WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.580 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Our mission here is 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:04.780 to take a stack of source material, often overwhelming 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:07.259 in its detail, and distill the core knowledge 00:00:07.259 --> 00:00:09.980 and surprising insights, the nuggets you need 00:00:09.980 --> 00:00:13.199 to be truly well -informed. And today, we are 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.100 deep diving into a figure whose life story is 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:19.420 just so wildly successful across so many different 00:00:19.420 --> 00:00:22.199 fields that, honestly, it almost borders on the 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:24.859 unbelievable. We are focusing on Sir Brian Harold 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:27.579 May. Now, the world knows him, of course, as 00:00:27.579 --> 00:00:30.039 the architect of sound and co -founder of Queen. 00:00:30.199 --> 00:00:32.399 Right. But the material we've gathered reveals 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.659 this singular, extraordinary polymath whose intellectual 00:00:35.659 --> 00:00:38.340 curiosity just drove him to the highest peaks 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:41.259 in three distinct, and I mean immensely demanding, 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:44.920 careers. Global rock stardom, rigorous astrophysics, 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:47.520 and intense political and animal welfare activism. 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:49.640 It's the ultimate tripartite career. Exactly. 00:00:49.659 --> 00:00:52.579 So the mission for you, the listener, is not 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:54.780 just to catalog his achievements. I mean, anyone 00:00:54.780 --> 00:00:57.049 can read it. Wikipedia page, but to really understand 00:00:57.049 --> 00:00:59.369 the mechanism of his success. We're searching 00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:02.490 for that single unifying methodology, you know, 00:01:02.490 --> 00:01:05.069 that methodical rigor and intellectual approach 00:01:05.069 --> 00:01:08.010 that allowed him to not only participate in these 00:01:08.010 --> 00:01:10.250 worlds, but to absolutely excel in all of them, 00:01:10.269 --> 00:01:12.810 sometimes decades apart. It's that aha moment, 00:01:12.890 --> 00:01:15.560 isn't it? The realization that the same painstaking 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:17.900 dedication he used to build his iconic guitar 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:20.840 is the same dedication required to solve complex 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.560 astrophysical problems. And it's the same intellectual 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.239 honesty he applies when he's challenging government 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:29.299 data on wildlife conservation. It is. It's the 00:01:29.299 --> 00:01:31.760 common engine driving everything. And before 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.700 we unpack these three pillars, we have to establish 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:38.879 his extraordinary standing. Born in 1947, Sir 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:41.040 Brian May's contributions have been recognized 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.480 at the very highest levels of the British establishment. 00:01:43.540 --> 00:01:45.299 That's right. He was named a Commander of the 00:01:45.299 --> 00:01:47.659 Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a 00:01:47.659 --> 00:01:51.239 CBE, way back in 2005 for services to music and 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:54.090 charity. And then... really cementing his status 00:01:54.090 --> 00:01:56.430 as, I don't know, maybe the most versatile national 00:01:56.430 --> 00:01:59.189 treasure the UK has produced. He was appointed 00:01:59.189 --> 00:02:01.969 a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III in the 00:02:01.969 --> 00:02:05.370 2023 New Year Honors, again, specifically for 00:02:05.370 --> 00:02:08.490 services to music and charity. So we are truly 00:02:08.490 --> 00:02:11.210 discussing a figure whose achievements span the 00:02:11.210 --> 00:02:15.310 charts, the laboratory and the legislature. OK, 00:02:15.409 --> 00:02:17.729 so let's untack this phenomenal life. Let's start 00:02:17.729 --> 00:02:21.729 where his fame truly solidified. the rock and 00:02:21.729 --> 00:02:24.009 roll legacy of Queen. While May's musical foundation 00:02:24.009 --> 00:02:26.090 started early, certainly well before the big 00:02:26.090 --> 00:02:29.030 arenas, he was in a band called 1984 while he 00:02:29.030 --> 00:02:30.870 was still at Hampton Grammar School. But the 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:33.030 crucial stepping stone was Smile, wasn't it? 00:02:33.069 --> 00:02:37.099 A progressive rock trio formed in 1968. That's 00:02:37.099 --> 00:02:40.080 the one. Smile included May on guitar, Tim Staffel 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:42.500 on vocals and bass, and a certain Roger Taylor 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:45.000 on drums. Ah, so the pieces were already coming 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:47.000 together. They were. It was a tight three -piece 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.780 that lasted only two years until 1970, but it 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:52.159 was absolutely essential. And what I find most 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:54.620 fascinating about this early period is this immense, 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.159 almost defining choice he had to make. Right. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.060 The sources really highlight this. This is a 00:02:59.060 --> 00:03:01.599 huge fork in the road for him. It is. May had 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:04.319 already completed his B .S .C. in physics at 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:07.379 Imperial College London with... And he gets this 00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:10.240 invitation from Sir Bernard Lovell, the renowned 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.719 radio astronomer. The Sir Bernard Lovell. The 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:15.479 very one. To continue his work at the prestigious 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:18.319 Jodrell Bank Observatory. I mean, this was a 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:21.180 clear pathway to a highly respected, established 00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:25.199 scientific career. But he declined. He chose 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:28.610 to stay in London to keep SMILE going. It's just 00:03:28.610 --> 00:03:32.009 it illustrates this early, almost irreversible 00:03:32.009 --> 00:03:35.169 commitment to music over science. Can you imagine 00:03:35.169 --> 00:03:37.349 the deliberation behind that? Turning down an 00:03:37.349 --> 00:03:40.449 opportunity like Jodrell Bank, a monumental institution 00:03:40.449 --> 00:03:43.229 for the uncertainty of a small rock band? It's 00:03:43.229 --> 00:03:45.509 crazy. Yeah. But it just shows the depth of his 00:03:45.509 --> 00:03:47.710 musical passion at that time, a commitment that 00:03:47.710 --> 00:03:49.930 had to be absolute to justify setting aside such 00:03:49.930 --> 00:03:52.150 a secure future. And when Staffel left Smile 00:03:52.150 --> 00:03:55.409 in 1970, that passion was validated. A close 00:03:55.409 --> 00:03:57.569 follower of the band, a guy named Freddie Mercury, 00:03:57.830 --> 00:03:59.750 joined. And once bassist John Deacon was brought 00:03:59.750 --> 00:04:03.469 in, Queen was formally born in 1971. And the 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:06.550 rise was swift and monumental. We're talking 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:08.650 about the period from the mid -70s through the 00:04:08.650 --> 00:04:12.530 mid -80s where Queen just redefined arena rock. