Instagram/@brianmayforreal
In the wake of yet another strange social media post from Queen guitarist Sir Brian May and accompanied by an ephemeral and rare aural snippet, the mystery was then exposed. The Rock God shared a minuscule audio snippet with the caption, “WHAT ARE WE HEARING?” and the cryptic clue that it was “from about 52 years in the past.”
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Followers went wild theorizing. Most came with plausible guesses about the eerie tune being the intro from “White Queen (As It Began)” in 1974 from the legendary Queen II album. May told everybody to listen with their phones in horizontal view, saying it could have been a newly remastered version or an alternate version.
Fans in fact relived emotional memories; one said “Old times…Up ’til the wee hours layering tracks,” another proclaimed “one of THE greatest Queen songs of all time.” Several comments noted a marked improvement in the sound; one comment insisted that it “has much more deeper sound and track texture than the original.”
Some highlighted the historical perspective of the track, one also telling others that May was still in school whilst composing “White Queen.” Traditionally considered the anthem of Queen’s early days, one exclaimed that Queen II must be “the best Queen album,” while another posed Innuendo of ’91 as the only contender for that level of musical magnificence.
The hype was never far behind with the Spanish-speaking contingent either, with one comment translating as: “Song that I love white queen…thanks,” underscoring the worldwide intent behind May’s post. One eruption suddenly quoted the song: “…dear friend goodbye. No tears in my eyes. So sad it ends, as it began.”
Wild theories about new releases crop up, “Pleaseeeeeee Bri we need this the world need this!” A few more comments behind of the DVD audio days, maybe??
Other musicians wanted to be let in, with one user tagging Extreme members Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone in the excitement over Queen II being remixed.
The overall sentiment in the comments was that “White Queen” truly remains one of the most enduring as well as emotional songs of Queen. Subsequently, an exuberant fan expressed what many felt upon viewing this: “I love everything about this post.” Regardless of May formally explaining the tease or not, the ardent responses will surely prove that the appeal of these early days is timeless.
One faint whisper of a snippet reminds the general public just how much early Queen were studio innovators with May’s trademark layered guitar fully realized in this very early recording. Fifty-two years on from its genesis, the idea still sounds fresher and more vital than a lot out there today. For immediately, an answer as to whether this points to some archival release or is just May turning back the clock for a moment remains unknown, and fans are probably quite glad not to have to choose.
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In related news, Crystal Renee shares insights on personal growth, similar to the sentiment fans express about track from their past. Meanwhile, a nod to cinematic creativity is also evident with George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro teaming up for an exciting panel event.
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