| Togg 30.04.2009 05:10 |
I read with interest that Brian had to resort to using another (unnamed) guitar and amp to record the solo on 'Hero' due to his guitar being in Munich while he was in London This must have been one of the very few times he used something other than the Red Special Others being..and please add if you remember more than me Crazy Little Thing Mother Love Long Away |
| Holly2003 30.04.2009 05:17 |
Togg wrote: I read with interest that Brian had to resort to using another (unnamed) guitar and amp to record the solo on 'Hero' due to his guitar being in Munich while he was in London This must have been one of the very few times he used something other than the Red Special Others being..and please add if you remember more than me Crazy Little Thing Mother Love Long Away Except there is no solo on The Hero. Unless you are talking about the album version which sounds so much like the red special I would put money on it. |
| Togg 30.04.2009 08:12 |
Check out Brian's soapbox, he talks about it |
| Holly2003 30.04.2009 08:21 |
Togg wrote: Check out Brian's soapbox, he talks about it Well colour me gobsmacked. The melodic solo at the end of The Hero sounds incredibly like the Red Special. I wonder is Brian hallucinating? |
| Holly2003 30.04.2009 08:21 |
Holly2003 wrote:Togg wrote: Check out Brian's soapbox, he talks about itWell colour me gobsmacked. The melodic solo at the end of the album version of The Hero sounds incredibly like the Red Special. I wonder is Brian hallucinating? |
| masterstroke_84 30.04.2009 08:37 |
And what about the "hidden" (or something like that...) familiar piece on "the wedding march"??.. I dont know what he's talking about... |
| john bodega 30.04.2009 09:04 |
Ha, he probably meant the white one. |
| Bigfish 30.04.2009 09:06 |
Holly2003 wrote:As the piece says the red secial was in Germany at the time. The guitar he picked up to play the solo was probably (and I'm just guessing here) a Sunburst Satalite Start copy as featured in the PLAY THE GAME video. The time line seems correct, the Play the game vid was recorded in the UK in May 80 - around the same time as work on flash was finishing. Does sound like the red special though. However Brian usually ends up sounding like Brian whatever the equipment combination...Holly2003 wrote:Togg wrote: Check out Brian's soapbox, he talks about itWell colour me gobsmacked. The melodic solo at the end of the album version of The Hero sounds incredibly like the Red Special. I wonder is Brian hallucinating? |
| Holly2003 30.04.2009 09:52 |
That's not a strat solo. Doesn't sound remotely like one. It's far more likely that the riff on The Hero was played on a different guitar, not the solo. Brian may be being a bit careless with words or maybe his memory is failing. Or maybe my ears are painted on. |
| Togg 30.04.2009 10:25 |
Bigfish wrote:Holly2003 wrote:As the piece says the red secial was in Germany at the time. The guitar he picked up to play the solo was probably (and I'm just guessing here) a Sunburst Satalite Start copy as featured in the PLAY THE GAME video. The time line seems correct, the Play the game vid was recorded in the UK in May 80 - around the same time as work on flash was finishing. Does sound like the red special though. However Brian usually ends up sounding like Brian whatever the equipment combination...Holly2003 wrote:Togg wrote: Check out Brian's soapbox, he talks about itWell colour me gobsmacked. The melodic solo at the end of the album version of The Hero sounds incredibly like the Red Special. I wonder is Brian hallucinating? Trust me it wasn't, that was the first guitar I ever bought it was £60 new and total crap... There is NO way Brian would have used it to play anything, the reason it was used in the Play the game video was that it didn't matter if they dropped it. |
| Sebastian 30.04.2009 12:46 |
As a matter of fact there's no solo in 'The Hero', and the (marvellous) melodic lead is actually a variation of 'Flash', which probably came from an earlier session (as well as the high 'ah-AH' near the explosion), and it's indeed very obviously the Red Special. Brian probably mistook it for the rhythm guitar (note that 'The Hero' sounds very different on stage - you can tell it's the same guitarist but on a different instrument). And of course he's quoting Chopin... |
| The Real Wizard 30.04.2009 15:54 |
Sebastian wrote: it's indeed very obviously the Red Special. Most of a guitarist's sound is in his hands - especially with a feel player like Brian. If you give him an SG plugged into a Marshall, he's still gonna sound like Brian. Myself, I can achieve a very similar tone playing a Les Paul through a Fender twin. |
| Sebastian 30.04.2009 15:58 |