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.120 Albums like A Night at the Opera showed this 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:17.899 level of musical sophistication that was, you 00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:19.579 know, pretty much unprecedented in hard rock 00:04:19.579 --> 00:04:21.519 at the time. And it all culminated, of course, 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:24.480 in that universally celebrated, career -defining 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.939 Live Aid performance in 1985. Absolutely. But 00:04:27.939 --> 00:04:31.230 when we analyze May's place in Queen... We need 00:04:31.230 --> 00:04:33.310 to look beyond just the lead guitar, right? Oh, 00:04:33.310 --> 00:04:36.089 absolutely. His vocal work was fundamental to 00:04:36.089 --> 00:04:39.730 the band's signature sound. In Queen's very distinctive 00:04:39.730 --> 00:04:42.910 three -part harmonies, May consistently provided 00:04:42.910 --> 00:04:45.310 the lower range backing vocals. He added that 00:04:45.310 --> 00:04:47.449 depth, that ballast underneath Freddie Mercury 00:04:47.449 --> 00:04:49.670 and Roger Taylor's higher registers. Exactly. 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:52.610 But he was also a very accomplished lead vocalist 00:04:52.610 --> 00:04:55.129 when the material called for it. He sang the 00:04:55.129 --> 00:04:57.509 first verse of Who Wants to Live Forever. And 00:04:57.509 --> 00:05:00.050 he took full lead on some of his own key compositions. 00:05:00.269 --> 00:05:03.029 like the Acoustic 39. A skiffle -influenced track 00:05:03.029 --> 00:05:05.589 that, and this is so Brian May, blends physics 00:05:05.589 --> 00:05:07.949 concepts right into its lyrics. Of course he 00:05:07.949 --> 00:05:10.810 did. And the softer good company as well. He 00:05:10.810 --> 00:05:13.310 was also the primary creative force behind several 00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:15.970 emotionally significant tracks. For instance, 00:05:16.050 --> 00:05:19.050 he took the main writing role and the composition 00:05:19.050 --> 00:05:21.110 coordination on one of Queen's most poignant 00:05:21.110 --> 00:05:23.720 and powerful songs. The show must go on. The 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:26.259 show must go on. It closed their final album 00:05:26.259 --> 00:05:29.279 with Freddie, Innuendo. It was really his job 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.740 to coordinate the band's input, to bring that 00:05:31.740 --> 00:05:34.699 just devastatingly powerful track to completion. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:37.480 And speaking of composition, this is where his 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:40.759 versatility is just crystal clear. He didn't 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:43.300 just write guitar parts. He wrote world -beating 00:05:43.300 --> 00:05:46.379 anthems across every single genre the band touched. 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.019 The catalog is just astonishing in its breadth. 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:51.620 I mean, contrast the sheer simplicity and rhythmic 00:05:51.620 --> 00:05:54.560 genius of We Will Rock You, a track designed 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:56.699 specifically to get the audience involved. To 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:59.160 get them stomping their feet. The layered harmonies 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:01.939 and bombast of a track like I Want It All, which 00:06:01.939 --> 00:06:04.379 is this power rock masterpiece. That was inspired 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:06.819 by his future wife, the actress Anita Dobson, 00:06:06.819 --> 00:06:08.939 right? Just her saying she wanted everything 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:11.850 right now. That's the story. And the list just 00:06:11.850 --> 00:06:14.410 keeps going. The groove of fat -bottomed girls, 00:06:14.569 --> 00:06:17.870 the raw energy of Now I'm Here, the complexity 00:06:17.870 --> 00:06:20.730 of the power ballad Save Me. And the science 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:23.310 fiction epic Flash, written for the Flash Gordon 00:06:23.310 --> 00:06:26.089 soundtrack, which again connects right back to 00:06:26.089 --> 00:06:28.350 his lifelong interest in space and visual media. 00:06:28.750 --> 00:06:30.810 It's also important to note how their collaborative 00:06:30.810 --> 00:06:33.769 process evolved over time. After the triumph 00:06:33.769 --> 00:06:36.709 of Live Aid in 85, the band entered this highly 00:06:36.709 --> 00:06:39.470 collaborative writing phase. One Vision is a 00:06:39.470 --> 00:06:41.589 good example of that. A perfect example. It was 00:06:41.589 --> 00:06:44.209 initially spurred by a riff and an opening section 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:47.230 from May, but the lyrics and the final arrangement 00:06:47.230 --> 00:06:49.930 were co -written by all four members. And by 00:06:49.930 --> 00:06:52.509 the time they reached their 1989 album The Miracle, 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:56.060 The collaboration was so integral that they just 00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:58.139 decided to credit all the tracks to the entire 00:06:58.139 --> 00:07:01.199 band. Exactly. Regardless of who provided the 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:03.439 initial spark. But, you know, interviews confirm 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:05.259 May was still the main creative force behind 00:07:05.259 --> 00:07:08.860 tracks like I Want It All and Scandal. And Scandal 00:07:08.860 --> 00:07:11.100 came from his personal frustrations with the 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:13.100 intrusion of the British press into his life 00:07:13.100 --> 00:07:15.939 at the time. The period immediately following 00:07:15.939 --> 00:07:19.620 the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 was, well, 00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:22.160 understandably devastating. The sources described 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.339 just this enormous emotional blow. And the way 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:28.339 May coped offers a crucial insight into his character. 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:31.220 He committed himself fully to work. He called 00:07:31.220 --> 00:07:34.019 it a form of self -prescribed therapy. He threw 00:07:34.019 --> 00:07:36.500 himself into his solo career, believing that 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:38.959 staying intensely busy was the only way he could 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.060 navigate that grief. Joe Elliott from Def Leppard 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:44.339 confirmed this. He noted that losing Mercury 00:07:44.339 --> 00:07:46.879 just ripped the heart out of Brian, but that 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:49.120 he seemed to find solace in completing his first 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:51.500 solo project. And that project was the album 00:07:51.500 --> 00:07:53.920 Back to the Light. And that effort included the 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.399 really powerful single Too Much Love Will Kill 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:58.899 You, which he co -wrote with Frank Musker and 00:07:58.899 --> 00:08:00.939 Elizabeth Lamers. And that track was a massive 00:08:00.939 --> 00:08:03.480 success. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Best 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.319 Song in 1996. It did. After, of course, an earlier 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.839 version with Freddie's vocals was released post 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:12.639 - on the Made in Heaven Queen album. His solo 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:15.540 tours under the Brian May Band banner allowed 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:18.980 him to really step fully into that role of lead 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:22.600 vocalist and band leader. He was supporting huge 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:25.620 acts like Guns N' Roses. He even incorporated 00:08:25.620 --> 00:08:28.379 elements of Queen's history into his solo sets. 00:08:28.579 --> 00:08:31.160 He'd perform a few lines of Love of My Life and 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.440 encourage the audience to sing along, continuing 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.159 that tradition Mercury had established. But despite 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:38.980 the success of his solo work, may always remain 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:42.350 dedicated to Queen's core legacy. supervising 00:08:42.350 --> 00:08:45.149 the careful remastering and release of the band's 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:47.809 vast catalog. The desire to play those iconic 00:08:47.809 --> 00:08:50.029 songs on a big stage, though, it just never went 00:08:50.029 --> 00:08:52.850 away. And so the first major return came in 2004 00:08:52.850 --> 00:08:56.370 with Queen plus Paul Rogers. And this is a point 00:08:56.370 --> 00:08:59.070 May always emphasizes. Rogers was featured with 00:08:59.070 --> 00:09:01.649 Queen. He wasn't trying to replace the irreplaceable 00:09:01.649 --> 00:09:04.070 Freddie Mercury. Right. And notably, the retired 00:09:04.070 --> 00:09:06.529 bassist John Deacon opted not to participate, 00:09:06.809 --> 00:09:09.429 which kind of preserved the original four pieces' 00:09:09.570 --> 00:09:12.110 unique space in a way. It did. And this partnership 00:09:12.110 --> 00:09:14.330 was incredibly robust. It lasted five years. 