Brian May “Back to the Light” Shines On With New Remaster

“Anybody fancy a season of BM re-releases with lots of juicy extras?” asked Brian May through his Instagram feed in 2020. “We’re working on a plan!!!” The first stage of that plan comes to fruition now, with the long-awaited reissue of the legendary Queen guitarist’s superlative debut solo album. Almost 30 years on from its initial release, Back to the Light stands as an intimate and expansive testament to the talent and tenacity of one of the foremost guitarists and songwriters of his generation.

Almost 30 years on from its initial release, “Back to the Light” will be reissued August 6 on CD, vinyl, picture disc, cassette, digital download and via streaming formats. The album stands as an intimate and expansive testament to the talent and tenacity of Brian May, one of the foremost guitarists and songwriters of his generation. Long unavailable in most formats, the reissue arrives with a second disc of bonus tracks, “Out of the Light.”

On its release in September 1992, Back to the Light was an unqualified hit. Hitting No. 6 in the UK album charts, it produced a brace of indelible singles. Introduced to Queen fans during an emotive performance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, in April 1992, “Too Much Love Will Kill You” reached No. 5 in the UK. “Driven by You” had already peaked at No. 6. The anthemic “Back to the Light” and rollicking “Resurrection” also charted, while the instrumental “Last Horizon” would become a staple of both The Brian May Band’s solo concerts and May’s later live return to Queen.

Throughout, the many flavors of Back to the Light remind us how vital Brian’s writing was to Queen. Besides his unmistakable guitar work, his songwriting credits include ballads (“Save Me”), multi-part epics (“The Prophet’s Song”), movie themes (“Flash’s Theme”), bluesy workouts (“Sleeping on the Sidewalk”) and numerous full-bore rockers – including, of course, stomping live tentpole “We Will Rock You.”

Long unavailable on CD, vinyl, digital download and streaming services, the reissue arrives with audio supervision from Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson. On the original release’s liner notes, Shirley-Smith received an affectionate namecheck for, writes Brian, “dealing with my erratic recording habits” in his role as co-producer and engineer. “Brian is a perfectionist and he won’t leave something until he’s happy,” says Shirley-Smith, whose work for Queen stretches back to 1984.

To mark the occasion of the reissue, Back to the Light will be available in a Collector’s Edition box set featuring an exclusive white-vinyl LP, two CDs, a 32-page book, a 12″ art print, a download card and an enamel badge all presented in a lift-lid box. A limited-edition (x1,000) of the same box-set is available exclusively on Queen Online Store with a signed 12″ art print.

The album will also be released on 1LP black 180g vinyl, 1CD, Deluxe 2CD, Cassette and digital formats, with Out of the Light available in the box set, on the 2CD and digital formats. A limited-edition 1LP Picture Disc will also be available exclusively on Queen Online Store.

“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.” – Brian May

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