Back to the Light

Back to the Light is the debut solo studio album by Queen guitarist Brian May, released on 28 September 1992 by Parlophone Records in the UK and on 2 February 1993 by Hollywood Records in the US and Canada. May co-produced the album with Justin Shirley-Smith, his second non-Queen record since Star Fleet Project, and it was recorded at Allerton Hill Studio.

Back to the Light
Studio album by
Brian May
Released28 September 1992 (UK)
2 February 1993 (US)
Recorded1988–1992
StudioAllerton Hill Studio
GenreHard rock
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: 1991
  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]

The album contains the Top 10 singles "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven by You". Back to the Light peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart and at number 159 on the US Billboard 200.

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's 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 a 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; on the final album version, 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 the Queen album Innuendo, were originally intended to be included on Back to the Light, but when Brian May heard Freddie Mercury singing the tracks, he instead decided they should become Queen songs. Another song on the album, "Too Much Love Will Kill You", was also recorded by Queen for their album The Miracle, although rights issues prevented it being released at the time. Queen's version was eventually released on Made in Heaven in 1995.

Release

The US edition of the album included a remix of "Driven by You" (with a new drum track by Cozy Powell and new bass by Neil Murray) as a bonus track, issued elsewhere as a B-side to the "Too Much Love Will Kill You" single. The Japanese edition, meanwhile, included instrumental "Guitar Versions" of "Just One Life" and "Too Much Love Will Kill You", which had likewise been B-sides on the "Driven by You" and "Too Much Love Will Kill You" singles, respectively.

In June 2021, May announced that the album would be reissued as part of the Brian May Gold Series, packaged with a second disc of bonus tracks titled Out of the Light.[3] The reissue was released on August 6.

Track listing

Credits adapted from liner notes.[4]

All tracks are written by Brian May, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Dark" 2:20
2."Back to the Light" 4:59
3."Love Token" 5:55
4."Resurrection"May, Cozy Powell, Jaime Page5:27
5."Too Much Love Will Kill You"May, Elizabeth Lamers, Frank Musker4:28
6."Driven by You" 4:11
7."Nothin' But Blue"May, Powell3:31
8."I'm Scared" (Justin's Mix '92) 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" (includes reprise of "The Dark")Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott4:36
Total length:51:06
Bonus track on the US and Canadian editions
No.TitleLength
13."Driven by You" (Radio Mix)4:10
Bonus tracks on the Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
13."Just One Life" (guitar version)3:37
14."Too Much Love Will Kill You" (guitar version)4:30
2021 reissue Out of the Light bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."Nothin' But Blue" (guitar version)3:50
2."Too Much Love Will Kill You" (guitar version)4:30
3."Just One Life" (guitar version)3:37
4."Driven by You Two"2:32
5."Driven by You" (Ford Ad version)1:31
6."Tie Your Mother Down" (with Slash, live on The Tonight Show, April '93)3:27
7."Too Much Love Will Kill You" (live in Los Angeles, April '93)4:42
8."'39/Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)4:33
9."Last Horizon" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)3:14
10."We Will Rock You" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)4:46
11."Driven by You" (Radio Mix)4:10

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[4]

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

Musicians
  • Cozy Powell – drums (2-4, 7-8)
  • Geoff Dugmore – drums (10, 12)
  • Gary Tibbs – bass (2, 10, 12)
  • Neil Murray – bass (3, 8)
  • John Deacon – bass (7)
  • Mike Moran – piano (3, 12), keyboards (9)
  • Don Airey – keyboards (extra) (4, 7)
  • Gill O'Donovan – backing vocals (2, 10)
  • Maggie Ryder – backing vocals (2, 12)
  • Miriam Stockley – backing vocals (2, 12)
  • Suzie O' List – backing vocals (2, 10)
  • Chris Thompson – backing vocals (12)

Technical
  • Justin Shirley-Smith – co-producer, engineer
  • Heidi Cannavo, Noel Haris – engineer (assistant)
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
  • Bruce Zellis – technical assistance, programming
  • David Richards – programming
  • Bob Ludwig – 2021 remastering[3]

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

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. AllMusic review
  2. Rolling Stone review
  3. "Brian May announces reissue of his debut solo album 'Back to the Light'". NME. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. Brian May – Back To The Light (1992, CD), retrieved 5 July 2021
  5. "Austriancharts.at – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  8. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1992. 52. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  9. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/264861/1/
  10. "Charts.nz – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  11. "Swedishcharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  12. "Swisscharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  13. "BRIAN MAY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company".
  14. "Brian May Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  17. "Irish Albums Chart: 13 August 2021". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-08-23" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  19. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 32 (dal 6.8.2021 al 12.8.2021)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  20. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  21. "Swisscharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  23. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1992". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  24. "British album certifications – Back to the Light". British Phonographic Industry.
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