00:09:14.529 --> 00:09:17.570 They released one studio album in 2008, The Cosmos 00:09:17.570 --> 00:09:19.590 Rocks, and they played to these massive audiences 00:09:19.590 --> 00:09:21.830 globally. I remember reading about a spectacular 00:09:21.830 --> 00:09:25.529 show in Ukraine that drew an estimated 350 ,000 00:09:25.529 --> 00:09:28.450 fans. That's the one. It just demonstrated Queen's 00:09:28.450 --> 00:09:30.769 enduring appeal. That collaboration ended in 00:09:30.769 --> 00:09:33.710 2009. But the stage found them again after they 00:09:33.710 --> 00:09:35.669 performed with Adam Lambert, who was then an 00:09:35.669 --> 00:09:38.159 American Idol finalist. the real spark though 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:41.120 that ignited after the 2011 mtv europe music 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:44.129 awards ah yes Queen was receiving the Global 00:09:44.129 --> 00:09:47.409 Icon Award. They were. And Lambert closed the 00:09:47.409 --> 00:09:49.649 ceremony, performing several Queen hits with 00:09:49.649 --> 00:09:52.909 May and Taylor. And the crowd response. I mean, 00:09:52.909 --> 00:09:55.090 the sheer energy and the vocal compatibility. 00:09:55.389 --> 00:09:59.009 It was so overwhelmingly positive and dynamic. 00:09:59.289 --> 00:10:01.029 That it led directly to the formation of Queen 00:10:01.029 --> 00:10:03.549 plus Adam Lambert in 2012. And this incarnation 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:05.870 has proven to be one of the most successful continuing 00:10:05.870 --> 00:10:07.970 legacies in rock history. Their performances 00:10:07.970 --> 00:10:10.809 are often landmark events. Oh, absolutely. Think 00:10:10.809 --> 00:10:13.409 back to closing the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 00:10:13.549 --> 00:10:17.269 where May performed that massive solo, or, more 00:10:17.269 --> 00:10:20.090 recently, the centerpiece of the 2022 Platinum 00:10:20.090 --> 00:10:22.919 Party at the Palace. That moment was pure May 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:24.840 genius. We're talking about the opening comedy 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:27.779 sketch where Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington 00:10:27.779 --> 00:10:29.799 Bear are tapping their teacups together. The 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.740 beat of We Will Rock You. In rhythmic precision. 00:10:32.940 --> 00:10:35.600 Before May and the band launch into their set 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.879 right in front of Buckingham Palace, it just 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:40.879 seamlessly blended this massive rock anthem with 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.820 national tradition. It was perfect. And the band's 00:10:43.820 --> 00:10:46.360 future is still active. The sources note their 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:50.200 planned 2025 BBC Proms performance, where they 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:53.080 are set to join the BBC Symphony Orchestra for 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.019 a new grand orchestral arrangement of Bohemian 00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:58.379 Rhapsody for its 50th anniversary. It just shows 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:00.879 how May is constantly seeking new ways to present 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.220 and interpret their foundational works. So that 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:05.519 is the rock legacy, the co -founder, the songwriter, 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:08.240 the driving force. But the depth of his contribution 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:10.919 is really rooted in his highly personalized musician 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.360 show. Let's take a deep dive into the very particular 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.139 flavor of his genius, starting with his place 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:19.220 as an undeniable virtuoso. Well, May is consistently 00:11:19.220 --> 00:11:21.840 revered by his peers. He was voted the seventh 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:24.940 greatest rock guitarist in a 2005 Planet Rock 00:11:24.940 --> 00:11:28.379 poll. And in a 2012 Guitar World poll, he was 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:30.600 ranked the second greatest guitarist of all time. 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:33.200 Even Rolling Stone, a publication often criticized 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:36.340 for underrating classic rock players, still placed 00:11:36.340 --> 00:11:39.480 him at number 33 in their 2023 list. I mean, 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:42.039 his status is really beyond dispute. And his 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:44.600 sound is just so unique, it's immediately recognizable 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.100 regardless of the song. And that's incredibly 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:49.980 rare in music. Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash praised 00:11:49.980 --> 00:11:53.600 his incredible finesse, amazing fluidity, noting 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:57.100 the tone and technical control are just unparalleled. 00:11:57.139 --> 00:11:59.480 The difficulty of achieving that sound is what 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:01.600 really makes the point, though. Steve Vai, who 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.340 is an absolute guitar virtuoso himself, he admitted 00:12:05.340 --> 00:12:08.100 he can mimic almost any other player. But Brian 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:10.519 May. Vai stated, and I quote, I can listen to 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:12.620 any player and pantomime their sound, but I can't 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:14.960 do Brian May. He's just walking on higher ground. 00:12:15.179 --> 00:12:17.720 That analysis from Vai gives us such a critical 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:20.879 insight into May's contribution. Vai calls his 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.830 work rich. and so specific that it feels essential 00:12:24.830 --> 00:12:27.909 to the composition itself. He adds that nobody 00:12:27.909 --> 00:12:30.590 to this date could do what he does. And I think 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:33.029 the most profound takeaway is that his solos 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:36.090 aren't just exhibitions of speed. They are melodies 00:12:36.090 --> 00:12:38.529 and they're perfectly in place. They serve the 00:12:38.529 --> 00:12:40.769 song's architecture. Like it carefully plays 00:12:40.769 --> 00:12:43.750 structural beam in an engineering project. That 00:12:43.750 --> 00:12:47.269 architectural mindset is so evident in his most 00:12:47.269 --> 00:12:49.909 famous technique, layered harmonies. He's not 00:12:49.909 --> 00:12:52.850 simply doubling or tripling a melody. He's known 00:12:52.850 --> 00:12:55.850 for this meticulous arranging using multi -part 00:12:55.850 --> 00:12:59.110 guitar lines that are often contrapuntal. Okay, 00:12:59.149 --> 00:13:00.889 let's stop there for a moment. For the listener, 00:13:01.029 --> 00:13:03.509 what exactly does it mean for a rock harmony 00:13:03.509 --> 00:13:06.850 to be contrapuntal versus, say, parallel, which 00:13:06.850 --> 00:13:08.990 is more common? Well, parallel harmony means 00:13:08.990 --> 00:13:10.830 all the voices are moving in the same direction, 00:13:10.830 --> 00:13:13.129 maintaining the same interval. Think of a simple 00:13:13.129 --> 00:13:16.669 chord being moved up or down the fretboard. Contrapuntal, 00:13:16.669 --> 00:13:19.169 or counterpoint, is derived from classical music. 