Sir GH wrote:Sebastian wrote: it's indeed very obviously the Red Special.Most of a guitarist's sound is in his hands - especially with a feel player like Brian. If you give him an SG plugged into a Marshall, he's still gonna sound like Brian. Myself, I can achieve a very similar tone playing a Les Paul through a Fender twin. Yes, I'm sure Dr May still sounds like him on any guitar with any amp (e.g. the Ibanez on 'BttL'). But that particular solo is still indeed very obviously (recorded with) the Red Special. It makes much more sense that Brian confused the 'non-RS' part, considering: - The rhythm guitar on The Hero sounds very much like same guitarist but different guitar (compared with live). - The solo in question is actually a Flash Gordon reprise, rather than The Hero - The Hero was, reportedly, a new song, while Flash had already been done (thus justifying the whole 'rushing session' in the first place) - This wouldn't be the first or the last time Dr May makes a mistake This last argument doesn't mean we've *got to* doubt *everything* Brian says, but indeed establishes a precedent: if he said My Fairy King was on 'Queen II' (only an album apart from where it really belonged), Master-Stroke had been done at Wessex (again, Wessex were used one year later), Fred hadn't used Steinway... it IS possible that he mistook the solo for the rhythm bit, as they're both in the same album track (though technically not the same song), and that possibility turns bigger when you think about the fact that the solo, is, again, indeed very obviously (recorded with) the Red Special. |
| The Real Wizard 30.04.2009 16:04 |
Are you a guitarist? Have you tried to achieve the same tone with different configurations of gear? |
| Sebastian 30.04.2009 16:08 |
I am a guitarist, but I have never tried to achieve that tone. There would be no sense in lying about it. Brian's sound is 99% in his hands, but that 1% left would still be noticeable (however briefly) on a solo like that (and that's what happens with Mother Love, for instance, or Nothin' But Blue). That Flash Reprise solo lacks that 1%, while the rhythm guitar on The Hero (and Battle Theme, which is probably the same BT anyway) doesn't. I'm not saying it's impossible to sound like the RS using a different guitar and amp, and I'm not saying Bri never did it. I'm positive, though, that if Brian ever played a melodic solo like that using a different guitar, it was not there. It's much more possible that he simply misremembered, and The Hero (rhythm guitar) was the one he'd done with different gear. |
| The Real Wizard 30.04.2009 16:18 |
Fair enough. Then why don't you ask him if it was in fact the rhythm guitar he's referring to? |
| Sebastian 30.04.2009 16:24 |
I already did ;) I just hope he answers - I didn't mention any flowers so my chances are slim. |
| Yara 30.04.2009 18:06 |
Very informative thread and discussions. I have no knowledge at all to comment on what's been posted, but I'm sure learning quite a lot. Keep rocking, guys! It's really great. I wish you the best and take care. |
| teleman 30.04.2009 23:30 |
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| Togg 05.05.2009 07:59 |
Sebastian wrote: I am a guitarist, but I have never tried to achieve that tone. There would be no sense in lying about it. Brian's sound is 99% in his hands, but that 1% left would still be noticeable (however briefly) on a solo like that (and that's what happens with Mother Love, for instance, or Nothin' But Blue). That Flash Reprise solo lacks that 1%, while the rhythm guitar on The Hero (and Battle Theme, which is probably the same BT anyway) doesn't. I'm not saying it's impossible to sound like the RS using a different guitar and amp, and I'm not saying Bri never did it. I'm positive, though, that if Brian ever played a melodic solo like that using a different guitar, it was not there. It's much more possible that he simply misremembered, and The Hero (rhythm guitar) was the one he'd done with different gear. Arrrh Nothing but Blue.... I knew there was another one Also Runaway where he used a Strat! |
| Holly2003 06.05.2009 08:58 |
That little Flash reprise (not part of The Hero as Sebastian correctly points out), along with the solos from Scandal and Those Were the Days of Our Lives, are imo Brian's most melodic solos. They are short but absolutely filled with emotion. That's one of the things that distinguishes Brian from many speed merchants. |
| Sebastian 07.05.2009 11:19 |
I'm not too fond of the Scandal solo, I think it could've been better, especially for the era. Not the notes, but the way he played it - my favourite solo from Brian in Queen is Days of Our Lives followed by Who Wants to Live Forever. |
| kansas666 08.05.2009 14:28 |
