Queen are coming up on a huge rock milestone — 50 years since the release of their debut album, 1973’s self-titled Queen LP. But these days, esteemed Queen guitarist Brian May can’t help but look back on the making of the record with frustration.
Why would the rocker be frustrated? In a new interview, May explained how the sound of Queen‘s recordings left the band dissatisfied. They tracked it in 1972 at London’s Trident Studios with producers Roy Thomas Baker and John Anthony after initially making demo recordings at London’s De Lane Lea Studios.
“Our major frustration was the sound of that first album, which we were never happy with,” May tells Guitar World. “We were thrown into the studio and into a system which regarded itself as state of the art. Trident Studios were very emergent as a force in the world. And they thought they had it down.”
However, for the big rock of Queen, the sound at Trident was “very dead,” the guitarist opines.
“It was the opposite of what we were aiming for,” May continues. “So [Queen drummer] Roger [Taylor]’s drums would be in a little cubicle, and all the drums would have tape on them. They’d all be dead. … I remember saying to Roy Thomas Baker, ‘This isn’t really the sound we want, Roy.’ And he said, ‘Don’t worry, we can fix it all in the mix.’ Which of course is not the best way, is it? And I think we all knew: it ain’t going to happen!”
He adds, “Strangely enough, the demos we’d made at De Lane Lea Studios in Wembley were closer to what we dreamed of. Nice open drum sounds and ambiance on the guitar and everything. That’s much more the way we wanted it to go. … That’s the major frustration.”
Queen + Adam Lambert, the current configuration of the classic rock band, are rumored to be announcing more tour dates soon. For now, keep up with the latest rock and metal news by getting the Loudwire newsletter and downloading the Loudwire app. Below, hear “Keep Yourself Alive” from Queen.
Queen, “Keep Yourself Alive” (Music Video)
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