Brian May Appreciation Thread

Motley Crue

While you will find nobody who appreciated Brian's work in Queen more then me, and as much as I love every note Freddie Mercury has ever sung, you have to say that Brian May's solo career is often overlooked in favour of his day job.

But Brian produced some incredible songs outside of Queen that truly rival what he created for the group.

Brian began his solo career in the early 80s, a chance meeting with personal hero Eddie Van Halen led to the creation of the Starfleet Project - perhaps Brian was frustrated by the recent direction of Queen on Hot Space - a solo venture which helped Brian create some excellent Blues and Hard Rock with little polish and virtually no professional production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjijteu0gcQ

Towards the end of Freddie's life Brian became more and more engrossed in his work (later speaking about how it helped in the grieving process) producing songs that would eventually feature on the album 'Back to the Light' and a resulting World Tour with (among others) Soundgarden and Guns N' Roses - in many ways Brian broke more ground at that time in the US then Queen had managed their entire career

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mki_v4MH_mc

Focusing on Queen's last project 'Made In Heaven' Brian greeted the late 90s with an album called Another World. Having started the album as one of covers Brian then decided to focus on new material and produced an album that, although not hugely well received in the mainstream, made its impression on guitarists around the globe.

A Japanese release of the album contains a bonus track of May covering Meat Loaf from Rocky Horror...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGZbtGuO57U

Following Another World Brian focused on a lot of Queen related material including their performances with Paul Rodgers, the band's musical and his own charitable work.

2011 sees Brian undertaking a relatively new project, with Kerry Ellis, whose album he produced. Working towards promoting the duo as much as they can, this has led to several high profile media performances and TV duets. Brian continues to influence and perform around the globe, adding to his already 40 year career, and proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4oM8ob1i20

sgb

He also had to put up with Angie from Eastenders

RayCon

World Class perm.

nyarlothothep

Starfleet is a good song, the video is enjoyable too. As a physicist and intellectual he had a creative and intelligent approach song writing.

Brother Psychosis

he is one of the most consistently overlooked guitarists of recent times. he is technically gifted, but he is just as good at staying in the background as he is doing some incredible lead work. his vocals are excellent too. one of his best pieces imo is 'only the good die young' which is one of my fave songs of all time. i think Queen+Paul Rodgers (Rogers?) was ill advised and didnt work out, but apart from that, you only need to look at his huge volume of work, particularly, i think, We Will Rock You musical, which is a huge testaments to his ability

nyarlothothep

He shouldn't really be overlooked as he has a completely unique sound and is the master of harmonization. His work is more rooted in melody than technique though as a guitarist he would rank up there in terms of 70s technique imo. Granted a lot of 80s guitarists like Van Halen demonstrate more complicated technical abilities on guitar (I think Van Halen said something like "Jimmy Page plays guitar like a five year old with a broken hand) but I don't think thats what May was about to begin with. He could certainly have learned those techniques, in fact I believe he was finger tapping before Van Halen became famous for it, with the song Its Late, its not in the same style, more blues orientated but its there nonetheless.

chughes

Count me in. I've always loved Brian's guitar playing since I first heard Seven Seas of Rhye on BBC Radio 1 back in 1973.

When it comes to being a rock guitarist, Brian's the guv'nor.

Star Bingo

not only is he the Queen guitarist; but also the Queen's guitarist :pac:

i don't seek out his stuff, but its distinctive enough and that's not from media oversaturation at all - tbh more of i'd gladly watch anything involving his work. May is a legend even guitar luminaries such as Slash lag far behind - n the dude hasnt changed over 40yr it seems?!

Motley Crue

Star Bingo wrote: »

May is a legend even guitar luminaries such as Slash lag far behind - n the dude hasnt changed over 40yr it seems?!

Except he no longer dyes his hair so it's now curly and grey

Star Bingo

yeah it gives the game away some. still looks well, does he eat granola or what

/its just having hair at that age that is the illusion. i don't wanna go bald

TheoBoone

Brian May's talent and work with Queen have been well documented. I would say that I am(WAS) probably one of his(and Queens) biggest fans. Seen as though this threads genesis seems to be appreciation of the man, I shall tell you all what I don't appreciate; the fact that him and some homophobic, blues singer wannabe ass clown have decided that it's a good idea to lube up the memory of a great band, and ass f**k it around the World for an extra few quid which no former member of Queen should need!!! It wouldn't be so bad if these idiots just wanted to make a quick buck and play a few gigs to people who want to hear a couple of classic rock songs, BUT NOOOO these f**ktards decided it would be a good idea to release a new(and exceptionally ****!!!) album, using the bands name. His actions over the last ten years have led me to come to think of Brian May as the Pauly Shore of guitarists. He was once a god, but now he's a washed up shadow of his former self!

P.s. I've decided to take a page from their book and release a new album of my own ****ty songs under the name Grand Master Flash!

irishdude11

Brian 'Sellout' May is a disgrace. He can go and f*ck himself as far as Im concerned. There is no excuse for the likes of this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIV2SkMwesU

or letting Robbie Williams butcher this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIMtzkQap1I

or showing up on xfactor, the show that is the antithesis of rock n roll, offering advice to the moronic twats performing on it.

I cant stand these guys like May who destroy their legendary bands credibility. Look at Steve Tyler for example, I for one have binned/deleted all my aerosmith albums. It seems some rockers completely lose touch once they get to a certain age.

nyarlothothep

Ah they've always been like that. I remember Brian May saying, if I remember correctly that is, that they never had communication problems with music execs as they wrote songs designed for the commercial market, I think this was in relation to We Will Rock You, which was penned as a football anthem. Pink Floyd apparently had meetings with business people following the losses they made prior to The Wall if Ed O Brien of Radiohead is to be believed. I don't so much mind the five and williams team ups as they're just pop fluff. Paul Rodgers though very slightly irked me, I thought he was too musically conservative to fit in with the flamboyant musical innovativeness of Queen, his band Free strikes me as one of those bands that were a bit traditionalist and imitative, a fit in with the crowd type band rather than one which took risks and tried to push forward the boundaries so I feel that its was an uneasy and wrong pairing.

richymcdermott

I dont see brian may just as a influenical musician , hes a influencial person , a stand up person.

I find it just absoulte amazing he finished degree in astronomy so late in his years

And i even have more respect for him helping against animal cruelty


People say queen wouldnt be the same if freddie wasant there and they very well may be right but as a queen fanatic

Queen wouldnt be queen without roger taylor, john deacon, brian may or freddie together.

TheoBoone

Which is why their current incarnation should not be happening. Now that they've split with Paul Rodgers they should just stop with it.

I don't see why they don't just get a new singer and call themselves something else(I think 'King' would be an awesome name!).

Deplasterer

He's an excellent stargazer, him and Patrick Moore are big buddies, should stick to that.

TheoBoone

Deplasterer wrote: »

He's an excellent stargazer, him and Patrick Moore are big buddies, should stick to that.

Here here!!!

Motley Crue

Deplasterer wrote: »

He's an excellent stargazer, him and Patrick Moore are big buddies, should stick to that.

So you're saying he's not a good guitarist? Hard to believe given his 40 years of success in the Industry, countless awards, writing credits, mentions, nods and his membership of one of the most successful/memorable British acts in popular music history