Well, I would think any time he played an accoustic guitar. 39 anyone? |
| Sebastian 08.05.2009 14:38 |
Of course we're referring about electric guitars different to the Red Special. The famous Gibson Chet Atkins CE looks and sounds like an acoustic guitar but it's actually electric (which is what the 'E' in 'CE' stands for), so we can add more songs to the list: Is this the World (live), Rock 'n' Roll Medley (Magic Tour), I Want It All, Hang On In There, Innuendo. |
| ludwigs 13.05.2009 17:10 |
This whole 'I know what was used' is quite an amusing feature...... :) Unless we were there then surely the 'nailed' facts are just subjective? I am aware that BM does tend to have lapses of memory. (An example being that he states that his trem-springs were from a 1926 inner-valve Panther motorbike. Hmmm....now contact with the Panther club says that the springs were a typical run from '20's thru to 50's -60's set. I have those and they are nothing like the ones in the Old Lady.) Wrong recollection Mr BM!! Surely time does cloud facts etc but I do find it a little odd how we here can 'state' a certain guitar,booster,amp etc from the album track? I am very familiar with differing guitars etc etc..... Sure, we can 'guess' but unless we are really really au-fait with the whole BM style then it is all just guess-work? Mic placement can really have a massive effect to the sound,as can speakers, rooms,player etc etc etc.... I check these forums occasionally and it does make me laff a lot. Unless we have RTB and Mack....or Justin etc then it surely has to be 'speculation'???? I do feel that there is a 'I know more than you coz I am articulate and intelligent' mentality. It does make me less inclined to view......although, I do appreciate and acknowledge the massive contribution and very in-depth analysis' that you do include. It just is a little, 'I am the Knowledge'................. yawn. State an opinion but don't TELL us what is what? |
| Sebastian 14.05.2009 12:57 |
I guess your message was directed to me (and of course I may be wrong about that), this is my reply: You can't possibly know if I'm here to 'tell' other people how things are. Unless you know me on a personal level (which is something only my daughter, my girlfriend, my siblings and my close mates do, and you're none of them), you can only speculate or guess what I think. If my posts make you yawn, then you can simply skip them. This is a free forum and as such, I can post five hundred messages if I feel like it. And in absolutely NONE of them, I've EVER claimed to be MORE intelligent than ANYBODY, or OWNER OF THE TRUTH, whatsoever. According to your logic, we can't possibly know if Freddie sang Bohemian Rhapsody: after all, it could be Brian emulating his voice (and keep in mind there's no single interview where May states he can't do a Freddie voice, and even if there were, for all we know it could be another case of mistaken memory). So, we can only guess Freddie sang it, based on the multiple data we've got to back it up (liner notes, the sound of the voice, the 200+ recordings we can compare it to, live versions, etc). There's indeed an ENORMOUS difference between the sort of guesswork one makes when assuming Roger sang the high notes on Lap of the Gods, and the sort of guesswork one makes when assuming Roger wrote Innuendo just because it's got a lot of percussion. Likewise, one thing is to guess Freddie wrote Was It All Worth It because of the many big, medium and subtle details pointing to it, and another thing is to guess Freddie wrote lyrics to The Hitman just because they contain the word 'school'. In all of those cases, there's a potential margin of error, but it's considerably smaller in some than others. NOT ALL GUESSWORK BELONGS TO THE SAME CATEGORY. The mic(s) used, the way they're placed, the cables they plug them with, the console make and model, the engineer, the mix, etc... all of that does have an effect on the sound. BUT, you can tell Freddie sings Night Comes Down, Killer Queen, Sheer Heart Attack, It's A Beautiful Day, Let Me Live, The Fallen Priest and Delilah, all of which has a different equipment, a different period, a different technique, and often different producers, engineers, mics, cables, etc. Likewise, it IS possible to tell (with close to zero margin of error) whether certain instrument is being used on certain part of certain song, even with all those variables. And by the way, having Mack, Roy or Justin isn't error-proof either: they could misremember just like Brian did. Can it be established which exact brand of guitar and which exact brand of amp was used for the rhythm guitar in The Hero? Yes Are there people who can do it? Yes Am I one of them? No Can it be established if the Flash solo was made on the