00:13:19.450 --> 00:13:22.049 It means that while the notes are harmonizing, 00:13:22.210 --> 00:13:24.450 the individual lines are actually moving independently. 00:13:24.789 --> 00:13:26.929 Think of it like separate conversations happening 00:13:26.929 --> 00:13:29.470 at the same time that somehow resolve into a 00:13:29.470 --> 00:13:32.610 single beautiful agreement. That requires immense 00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:35.129 control. both technically and intellectually. 00:13:35.389 --> 00:13:38.250 Exactly. It's the intellectual rigor of a scientist 00:13:38.250 --> 00:13:41.230 applied to sound. You hear this sophistication 00:13:41.230 --> 00:13:43.929 on albums like A Night at the Opera and A Day 00:13:43.929 --> 00:13:47.490 at the Races. He's essentially composing a quartet 00:13:47.490 --> 00:13:49.230 of guitars. You can hear it when he imitates 00:13:49.230 --> 00:13:51.690 instruments like a Dixieland jazz band in Good 00:13:51.690 --> 00:13:54.830 Company or even in the sophisticated vocal canon 00:13:54.830 --> 00:13:57.710 in The Prophet Song. And this meticulousness 00:13:57.710 --> 00:14:00.350 brings us directly to the source of his sound. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.539 The homemade marvel, the Red Special. This is 00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:05.779 such a critical moment for understanding the 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:08.799 unifying thread of May's life, that perfect blend 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:11.940 of engineering, physics, and artistry. The Red 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:13.919 Special wasn't born of wealth or convenience. 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:18.220 It was born of necessity and... Physics. Brian 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:20.240 and his father, Harold, built it together when 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.460 Brian was only 16. They didn't have the money 00:14:22.460 --> 00:14:24.620 to buy a high -end guitar, so they approached 00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:27.500 the problem like engineers. Exactly. What materials 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:29.559 do we have and how can we use them to maximize 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:33.200 vibration, tone, and sustain? And the materials 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:36.440 they used are just legendary for their bizarre 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:39.700 salvaged origins. The sources tell us the neck 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:41.960 was lacquered with Rustin's plastic coating. 00:14:42.429 --> 00:14:45.110 just a common sealant. And the wood itself was 00:14:45.110 --> 00:14:47.370 salvaged from a genuinely old piece of furniture 00:14:47.370 --> 00:14:50.389 part of an 18th century fireplace mantelpiece, 00:14:50.629 --> 00:14:54.039 chosen presumably for its density and age. It's 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:56.519 a literal collection of repurposed household 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:59.399 objects turned into a precision instrument. Think 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.899 about the tremolo system. The springs are motorbike 00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:04.440 valve springs. They provide a very specific stiff 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:07.679 tension. And the tremolo arm itself was ingeniously 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.279 fashioned from an old bicycle saddlebag carrier. 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:13.080 And even the small details speak to this ingenuity. 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:15.200 The position markers, those dots on the neck. 00:15:15.340 --> 00:15:17.480 Mother of pearl buttons. And the tremolo lock 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:19.500 knob was fashioned from the end of a knitting 00:15:19.500 --> 00:15:22.139 needle. It's just an engineer maximizing utility 00:15:22.139 --> 00:15:24.960 from limited, non -standard resources. And the 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:26.860 success of this design was absolute. The guitar 00:15:26.860 --> 00:15:29.440 was so perfectly tuned to May's needs that he 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.340 never seriously played another instrument for 00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:34.179 decades, aside from necessary backups. The sources 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:36.059 mention he'd originally planned to build a second 00:15:36.059 --> 00:15:38.639 guitar, but those plans were just shelved. But 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.590 not lost. Those sheer technical details were 00:15:41.590 --> 00:15:44.409 later used by a luthier, Andrew Guyton, around 00:15:44.409 --> 00:15:47.730 2004 -2005 to build a second instrument called 00:15:47.730 --> 00:15:50.929 the spade, due to its distinctive body shape. 00:15:51.110 --> 00:15:53.129 It just demonstrates the enduring quality of 00:15:53.129 --> 00:15:55.370 his original amateur engineering blueprints. 00:15:55.570 --> 00:15:57.909 And his unique approach extends to the playing 00:15:57.909 --> 00:16:01.029 technique itself. He famously rejects the flexible 00:16:01.029 --> 00:16:03.929 plastic plectrum used by virtually every other 00:16:03.929 --> 00:16:06.870 rock guitarist. Instead, he prefers the rigidity 00:16:06.870 --> 00:16:10.250 and specific sharp edge of a... coin, specifically 00:16:10.250 --> 00:16:13.830 a 1970 sixpence. He carries these particular 00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:16.549 coins with him, noting that the metal edge allows 00:16:16.549 --> 00:16:19.789 for superior control and a very particular, almost 00:16:19.789 --> 00:16:22.169 scratchy or chimey attack on the strings that 00:16:22.169 --> 00:16:24.629 contributes heavily to his signature tone. And 00:16:24.629 --> 00:16:27.190 this emphasis on a pure physical tone connects 00:16:27.190 --> 00:16:29.950 to another famous element of Queen's early work. 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.879 The bold statement on their album sleeves, no 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:35.100 synthesizers were used on this album. Right. 00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:37.460 That was a deliberate statement against the prevailing 00:16:37.460 --> 00:16:40.279 trend in rock at the time. They were asserting 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:43.019 that every sound from the orchestral swell and 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:46.860 procession to the chime effect in Bohemian Rhapsody. 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:49.100 It was achieved purely through acoustic manipulation, 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:51.980 maze -layered guitars, or the band's vocals. 00:16:52.179 --> 00:16:54.279 Okay, let's delve into the amplification chain 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:56.580 that gives him that massive legendary sound. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:00.080 I read that Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery, 00:17:00.330 --> 00:17:03.090 after sharing a stage with May, said the sound 00:17:03.090 --> 00:17:06.109 was so incredibly loud. He did. He compared the 00:17:06.109 --> 00:17:09.529 volume coming from his back line to a jumbo jet 00:17:09.529 --> 00:17:12.049 taking off. So how does he achieve that signature 00:17:12.049 --> 00:17:16.170 sound with what is really minimal gear? It's 00:17:16.170 --> 00:17:18.609 a remarkably simple, pure approach. It's defined 00:17:18.609 --> 00:17:21.569 by the Vox AC30 amplifier. May uses them almost 00:17:21.569 --> 00:17:23.789 exclusively, often running six of them simultaneously 00:17:23.789 --> 00:17:26.369 on stage. And crucially, they are run at full 00:17:26.369 --> 00:17:28.660 volume on the normal channel. not the slightly 00:17:28.660 --> 00:17:31.259 cleaner or brighter top boost channel, that pushes 00:17:31.259 --> 00:17:33.490 the tubes to their absolute limit. Right. And 00:17:33.490 --> 00:17:36.529 running a vacuum tube amplifier at full volume 00:17:36.529 --> 00:17:38.930 generates natural compression and this incredible 00:17:38.930 --> 00:17:42.589 harmonic richness. But what gives him that specific 00:17:42.589 --> 00:17:46.130 aggressive bite, that endless sustain? That would 00:17:46.130 --> 00:17:48.269 be the treble booster. That is the treble booster. 