the album sound predisposed to accept nothing other than a hard-rock album from Gene Simmons. Others take the opportunity to slam Kiss, or comment on a bunch of other things that have nothing to do with this album. The least they could do is use spell-check before posting their rants.
Surprisingly, the reviewer for Billboard Magazine got it right -"A**hole" is a pop album at heart. When I say "pop," don't think Britney or Christina, think Beatles' "Rubber Soul," or Beach Boys "Pet Sounds." Now, I'm not saying that "A**hole" is anywhere near the caliber of those classic albums, but it's a solid B+ album with a very 60's feel to it. Maybe that's because both Frank Zappa and Bob Dylan co-wrote songs on the album, but tracks like "Whatever Turns You On" and "Beautiful" have that vibe as well.
True, there's a VERY wide array of musical styles represented here. If you like your albums to sound similar from song to song, "A**hole" is not for you. If that's what you want, go ahead and buy a WASP or Rob Zombie album, as one reviewer suggested.
This is an album that takes a while to sink in. You probably won't "get" every song the first time you hear it. Once it does, it offers quite a few pleasures. If you like your music to be a little challenging, give this one a try.
Track by track:
1. Sweet & Dirty Love - Good, strong rocking opener. The closest thing to a "typical" Kiss song (if there is such a thing) on the album.
2. Firestarter - I like Gene's version much better than Prodigy's - Gene's vocals are a much better fit. But overall, the repetition wears thin quickly. Not my favorite type of song.
3. Weapons Of Mass Destruction - Sounds like a leftover from Gene/Kiss circa "Animalize." Chorus could have a stronger hook.
4. Waiting For The Morning Light - Pretty song. Gene, not Bob Dylan apparently wrote the lyrics, so there's nothing too deep going on. Pleasant, but unremarkable.
5. Beautiful - Here's where things start to get real interesting. Gene sings a sympathetic song about a transgender/transvestite. Strong hook and chorus on this one.
6. A**hole - Funny song. Should go over well in a crowded bar. Could have been funnier, though. As it is, it's a bit light. It needs another verse.
7. Now That You're Gone - Apparently about Gene's father. Having the children (including Gene's daughter) sing the chorus at the end was a great idea.
8. Whatever Turns You On (Turns Me On) - I really like this one. Sounds like something from the late 60s or early 70s. Loose and fun with a very catchy chorus.
9. Dog - Very cool, especially following "Whatever Turns You On" on the CD. It's the kind of song that sticks in your head after you hear it. As Gene sings, "I like it...."
10. Black Tongue - Excellent all around. Psychedelic flavor and a "sing-along" chorus. The entire Zappa family can be heard here. A nice tribute to Frank.
11. Carnival Of Souls - Reminds me of "Weapons" a bit, but this is a better song. Cool how the tempo slows down on the chorus. Good guitar solo.
12. If I Had A Gun - One of my favorites (perhaps my favorite) on the album. A dark song with a bright chorus. Gene's vocal perfectly captures the inner pain of a guy who can't take it anymore. The female vocal counterpoint in the chorus really makes the song.
13. 1,000 Dreams - You'll either love it or hate it. I love it. Perhaps the best written song on the album (expect someone to cover this and have a hit with it in a few years). I think Gene invented a new musical genre with this one - "Tropical Country."
Normally, this CD would merit 4 stars from me, but I'm giving it 5 to counteract the one-star voters who should either stop listening to music altogether, or listen a whole lot harder.

Gene Simmons and music have never really fit. He is not a songwriter in the sense that music and written words go together in a cohesive, intelligible manner. He HAS NEVER been a decent singer. I believe the best sounding voice he ever had was found on Crazy Nights. However, this isn't KISS. This is Gene working his new-found alter ego. The Jewish Pimp. I am not a fan of one song found on this mish-mash of demo quality rubbish. It's terrible. I strongly suggest, as many have, that you sample this heavily before buying. I also suggest waiting for Paul Stanley's solo effort. I am positive it will be musical and tasteful. I will not go track by track with this review. Let's just say that every song is God awful and actually this album does succeed at one thing. Being horrible. I truly wish that more money was directed at someone who had talent and not just a name. The title is fitting. The new look and new persona goes right along with his view of life in general. Selfish, self-serving, self-important prick. I do not like this album one iota. If Gene Simmons truly took anything seriously he would have hired voices to sing these tunes. Quite honestly, I've read many who state A**HOLE is a good song. I don't agree. It is by far the stupidest song I have EVER HEARD. EVER!!! If a good song is judged by moon, June, spoon lyric writing then yes, A**HOLE is a masterpiece. But in my book, this isn't remotely close to music. It is however, another way for the Money Man to make more. And after all, isn't that what he's here for? Just ask him.

For those of you expecting Kiss songs on here, forget it. It is not a KISS album. Most of the reviewers so far just seem to not like gene simmons and are bashing the cd on that opinon alone. The cd has some good songs and some I could do without. But its Genes album, he can put whatever he wants on it. I'll give it 5 stars just to offset the people giving it 1 for no other reason then they dont like Gene. As for peter criss and ace. I say, im glad they are gone. Enough of the crying and complaining. Tommy & Eric are 100 times better then peter & ace could ever hope to be. Another plus is I'll never have to here Beth in concert ever agian. Whoever told peter he could sing in the 1st place. kiss rules, Now that they have a dedicated guitar player and drummer, maybe they will make a new KISS album and it wont have to be filled with crap songs from peter and ace just to make them happy.

