Ace Frehley believes Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has “alienated just about everybody on the planet” with his recent comments on depression, addiction and poverty. And the guitarist has predicted his former colleague could next turn on gay people – all because he doesn’t understand the human condition.
His comments stem from Simmons’ incendiary comments about depression, when he claimed his message to anyone preparing to take their own lives was, “Fuck you, then kill yourself.” He later apologized for his statements.
Now Frehley tells Artisan News Service, “First he attacks immigrants, then he belittles poor people by saying, ‘Be nice to the rich people because we’re the ones that give you jobs.’ Then he attacks people with depression, alcoholics, drug addicts. The only thing left for him to do is to attack the whole gay movement. I’ve heard him do that in private, so that’s probably still yet to come.”
The guitarist argues Simmons isn’t as clever as he likes to think. “I don’t think he makes any sense,” he reflects. “He prides himself on being such an intellectual, he brags about being able to speak seven languages, but when it comes to being knowledgeable about the human condition – depression is a very serious disease.
I’ve suffered from it, I know my daughter suffers from it. Alcoholism is a disease, so is drug addiction; it’s the disease of addiction. Many people are born that way – and Gene just seems ignorant of that whole fact. I think it’s time for Gene to go back to school and get educated in the health field.”
source: classicrockmagazine.com
141 Responses
Man, I love Ace’s new album…it’s off the wall, it’s got some great choruses, and I mean great. He has his own sound, sometimes it reminds me of the Talking Heads meets Metallica.
Gene is smart enough to know the value of a controversial sound bite to generate buzz.
Too bad he sounds like a total moron.
To be fair to Gene…I am sure there were times when Ace did not make too much sense while drunk…but at least he was more entertaining 🙂
The songs, they’re concise, they get to the point in a hurry, this has a lot of gusto…that song “I Wanna Hold You,” sounds like a band in their early 20s, the way it’s written, there’s a sort of homage to Alice going on in some places. love the concise guitar soloing, he gets in and gets out. this is a great album, I will play this three times more than I did Anomaly, alot of that is attributed to the precision in the songwriting, there is a definite up ratchet in the quality of the songs here.
I love Ace’s new album it sounds fresh but still classic Ace.
So let me get this straight. Every time KISS has something to sell, they go on a press campaign to also slag Ace and Peter. Now that Ace has something to sell, he goes on a press campaign to slag Gene and Paul. Media outlets love it because it sells copy. Seems to me that everyone’s in on the joke (and the profit)…except the gullible, rabid diehards who are sucked into the media- and band-created soap opera and who are in a constant tizzy over which side said what.
Just enjoy the music, people! Both KISS’ Monster and Ace’s Space Invader are solid albums from people who are in this late stage of their careers.
Not Sure Ace is Savoy enough to create media Press, I think he bumbles his way along in conversation, usually refusing to participate unless provoked. Gene comes off as a isolated person who has little experience with real world events outside of his bubble and reacts as such. If you listen to his ramblings they are like cable news based on opinion rather than facts or true insight.
You could be right about the slagging. Ace has said that his next record will be a covers album and Gene is supposed to be on it.
Congrats on the new record Ace. I can’t get enough.