A fine songwriter and an incredible musician to boot. He’s a unique talent and an incredibly modest individual considering his band’s massive album sales.
What exactly do you disagree with? With things like Keep Yourself Alive, Brighton Rock and Now I'm Here his stature in Queen could've been similar to Jimmy Page's stature in Led Zeppelin. But at some point he either became unable to come up with songs in the vein of the three I listed, or he simply let Mercury become the leading force in the band.
Well, as these things go, I think he hadn’t come close to peaking yet. But my two favourite Queen albums are News Of the World and The Works. Incredibly gifted and diverse songwriter and sublime player - beautifully expressive singer. ‘All Dead All Dead’ slays me every time. Plus, I admire him for all his advocacy work. I will miss him when he is gone.
That never happened. They all played a role and wrote their own songs. There are almost an overwhelming amount of brilliant Brian moments in all eras of Queen’s music.
Loved him in QUEEN's early career, but unfortunately their music suffered from Radio Gaga!!!! RIP Freddie
His status is absolutely like Page in Queen, and as much as I see Jimmy’s talent, I’d rather listen to Brian any day.
Yup. That's the only thing that would make it appear like Brian was writing less, the ascendancy of Deacon and Taylor as great established songwriters in their own right.
Brian May is one of the great rock guitarists. Though, for me, I single out his amazing guitar/swing band tour de force in Good Company. He must have worked so hard on that, but it sounds effortless. Aside: many years ago I saw Brian May at Disneyland. I think he was waiting outside of a ride, waiting for whomever he was with to finish. He was just hanging by himself. I debated about approaching him, if only to thank him for his music, but I decided bugging someone at the “happiest place on earth” was bad karma.
I agree, I could say the same about other great guitarists in the 80’s… Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck etc. As I said, Queen (and Brian May guitar work) peaked with Sheer Heart Attack. All other followed have some brilliant moments, I think of ANATO and Jazz.
Didnt he recently get voted the best guitarist of all time by his peers? That's got to mean something. QUEEN's BRIAN MAY Named Greatest Guitarist Of All Time By TOTAL GUITAR Magazine
Queen is not really my thing. But amazing they were, no one can deny that. Brian May is deservedly one of the alltime guitar greats.
Brian recorded with Guns N’ Roses in ‘99 on the Chinese Democracy sessions after Robin Finck left the group. He played on 3 tracks, Catcher leaked back in ‘06 (his soapbox comments will be out there to read on it), but his solo never made the Final Cut. If you’ve never heard it, I highly recommend listening to it on YouTube and comparing it to what ended up on the album. You don’t remove Brian May from anything!
His vulnerability is an essential counterpoint to the bombast of Queen (although he’s capable of that too) and as such he gives the band a critical balance. As I said in another thread recently, that vulnerability can lead to mawkishness but his songs are often a really important part of the band. How lucky they were to have four capable writers in the same band, it doesn’t happen often.
I wouldn’t say his peers, and I am sure the readership as with most current guitar mags isn’t large, particularly since it’s the UK. Plus the readership is probably Millennial, Alpha and Gen Z the same demographic that has revised the bands’ fortunes, thus self referential.
He is a fine player...a really great player and writs nice stuff...I just never cared for FM at all...voice style presentation.....BM could have been a household name with out Queen....never cared for their music...saw where he was named greatest guitarist of all time by Total Guitar....what a humble cat....hes really a great one....can pass on FM every time......not a fan
He is an astrophysicist and was in a doctoral program, but I don't believe he finished and the doctorate he has is honorary...though deserved.
Both Brian May and Freddie Mercury were excellent songwriters with very different styles within Queen. John Deacon and Roger Taylor were too. This is one of Queen's major strengths. Nobody ever took over the songwriting process although one or the other might be more prolific at times. It so happens that Brian is my favorite songwriter in Queen, but that's just me.
Brian finished his doctoral dissertation and was awarded a PhD in Astrophysics in 2007. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/04/que...eived his,according to Queen's band's website.
Brian May is a great guitarist without a doubt. But to my ears his playing seems to all sound the same. But then I suppose that goes for most guitarists - once they develop their unique sound it usually stays that way.
Ahh ok, I thought he had gone back and finished it later, but only saw the initial part and the honorary one when I looked. Thanks.
