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At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: LiamH on August 16, 2006, 06:34:49 PM

Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 16, 2006, 06:34:49 PM
Brian May? When I was a kid Queen were almost a laughing stock, now it seems Brian May is treated like a national treasure. I am at a loss to think why.

I now await censure and insults, but I had to get it off my chest.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on August 16, 2006, 06:47:42 PM
Quote from: LiamH
Am I the only person who does not like Brian May?


Yes. Yes you are. PDT_008
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: chrisola on August 16, 2006, 06:47:56 PM
good guitar sound

good player

whats not to like???

Queen is good in small doses, and Brians solo stuff is crazy!

ps i have similar 'national treasure' problem: i cant stend Hendrix.. his out of tune whiny rambling playing grates BIG time on me, his 'normal' songs are sometimes ok though :P
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: _tom_ on August 16, 2006, 06:52:03 PM
I have to say I'm not a fan of Queen. Nice tone and great player, but I dont enjoy listening to their songs at all.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 16, 2006, 06:55:29 PM
He he, I thought it might just be me !!  He just always sounds a bit antiseptic to me. There is no edge to his sound. Maybe that is why, as I have got older (not saying ears improve with age) I like rough edged blues more than rock. Saying that I love Larry Carlton.


He is a pretty good astronomer from what I can gather, now that i can respect him for.

Anyway, he did look a bit of a prannock on that anniversary do for the Queen and he does look like his missus (if I can't argue rationally a bit of mud slinging does not go amiss).
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 16, 2006, 07:02:53 PM
i don't like his hair
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 16, 2006, 07:03:44 PM
CJ

I reckon he and Anita Dobson swap their wigs.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Kilby on August 16, 2006, 07:07:20 PM
I'm not a fan of his playing or his 'sound' and I have great dislike for the majority of Queens music, BUT I have to say that I loved his playing on the Starfleet EP.

Funny enough I adore the guitar sound (and little solo) on Queens : Crazy little thing called love on grounds of everything being tasteful but fun.

I also remember being impressed by his playing on a televised gig, when he accompanied himself via his echoplexes

Anyway I refuse to allow anything bad to be said about him as he was incredibly nice to my son last year.

Rob...
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 16, 2006, 07:09:26 PM
that just makes him less rock n roll tho
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: 38thBeatle on August 16, 2006, 07:16:40 PM
I think "Crazy Little Thing" was a Tele Rob so perhaps a pertinent comment on your part.
I can't say I am a huge fan of Queen but some songs I love ( Though I have a bad memory of having to play a bloody awful Queen song called "Man On The Prowl" because one of the guys in the band was a Queen maniac). Brian is instantly recognizable- no missing him and I rate that in a player.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Kilby on August 16, 2006, 07:23:16 PM
Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
that just makes him less rock n roll tho


Grab the Starfleet project then it's definately isn't tasteful ;)

Mr 38, yeah I remeber seeing a photo of that session and it's the only time I ever saw Brian without that dammed Red Special thing.

Rob...
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 16, 2006, 07:26:59 PM
I suppose for me Brian May is caught up in a reverse prejudice thing. I remember when Mark Knopfler and Mark King were all the rage in the 80's, I was a kid then and I used to hear that those two were the greatest guitar and bass players of all time; no really. Now that is not to say they were not talented, but it struck me that a lot of people were just jumping on the bandwagon. When I used to talk about Van Halen, Lynch, and others people used to look at me like I was an idiot and say they just made noise.Now they are almost mainsteam,  The same with Metallica, I remember when they were serious hardcore stuff, and now they are accepted MTV fodder, and are franky rubbish. So I think it might be me. Not that I dislike popular music mind, and I am no music snob......now where is my Beyonce CD.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: jt on August 16, 2006, 08:34:26 PM
:D I`m a huge Queen fan. I saw them on there last "Inside" venues tour. [ The Works there last descent album ] They were utterly awsome ! I hate Americanisms & awsome has now become a meaningless word thanks to white trash yanks ! :evil:

So believe me when i tell you i never use the word awsome. I tell you Queen at Wembley Areana `84  were AWSOME.

