Queen's Brian May hints towards all-instrumental solo album

Queen guitarist Brian May says that if he ever releases another solo album, it might be completely instrumental.

In a new interview with Goldmine, May – who recently traveled back in time to play guitar with a younger version of himself... kind of – says that he “[does] think about” the possibility of a new solo record.

“Strangely enough, I think it probably would be instrumental this time,” he explains. “Because I have enough ideas. And I have lots of unfinished business.”

But it might be a while before we hear new solo material from the Queen man, as he still has “a big world of touring to do” with the band. “We've been postponing and postponing the Queen tour, which we started just before Covid happened,” he continues.

“Next May we will be doing a bunch of touring. Once that's done, I think I will have the opportunity to sit down, and if I'm spared – as my mum used to say – and still functional, I think I might make the album.”

As he explains, an instrumental album would make for a departure in philosophy for Brian May, who says songs to him “are about singers, and about the vocals”.

“I don't have the dazzling technical expertise of a Joe Satriani or a Steve Vai or Al Di Meola or Eddie Van Halen. But I just might”, he continues. “My guitar is very much my voice.”

Brian May's last solo album was 1998's Another World, which featured tracks including Business, On My Way Up and Why Don't We Try Again.

Back in August, May released Back to the Light (Deluxe), a reissued version of his debut solo album. 

“I find myself getting very emotional listening to that stuff because I put my heart and soul into it at the time,” the guitarist told Guitar Player in a June 2021 interview. “Also I sang on it. I never became the greatest singer in the world, but I did get good enough to express the emotions I was feeling at the time.”