In a recent interview with Goldmine, guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman shed light on what he believes is one of the most underrated aspects of Queen’s legacy—Brian May’s guitar work on the album ‘The Game.’ While Queen has never lacked recognition, Friedman feels that the genius of May’s guitar contributions to this particular album haven’t received the appreciation they truly deserve.
Friedman praised the solo in ‘Somebody To Love’ as an underrated piece and said:
“Not nearly enough praise goes to this album. This shows a less orchestrated and harmonized side of Brian May’s guitar work, and I just love it. The solo on ‘Somebody To Love’ [from ‘A Day at the Races’] is my all-time favorite of his, but the sheer variety of perfectly chosen guitar motifs on this entire album is staggering.”
Friedman continued, highlighting the album’s influence and May’s skillful restraint:
“People do Brian a disservice by dismissing this album. Side one alone has two big hits and three monster hits on it, all with eloquent guitar work. Not a single note too many (rare in the case of guitar gods) and the sonic construction, guitar placement in the mix, is breathtaking.”
Metallica Guitarist Hammett Also Praised May’s Work On ‘The Game’
Also, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett also praised the sound of Brian May’s guitar on “The Game,” particularly the track ‘Dragon Attack.’ He said:
“‘Dragon Attack’. Urgh! I love that song! Brian’s guitar sounds so overly saturated on that song, more so than other songs. It’s like he walked over to his fucking tone booth and just turned it up to 11.”
Friedman’s and Hammett’s comments highlight a shared reverence among guitarists for Brian May’s ability to blend melodic beauty with raw power, a hallmark of his enduring influence on the world of rock guitar.