If you want to hear Brian May at his best get "News Of The World" on CD check out "It`s Late" for my money it`s Brian Mays & Queens finest moment.

 :D  8)

PS have to say i agree with the Hendrix comment. I apriciate the guys talent but i don`t actually like much of what he did.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on August 16, 2006, 09:03:52 PM
Quote from: jt
:D I`m a huge Queen fan. I saw them on there last "Inside" venues tour. [ The Works there last descent album ] They were utterly awsome ! I hate Americanisms & awsome has now become a meaningless word thanks to white trash yanks ! :evil:

So believe me when i tell you i never use the word awsome. I tell you Queen at Wembley Areana `84  were AWSOME.

If you want to hear Brian May at his best get "News Of The World" on CD check out "It`s Late" for my money it`s Brian Mays & Queens finest moment.

 :D  8)

PS have to say i agree with the Hendrix comment. I apriciate the guys talent but i don`t actually like much of what he did.


I was there 3 nights on the trot and it was the HEAVIEST guitar sound I have ever heard- it's almost like Brian dictated how the band sounded that tour and they were great .

2 years later and they were a bit bland.

Anyone who needs to check out Queen needs to listen to all the albums up to and maybe including Jazz- Sheer Heart Attack was probably a high point

First 4 albums are a must though!!
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: jt on August 16, 2006, 09:52:39 PM
:D Yer your right Johnathon he did have the meanest guitar sound i ever heard him get. & he played like he meant it. The band were just gobsmackingly good as well & Freddie was on fire all night. Arguably the  greatest "Front Man" of `em all.  :D

Your also right the "Kinda Magic " tour was very tame Fun but tame.

 :D  8)
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: HTH AMPS on August 16, 2006, 11:39:33 PM
QueenII, Sheer Heart Attack - total rock bliss!!!  I like Queen all through the ages but the early stuff is my fave.

 :twisted:
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: deg0ey on August 17, 2006, 12:17:05 AM
Quote from: chrisola
i have similar 'national treasure' problem: i cant stend Hendrix.. his out of tune whiny rambling playing grates BIG time on me, his 'normal' songs are sometimes ok though


+1

Quote from: LiamH
he does look like his missus


I saw a picture of both of them from behind once, and they had the same hair, the same frilly shirt, the same tight jeans - the only observable difference is that he's about 9 feet taller than her.

Quote from: 38thBeatle
I think "Crazy Little Thing" was a Tele Rob so perhaps a pertinent comment on your part.


If you watch it played at Live Aid (I have the DVD), the rhythm part at the beginning is played by both Freddie with a Tele, and Brian with an acoustic...And then Brian whips out a Tele as well for the midle section, and finally gets Old Red for the end - talk about guitar changes eh? :P


My opinion is that I love Queen...They did something with music that has never been done before or since. I do think, however, that they have been excessively overplayed and I can now no longer hear songs such as "Don't Stop Me Now" without wanng to stab someone :drink:

One of my favourite Queen songs would have to be "Death on Two Legs", mainly because the guitar work sounds a lot like the sort of stuff I've been writing of late.

Unfortunately I never saw the original Queen as I was only 2 when Freddie passed on, but I did go to the thing they did last year with Paul Rodgers, and it was immense. I'm not gonna say I preferred him to listening to Freddie (as I would be slain, and also because it's not true) but I think he was definitely AS good.

Brian was also on top form, and his guitar solo was immense.

I tried his out of phase single coils thing on my strat once, but I found it fairly useless for all but Queen covers...

I've also been described as looking like Brian May, as I have the hair going on - but also I apparently stand like him when I play guitar, although I hadn't noticed that myself.