From the heavy metal crunch of "Carnival Of Souls" and "Weapons" to the whimsical "Whatever Turns You On" to the rebellious and ethereal "Black Tongue" to the humorous title track to the melancholy tones of "Now That You're Gone" and "Waiting For the Morning Light" and "I Dream A Thousand Dreams"....Gene Simmons' new solo album HAS IT ALL. Raised on The Beatles growing up, Gene Simmons has always displayed a true knack and appreciation for writing and performing music that literally knows no boundaries or classification.
Much like Simmons' classic '78 solo album - this new album is filled to the brim with a variety of styles, emotions, and messages. Gene has always been a courageous writer willing to push the limits of what people expect from him. This is anything but a straight heavy metal album; no, that would have been too easy.
Listen to this album with an open mind and be prepared to love it. It is an artistic triumph.

Ok, this self-proclaimed money-lover, greedy man won't see the colors of my hard earned dollars, because I've downloaded this album from suprnova.org.

I usually try to separate the work of an artist from his personal life and character, but in the case of Gene this has become impossible to me, I'm sorry.

This album is not utterly bad, it's just almos useless, the kind of album that you will listen one time, and then nevermore.

For those who like their music to sound the same from disc to disc don't even buy this. I have all material from KISS including the solo discs and I like them all. INCLUDING THIS ONE. I will even get the Paul Stanley one when he releases it around Jan. As far as I am concerned it is said best on the live albums. YOU WANTED THE BEST YOU GOT THE BEST. THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD. KISS!!!!!!!

I've always been a huge fan of Gene Simmons, but less a fan of his music than his personality... speaking of which, I'm guessing that's where he got the title of the record. And this record proves... well, not much that wasn't known before.

He goes to great excess to show that there's more to Gene than you think. The production is slick and polished. The material is diverse, ranging from god of Thunder heavy metal style to old softy 70s era ballads to... island music? Yup, good old Gene is gonna prove that he can tackle any style and pull it off. And I have to say that I do respect him for the effort, but in the end it just doesn't sit well with me.

This sounds like a record by a guy who's got something to prove... but Gene doesn't have to prove anything. He's part of one of the best selling groups of all time and is a great songwriter. He's an amazing entertainer, decent actor, and one of the best interviews in rock music. He's an amazing businessman to boot. What he is not, though, is a great singer. Don't get me wrong, he can sing... but he doesn't have a great voice. And yes, I accept that there are a lot of voices out there that aren't great, but they can pull it off with character or delivery. Unfortunately Gene isn't starving and doesn't have to have that desperate passion to make it and you can hear it in his voice. And sadly, with so many different styles on the record, his voice is the only thing tying the whole record together.

I've always known that Gene is a diverse guy, so it's not too shocking to hear him do island music. And I have to say that, taken individually, the songs are really pretty good. My favorites are the ones where he goes against the grain - 1000 Dreams, Waiting for the Morning Light, and Now That You're Gone are interesting and... well... good! My least favorites... Weapons of Mass Destruction, Carnival of Souls, and a pointless cover of Prodigy's Firestarter do little for me with rock bombastics that have been heard far too many times before.

Anyway, the record is interesting, but that's pretty much all it is. A guy with a lot of money, talent, and time made a record that demonstrates his love of music that many people will buy out of either loyalty or curiosity and then listen to once or twice.

***HOLE, you love it or hate it. This album is Gene Simmons, it's not KISS. If you want to hear KISS: don't buy it, you'll be disappointed.
Gene Simmons is a man of many talents. To the main public he's know as the firespitting demon with THE tongue. But he's more than just a rockartist, he's an allround musician, an actor, writer and businessman as well. A multi-talented man with many interests and things to keep him busy.
***HOLE gives you a small impression of what Gene is all about. It's almost impossible to put a label on this album - except for the "Parental Guidance - Explicit Content"-one maybe. Even overhere in Holland it's put on the album, eventhough we don't have this system. It's more likely to boost the sales, to get people curious.
But what do you get? Rock, metal, pop, lullabies, it's all there. Take the tittlesong ***HOLE for instance: it rocks! The lyrics are harsh, it really puts someone down, but it ends with cynical self-criticism. Another real heavy song is Sweet & Dirty Love, it sounds a bit like the songs on the Kiss-albus "Carnival of Souls" (1997) - not the official one, but the 'studiotapes'.
Sweet and sugary, that are the words to describe the sound of Beautiful. But listen to the lyrics, listen good. It has that strange twist to it again. Waiting for the morning light, another ballad, once written by Simmons and Bob Dylan, "a few years back" according to Simmons on his album.
Dylan isn't the only one who helped him. Simmons' family got involved as well. Also the Zappa-family gave him a hand, on the song Black Tongue. You even hear Frank speak and play himself, because Simmons' got access to the Zappa archives. Dweezl played guitar as well, Ahmet, Moon and Gayle Zappa did the background vocals. It are just a few of the different names that turn up...
Some are really surprises, others are to be expected, but one thing is for sure: ***HOLE is full of weird surprises with a few twists.

This long awaited CD is a 100% triumphant effort on the Demon's part! Do NOT buy this CD looking for "Destryer" re-re-re-revised - it's been done.... by KISS!!!! No, this is PURELY Gene - a couple of tracks ("Sweet and Dirty Love" (a song he originally wrote in the late '70's called "Jelly Roll") & "Weapons of Mass Destruction") offer no surprises, but are still in-your-face, vintage Gene material - while tracks like "A**Hole", "Beautiful", "Waiting for the Morning Light", and "If I had a Gun" will prove to all what a great mind Gene has for being UNIQUE! My personal favorite is "Whatever Turns You On (Turns Me On)" - a complete masterpiece with a great tune and right-on-the-money GENE lyrics! And, the Man who brought you "God of Thunder", "Unholy", and "Hate" now brings you "1,000 Dreams" - reminiscent of his 1978 Solo Album cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star"
Gene is truly a UNIQUE individual! Buy the CD, you will NOT be disappointed!