Queen Forever
WHEN FREDDIE MERCURY passed away 30 years ago, it might have seemed like the end for Queen, the remarkable rock group he fronted. Instead, the British rock band has grown into an unstoppable phenomenon, performing onstage again since 2005 and enjoying a massive resurgence courtesy of the 2018 Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Part of the group’s enduring appeal is due to its timeless songs, of course. But it’s also down
to the fact that Queen always had two incredibly distinctive lead singers:
Mercury and Brian May’s lead guitar, a resonant calling card that continues to beguile fans and will do so again once the world is safe for concert tours.
It’s been 50 years since May, Mercury, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor first got together. While the group’s music underwent changes in those early years, moving from prog and heavy metal to the glam-rock sound with which they found fame, May’s distinctive tone arrived virtually fully formed. His remarkable layered guitar harmonies would follow soon after as the band, aided by producer Roy Thomas Baker, developed into seasoned studio pros. As the guitarist explains to Richard Bienstock in this month’s cover feature, “It was all there. We dreamed of these big vocal harmonies and guitar harmonies, and we were reaching into a place where we could visualize that.”
To celebrate Queen’s 50th anniversary, we had Brian take us back in time to the group’s beginning and how he crafted his indelible guitar tone with his homemade Red Special, Vox AC30 and Dallas Rangemaster treble booster (not to mention his idiosyncratic use of a British sixpence for a pick). He discusses the group’s formative tour with Mott the Hoople, and explains how Queen managed to maintain their sonic identity even as their music transformed over the years.
And we weren’t content with just a feature. This celebratory issue also includes a lesson in Brian’s style courtesy of Dave Colquhoun, who coached May’s and Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody counterparts to convincingly mimic the musicians onscreen. In addition, Charlie Griffiths breaks down Brian’s style with a lesson that hits on the key aspects of his virtuoso technique, from tapping and expressive string bends to scale runs and emotive playing.
But Brian isn’t the only venerable British guitarist in this issue. The legendary Vic Flick also graces it with his memories of performing the distinctive lead guitar motif on “The James Bond Theme,” and working with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, George Martin and John Barry. Best of all, he shares with writer Martin Mc Quade details of the two guitars central to his greatest sessions: the
Clifford Essex Paragon on which he performed the Bond theme’s electrifying riff, and the Fender Stratocaster he played on countless hit records from the 1960s as well as the soundtrack album for the Beatles’ 1964 debut feature film, A Hard Day’s Night.
And — speaking of guitarists with a distinctly vocal-like approach — Neal Schon joins us to discuss his new instrumental album, Universe. In his in-depth interview with Jude Gold, the Journey guitarist discusses how he developed both it and his impeccable sense of groove.