Is guitar god Brian May losing his magic touch? Queen fans can’t decide after a viral video emerged of the rock legend reinventing one of his most iconic solos, decades after he first penned it, and making it sound worse than ever before—according to some viewers, at least.
This controversial clip has sparked a huge debate among rock fans as it tops 48,000 views in a mere fortnight and has Queen fans split straight down the middle. Music Man readers can watch Brian’s reinvented solo unfold in the video below…
The solo in question comes in the midst of an all-new, Adam Lambert-studded performance of Queen’s 1986 hit, “A Kind of Magic.” Just as it begins, Brian lets fireworks blast from the head of his guitar in a tribute to the late KISS guitarist, Ace Frehley, famed for pioneering the explosive trick during his heyday.
As Brian’s iconic guitar tones ring out, it seems exactly like the masterclass performance Queen fans have come to expect. But then, things take a turn.
Brian’s solo dissolves into a repetitive series of notes which some fans reckon “sound more like a practice exercise than a solo.” Hints of Queen’s original emerge, yet are completely overpowered as Brian plays the same fast guitar run a number of times with little intrigue or pizzazz, centering his solo around a comfortable, single position rather than daring to play something which truly shows off his decades of pro talent.
Even Queen’s biggest fans were quick to criticize Brian’s playing, flocking to the YouTube comments section to write:
“He certainly grew old now. He would have played a much more melodic solo a few years ago than this repeatable one.”
“I love Brian May and Queen (with Freddie), but that solo… it was very simple and VERY repetitive. Where were the fast runs like the studio version which he used to play?”
Another fan even hinted that Brian’s firework tribute to Ace Frehley was used to distract or make up for the fact that the guitar god might not be able to play as well as he used to. They wrote: “Loved the Ace Frehley (KISS) rocket firing guitar stunt rip off. But critics always say [Brian] is so good he doesn’t need gimmicks…”
Nevertheless, other Queen fans fell in love with this rendition, sparking a divide within the fanbase. As one spellbound viewer wrote, “THIS. This mastery is the soul of Queen,” another backed up the vibe, commenting, “One of the great things about Brian May is you instantly know it’s Brian May. The tone, the style, the phrasings are all unique to him. That’s what makes a legend.”