Star Licks Master
Series
(later retitled
'Brian May Master Session')

Originally released 1983,
reissued 1993/4.
Running Time 39 mins approx
Produced and directed by Mark Freed and
Robert Decker
Recorded at Sarm West, London, England
In this video, Brian discusses his
equipment and techniques, and demonstrates using a number of his
guitar solos. The video comes with a booklet containing the
guitar tablatures for each solo. The content of the video is as
follows:
- Firstly, Brian performs a short guitar solo (30
seconds), and introduces the video.
- He then discusses, and demonstrates using short
solos:
- The 'Red Special' guitar, and pick-up
settings (3 solos, similar to the start of 'It's
Late')
- Treble boosters and Amplifiers (with 4
solos to demonstrate the effect with and without
the booster)
- Boss Pedal (2 solos, similar to the start
of 'It's Late')
- Delay boxes (with a 'Brighton Rock' style
heavy solo)
- Brian then plays each string to allow the viewer
to tune up properly
- The video then concentrates on some of Brian's
guitar solos. Firstly, we hear the album version (with
album front sleeve), then Brian discusses it and plays
the solo twice, once at normal speed and once much
slower. The solos are from:
- Liar (solo from 4:06 to 4:16)
- Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (solo from
1:13 to 1:22)
- Jesus (solo from 3:07 to 3:12)
- Father To Son (solo from 4:58 to 5:07)
- The March Of The Black Queen (solo I)
(solo from 1:33 to 1:49)
- The March Of The Black Queen (solo II)
(solo from 5:05 to 5:19)
- Brighton Rock (solo from 1:52 to 2:00)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (solo from 2:32 to
2:54)
- Tie Your Mother Down (solo from 2:56 to
3:14)
- Somebody To Love (solo from 1:59 to 2:22)
- It's Late (solo from 3:38 to 3:49)
- Dead On Time (solo I) (solo from 1:47 to
1:58)
- Dead On Time (solo II) (solo from 1:57 to
2:03)
- Dragon Attack (solo from 3:30 to 3:36)
- Put Out The Fire (solo from 2:08 to 2:21)
- It's A Hard Life (this is Brian's
preferred solo, which doesn't appear on the
record) (solo from 3:06 to 3:14)
- Starfleet (Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo)
(solo from 3:56 to 4:09) (Brian plays the
chromatic run twice, then some harder guitar from
the track)
- Love
Of My Life (this is the
'acoustic' version (played on the Red Special),
length approx 1:13; this is played once only, at
normal speed)
- Keep Yourself Alive (guitar intro) (solo
from 0:22 to 0:37)
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love (solo from
1:19 to 1:35)
- Brian then finishes by demonstrating Harmonies by
playing part of 'Brighton Rock' with no repeat, one
repeat then two repeats. For two repeats, Brian plays a
much more complicated solo, lasting 1:31.
- The title credits are then shown, over an edit of
'Starfleet' (0:58 in length, containing the approximate
sections from 0:32 to 1:12 and then 1:47 to 2:06)
Most of the solos are only very short, so are not
included on the songs pages. The only exception is 'Love Of My Life'.