Feline: I wasn't so much a fan of Sheer Heart Attack, I much preferred Queen II, and A Day at the Races was a great one too :drink:
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: gingataff on August 17, 2006, 03:25:38 AM
Brain May was the reason I wanted to play guitar. His sense of melody and harmony seemed so diferent and so much more beautiful than any other guitar music I had heard before, I literally fell in love with the sound!
I believe he's a really nice guy too, when I worked in Kensington I sometimes saw him at the flower stall next to Oddbins buying flowers, presumably for his missus.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Skybone on August 17, 2006, 08:31:43 AM
I freely admit to not being the biggest fan of Queen, but Brian's guitar sound on a large number of Queen songs is nothing less than fantastic. Brian is the master of making a truly heavy guitar sound disappear into any of their more popular songs, but making it the second most "hum-able" harmony after Freddies vocal.

One of the great things about Queen is that they were masters of great pop songs, but could turn their hand to pretty much any style, and still sound like Queen.

Don't forget that Queen got their big break supporting Black Sabbath in the 70's, and he and Tony Iommi have been mates for years.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on August 17, 2006, 11:19:37 AM
This album is worth a listen to hear the band sounding raw: Queen at the Beeb (or Queen at the BBC)
Brian is very heavy on the guitar- and does some Hendrixy stuff with the whammy bar too

(http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/Gallery/QAlbums2/queenatthebeeb.jpg)

Check out the listing here:http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/Songs/beeb.htm
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: lulusg on August 17, 2006, 11:36:34 AM
There is a record Brian May put out years ago(I do not remember the name), where he plays with EVH a blues song that is just amazing.  The soloing between them two is WOW......
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on August 17, 2006, 12:12:39 PM
StarFleet project released 1983
Track : Bluesbreaker
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LuckyJim on August 17, 2006, 12:52:49 PM
Hehe :) Ogre Battle on Queen at the Beeb is truely brilliant!
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Muso on August 17, 2006, 01:33:08 PM
I really like Brian May, a good "Band" guitar player, I don't really dig his solo stuff but everything he did with Queen just fitted so well, alot of the stuff he was doing back then was very experimental so I guess you could consider him as a pioneer of rock guitar.
I think the reason hes so popular is because he is very unique and easy to like.
I saw him chilling out with Sir Patrick Moore on the sky at night it was nice to see the two were genuinely friends.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Johnny Mac on August 18, 2006, 08:17:28 AM
It's just trendy and in vogue to dislike him and Queen. All that is just a load of bollocks. If you like something you like it if you don't you don't. Disliking something cos' everyone else does is 'Sheepsville Spineless Safety In Numbers School Kid Bollocks!'

S.S.S.I.N.S.K.B.......sssinskb... :roll: (say it Roger Daltrey style on my generation)

I'm not saying you fall into that though!

Listen to Brighton Rock on Live Killers! It blows me away even today. We were all Queen fans in our house years ago! (Well except me old man, he used to pretend to like Mahler!!!)
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: deg0ey on August 18, 2006, 09:15:45 AM
Quote from: Johnny Mac
Listen to Brighton Rock on Live Killers! It blows me away even today.


+1! :drink:
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: carlaz on August 18, 2006, 11:58:34 AM
I've never been a Queen fan, but there are always been a few songs I like. I mean, "Tie Your Mother Down" just rocks! :twisted: And while I don't place Brain May on a personal guitar-hero pedestal, I think he's a pretty fine player, and when something he's done or said drifts across my radar, I'll at least take note.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Muttley on August 18, 2006, 02:48:35 PM
Quote from: FELINEGUITARS
<picture>


Farking hell Jonathan, you look like Vinnie Moore in that photo!  :D :lol:

Muttley
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Kilby on August 18, 2006, 05:55:09 PM
I thought it was incredibly 'in' to like queen these days (shows how much attention I pay to the media).

I'm with Carlaz, I recognise a damn fine player it (for some reason) just dosn't work for me.

I would have loved to have seem them live when Freddy was around. As there bands I don't enjoy on record, but live theyre really something else.

Yes was another band I wanted to appreciate but just couldn't :(

Genesis however are a differnt matter, whom to this day I loathe in every way. (Though the first 3 or 4 Peter Gabriel albums are excellent)

It's also not a persona thing as I find Robert Fripp a pretentious individual, but it dosn't turn me away from his playing.