00:17:48.490 --> 00:17:51.930 This is a small, specialized preamp pedal that 00:17:51.930 --> 00:17:54.269 hits the front end of the amp with a massive 00:17:54.269 --> 00:17:57.509 signal boost, a clean boost that increases volume 00:17:57.509 --> 00:18:00.170 and treble frequencies. He started with the Dallas 00:18:00.170 --> 00:18:03.400 Rangemaster, then moved to a Pete Cornish TB83. 00:18:03.779 --> 00:18:06.980 Which provided a massive 32 dB gain. And later 00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:09.660 to Fryer's booster. That immense amplified signal 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:12.880 just slams the AC30's preamps, forcing them into 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.019 their characteristic overdrive. And we can't 00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:16.599 forget the John Deacon connection here. Right, 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:20.240 the DC amp. This was a tiny transistorized amplifier 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.039 built by Deacon from scavenged components powered 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.079 by a 9 -volt battery. And May used this small 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.680 amp extensively in the studio, and still does, 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:32.410 to achieve specific overdriven harmonically complex 00:18:32.410 --> 00:18:35.390 sounds at low volumes, especially on tracks that 00:18:35.390 --> 00:18:37.670 required that intricate layering. This entire 00:18:37.670 --> 00:18:40.630 chain combining his custom -built guitar with 00:18:40.630 --> 00:18:43.930 simple, powerful amplification is what delivers 00:18:43.930 --> 00:18:47.430 that rich singing tone. It's a beautifully simple, 00:18:47.650 --> 00:18:49.690 almost scientifically controlled approach to 00:18:49.690 --> 00:18:52.930 sound production. Now, moving to his influences, 00:18:53.230 --> 00:18:56.410 who shaped this virtuoso style? Well, his earliest 00:18:56.410 --> 00:18:59.089 foundational influences were the clean, sophisticated 00:18:59.089 --> 00:19:02.009 guitar sounds of Cliff Richard and the Shadows, 00:19:02.029 --> 00:19:04.630 particularly the lead guitarist Hank Marvin. 00:19:04.890 --> 00:19:08.210 May described the Shadows music as the most metallic 00:19:08.210 --> 00:19:10.930 thing out at the time. He later fulfilled a lifelong 00:19:10.930 --> 00:19:13.289 ambition by performing with Marvin, and of course 00:19:13.289 --> 00:19:15.490 he naturally cites the heavyweights, the Beatles, 00:19:15.730 --> 00:19:18.369 Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, 00:19:18.509 --> 00:19:21.130 Eric Clapton. He called The Who my inspiration 00:19:21.130 --> 00:19:24.549 for their raw power. He gives specific, granular 00:19:24.549 --> 00:19:27.089 credit to Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Mm -hmm, 00:19:27.170 --> 00:19:29.730 saying he doesn't think anyone has epitomized 00:19:29.730 --> 00:19:31.970 riff -writing better than Page. But here's the 00:19:31.970 --> 00:19:34.490 most critical piece of influence data. The unexpected 00:19:34.490 --> 00:19:37.609 hero. Who does May credit with giving him his 00:19:37.609 --> 00:19:40.789 actual signature sound? Rory Gallagher. Ah, interesting. 00:19:41.089 --> 00:19:43.789 May recalled seeing Gallagher's battered Stratocaster 00:19:43.789 --> 00:19:46.650 and just being mesmerized by the sound. He stated 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:49.410 plainly, it was Rory that gave me my sound and 00:19:49.410 --> 00:19:52.730 that's the sound I still have. Wow, that's powerful. 00:19:53.029 --> 00:19:55.289 It shows that even for such a unique stylist, 00:19:55.549 --> 00:19:58.250 the sound is often a reaction to a powerful early 00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:02.049 inspiration. So we have the rock god. the virtuoso, 00:20:02.130 --> 00:20:04.769 and the inventor. Now let's transition into the 00:20:04.769 --> 00:20:07.410 life he deliberately put on hold for two decades, 00:20:07.690 --> 00:20:10.869 the academic and scientific path. It's perhaps 00:20:10.869 --> 00:20:12.869 the most compelling evidence of his consistent 00:20:12.869 --> 00:20:15.130 intellectual dedication. This is where the story 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:17.849 truly becomes unique. He had the academic pedigree 00:20:17.849 --> 00:20:20.529 early on, earning his B .Sc. in physics with 00:20:20.529 --> 00:20:22.549 upper second class honors from Imperial College 00:20:22.549 --> 00:20:25.410 London. He was, as we said, perfectly placed 00:20:25.410 --> 00:20:28.509 for a career in pure science. And in 1970, concurrently 00:20:28.509 --> 00:20:30.309 with the formation of Queen, he began his Ph 00:20:30.309 --> 00:20:32.670 .D. research at Imperial, and his subject was 00:20:32.670 --> 00:20:35.230 incredibly specific and demanding. A survey of 00:20:35.230 --> 00:20:37.549 radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud. 00:20:37.789 --> 00:20:40.650 To simplify that complex title for you, the listener, 00:20:40.869 --> 00:20:43.809 he was studying reflected light from interplanetary 00:20:43.809 --> 00:20:47.329 dust. Specifically, the light reflected by particles 00:20:47.329 --> 00:20:49.569 orbiting the sun in the plane of the solar system. 00:20:49.750 --> 00:20:52.769 And he was using Doppler spectroscopy to determine 00:20:52.769 --> 00:20:55.170 their speed and direction, their radial velocity. 00:20:55.289 --> 00:20:58.849 This requires intricate, highly specialized optical 00:20:58.849 --> 00:21:01.269 and astronomical equipment. He worked at the 00:21:01.269 --> 00:21:03.490 Tide Observatory in Tenerife for his initial 00:21:03.490 --> 00:21:06.630 observations. And he was so diligent that even 00:21:06.630 --> 00:21:09.430 before he abandoned the work in 1974 for Queen's 00:21:09.430 --> 00:21:12.549 Ascent, he managed to co -author two peer -reviewed 00:21:12.549 --> 00:21:15.619 research papers. on his initial findings. So 00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:17.500 he was already publishing world -class research 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:20.279 as a young man. He was. But when Queen's success 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:23.140 went global, the choice was made. the rock star 00:21:23.140 --> 00:21:26.140 won he abandoned his doctoral studies in 1974 00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:29.119 and most people once they've achieved that level 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.759 of global fame and fortune they never look back 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:34.740 at the dusty painstaking world of academia yet 00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:37.480 decades later the guitar hero returns to the 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:40.619 academic halls he re -registered for his doctorate 00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:44.000 at imperial college in 2006 32 years after walking 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.059 away this return is a stunning testament to his 00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:50.059 character he was able to submit his revised thesis 00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:53.440 in august 2007. And the reason this miraculous 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:56.960 return was even possible is so telling. Very 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:58.980 little intervening research had occurred on the 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:01.619 specific topic of zodiacal dust in the subsequent 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:05.039 33 years. His foundational work was still relevant. 