Red Special with the Vox AC30? Yes Are there people who can tell it and be positive about it? Yes Am I one of those? Yes Do I possess absolute knowledge? No Do I have a lot of knowledge? Maybe yes, maybe not - you'd have to define 'a lot of'. Do I have very little knowledge? Maybe yes, maybe not - you'd have to define 'very little' Do I have enough knowledge to be positive that the Flash solo is on the RS? Yes Do I have enough knowledge to make a serious analysis on certain (not many, not all, but certain) music-related subjects and write good (not 'the best', not 'feel blessed to read them', but 'good' nonetheless) contributions to this forum? Yes I write in this thread (and some others) because I find them interesting, and because I like the topics. If I'm positive about something, I don't hesitate to establish it, but it doesn't mean AT ALL that I'm IMPOSING my opinion or having a holier than thou attitude. When a person merely enters this forum to bring personal attacks against me or anybody else, THAT is having a holier than thou attitude. When a person comes here to guess my attitudes and assume their guesses are right, THAT'S a holier than thou behaviour. If somebody states their opinions (no matter how strongly) without imposing it, they're just contributing to what is indeed a very interesting on-line community. If somebody enters here just to criticise me and act as if they can see through me, THAT'S indeed an 'I am the knowledge' claim - hence becoming the same thing they're judging to begin with. And that's their problem, not mine. And at the end of the day, most (99%) of Brian's statements about what songs he played on which equipment, are right. Amongst the 1% which are wrong we can find this one about The Hero. |
| The Real Wizard 14.05.2009 13:52 |
Sebastian wrote: Likewise, it IS possible to tell (with close to zero margin of error) whether certain instrument is being used on certain part of certain song, even with all those variables. And I still disagree. Vocals are one thing, but instruments are a whole other beast. It is not impossible to achieve the Red Special's tone with another setup. You are no doubt a very musically intelligent guy, but there's a lot more of the tone in that little treble booster than you may think. |
| Sebastian 14.05.2009 16:10 |
Bob: And I agree to disagree. And that's what makes this forum so interesting. Though many people have narrow-minded 'I'm right so fuck it' rows, there are others who can maintain a more respectful attitude and stay calm enough. And even in the cases I disagree with you (like this one), I still enjoy your insights and learn a lot from them. As long as you and others remain here, I'll always be happy to post and read. To me, it's not about being right or wrong, let alone about proving to be right or wrong: it's about sharing, learning, thinking, growing. But, for the sake of discussion, I may as well add that for me voices and instruments are not that different: a voice is also an instrument, and every instrument has a voice. Even if (obviously) most of May's sound comes from him and not the guitar, there's still a reason why he was keen on using the Old Lady most of the time. It is not impossible to achieve that tone, but I still maintain that if May ever did that, it was on very few occasions, and Flash wasn't one of them. |
| The Real Wizard 15.05.2009 17:24 |
Sebastian wrote: And I agree to disagree. And that's what makes this forum so interesting. Though many people have narrow-minded 'I'm right so fuck it' rows, there are others who can maintain a more respectful attitude and stay calm enough. And even in the cases I disagree with you (like this one), I still enjoy your insights and learn a lot from them. As long as you and others remain here, I'll always be happy to post and read. To me, it's not about being right or wrong, let alone about proving to be right or wrong: it's about sharing, learning, thinking, growing. Amen. Same goes out to you. |
| john bodega 16.05.2009 03:22 |
I'd love to weigh in on this but I'm still not entirely clear on what part of the recording is being debated on ... Listening to totally dry recordings of the Red Special's sound (no effects, no amps, no thing) you do get a feel for the peculiar sound it makes. A lot of Brian's 'sound' though had to do with the treble booster and clever mic positions. You can get a big, Queen sound using a different guitar, but there are certain voicings of that instrument that are unique enough that you won't get them on a common instrument like a Strat or a Les Paul. It really comes down to which 'sound' is being referred to, because Brian had a few .... I'd like to know exactly what part of The Hero is being discussed, specifically. |