Rob..
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 19, 2006, 12:11:51 AM
Johnny Mac

I am a member of the awkward squad I will admit. But disliking Queen is not about trends. I just never got them, and never got Brian May. I admit his tone is impressive and maybe ahead of its time. However, it had no edge.

Well I cannot talk, I listen to ZZ Top all the time. God what I would give to sound like Billy Gibbons. Now ZZT have never been trendy.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: deg0ey on August 19, 2006, 12:13:28 AM
Quote from: LiamH
Now ZZT have never been trendy.


They're bloody good though :drink:
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on August 19, 2006, 12:22:18 AM
I do not even have a clue to BG's sound, he has this semi acoustic, thick yet piercing sound, I love SRV but I think BG's tone is so much better.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: _tom_ on August 19, 2006, 01:23:30 AM
I'm another fan of the Gibbons :D Great guitar sound on "Tush" but I dont really like his tone on many others to be honest.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Kilby on August 19, 2006, 02:30:59 AM
I love the Rev Billys tone on the Degeulo (spelling) album.

Rob..
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Johnny Mac on August 19, 2006, 09:28:36 AM
Quote from: LiamH
Johnny Mac

I am a member of the awkward squad I will admit. But disliking Queen is not about trends. I just never got them, and never got Brian May. I admit his tone is impressive and maybe ahead of its time. However, it had no edge.

Well I cannot talk, I listen to ZZ Top all the time. God what I would give to sound like Billy Gibbons. Now ZZT have never been trendy.


I did say.....

I'm not saying you fall into that though!

Fair enough if you didn't like them, I know there not for everyone.

What I was banging on about is what I see as resentment for success in a way. Our media and the plain ignorant. Anyway!

They are an Original band with a unique sound, the same applies for Brian! I know it's a bit twee at times but after a skinful I don't really care. I'd rather listen to Queen on the jukebox in a decent pub than 'Rn'B' hippity hop pleb-tunes any day!!

I like ZZ Top too so no worrys there! In fact my first CD ever was Afterburner in 1984. Before that it was tape and vinyl!
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: LiamH on September 01, 2006, 08:53:19 PM
I agree with you about the resentment of success. At least Brian May seems like a fairly normal human being. Compare him with the Stones....I could rant on about them for hours...the words "totally" and "fake" sum them up to me.
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: JamesHealey on September 01, 2006, 09:47:57 PM
awwwww dude...

When i was a kid Bryan May was my hero along with Jimi Hendrix.. Things have changed a bit since then but still think they're great and I love queens music!
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: sambo on September 01, 2006, 09:54:07 PM
ha.. screw you all... Danzig beats anything any of you guys have just talked about...







(sorry i couldnt resist- Danzig is just too funy a band name)
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: Brow on September 02, 2006, 12:34:25 AM
Brian May is 1 of my favourite guitarists if I'm totally honest!

He just seems to have a great sense of Harmony and Melody that I don't hear in alot of other guitarists.

I'll also agree that he has a very 'individual' guitar tone. You can usually tell straight away that it's him playing something just by his tone.

And for the record, the studio version of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' was played on a Telecaster and a MESA Boogie combo. Brian told the producer that he could approximate a Tele sound with his RS, but he was told 'if you want to get a sound like a Telecaster, use a Telecaster!' so it seems that he was pressured into it!  :lol:
Title: Am I the only person who does not like
Post by: plastercaster on September 04, 2006, 08:55:34 PM
Quote from: chrisola
ps i have similar 'national treasure' problem: i cant stend Hendrix.. his out of tune whiny rambling playing grates BIG time on me, his 'normal' songs are sometimes ok though :P

Love his studio stuff, generally, but live he goes on and on and on and on... like live hear my train a comin has an amazing riff... then its all widdly diddly squeal dow.
glad Im not the only person who doesn't rate every single hendrix song as amazing.
Queen: best when merry