In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick shared his thoughts on his former bandmate Gene Simmons. Kulick said the bassist never bragged about how good he is and that he should do so:
“Anyone that considers Kiss simple or easy music to play, they’re idiots. This stuff is hard. It’s just that the band never got credit that way and it always should. Gene never wants to brag about how good he is on bass and what a tremendous musician he actually is. That’s part of his schtick, I believe. I don’t buy it for a second.”
‘Respect KISS Even If You’re Not A Fan’
The guitarist then praised Simmons’ ‘unbelievably gifted’ style and explained why he still considers him a very talented musician:
“He’s actually unbelievably gifted at playing an aggressive style with [Paul] McCartney melodic bass lines and those lines he came up with in songs. I don’t buy that any producer spoonfed him a whole lot at all, if anything. Paul is a tremendous rhythm player. Whatever he hears for leads that he can’t play, he can sing it to you. The ‘Tears are Falling’ solo wouldn’t have been that special, that first half, without Paul’s direction. These guys are really, really talented musicians.”
Kulick then addressed the hate comments the band would get for sounding different in different albums. He ended his words by stating that people should respect KISS even if they don’t like them:
“The body of songs and the catalog that they created, I’m just thrilled to be part of it. I know sometimes that some of my era’s songs are slagged. ‘Oh, Gene was busy with movies’ and all of that, but I don’t buy that completely. Everyone’s going to like their own thing. People rave about ‘Carnival of Souls,’ others are like, ‘That doesn’t sound like Kiss, I don’t like it.’ So what can I say? It’s a huge body of music and you have to respect Kiss, even if you’re not a fan.”
Why Kulick Wouldn’t Rejoin KISS
In an interview with Guitar World, Kulick revealed he was never asked to join KISS in the early 2000s or for their farewell ‘End of The Road’ tour. Though unbothered that he wasn’t asked, Kulick also wasn’t asked to join when Gene Simmons & Co. decided to return from retirement. However, the guitarist doesn’t regret missing out on that opportunity either:
“I’ve always missed being in KISS, but if being in KISS meant being the Spaceman like Tommy, I wouldn’t want to do it. And if being a part of the final shows meant I had to ask to be there, I’d rather stay home. I guess that’s why Ace respects me and has always been kind to me.”
He added:
“I’m not disappointed they didn’t ask me to be in KISS again. To be in KISS again, I would have had to be the Spaceman, right? If I had done that, I would have negated my entire non-makeup era.”
Although he left the band in 1996, Kulick came together with his KISS bandmates for a few shows throughout the years. KISS played and recorded with Kulick for the last time ever on ‘Carnival Of Souls.’ You can hear the album down below.