| Holly2003 16.05.2009 03:45 |
v
Zebonka12 wrote: I'd love to weigh in on this but I'm still not entirely clear on what part of the recording is being debated on ...Listening to totally dry recordings of the Red Special's sound (no effects, no amps, no thing) you do get a feel for the peculiar sound it makes. A lot of Brian's 'sound' though had to do with the treble booster and clever mic positions. You can get a big, Queen sound using a different guitar, but there are certain voicings of that instrument that are unique enough that you won't get them on a common instrument like a Strat or a Les Paul. It really comes down to which 'sound' is being referred to, because Brian had a few .... I'd like to know exactly what part of The Hero is being discussed, specifically. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SP2CsHNHd8 2:08 minutes in. It's not part of The Hero song, it's from the soundtrack and is actually a reprise of The Flash theme. It's the lines in the song "Just a man with a man's courage, nothing but a man who can never fail, no one but the pure at heart can find the holy grail" without the vocals and replaced by Brian's brilliant little solo. |
| ludwigs 16.05.2009 11:44 |
Sebastian....... Quite a reply!!! My comment/view/opinion was not directed totally at you at all. Your site and analysis is a fantastic result of many many years (I'm sure) of research etc etc. I sense a slight nerve tingle? My point (possibly not best initially portrayed) is more the fact that, on forums, so often we are told this and that and most of the time the lesser prevalent members/lurkers choose to agree and maybe not post purely through, almost........ 'intimidation'. NOW....I am not suggesting that you are intimidating in ANY way. (My mention was one of 'typical' forum experiences) This place is quite nasty (often) and I just skim here now and again but what I read does make me want to not bother. I know a few old members that left purely for the utter (and un-called for) spite within. I don't contribute much at all so it doesn't matter much. You can post as many messages as you like....it's the posters prerogative after all. I DO skim a lot of the messages as they are often trifle and don't hold any interest to me. Different strokes and all that. I totally agree with Sir GH (and yourself) that a forum is a place for discussion and opinion......a lot of which we ALL disagree on and that is totally fine with me. After all, opinions are just that.....opinions. Differing views are totally fine and the way it should be. It creates interesting discussion. What I do find interesting though is that memories do cloud AND a lot of the detective/analysis has to be down to experience, familiarity with the particular voice/instrument etc....etc.... I also agree that you don't have to be an astounding player to be able to suss out a tone, noise, effect, whatever. In the past I have read some facts that I don't agree with but that's fine. Facts that you know for sure are, fact. Others that have no confirmed 'history' or proof can only be speculative? No? Experience is where it helps but it can not be 100% proof. I have heard Red Specials first hand. The Guytons, KZ,RS guitars , homemades etc many, many times in the flesh, thru all the proper amps boosters etc and the reality is very different to the captured mic sounds. I have a section/clip of an RS playing through a completely different amp and I would think most people would be totally convinced it was an AC30 with Cornish. It wasn't.......So, all we can really do is our best guess? Do you maybe see MY view or, perhaps you don't/won't. That again is fine. I am also not here to take pop-shots at individuals at all....and I am in no way 'holier than thou'!! If you feel I am attacking you then you are very much mistaken too! Please maybe understand my obviously (thick-as-shit- cause I don't post here a lot) observation was 'a bystanders opinion'? Keep up your excellent work............ There are some great topics but the bad ones(and venom) outway the interest for me........ That's all folks. End of interaction. :) |
| Sebastian 16.05.2009 17:50 |
It was my mistake then. I'd assumed it'd been directed to me because it followed one of my posts and because I've received loads of backlash during the last years. I rushed into a wrong conclusion, but I still keep by what I wrote, because it still works as reference. And in any case, this has been one of the most interesting threads in months. You do have a very interesting point which is the 'intimidation' factor. And I agree with you that, sadly, many times discussions and debates of an (I dare to say) academic nature (be them about rocket science, medicine, sociology or the use of certain amps by a rock guitarist) end up with a part 'owning' the truth, not via knowledge, demonstration or thoroughness, but via bullying. That's something that's got to be taken into account whenever 'facts' see the light or are incorporated in 'common(ly accepted) knowledge'. I remember Greg (or somebody else) accusing John (or somebody else) of misleading, which indeed reflected a common problem of the way these debates are developed. |
