Brian May Quotes

We were kind of disciples of Hendrix (Jimi Hendrix) and The Beatles, particularly the way they used studios almost like an instrument, but obviously we had more technology than they had had, so we could push things a lot further.

In my mind, it just seems like there cannot be a Queen without Freddie (Freddie Mercury) and we should probably rather not pretend that there could be. (Speaking in 1993)

I`m the world`s biggest Led Zeppelin fan. The music, the way they conducted themselves, their whole management structure - they were the blueprint. Queen always used to play The Immigrant Song in sound-checks just for the glory of the sound.

I`m feeling rather joyful. I cannot tell you how much of a weight off the mind it is. - after his assessors approved of his thesis and he passed an oral exam.

Sorry, TV just makes me feel ill. Except the good stuff that gets imported, with great scripts, great lighting, great camera angles, innovative effects, and fabulous editing. And the Simpsons. What has happened to us?

"I do think that maybe now people are looking at more depth to what we did. Yes, we were pretty flashy and we were pretty loud and at moments we seemed very outrageous, but there was a lot of honest craftsmanship that went on behind that." (Speaking in 2003)

I`m a much better musician than astronomer. I think the world got the right choice.

I don`t think anyone has epitomised riff writing better than Jimmy Page - he`s one of the great brains of rock music.

I`ve never been fashionable and I never will.

I wanted to do an album on (paradoxes). The band told me I was a pretentious fart. They were right.

Every time I listen to Jeff Beck my whole view of guitar changes radically. He`s way, way out, doing things you never expect.

There is no way that you can ever really repeat something. I have this great belief that the magic of the moment can never be recaptured.

I don`t think anybody comes close to The Beatles, including Oasis.

I had this big thing about guitar harmonies. I wanted to be the first to put proper three-part harmonies onto a record. That was an achievement.

Sanctions always hurt the poor, the weak, the children.

Einstein got most of the things right about black holes. I`m not an expert, I must admit.

I spent 20 years of my life building up Queen, and now I`m spending years of my life trying to get away from it.

I really thought I was pretty good before I saw Hendrix, and then I thought: Yeah, not so good.

The first nine albums there was never a Synthesiser, never any Orchestra. There was never any other player except us on the albums.

For a time I didn`t want to answer any questions about Queen. I`d like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.

I never took sheet music seriously. I could do better myself just by listening to other people and using my own intuition.

From the beginning of Queen there was such momentum that I never had any time to do anything else. My energy was 95% focused on the band.

We do play to our audience. It`s very important. You can`t create music in a vacuum.

At the moment the Queen stuff does sell really well, but there`s no guarantee it`ll go on forever.

There are a lot of things in Queen albums that you don`t expect; that`s why we threw them in.

I like to go for a walk or swimming or in the garden when I can. It`s a busy kind of life, but I guess I`m lucky.

A good video can make all the difference.

I was actually perfectly happy when I had no money, which lasted right up until we had a hit with Killer Queen, in 1974. I never wanted for anything.

There`s nothing I`m embarrassed about.

The guitar was my weapon, my shield to hide behind.

I don`t surf the net in general. I have someone do it for me instead, because I find it sluggish.

The biggest emotion in creation is the bridge to optimism.

I`m pretty basic as far as technique is concerned. I don`t use many gadgets, and I like the sound my guitar makes, anyway.

Each gig should be unique. You`re always treading that line between keeping yourself fresh and giving people something they want to hear.

There are times when I flick through magazines and think I`m in danger of becoming a prisoner of my own hair.

The guitar has a kind of grit and excitement possessed by nothing else.

Everybody thought I was a bit of an eccentric for wanting to be out there looking at the stars, but I still do.

Astronomy`s much more fun when you`re not an astronomer.

Mantovani was a great influence on me.

The Wedding March has a bit of a death march in it.

I go through major crises every few months, but then I have great peaks of belief and creativity. I`m a weird kind of animal.

I despise the Lottery. There`s less chance of you becoming a millionaire than there is of getting hit on the head by a passing asteroid.

I just want to be able to play as fast as my brain goes, and my brain doesn`t go all that fast.