The Queen guitarist is re-releasing his first solo album ‘Back to the Light’ which was first released in September 1992. The highly acclaimed album has long been unavailable in any format and May was said to have been “nervous” about revisiting his back catalogue. However, he has since had a change of heart and is now excited for new fans to hear the remastered version when it drops on August 6th.
“They know me as guitarist for Queen. Some know me as an astronomer. Some know me as a campaigner for animal rights. I’m a sort of evangelist for 3-D Victorian Stereoscopy. But very few people have heard my solo output. So I’m excited to see how this turns out. I found it fascinating going back in there and rediscovering why I wrote certain things. What they meant to me. How we recorded. Some of it is so massive in the recording I can hardly believe we pulled it off – it’s very epic, some of it. And I like that. And at the same time, there’s little corners of it which are very simple, very understated, very emotionally naked. I discovered so much of what I’m saying in the album I still feel. I still feel those dangers, those fears, those hopes, those dreams.”
When the album was originally released it was very popular hitting No. 6 in the UK album charts producing many great singles. It was first introduced to Queen fans during a highly emotional performance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, in April 1992. At the concert, May played the fifth track on the record “Too Much Love Will Kill You” which reached No. 5 in the UK charts.
The album is already available for pre-order as a Collector’s Edition box set that will include a white-vinyl LP, two CD’s the second CD, ‘Out of the Light’, containing alternative versions, B-Sides and live tracks, a 32-page book, a 12” art print, a download card as well as an enamel badge all presented in a lift-lid box and that’s not forgetting 1 LP black vinyl, 1 CD, deluxe 2CD, cassette, and digital formats. There is also a limited edition including a signed 12” art print and a 1LP picture disc that is available on the Queen Online Store, but you may want to be quick as they are selling out fast.
According to the guitarist, this is just the beginning as this record is only the first in a series of planned re-releases stating that “each one of them will give me the opportunity to rediscover the road that I travelled.”
’Back To The Light’ Tracklist:
1 The Dark
2 Back To The Light
3 Love Token
4 Resurrection
5 Too Much Love Will Kill You
6 Driven By You
7 Nothin’ But Blue
8 I’m Scared
9 Last Horizon
10 Let Your Heart Rule Your Head
11 Just One Life
12 Rollin’ Over
’Out Of The Light’ Tracklist:
1 Nothin’ But Blue (Guitar Version)
2 Too Much Love Will Kill You (Guitar Version)
3 Just One Life (Guitar Version)
4 Driven By You Two
5 Driven By You (Ford Ad Version)
6 Tie Your Mother Down (Featuring Slash) – Live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 5th April 1993
7 Too Much Love Will Kill You – Live at the Palace Theatre, Los Angeles, 6th April 1993
8 ’39 / Let Your Heart Rule Your Head – Live at the Brixton Academy 15th June 1993
9 Last Horizon – Live at the Brixton Academy 15th June 1993
10 We Will Rock You – Live at the Brixton Academy 15th June 1993
11 Driven By You (Cozy and Neil Version ’93)