| Yara 17.05.2009 01:10 |
Hi, dear Queenzoers! How are you doing? I have very little knowledge about it all, so it's just my very humble take on this. I'm just writting to foster the discussion and, hopefully, keep it going!!! If the red special had no input at all in Brian's playing, and if he managed to get the same sound from different kinds of guitar, it'd be hard for me to make sense of why he had the trouble to custom make an instrument and keep so attached to it over time, in the first place. So I'm going to assume it did have some input. Any thoughts about it? But then, some aspects come to mind here. Here's my most humble opinion: 1) I don't see why the little solo couldn't have been done by Brian using another guitar. Again, I'm not a "red special specialist", but the tune is not so out of the league as to demand a specific instrument - I could think of someone getting this sound from another guitar. Not me through my acoustic guitar, though I did gave it a try (lol). ;-)) 2) Any discussion about this should take into account, in my view, the fact that Brian used the Red Special for mainly two reasons: a) Because he felt more comfortable playing with it, which doesn't mean he couldn't get the same sound out of other guitars if he wanted to and gave himself the time to do it. b) Because, what's perhaps more important, the guitar became his trademark overtime and a trademark for his sound. Trademark here meaning also the commercial aspect of it all. 3) The way Flash Gordon was recorded should be better studied or researched - the way a guitar is recorded, the same goes for vocals (e.g, The work on Freddie's vocals in Under Pressure from the album Hot Space and on "Another Bites The Dust" from "The Game"), do have an enormous impact on the sound output. I wish you all the very best! Take care you all, Yara. |
| Sebastian 17.05.2009 08:46 |
The thing is that evidently there's a mistake in Brian's recollection, because The Hero has no solo. So either he...: - Was actually referring to that Flash Reprise solo; or - Was actually referring to the rhythm guitar; or - Was actually referring to a different song, probably from the same era Now, the fact he distincively remembers having the solo 'in his head and not on record' (or something like that) suggests that indeed he was talking about 'a' (as opposed to 'the') solo, because by that stage rhythm guitar must have been taken care of. Unless of course the whole 'guitar was in Munich so (he) had to use a studio one' had happened during the rhythm bit and his memory tricked him (which can easily happen after almost 29 years). IMO, the final conclusion is that we need further evidence than his comment, because it's still very ambiguous. That, of course, splits the research in two main aspects: - Could Brian emulate the sound of the Red Special + Vox Ac30 using different equipment? - Would Brian emulate the sound of the Red Special + Vox Ac30 using different equipment? While I do agree that most of May's sound came from his hands, and that the treble booster had a huge impact on it as well, of course his guitar and amp were not irrelevant, he had a reason for using them and sticking with them. Ever wondered why he eventually had both guitars of his dreams (Strat and Les Paul, coincidentally two of the most versatile instruments available) but wasn't satisfied with them? Ever wondered why he even paid a separate plane ticket to his Old Lady? Ever wondered why he was so keen in commisioning replicas as back-ups? So, at the end of the day, if (and only if) it's up to me to comment on which part I think was not recorded with the Red Special, I'm positive it's much, much, much more possible that it's The Hero rhythm and not Flash's Theme (nth Reprise), considering: - It does sound different (yet, to be honest, I'd never had noticed until this topic arised, which indeed compromises the credibility of this conclusion). - The Hero was done at a different studio than all the other songs from the OST, which confirms the whole 'guitar wasn't there' thing. Flash reprises, however, were probably done already. While I agree a sound close to the Red Special could be obtained from different gear, I don't see why we should assume that the solo in question was one of those cases, based on a 29-year-old comment which already has one mistake, and could easily have another. |
