Saw this interesting Queen-related tidbit over on the Pink Floyd Brain Damage fan website...
link wrote:
David Gilmour's guitar work on 1979's Comfortably Numb, a track currently being performed as part of Roger Waters' Wall tour (and at some point, with David himself guesting for this part of the show), has thrilled fans for more than 30 years, with the track justifiably seen as one of Pink Floyd's classics.
To add to this, the track has just been named as the song with "the greatest guitar tone of all time" by the UK's respected Guitarist Magazine.
David beat other legendary guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix (in second place with Voodoo Child), Hank Marvin, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Peter Green, George Harrison, Scotty Moore, BB King, and Jeff Beck.
The top five are as follows:
1. David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb
2. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
3. Eddie Van Halen - Sinner's Swing
4. Brian May - Play The Game
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather
Any "best guitar tone" list must include Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. That has to be one of the most gorgeous guitar tones ever heard, never mind the quality of playing.
"Play the game" is a very interesting choice. That solo's tone is beautiful. I have always enjoyed it a lot.
It is also the solo on the first track off Queen's then "fresh new sounding record with synths and all" *. It's still very much a Brian May solo but it has such a gorgeous sound I wish it went on longer and longer, like when they did the song live.
* Yes, I'm ignoring the single releases of CLTCL and Save Me just for the sake of my argument. I'm funny that way. :)
Sir GH wrote: Any "best guitar tone" list must include Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. That has to be one of the most gorgeous guitar tones ever heard, never mind the quality of playing.
I can't agree with you more Sir GH, I picked up the CD just for that one song.
You should check out You Tube. Search for "Canon Rock" played by Fun Two.
You might like it if you haven't already heard it.
Many amature gutarist gave that arrangement a shot. There's a video of somone playing it on a Red Special.
The guy's name is Andy Clayton.
Levon Thyme wrote: I remember the first time I heard Play The Game on the radio thinking how difinitively "Queen" it sounded...especially Brian's solo.
I find this very exciting, actually.
Take a look (and a listen) as to how Play The Game was recorded, the producer's approach, the instruments used, the new image by the band. It's very different from the way -say- Bohemian Rhapsody was recorded.
Still, you can instantly tell it's Queen.
It must have been very exciting to be a Queen fan in America in 1980, having had two chart topping singles, outstanding live shows and sold out Stadium gigs.
Maybe it's the way the biographies and documentaries depict that era but it would seem like Queen were at the top of the world at that time, having finally "conquered" America (WWRY/WATC aside).
It was Wiley..they really were huge. It was nice when Crazy made it to number 1. Then later when Another One Bites The Dust got so popular it was great for any of us who were fans. I remember a TV show "American Top 40" even had a viewer vote for the best band of all time and Queen won!
I've written on here before about how AOBTD got too big, and how in my humble opinion, Queen's greatest success here actually started their downfall in the U.S.
Before all that "Play The Game" was so cool to hear because it sounded more like "old" Queen than Jazz did. I like Jazz a lot and I like The Game too but most of it was very different from "Play The Game." I think it was hard for non-fans to appreciate so many different styles by one band.
Amazing track, Play The Game. Shame that it's relatively unknown - as IMO it's up there with other Freddie-classics like BoRhap and Somebody To Love. Horrible intro though. The "My love is pumping through my....."-section may wel be one of my favorite Queensnippets ever.