00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:07.400 So he essentially just picked up where he left 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:10.039 off, completing a thesis some 37 years after 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:12.799 he started it, earning his Ph .D. in astrophysics 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.680 in 2007. He described the subject as one that 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.920 had been unfashionable, but which had become 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.759 in demand again in the 2000s due to new satellite 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:22.940 discoveries. Let's detail the rigor involved 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:25.579 here. To investigate radial velocity, he used 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:28.140 absorption and Doppler spectroscopy of zodiacal 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:30.759 light. This required the use of a Fabry -Perot 00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:33.279 interferometer. Which is a highly technical optical 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:35.500 device used to measure the wavelength of light 00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:37.980 with extreme precision. Okay, so for the non 00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:40.259 -physicist listening, how does a Fabry -Perot 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:42.579 interferometer help determine the speed of dust 00:22:42.579 --> 00:22:45.039 in space? It's all about precision filtering 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:48.359 and the Doppler effect. The interferometer consists 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:51.660 of two highly reflective parallel glass plates. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:55.019 Light entering this device is partially reflected 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:58.039 many times, creating an interference pattern. 00:22:58.279 --> 00:23:00.740 And the spacing of the fringes in that pattern 00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:03.660 is incredibly sensitive to changes in the wavelength 00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:06.569 of the light. Precisely. By measuring minute 00:23:06.569 --> 00:23:09.049 shifts in the absorption lines, the spectral 00:23:09.049 --> 00:23:11.430 fingerprints of the reflected sunlight from the 00:23:11.430 --> 00:23:13.809 dust, they can determine if the dust particles 00:23:13.809 --> 00:23:15.809 are moving toward us, which is a blue shift, 00:23:16.029 --> 00:23:19.309 or away from us, a red shift. It's a method that 00:23:19.309 --> 00:23:21.789 requires just meticulous calibration and observation. 00:23:22.269 --> 00:23:24.789 That focus on optics, light manipulation, and 00:23:24.789 --> 00:23:27.089 precision measurement, studying how light is 00:23:27.089 --> 00:23:29.190 reflected and absorbed by specific materials, 00:23:29.410 --> 00:23:31.930 it brings us right back to the Red Special. Doesn't 00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:34.589 it just? He built the guitar using specific theories 00:23:34.589 --> 00:23:37.150 of vibration and density. He finished the thesis 00:23:37.150 --> 00:23:39.190 using specific theories of light and velocity. 00:23:39.509 --> 00:23:42.029 It's the same intellectual machinery applied 00:23:42.029 --> 00:23:44.369 to fundamentally different problems. Exactly. 00:23:44.710 --> 00:23:47.589 And his scientific contributions did not stop 00:23:47.589 --> 00:23:50.170 with the degree. He became a visiting researcher 00:23:50.170 --> 00:23:52.769 at Imperial College and served as chancellor 00:23:52.769 --> 00:23:55.670 of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 00:23:55.670 --> 00:23:58.230 to 2013. An appointment that really recognized 00:23:58.230 --> 00:24:00.710 his deep contributions to astronomy. He also 00:24:00.710 --> 00:24:03.150 embraced the role of science communicator, recognizing 00:24:03.150 --> 00:24:05.869 that his platform could reach millions. He co 00:24:05.869 --> 00:24:07.930 -authored popular science books with the legendary 00:24:07.930 --> 00:24:10.549 Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, including 00:24:10.549 --> 00:24:13.230 Bang, The Complete History of the Universe, and 00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:15.869 The Cosmic Tourist. What's truly astonishing, 00:24:16.049 --> 00:24:18.089 though, is his active role as a collaborator 00:24:18.089 --> 00:24:20.910 with international space agencies. He was a recognized 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:24.130 science team collaborator on NASA's New Horizons 00:24:24.130 --> 00:24:26.460 Pluto mission. In fact, he was present at the 00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:29.039 Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab for the fly 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:32.019 -by -watch party of the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth, 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:34.240 where he performed an updated version of his 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:37.359 own celebratory composition, New Horizons, which 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:39.259 he wrote for the mission. His contribution was 00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:42.119 highly specialized and practical, too. He leveraged 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:44.740 his expertise in stereoscopic photography 3D 00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:47.759 imaging to help create the first stereo anaglyph 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:50.380 of Arrokoth based on the images captured by the 00:24:50.380 --> 00:24:53.230 spacecraft. He applied his lifelong passion to 00:24:53.230 --> 00:24:56.190 cutting -edge planetary science. And his planetary 00:24:56.190 --> 00:24:59.809 work continues in the 2020s. In 2023, he contributed 00:24:59.809 --> 00:25:02.549 to NASA's OSIRIS -REx mission, helping with the 00:25:02.549 --> 00:25:04.470 successful collection and delivery of samples 00:25:04.470 --> 00:25:06.829 from the asteroid Bennu. He also received the 00:25:06.829 --> 00:25:10.390 JAXA Hayabusa II Honor Award for producing stereoscopic 00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:13.130 images of the asteroid Ryugu. And if we connect 00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.049 this back to a crucial public service component, 00:25:15.349 --> 00:25:18.410 he co -founded Asteroid Day in 2014. which is 00:25:18.410 --> 00:25:20.450 a global awareness campaign designed to educate 00:25:20.450 --> 00:25:22.710 the public about the risks posed by near -Earth 00:25:22.710 --> 00:25:25.289 objects and the need for planetary defense strategies. 00:25:25.650 --> 00:25:28.990 It is entirely fitting, then, that asteroid 52665 00:25:28.990 --> 00:25:32.069 Brian May is named in his honor. He has literally 00:25:32.069 --> 00:25:34.509 cemented his place in the cosmos he once studied 00:25:34.509 --> 00:25:36.349 theoretically. So we have the rock star and the 00:25:36.349 --> 00:25:38.869 scientist. Now we move to his third great passion. 00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:41.599 activism, a field where he applies his platform, 00:25:41.819 --> 00:25:44.039 his commitment, and his data -driven scientific 00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:46.720 approach to highly controversial political debates. 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:49.720 May founded the animal welfare organization Save 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:53.279 Me in 2010. Named, fittingly, after his power 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:55.400 ballad. The central mission is retaining the 00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:58.660 Hunting Act 2004, which banned fox hunting with 00:25:58.660 --> 00:26:01.039 dogs and campaigning intensely against the culling 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.420 of badgers in the UK. The badger campaign is 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:05.480 where his scientific background and his platform 00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:08.460 collide most forcefully. The government's justification 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:11.660 for badger culling is the perceived need to control 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:15.339 the spread of bovine tuberculosis, or BTB, to 00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:17.819 cattle herds. And May has taken a very clear 00:26:17.819 --> 00:26:20.279 and often confrontational stance on this policy. 00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:23.279 He controversially stated that nobody has been 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.359 able to prove a mechanism for the transfer of 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:28.630 BTB from Badger to Cal. He's arguing that the 00:26:28.630 --> 00:26:31.470 culling has no proven scientific benefit in reducing 00:26:31.470 --> 00:26:35.150 BTB rates and is therefore cruel and unnecessary. 