MK Magazine News

an MK Online eXXXive! Thanks to Krista at ElectricArtists, Inc

If PIG wasn't the appropriate title than the official title of the new Gene $immon$ solo album then Asshole is fitting. Just take a gander at Mr $immon$ as shot by world famous photographer David La Chappelle.

The album which we've been reporting on for months is set for release on the 18th of May by SIMMONS RECORDS/SANCTUARY MUSIC GROUP.

SWEET AND DIRTY LOVE (Simmons)
FIRESTARTER (Prodigy)
WEAPONS (Simmons)
WAITING FOR THE MORNING LIGHT (Simmons/Dylan)
BEAUTIFUL (Singh/Addison)
ASSHOLE (Tostrup)
NOW THAT YOU'RE GONE (Simmons/Kulick)
WHATEVER TURNS YOU ON (Williams/Simmons)
DOG (Bag/Simmons)
BLACK TONGUE (Simmons/Zappa)
CARNIVAL OF SOULS (Simmons/Van Zen)
IF I HAD A GUN (Bag/Simmons)
I DREAM 1,000 DREAMS (Simmons)

The Japanese version will include two other songs:

EVERYBODY KNOWS (Simmons)
YOU'RE MY REASON FOR LIVING (Simmons)

from the official SANCTUARY MUSIC GROUP press release:

Produced by SIMMONS, this forward thinking, genre splitting effort, is an ambitious musical tour-de force through SIMMONS' psyche, revealing yet another side to the multi-talented artist. “Doing a solo record is important because I write so many different kinds of songs. I literally have hundreds of songs that are demoed up that aren’t right for KISS, and some songs that weren’t used on KISS records I still like, like ‘Carnival Of Souls’ and ‘Sweet & Dirty.’ In assembling the album, I went and reviewed over a hundred songs that I had lying around, and then it was by process of elimination I determined what would go on the record. But at the end of the day, above and beyond style, I had to like the songs.” stated SIMMONS.

Like his 1978 self-titled solo album, ASSHOLE is a model of versatility, drawing together an eclectic swath of styles including hard rock, blues, thrash, neo-psychedelia, Beatlesque pop, rap, prog-rock and even power ballads. “My taste is eclectic and all over the place. I love all kinds of artists, from Patsy Cline to the Beatles, Motown to Hoobastank. As for the record’s stylistic diversity, I’m a child of The Beatles. They created this sort of hybrid white version of American music. They could do it all-- Little Richard, country, pop, soul, psychedelia. They had no rules. That had a major effect on me and that influence comes through on the record.” SIMMONS said.

Transcending genres and confounding expectations, ASSHOLE resounds with a surprise at every turn. Like the artist’s self-titled solo effort, a number of musical luminaries join in on the fun. BOB DYLAN and GENE co-wrote the album's “Waiting For The Morning Light.” FRANK ZAPPA and GENE share co-writing credit on “Black Tongue” and the ZAPPA Family, DWEEZIL, AHMET, MOON, GAIL and FRANK ZAPPA himself sing and play guitar on the song . Other guests featured on the album include DAVE NAVARRO, ex-KISS members BRUCE KULICK and ERIC SINGER, new SIMMONS RECORDS/Sanctuary Music Group signing BAG, as well as GENE's longtime live in SHANNON TWEED and their two children, SOPHIE and NICHOLAS.