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Back to the Light

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Back to the Light
File:Brian May Back to the LIght LP.jpg
Studio album by
Brian May
Released28 September 1992 (UK)
2 February 1993 (US)
Recorded1988–1992
GenreRock
Length51:12
Label
ProducerBrian May, Justin Shirley-Smith
Brian May chronology
Star Fleet Project
(1983) 		Back to the Light
(1992) 		Live at the Brixton Academy
(1994)
United States cover
Singles from Back to the Light
  1. "Driven by You"
    Released: 1992
  2. "Too Much Love Will Kill You"
    Released: 1992
  3. "Back to the Light"
    Released: 1992
  4. "Resurrection"
    Released: 1993
  5. "Last Horizon"
    Released: 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]

Back to the Light is the first solo album by Queen guitarist Brian May released on 28 September 1992 in the UK and on 2 February 1993 in the United States and Canada. The album contains the Top 10 singles "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven by You".

Overview

The album was recorded between 1988 and 1992 at the Allerton Hill Studios and mixed at the Metropolis Studios. It is Brian May's second non-Queen album after 1983 Star Fleet Project.

The track "Just One Life" was written as a tribute to the actor Philip Sayer, who died in 1989. "Rollin' Over" is a cover of Small Faces song from the album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. An alternate "explicit" version of "Love Token" was recorded with lyrics which may have been deemed offensive by the record label. The lyric "shit for brains" was replaced by "meat for brains," while the lyrics "well, fuck you" were replaced by "that's a shame." The original "explicit" version was never officially released except on a free CD packaged with RCD Magazine, Vol. 4.

The songs "Headlong" and "I Can't Live with You" released on Queen album Innuendo were originally intended to be included on the album, but when Brian May heard Freddie Mercury singing the tracks, he instead preferred them to become Queen songs.

An alternative version of "Too Much Love Will Kill You" was also recorded by Queen and can be found on their Made in Heaven album (1995), with vocals by Freddie Mercury.

Release

The US edition of the album included a remix of "Driven by You" (with a new drum track from Cozy Powell) as a bonus track, also b-side to "Too Much Love Will Kill You" single. The Japanese edition of the album included "Just One Life" (Guitar Version) and "Too Much Love Will Kill You (Guitar Version)", b-sides to "Driven by You" and "Too Much Love Will Kill You" singles respectively.

Track listing

All songs written by Brian May, except where noted

  1. "The Dark" – 2:20
  2. "Back to the Light" – 4:59
  3. "Love Token" – 5:55
  4. "Resurrection" (Brian May, Cozy Powell, Jamie Page) – 5:27
  5. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (Brian May, Frank Musker, Elizabeth Lamers) – 4:28
  6. "Driven by You" – 4:11
  7. "Nothin' But Blue" (Brian May, Cozy Powell) – 3:31
  8. "I'm Scared" – 4:00
  9. "Last Horizon" – 4:10
  10. "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" – 3:51
  11. "Just One Life" – 3:38
  12. "Rollin' Over" (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) – 4:36
Bonus track on the US and Canadian editions
No.TitleLength
13."Driven by You"" (Rock remix) 
Bonus tracks on the Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
13."Just One Life" (Guitar Version) 
14."Too Much Love Will Kill You" (Guitar Version) 

Miscellaneous credits

All music, words, vocals, backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, programming and percussion by Brian May, unless stated below.

  • Drums by Cozy Powell on "Back to the Light", "Love Token", "Resurrection", "Nothin' But Blue", "I'm Scared" and "Driven By You" (US remix bonus track); and by Geoff Dugmore (formerly of The Europeans) on "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" and "Rollin' Over."
  • Bass by Gary Tibbs on "Back to the Light", "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head", "Just One Life" and "Rollin' Over"; by Neil Murray on "Love Token", "I'm Scared" and "Driven By You" (US remix bonus track); and by John Deacon on "Nothin' But Blue."
  • Backing vocals by Suzie O'List and Gill O'Donovan on "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head"
  • Piano by Mike Moran on "Love Token" and Rollin' Over." He also played keyboards on "Last Horizon."
  • Extra keyboards by Don Airey on "Resurrection", "Nothin' But Blue."
  • "The Dark" includes material engineered by Alan Douglas at the Townhouse Studios, 1980.
  • The first ideas for the song "Back to the Light" were engineered by Brian Zellis and Pete Schwier in March 1988.

"Resurrection" is credited to Brian May for the words and to Brian May, Cozy Powell and Australian guitarist Jamie Page for the music. It also features material engineered by Sean Lynch and Leif Masses at Mono Valley Studio and Marcus Studios.

"Driven By You" was recorded and mixed with David Richards co-producing at Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland, 1991.

"Nothin' But Blue" includes material engineered by Sean Lynch and Leis Masses at Mono Valley Studios and Marcus Studios.

"I'm Scared" includes material engineered by Pete Schwier, assisted by Richard Edwards.

"Last Horizon" includes material recorded with David Richards at Sarm Studios.

"Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" includes material engineered by Pete Schwier, assisted by Richard Edwards at Sarm Studios, March 1988.

"Just One Life" includes material engineered by David Richards at Mountain Studios, Montreux.

"Rollin' Over" includes material engineered by Pete Schwier, assisted by Richard Edwards, March 1988 at the Townhouse.

Singles

  1. "Driven by You" / "Just One Life" (November 1991) – No. 6
  2. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" / "I'm Scared" (August 1992) – No. 5
  3. "Back to the Light" / "Nothin' But Blue" (November 1992) – No. 19
  4. "Resurrection" / "Love Token" / "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (Live) (June 1993) – No. 23
  5. "Last Horizon" / "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" (Live) (December 1993) – No. 51

Charts

Chart (1992–93) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[3] 6
US Billboard 200[4] 159

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ Rolling Stone review
  3. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27285/brian-may/
  4. ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/brian-may/chart-history/top-album-sales
  5. ^ "British album certifications – Back to the Light". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Back to the Light in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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