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yarstruly 
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 Topic: The Brian May Appreciation Thread
Posted: February 01 2007 at 10:23 |
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Queen's Brian May is one of my favorite guitarists. He has an instantly recognizable signature tone, and has an incredible sense of melody & harmony. Any other May fans out there? Any favorite Brian May moments?
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PROGMAN
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 10:25 |
A friend in school told me years ago: "Brain May is the best guitarist in the World" 
Well I don't think that's really true, there are great guitarists out there.
Yes Brian May has his unique sound, I like the guitar solo instrumental track on "Innuendo", there's also one on "The Miracle" too.
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yarstruly
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 10:41 |
Oh...don't get me wrong, I would not say that he was the best, but one of my favorites...
(I really distinguish between best & favorite)....
Brighton Rock RULES! Both the studio & especially the Live Killers version.
I always loved the bit on Bicycle Race after the bell's ring, just trills & scales, but used brilliantly....
Acoustically, Love of My Life & Is This the World We Created are both fantastic!
I know I will think of others as well....
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erik neuteboom
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 11:07 |
From the moment I heard Queen on the radio in the early Seventies (Radio Caroline and Radio Northsea Internation) I was blown away by his unique guitar sound. In 1979 I witnessed Queen on the tour that turned out to be on Live Killers, I was only a few meters away from my hero and especially the guitar solo in Now I Am Here was mindblowing  Great idea to make a Brian May thread, I am sure that many progheads will join it 
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salmacis
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 12:19 |
Big fan of his work in the 70s which really was very innovative and distinctive. I love the way his guitars were tweaked by the production to sound like other instruments.
Sorry to say, I think Queen as a band began to coast in the 80s- they discovered that synthesisers could do the same thing and got lazy, imho. Only 'The Miracle' (the song), 'I Want It All' and the 'Innuendo' album really compares at all to their 70s output.
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Philéas
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 12:56 |
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A talented guitarist. I really like his work with Queen, but what I have heard from his solo output has disappointed me.
Edited by Philéas - February 01 2007 at 12:56
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Tuzvihar
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 13:09 |
 PROGMAN wrote:
A friend in school told me years ago: "Brain May is the best guitarist in the World"
Well I don't think that's really true, there are great guitarists out there.
Yes Brian May has his unique sound, I like the guitar solo instrumental track on "Innuendo", there's also one on "The Miracle" too. |
Do you mean the flamenco one? It was played by Steve Howe as far as I know.
Edited by Tuzvihar - February 01 2007 at 13:09
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"Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent."
Charles Bukowski
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yarstruly
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 14:08 |
Philéas wrote:
A talented guitarist. I really like his work with Queen, but what I have heard from his solo output has disappointed me. |
I actually really enjoy his "Back to the Light" album!
Resurrection ,The Title Track, Too Much Love Will Kill You, etc....Good Stuff
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Snow Dog
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 14:16 |
Tuzvihar wrote:
PROGMAN wrote:
A friend in school told me years ago: "Brain May is the best guitarist in the World"
Well I don't think that's really true, there are great guitarists out there.
Yes Brian May has his unique sound, I like the guitar solo instrumental track on "Innuendo", there's also one on "The Miracle" too. |
Do you mean the flamenco one? It was played by Steve Howe as far as I know.
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I would say he means "Bijou", which is an instrumental track and not a guitar part from another song. Pay attention lad! 
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Rushman
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 14:38 |
I recently heard (he told the story on VH-1's Rock Honors) that the reason for his distinctive guitar sound is because he has a one-of-a-kind guitar, built by him and his father when he was a lad, and he's been playing that same guitar for 30 some years now.
He must have it heavily insured.
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Snow Dog
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 14:47 |
Rushman wrote:
I recently heard (he told the story on VH-1's Rock Honors) that the reason for his distinctive guitar sound is because he has a one-of-a-kind guitar, built by him and his father when he was a lad, and he's been playing that same guitar for 30 some years now.
He must have it heavily insured. |
Yes he built his own guitar, I thought everyone new that!  he also uses a sixpence as a plectrum!
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Tuzvihar
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 14:48 |
Snow Dog wrote:
Tuzvihar wrote:
PROGMAN wrote:
A friend in school told me years ago: "Brain May is the best guitarist in the World"
Well I don't think that's really true, there are great guitarists out there.
Yes Brian May has his unique sound, I like the guitar solo instrumental track on "Innuendo", there's also one on "The Miracle" too. |
Do you mean the flamenco one? It was played by Steve Howe as far as I know.
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I would say he means "Bijou", which is an instrumental track and not a guitar part from another song.
Pay attention lad!
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You're right Snow Doggy Dog.
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"Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent."
Charles Bukowski
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erik neuteboom
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 17:06 |
It was build from the wood of a mantelpiece I once read 
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progismylife
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 17:07 |
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And the whammy bar (tremolo thingy) was made from a motorcycle kick stand.
Edited by progismylife - February 01 2007 at 17:08
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Jim Garten
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 03:50 |
progismylife wrote:
And the whammy bar (tremolo thingy) was made from a motorcycle kick stand.
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 That must have been a very light motorcycle...
For me, May (and Queen) reached his peak on the 1979 Live Killers album - from the first bar of 'We will rock you' (the decent full-on version) to the final strains of 'God save the Queen', he's on superb form whether on electric, acoustic or on vocals.
I feel that after LK, Queen toned down the guitar work on the studio albums, going for a more commercial sound - they could still rock occasionally, but the heyday of one of the 1970's great hard rock bands was over.
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Atavachron
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 04:02 |
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Love him. If you ever see a very rare EP he and Eddie Van Halen did in the early 80s called 'Starfleet Project', get it.
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Snow Dog
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 05:37 |
Atavachron wrote:
Love him. If you ever see a very rare EP he and Eddie Van Halen did in the early 80s called 'Starfleet Project', get it. |
Got it!
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mystic fred
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 07:08 |
I love hearing stories about Brian's home-made guitar - constructed from parts of an old fire place (must be something in the wood) and other bits, and now must be priceless - manufacturers have tried to emulate it and failed - one story was when Brian was presented with an early copy and was so disgusted with it went flying off the stage! I understand Burns manufacture a facsimile of the guitar, but what does it sound like?
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clarke2001
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 07:21 |
Great thread!  Brian is my favourite guitarist of all time...there is no point to name my favourite solos by him, because the list would be endless... I like his solo works too (Back To The Light is lovely ( The Dark is prog!)). I was never able to trace a copy of Star Fleet Project, and I've been searching for 15 yrs... Oh, a question about his guitar's sound: Is it true that his guitar sounds so unique because of some thing with pick-ups/wiring? I heard that the signal from 1st pickup is going to 2nd pickup and modulating the sound, like in synthesizers... ...pickups are wired in serial, not in parallel... Anyone knows? Is that true?
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yarstruly
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 08:55 |
clarke2001 wrote:
Great thread!
Brian is my favourite guitarist of all time...there is no point to name my favourite solos by him, because the list would be endless...
I like his solo works too (Back To The Light is lovely (The Dark is prog!)).
I was never able to trace a copy of Star Fleet Project, and I've been searching for 15 yrs...
Oh, a question about his guitar's sound:
Is it true that his guitar sounds so unique because of some thing with pick-ups/wiring?
I heard that the signal from 1st pickup is going to 2nd pickup and modulating the sound, like in synthesizers...
...pickups are wired in serial, not in parallel...
Anyone knows? Is that true?
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Not sure about that, but that could be why it is so unique sounding....
Guild had a Brian May model in the 80s... anyone ever play or own one?
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The Brian May Appreciation Thread