00:26:35.549 --> 00:26:37.910 Now, this is a highly politically charged issue, 00:26:38.049 --> 00:26:40.809 and we must adhere to impartial reporting. The 00:26:40.809 --> 00:26:43.130 sources clearly detail May's argument. But for 00:26:43.130 --> 00:26:44.750 you to understand the full debate, we need to 00:26:44.750 --> 00:26:46.589 introduce the government's justification and 00:26:46.589 --> 00:26:49.240 the farmers perspective. Absolutely. The arguments 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:51.539 for culling are often driven by economic and 00:26:51.539 --> 00:26:54.200 emotional factors within the farming community. 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:56.660 The government's official position is that badgers 00:26:56.660 --> 00:26:59.660 act as a reservoir for BTB. And farmers face 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:02.559 these devastating herd losses when BTB is detected, 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.420 often forcing them to cull their entire herd. 00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:08.500 It results in significant financial ruin and 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:10.829 emotional stress. So the pro -culling argument 00:27:10.829 --> 00:27:12.990 rests on the belief that removing this wildlife 00:27:12.990 --> 00:27:15.829 reservoir is a necessary, albeit unfortunate, 00:27:16.130 --> 00:27:18.529 tool to protect the national cattle herd and 00:27:18.529 --> 00:27:20.230 the livelihoods tied to it. And the government 00:27:20.230 --> 00:27:22.509 has consistently cited studies suggesting a link, 00:27:22.630 --> 00:27:25.109 justifying the policy as an essential disease 00:27:25.109 --> 00:27:27.549 control measure, even if May and his scientific 00:27:27.549 --> 00:27:30.190 advisors dispute the strength of the data regarding 00:27:30.190 --> 00:27:32.809 badger -to -cow transmission rates. So May's 00:27:32.809 --> 00:27:34.890 response was to use his creative platform to 00:27:34.890 --> 00:27:37.430 amplify the opposition. His efforts led to the 00:27:37.430 --> 00:27:40.210 formation of the coalition Team Badger in 2013. 00:27:40.589 --> 00:27:43.329 He teamed up with actor Brian Blessed and internet 00:27:43.329 --> 00:27:45.630 personality John T. Weeble picking to record 00:27:45.630 --> 00:27:48.210 a single. The truly bizarre but effective Save 00:27:48.210 --> 00:27:50.789 the Badger, Badger, Badger, a mashup of Queen's 00:27:50.789 --> 00:27:53.569 Flash and the viral Badger, Badger meme. And 00:27:53.569 --> 00:27:56.470 it was a massive success. It charted at number 00:27:56.470 --> 00:27:58.950 one on the iTunes rock chart and reached number 00:27:58.950 --> 00:28:02.549 79 on the overall UK singles chart. It just demonstrates 00:28:02.549 --> 00:28:05.130 his ability to leverage popular culture for a 00:28:05.130 --> 00:28:08.109 serious political cause. And he maintained this 00:28:08.109 --> 00:28:11.630 data -driven focus well into the 2020s, releasing 00:28:11.630 --> 00:28:15.359 a documentary in 2024, Brian May. The badgers, 00:28:15.460 --> 00:28:18.359 the farmers and me. Which chronicled a four year 00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:20.660 investigation into the necessity and efficacy 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:23.299 of these badger culling policies. It is so evident 00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:26.119 from the source material that his political loyalties 00:28:26.119 --> 00:28:28.720 are strictly secondary to his animal welfare 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.640 conviction. Oh, completely. He was a lifelong 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:33.200 conservative party voter, but stated he did not 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:35.519 vote for them in 2010 due to their policies on 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:38.160 fox hunting and badgers. He was fiercely critical 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:41.099 of then Prime Minister David Cameron for attempting 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:43.759 to bring back a free vote. on amending the fox 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:46.400 hunting ban. He once referred to the pro -hunting 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:49.240 organization in a live interview using extremely 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:51.500 strong language. It just demonstrates the depth 00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:53.940 of his personal fury over the issue. He also 00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:56.500 demonstrated his nonpartisanship by endorsing 00:28:56.500 --> 00:28:58.240 candidates from different sides of the spectrum, 00:28:58.440 --> 00:29:01.319 a Green Party candidate, Caroline Lucas, and 00:29:01.319 --> 00:29:03.940 a conservative candidate, Henry Smith, based 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:06.819 purely on their animal welfare records. This 00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:08.880 really highlights that his commitment is not 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:11.519 to the party structure, but to the cause itself. 00:29:12.109 --> 00:29:14.450 It's a scientific approach of focusing on the 00:29:14.450 --> 00:29:17.549 outcome, not the ideology. He also hasn't shied 00:29:17.549 --> 00:29:20.569 away from other major political shifts. In 2018, 00:29:20.769 --> 00:29:23.430 he famously called Brexit the stupidest thing 00:29:23.430 --> 00:29:25.710 we ever tried to do. Expressing the view that 00:29:25.710 --> 00:29:27.609 the future lies in international cooperation 00:29:27.609 --> 00:29:30.589 and noting that the political uncertainty caused 00:29:30.589 --> 00:29:33.190 him daily distress. What's fascinating is his 00:29:33.190 --> 00:29:36.470 own personal metric for success. He stated in 00:29:36.470 --> 00:29:38.069 an interview that he would rather be remembered 00:29:38.069 --> 00:29:40.809 for his animal welfare work than for his music 00:29:40.809 --> 00:29:43.470 or scientific contributions. That is a profound 00:29:43.470 --> 00:29:45.670 statement, considering the global scale of his 00:29:45.670 --> 00:29:48.029 artistic and academic accomplishments. And that 00:29:48.029 --> 00:29:50.269 devotion extends beyond specific legislation 00:29:50.269 --> 00:29:53.589 to broad environmental action. He purchased 157 00:29:53.589 --> 00:29:56.380 acres of land in Dorset. And with local support, 00:29:56.579 --> 00:30:00.400 initiated a project to plant 100 ,000 trees to 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:03.180 create a thriving wildlife habitat called maize 00:30:03.180 --> 00:30:06.420 wood, a lasting physical legacy of his environmental 00:30:06.420 --> 00:30:08.880 commitment. Before we move on to his final key 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:11.460 passion, we should quickly note some recent personal 00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:14.519 health milestones as they provide necessary context 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:18.140 for his continued fierce productivity. In 2020, 00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:20.660 he suffered a small heart attack requiring stents, 00:30:20.779 --> 00:30:23.059 which he described as bringing him very near 00:30:23.059 --> 00:30:25.579 death. And more recently, in September 2024, 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:28.200 he suffered a minor stroke, which temporarily 00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:30.819 cost him the use of his left arm. But crucially, 00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:33.599 he confirmed after both events that he was still 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:35.980 able to play the guitar. The sources also note 00:30:35.980 --> 00:30:38.180 his shift to veganism since participating in 00:30:38.180 --> 00:30:40.579 the Veganuary Challenge in 2020. He has been 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:42.960 very outspoken about the environmental and public 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:45.940 health risks associated with intensive meat farming. 