Back to the Light

Infobox Album


Name = Back to the Light
Released = September 28, 1992 (UK) February 2, 1993 (US)
Type = Studio album
Recorded = 1988-1992
Genre = Rock
Length = 52 mins (approx.)
Label = Parlophone Records (UK) Hollywood Records (US)
Producer = Brian May, Justin Shirley-Smith
Reviews = *Rolling Stone Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brianmay/albums/album/189613/review/5940808/back_to_the_light Back to the Light]
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://wc01.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:gbftxqe5ldse Back to the Light]
Artist = Brian May
Last album = "Star Fleet Project"
(1983)
This album = "Back to the Light"
(1992)
Next album = "Live at the Brixton Academy"
(1994)
Misc = Extra album cover
Upper caption = United States cover


Lower caption =

"Back to the Light" is the first solo effort of Queen's guitarist Brian May. It was recorded between 1988 and 1992 at the Allerton Hill Studios, mixed at the Metropolis Studios and then released on September 28, 1992 in the UK. The album would be released in the United States and Canada on February 2, 1993 with a different cover.

The album contains the hits "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven By You."

An alternate version of "Too Much Love Will Kill You" was also recorded by Queen and can be found on their Made in Heaven album (1995). Brian May also recorded an instrumental guitar version of the song.

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.

Three more versions of "Driven By You" are known. The first was made famous in a Ford advertisement, with slightly altered lyrics. Another one is a rare instrumental remix of the song, called "Driven By You Too." The last was a rock re-mix with a new drum track from Cozy Powell for the US release of Back to the Light as a bonus track.

Track listing

# "The Dark" 2:21 (May)
# "Back To The Light" 5:00 (May)
# "Love Token" 5:56 (May)
# "Resurrection" 5:26 (May/Powell/Page)
# "Too Much Love Will Kill You" 4:28 (May/Lamers/Musker)
# "Driven By You" 4:12 (May)
# "Nothin' But Blue" 3:31 (May/Powell)
# "I'm Scared" 4:00 (May)
# "Last Horizon" 4:11 (May)
# "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" 3:51 (May)
# "Just One Life" 3:38 (May) (dedicated to Philip Sayer)
# "Rollin' Over" 4:37 (Marriott/Lane)
# "Driven By You" (rock re-mix on the US and Canadian versions only)

Singles

# "Driven By You" / "Just One Life" (Guitar Version, Instrumental) (November 1991) - #6
# "Too Much Love Will Kill You" / "I'm Scared" (August 1992) - #5
# "Back To The Light" / "Nothin' But Blue" (November 1992) - #19
# "Resurrection" / "Love Token" / "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (Live) (June 1993) - #23
# "Last Horizon" / "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" (Live) (December 1993) - #51

Miscellaneous

All music, words, vocals, backing vocals, guitars and keyboards and anything else around by Brian May, unless stated below.
*Drums by Cozy Powell on "Back To The Light", "Love Token", "Resurrection", "Nothin' But Blue" and "I'm Scared"; 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" and "I'm Scared"; and by John Deacon on "Nothin' But Blue."
*Backing vocals by Miriam Stockley, Maggie Ryder, Suzie O'List and Gill O'Donovan on "Back To The Light"; by Suzie O'List and Gill O'Donovan on "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head"; by Miriam Stockley, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson on "Rollin' Over."
*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.

"Too Much Love Will Kill You" written by Brian May, Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers.

"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.

Notes

External links

*allmusic|id=10:gbftxqe5ldse.
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brianmay/albums/album/189613/review/5940808/back_to_the_light Back to the Light] at "Rolling Stone".