| Yara 17.05.2009 10:13 |
Sebastian wrote: - Could Brian emulate the sound of the Red Special + Vox Ac30 using different equipment? Sure. Provided we're only talking about that little solo from Flash Reprise. - Would Brian emulate the sound of the Red Special + Vox Ac30 using different equipment? Hardly. He didn't have many reasons not to use the Red Special. As I pointed above: a) He felt more comfortable playing it than any other guitar; b) The guitar had become his trademark as a guitarist and the trademark of his sound, not only in the musical sense, but over time in a commercial sense too. The image of the guitarist playing with a custom made special guitar obviously did create the sort of mistique around him which was very appealing to people. Pretty much like Freddie's gestures and behavior on stage: even if some day he didn't felt like playing that character, he had to, because it was part of what made the band appealing to the audience. Same goes for "Brian and his Old Lady": it also, though not only, worked as a commercial device to keep the fans interested and appeal to the audience in general. While I do agree that most of May's sound came from his hands, Well, a good part of it. I wouldn't say "most" because, if he didn't use the red special, he'd go for another very good instrument - it's not as if he could get that sound from any crappy guitar. Same goes for piano players: one might be accostumed to a Steinway, but if he has to, he may resort to a Bösendorfer - which doesn't mean he can get the sound he wants from an average piano. and that the treble booster had a huge impact on it as well Not only the treble booster. There are many aspects to a guitar and its accessories which make it a bit easier for a performer to get a certain sound. of course his guitar and amp were not irrelevant, he had a reason for using them and sticking with them. As above. So, at the end of the day, if (and only if) it's up to me to comment on which part I think was not recorded with the Red Special, I'm positive it's much, much, much more possible that it's The Hero rhythm and not Flash's Theme (nth Reprise), considering: - It does sound different (yet, to be honest, I'd never had noticed until this topic arised, which indeed compromises the credibility of this conclusion). Indeed. Not the end of the world, though. ;-)) - The Hero was done at a different studio than all the other songs from the OST, which confirms the whole 'guitar wasn't there' thing. Flash reprises, however, were probably done already. Probably. While I agree a sound close to the Red Special could be obtained from different gear, I don't see why we should assume that the solo in question was one of those cases, based on a 29-year-old comment which already has one mistake, and could easily have another. For sure. In fact, I can't see why we're even talking about that solo, since The Hero has no solo. Maybe I haven't followed the discussion very closely. ;-)))) Best Regards you all, and sorry to be writting inside the box - I can't split the message in different quotes! Hahaha. Message in a box instead of in a bottle. Take care you all! Have a good sunday, guys! Enjoy the sound and the silence of it. ;-)) Yara |
| Holly2003 17.05.2009 12:08 |
Brian states that they "threw together a long new piece called "The Hero", which included a reprise of "Flash" ... using some of the old take". It think it's fairly clear therefore that he's talking about the solo that follows The Hero on the album soundtrack, as I've identified a little earlier in the thread. |
| Sebastian 17.05.2009 12:41 |
You're right. I was making a storm in a teacup then... anybody knows which could've been the equipment? |
| Yara 17.05.2009 12:44 |
Holly2003 wrote: Brian states that they "threw together a long new piece called "The Hero", which included a reprise of "Flash" ... using some of the old take". It think it's fairly clear therefore that he's talking about the solo that follows The Hero on the album soundtrack, as I've identified a little earlier in the thread. Hi, Holly2003! Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware of this statement by Brian. So I guess you figured out a big part of it. That's wonderful. He's indeed refering to that little solo - and well, I don't see why he couldn't play it with another very good instrument. It's not so out of the league. But then again, I'd have to know much more about the way it was recorded and mixed too. This is crucial and, unfortunately, it seems there's not much info on this. Cheers Holly2003! I enjoy your posts a lot. Thanks for staying around and joining the discussions with your great posts. Take care, dear. Yara |