Brian May - Star Fleet Project (1983)

At just under 30 minutes in length, the mini-album Star Fleet Project is short, but certainly sweet, and is the debut solo project for Queen’s Brian May. The increasingly hard to find album, however, is not a Brian May solo project in the same way as his post-Queen works but is rather a jam session collaboration with some of May’s friends. Whilst this may not seem like a concept that should make it to vinyl, when you realise that among these ‘friends’ is guitarist Eddie Van Halen the project becomes all the more alluring.

Inspired by a Japanese children sci-fi animation series that was avidly watched by his child, May set about writing the Star Fleet theme into an extended full ’song’ and this piece forms the opener to the album and was also a single release. The version here is not the same as the single version, the video for which can be seen below, but is a longer more improvised version with extended soloing.

Next-up is Let Me Out, which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Queen album to be fair, and is a slow shuffle with some crashing chords and May taking lead vocal duties: there are even some Queen-esque vocal harmonies on the chorus for good measure. There’s a nice little guitar solo from May and then just as you think the track is about to fade, in comes the solos with Eddie Van Halen and May taking it in turns to run through a number of solos and it’s not long before Van Halen is into his stride with his runs but here they are in a more understated bluesy style to suit the number: but for fans of his speed-picking, he does squeeze a bit in too! May also really makes his guitar really screech here on the solos before the band return to the chorus for the outtro.

Side 2 of the old vinyl features just one track, May’s tribute to Eric Clapton, Blues Breaker which is a 12 minute slow blues instrumental jam with May and Van Halen again trading solos. However, unlike Clapton, Van Halen throws in some tapping and rapid runs as the track progresses whilst May, never the speed freak, keeps it simple but effective. Finally, Fred Mandel gets a piano solo spot too before the track double-times for the final bars.

This is a very interesting album indeed recorded when Brian May was in between the ill-received funk-oriented Hot Space and the reinventing Works albums by Queen and works extremely well as an intentionally minimally-produced set of jams. Eddie Van Halen and Brian May have two of the most distinctive guitar styles in rock so it is interesting here to hear both of them adapting their styles to blues – a style that heavily influenced both players – and trading solos throughout. If you can get hold of a copy, I’d highly recommend it!

• Brian May – Guitar/Vocals
• Edward Van Halen – Guitar
• Phil Chen – Bass
• Fred Mandel – Keyboards
• Alan Gratzer – Drums