The Queen classic Brian May thought the band would hate: “I got back in”
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(Credits: Far Out / Raph_PH)
Being a guitar hero, innovator and holding a PhD in astrophysics are singular achievements unobtainable to most mortals. Yet, Brian May has accomplished all of those things, alongside writing numerous hit records and receiving a knighthood. A contemporary Renaissance man who uses his brain for gregarious means, there can be no doubt that he is one of a kind despite the polarising nature of Queen’s efforts.
Given that he is such a brainiac and has achieved practically all there is to in music, as well as being loved by the entire badger population for his efforts in saving them from annihilation, you’d think that May would be oozing with self-confidence and have every right to be a touch braggadocious. After all, he’s Dr. Manhattan, and we’re very much jaded little earthlings who have no real clue about the intricacies of life and the universe.
However, as most intellectuals often are, May is not one for showing off. He’s a quiet, unassuming character who acted as an ideal intellectual and sonic foil to the theatrical effervescence of Queen’s late frontman, Freddie Mercury. This character also meant that despite his dynamism on the fretboard and clear brilliance as a songwriter, May was often quite downbeat about his skillset and not the most confident when it came to bringing new ideas to the band. He frequently thought the group would hate his work.
He revealed this reality when speaking to Guitar World in 2024. After discussing his affinity for tube amps and his unique tone, attention turned to Queen’s 1984 album The Works, a noticeably more guitar-oriented body of work than the group’s albums at the decade’s onset. It was then that May revealed the gamut of emotions that comprise the songwriting process and bringing his ideas to the band.
He said: “With me, it always starts off with a burst of activity, belief and inspiration. And thinking, ‘Ah, this is gonna change the world.’ And it’s usually followed by a period of complete insecurity, thinking, ‘Oh, no, this is rubbish. This is never gonna work. Everyone’s gonna, you know, my band’s gonna hate it.’ And then working through it.”
May then revealed that ‘Hammer to Fall’, one of the record’s highlights, emerged in such a way that he thought his bandmates would hate it. He came up with the riff and thought it was great and that the audience would love it, but things soon changed. The reality in the rehearsal room was much different from what he envisioned: “And then I got into the studio and played it to the guys, and they went, ‘Yeah, okay.’ It wasn’t like, ‘We love it!’ And then I got back in and worked on the song.”
May went back to the drawing board. Luckily, in this instance, the lyrics emerged early on, with him building the song up to the point he could play it to his friends as an almost finished number so they could fully hear the scope of his idea. When he did, they finally understood what he was going for, and his confidence returned, with them all united in the belief it was to turn out great.
May concluded: “It takes a bit of belief, I think, to get from the first riff to the point where you’re happy with the result.”
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