00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:49.109 We've covered music, science, and activism. But 00:30:49.109 --> 00:30:51.349 there's one final passion that ties his scientific 00:30:51.349 --> 00:30:54.289 curiosity directly to his artistic and preservationist 00:30:54.289 --> 00:30:58.809 impulse. Stereophotography. Or 3D imaging. This 00:30:58.809 --> 00:31:01.349 is an incredibly niche and technical hobby that 00:31:01.349 --> 00:31:05.089 began for him way back in 1973. He became a lifelong 00:31:05.089 --> 00:31:08.490 collector and expert in Victorian -era stereophotography. 00:31:08.970 --> 00:31:11.490 Stereoscopy, for the listener, is the process 00:31:11.490 --> 00:31:14.150 of creating the illusion of depth in an image. 00:31:14.599 --> 00:31:16.799 by presenting two slightly offset photographs 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:20.000 simultaneously to the left and right eyes, forcing 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:22.779 the brain to merge them into a single 3D image. 00:31:23.019 --> 00:31:25.420 And the Victorians were obsessed with it. May's 00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:28.140 work here is properly scholarly. He hasn't just 00:31:28.140 --> 00:31:31.140 collected, he's cataloged and annotated. In 2009, 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:33.779 with Elena Vidal, he published A Village Lost 00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:36.079 and Found. Focusing on the work of the Victorian 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:39.200 photographer T .R. Williams. Restoring and presenting 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:42.279 these rare 3D images. And then came the macabre 00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:45.400 and fascinating subject of Diableries, Stereoscopic 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.099 Adventures in Hell in 2013, which he co -authored. 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:50.599 That book collected rare French stereoscopic 00:31:50.599 --> 00:31:53.279 images from the 1860s and 70s, depicting these 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:55.480 satirical scenes of daily life in hell. Devils, 00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:57.299 skeletons, and demons just going about their 00:31:57.299 --> 00:31:59.599 business. And the technical contribution here 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:03.259 is key. He didn't just preserve the art, he engineered 00:32:03.259 --> 00:32:07.960 a tool. to view it. He patented the OWL stereoscopic 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:10.859 viewer, which is now sold commercially. The OWL 00:32:10.859 --> 00:32:13.240 viewer is designed to be easily accessible and 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.059 portable, and it's included with his published 00:32:15.059 --> 00:32:17.779 works. The design itself is an elegant piece 00:32:17.779 --> 00:32:20.680 of optical engineering, making the often cumbersome 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:23.619 process of viewing stereoscopic cards simple 00:32:23.619 --> 00:32:26.019 and effective for a modern audience. It's the 00:32:26.019 --> 00:32:28.279 ultimate convergence of his interests, isn't 00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:31.079 it? The scientific mind engineers a functional 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:34.640 optical tool, the OWL viewer, to preserve and 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:36.920 present his creative life. Specifically, his 00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:41.089 book, Queen in 3D, published in 2017. That book 00:32:41.089 --> 00:32:43.549 chronicled the band's 50 -year history, using 00:32:43.549 --> 00:32:46.710 over 300 of May's own personal stereoscopic photos, 00:32:46.930 --> 00:32:49.410 capturing candid moments and stage scenes across 00:32:49.410 --> 00:32:51.589 decades. It was the first book about the band 00:32:51.589 --> 00:32:53.750 published by one of its members, and it required 00:32:53.750 --> 00:32:55.910 his patented technology to be fully appreciated. 00:32:56.230 --> 00:32:58.410 His dedication to this preservation and optical 00:32:58.410 --> 00:33:00.509 technology earned him significant recognition, 00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:03.410 including the Royal Photographic Society's Saxby 00:33:03.410 --> 00:33:06.269 Medal in 2012 for achievement in three -dimensional 00:33:06.269 --> 00:33:08.849 imaging. In an honorary fellowship from Royal 00:33:08.849 --> 00:33:11.359 Holloway College, College in 2021 for preserving 00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:14.299 Victorian stereoscopy. It's just clear that Meg 00:33:14.299 --> 00:33:17.140 used life itself as a series of interlocking, 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:19.759 solvable problems, whether that problem is finding 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.279 the perfect sustained guitar tone, calculating 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:25.039 the velocity of space dust, designing a viewer, 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:27.400 or challenging a government policy on the basis 00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:31.000 of data. So what really stands out now that we've 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:33.559 deeply surveyed the three pillars of Sir Brian 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:36.109 May's extraordinary life? For me, it's the unity 00:33:36.109 --> 00:33:39.369 of effort across wildly disparate domains. He 00:33:39.369 --> 00:33:42.329 brings the same painstaking technical rigor and 00:33:42.329 --> 00:33:45.329 commitment to depth to every single pursuit. 00:33:45.549 --> 00:33:48.150 The time and precision required to build the 00:33:48.150 --> 00:33:50.670 red special from household scrap mirrors the 00:33:50.670 --> 00:33:52.869 decades -long process of submitting and defending 00:33:52.869 --> 00:33:55.910 a complex astrophysics thesis. Right down to 00:33:55.910 --> 00:33:58.549 the specific optical instruments used. This illustrates 00:33:58.549 --> 00:34:00.849 a key takeaway for you, the learner. Here is 00:34:00.849 --> 00:34:02.849 a man who delayed a high -level scientific career 00:34:02.849 --> 00:34:06.250 for music, achieved unparalleled success, and 00:34:06.250 --> 00:34:08.429 then successfully returned to his deferred passion, 00:34:08.590 --> 00:34:10.710 proving that intellectual potential doesn't just 00:34:10.710 --> 00:34:13.820 expire. And then he uses the massive public platform 00:34:13.820 --> 00:34:16.639 built by his musical success to drive serious 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:19.400 data -backed activism. His life fundamentally 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:22.579 illustrates that intellectual curiosity and deep 00:34:22.579 --> 00:34:25.480 technical engagement are highly transferable 00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:28.260 skills. That ability to focus technically, to 00:34:28.260 --> 00:34:30.659 synthesize complex information, and to appreciate 00:34:30.659 --> 00:34:33.619 structure, that translates whether you are designing 00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:36.440 layered contrapuntal guitar harmonies, solving 00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:39.400 problems in zodiacal dust radial velocity, or 00:34:39.400 --> 00:34:42.030 engineering a consumer... friendly 3D viewer. 00:34:42.170 --> 00:34:45.170 It's all rooted in systematic, rigorous problem 00:34:45.170 --> 00:34:47.769 solving. So here's our final provocative thought 00:34:47.769 --> 00:34:50.530 for you to chew on. So Brian May's journey demonstrates 00:34:50.530 --> 00:34:52.809 that when you apply intellectual rigor and technical 00:34:52.809 --> 00:34:55.429 dedication to one intensive area like building 00:34:55.429 --> 00:34:58.230 a world -famous guitar from fireplace wood, it 00:34:58.230 --> 00:35:00.309 creates a skill set that radically fuels high 00:35:00.309 --> 00:35:02.289 -level creativity and achievement in completely 00:35:02.289 --> 00:35:04.949 different fields decades later. If you have a 00:35:04.949 --> 00:35:07.630 passion, a deep technical interest you put on 00:35:07.630 --> 00:35:10.690 hold, his life is the ultimate proof that it 00:35:10.690 --> 00:35:12.750 might just be waiting for the right time to become 00:35:12.750 --> 00:35:16.550 your next major world -class achievement. A truly 00:35:16.550 --> 00:35:18.690 astonishing individual who never compromised 00:35:18.690 --> 00:35:21.030 the depth of his engagement in anything he pursued. 00:35:21.309 --> 00:35:23.510 Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into 00:35:23.510 --> 00:35:25.869 the extraordinary world of Sir Brian May. We'll 00:35:25.869 --> 00:35:26.409 see you next time.