(Maul Stanley) The news blog at StarWars.com (the official Star Wars website) has posted a new interview with former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. The article serves as an epilogue to his recent onstage interview with the mysterious Maul Stanley (the parody hybrid of Star Wars character Darth Maul and Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley). Whereas their original discussion dealt primarily with Bruce's experiences in Kiss, the follow-up focuses on his lifelong appreciation of the Star Wars saga (and its historical similarities to Kiss). A few excerpts from the interview follow. Also included is a link to Maul Stanley's appearance in the latest episode of the Talking Metal podcast.Maul Stanley: As a musician, what is your take on the impact of music in the Star Wars movies?
Bruce Kulick: Well, knowing a little about the film industry from the music end of things, I can tell you that music is usually not their first priority. That being the case, George Lucas made the right choice in having John Williams score the films. That man is a master of the classic, sprawling epic. I thought his choice of music for the cantina scene was especially interesting. It wasn't quite rock but I think it would've been cool to have some electric guitars in there!
Maul Stanley: Have you ever incorporated your love of Star Wars or science-fiction into your own music?
Bruce Kulick: The song "Old Man Wise" by my band Union had something of a Star Wars vibe to it. Like a Yoda to a Luke Skywalker, Old Man Wise is the guy with all the wisdom, the old wizard type. With so much temptation and violence in the world, we're always looking for some higher answers to make the right choices in life. In that sense, Old Man Wise could even be seen as the wisdom we hope to find within ourselves. Lyrically, those ideas came from our singer John Corabi and producer Curt Cuomo, while I provided the main riff. There are also some pretty far-out sound effects going on in that song!
Maul Stanley: Who would win in a fight, the Clone Army or the Kiss Army?
Bruce Kulick: The Kiss Army definitely has more passion than the Clone Army, so that would give them the edge!
Maul Stanley: What similarities do you see between the Star Wars phenomenon and the Kiss phenomenon?
Bruce Kulick: Well, both Kiss and Star Wars made their big initial impact in the late '70s. They each had their run on top before eventually evening out for a while. Then in the late '90s, they both came back with a vengeance and the whole thing started all over again! Kiss hit it big with the reunion of the original band in makeup and George Lucas released the Special Editions of the original trilogy, followed by the prequels. So I found that to be an interesting parallel.
Pop culture seems to work in 20-year cycles like that. People begin to realize how much they loved something when they were young and how much they miss it now. So then those things come back, and in the process find all new fans. That's what blows me away about attending Kiss conventions. Even though I enjoy meeting the 40-year-old guy who's asking me to sign his "Crazy Nights" album, I'm even happier to meet his 5-year-old kid who is just completely fascinated by all things Kiss. Or the teenager who is just now discovering the music on his own. With things like Kiss and Star Wars and even Star Trek, they can be shared and enjoyed by the different generations.
- The entire interview is available here
