Guitar Legends Brian May and Billy Gibbons Team Up for Duet
Queen guitarist Brian May recently shared an interesting story about collaborating with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. The two guitar icons joined forces on a track for Steve Cropper’s new album, but it wasn’t without some initial hesitation from May.
The song, titled Too Much Stress, features a shared guitar solo between May and Gibbons. May initially wasn’t keen on the idea, as he explained to Guitarist magazine.
Played half a solo
“Billy had already played half a solo. The producer said, ‘Can you play the other half?’ I said, ‘Can’t you give him a whole solo and me a whole solo?'” May recalled. However, the producer insisted on the shared solo format.
Despite his initial reluctance, May eventually embraced the concept. As Guitar World reports, May came to appreciate Gibbons’ playing style, calling him ‘the coolest guitar player on the planet’.
Minimalist approach
May described how Gibbons’ minimalist approach complemented his own more flamboyant style. “He’s not showing off or trying to prove a point. He’s just playing from his heart – so I did the same thing”, May said.
Interestingly, the song’s title was inspired by May’s initial response to the project. When first approached, he declined, saying he had ‘too much stress’ – a phrase that later became the song’s title.
