Most underrated guitarist ever: number 5 Dynamite with a laser beam...
That snippet of lyric, from Queen's first big hit, "Killer Queen," could have been written to describe the distinctive sound of Brian May's guitar. Then again, so could "Fastidious and precise."
May was the lead guitarist for the glam-rockish Queen, and that unusual sound was the soul of the custom-made "Red Special" guitar he and his dad built together. That homemade guitar created some of the most identifiable sounds in rock music -- from the dulcet tones of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to the foot-stomping solo that ends "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" and everything in between.
Brian May's guitar meshed nicely with Queen's vocal harmonies and operatic stylings. It complemented the band's strengths, never overpowering. So while Freddie Mercury sashayed fabulously across the stage, May stood there, reserved, quiet, letting his guitar do the talking. And talk it did -- with precision and controlled power.
Dynamite with a laser beam. ... Guaranteed to blow your mind.