Watch Brian May play guitar with his younger self in his Time Travelling new video

13 September 2021, 11:18 | Updated: 19 September 2023, 13:28

Brian May and... Brian May
Brian May and... Brian May. Picture: Brian May

By Mayer Nissim

The Queen guitarist is also teasing a new solo album after his next tour with Adam Lambert.

Queen's Brian May has joined forces with maybe the only guitarist who can keep up with him.

In the new Time Traveller video for 'Back To The Light', the title track from the recently-reissued Back To The Light album, Brian hooks up with... Brian May.

The video finds our masked, modern-day Brian arrive at London's Hammersmith Odeon – as the Hammersmith Apollo was known back in 1992 when the album was first released –  only to see the younger Brian on stage already with The Brian May Band.

Brian and Brian then do what you'd expect, hooking up on stage to exchange solos, ending with a warm embrace as the crowd cheer.

Brian May - Back To The Light: The Time Traveller 1992-2021 (Official Video)

'We Are The Champions' by Queen: The making of the ultimate stadium anthem

"The song came at a difficult time in my life. It wasn't a sunshine time," said Brian.

"I had to find a place where I could see a signpost to the journey I had to make. So the song is about that."

He continued: "It starts very sombre and it talks about night creatures, which are not foxes and badgers, of course.

"They're the sort of creatures of your imagination that are biting you and making you feel fearful.

"So I'm sitting all on my own listening to these cries, and the verses are in that kind of atmosphere. But the choruses are all UP!!!.

"It’s all, 'I'm going to find it - get back to the light - this is what I'm looking for - this is what I'm going to find'."

Gold Meets... Brian May

Gold Meets... Brian May: Queen legend on how new album helped with loss of Freddie Mercury

The track is the fourth to be given a push from the remastered Back To The Light, following 'Driven By You', 'Resurrection' and 'Too Much Love Will Kill You'.

It's the first that will get a new physical single release, with a white 7" vinyl and CD available from October 22.

It's backed with the Freddie Mercury-inspired 'Nothin' But Blue', which features Queen's John Deacon on bass. The digital release also includes a karaoke version of "Back To The Light'.

The new Back to the Light was released on August 6, containing the companion album Out of the Light, featuring live versions and alternate takes.

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)

Gold's Hall of Fame Top 300: Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is voted the greatest song of all time

Meanwhile, May has teased the possibility of a new solo album, which would be his first since since his 2000 soundtrack for Furia. His last "proper" solo album was 1998's Another World.

"I do think about it," May told Goldmine  (via NME).

"And strangely enough, I think it probably would be instrumental this time. Because I have enough ideas. And I have lots of unfinished business."

But he added that he wouldn't get to work on the project until he finishes touring with Queen + Adam Lambert, whose concerts have been pushed back as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.