![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Brian-May-Queen-2008-Far-Out-Magazine-F-1140x855.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Credit: Far Out \/ Paul Williams<\/p>\n
Wed 10 June 2026 8:36, UK <\/p>\n
In the 1970s, Brian May<\/a> helped bring Queen to the masses, adorning Freddie Mercury\u2019s energetic glam-rock whim with expertly executed guitar solos. As a part-time astrophysicist with a PhD from Imperial College London, May is among our more mathematic artists, who, contrary to the likes of Sid Vicious, takes great care in honing complex and refined compositions. <\/p>\n Just as May polished off his BSc in physics in 1968, London became the epicentre of the burgeoning psychedelic rock wave. The Beales had become major proponents thanks to their work on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but they certainly weren\u2019t alone. <\/p>\n Like practically everyone during this period, May became entranced by the startling virtuosity of guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Something about the psychedelic era seemed to bring the best out of rock instrumentalists, inspiring the imminent complexities of the prog-rock wave. <\/p>\n While May could undoubtedly be described as a virtuoso, Queen stood apart from the prog-rock movement. Thanks to Mercury\u2019s vibrant stage persona and the band\u2019s flamboyant compositions, Queen were more commonly associated with the glam-rock wave alongside the likes of David Bowie, T. Rex and Roxy Music. <\/p>\n Although the glam-rockers didn\u2019t use Sgt. Pepper as a blueprint<\/a> like progressive acts such as Genesis, one would be hard-pressed to find an artist from the early 1970s that wasn\u2019t fascinated by The Beatles. As far as May was concerned, George Harrison was one of the most underrated lead guitarists of the psychedelic era, ostensibly eclipsed by the grandeur of his close friend Clapton and the American import Mr Hendrix.\u00a0 <\/p>\n May\u2019s admiration for Harrison reflects his broader appreciation for musicians who prioritised taste and musicality over technical showmanship. While many guitar heroes were celebrated for speed and virtuosity, Harrison built his reputation on memorable melodies and carefully crafted parts.<\/p>\n Speaking to the Express in 2022, May revealed that the Beatles were Queen\u2019s \u201cbible\u201d. He explained that \u201cat every stage in their career and their music development, they were models. And they still are to me, I must say.\u201d<\/p>\n With perhaps the exception of multi-instrumentalist Paul McCartney, none of The Beatles are often considered musical virtuosos, but they were creative innovators who set the pace for fellow artists. \u201cThey are the pinnacle of writing, performance and ethos of rock music,\u201d May beamed. \u201cThey broke down so many barriers, they changed the world many times. I will always love The Beatles without any reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n Such praise is particularly notable coming from May, who has spent decades working at the highest level of popular music himself. Yet even after Queen\u2019s extraordinary success, he continues to view The Beatles as the benchmark against which all other bands are measured.<\/p>\n The Queen guitarist then praised the Beatles on an individual level. While he had the pleasure of meeting the other three Beatles, May lamented that he had never met John Lennon. \u201cI wish I had,\u201d May said, \u201cI would have loved to have done. What a wonderful talent and a wonderful voice. Incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n In his appraisal of Harrison, May noted that the guitarist was not only overlooked within the Beatles as a songwriter but also universally as a guitarist. \u201cI love George, I love his playing,\u201d he said. adding, \u201cI hold George in such reverence and I think he\u2019s so underrated by the guitar community. Everyone raves about people who play fast, but if you look at the catalogue of stuff he\u2019s produced<\/a>, it\u2019s colossal.\u201d<\/p>\n Harrison perhaps couldn\u2019t compete with Hendrix in terms of technical ability, but he had a unique approach as a songwriter and knew just what flavours to add to his compositions. The Rolling Stones\u2019 Keith Richards joins May in this position, commending Harrison\u2019s altruistic approach. \u201cThe thing is, you\u2019ve got your Jimi Hendrix, you\u2019ve got your Eric Clapton, and then you\u2019ve got guys who can play with bands,\u201d the guitarist once said<\/a>. \u201cGeorge was a band and a team player.\u201d Richards concluded his point emphatically: \u201cGeorge was an artist, but he was also a fucking craftsman.\u201d <\/p>\n Together, May and Richards highlight an aspect of Harrison\u2019s legacy that is sometimes overlooked. While other guitarists attracted attention through speed, complexity or sheer volume, Harrison\u2019s greatness lay in his ability to elevate every song he touched. For Brian May, that combination of creativity, restraint and craftsmanship is precisely why Harrison deserves far greater recognition among the pantheon of rock\u2019s greatest guitarists.\u00a0<\/p>\n Listen to one of George Harrison\u2019s most famous compositions below. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/George-Harrison-Musician-1966-The-Beatles-Far-Out-Magazine-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/faroutmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/far-out-magazine\/img\/google-discover.svg\")
<\/a> The Far Out Beatles Newsletter<\/p>\n