#dobson legacy

[kusin-tisdag]

Happy (chaotic) birthday Kristina!

She is now 35 years old! She finds herself very happy, surrounded by friends, a sister, a niece and family-in-law (Sally couldn't come due to Shelby being sick). Kristina loves being a homemaker and looks forward to be a mother of two!

[silverthroatednightingale]

oh god not Roosevelt’s Terrariums please, please, please nobody fund that shitstain’s retirement

Love portland and its bdsm sex shop at the end of every block downtown god bless

[brucedinsman]

Book Review: The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

Book Review: The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

The Silent Order by Melanie DobsonKindleMy rating: 5 of 5 starsWow, quite the plot eh?Mob bosses and Amish communities are at odds because they think a certain cop knows too much. The weird thing is that the farm they go to is actually owned by one of their own who they thought was dead. This book had so much intrigue I had to keep backing up to see what I missed. Good job!View all my…

[beevean]

I swear, I'll get into the Castlevania series proper one of these days (if only because I don't want to annoy you with the frequency of Sonic/MegaMan/Ace Attorney based asks), but can we just look back at how dirty Lucas Gilbertson was done by Capcom?

People assume that Capcom weren't able to get Gilbertson to reprise his role as Zero in recent MegaMan content because he's Canadian, and that supposed proves to be an issue... but that goes up in smoke when you consider that Canadian voice actors are indeed still working with Capcom on a lot of things. Hell, if Paul Dobson (a Canadian voice actor) was able to reprise his role as Dr. Doom in MVC3, there was no reason they couldn't get Lucas to come back as Zero in the same game. Hell, the folks behind the latest MegaMan Battle Network Legacy Collection managed to get Andrew Francis to reprise his role as MegaMan.EXE, and before that, the playable characters of the now-defunct Puzzle Fighter game had an entirely Canadian voice cast (with Scott McNeil even reprising his role as Dr. Wily a whole decade and a half after having voiced the character prior)

It's clear that the dude LOVES voicing Zero, and is appreciative of his fans, so I just don't understand why Lucas had to get the shaft so much.

I honestly don't know anything about how it works. There might be other issues behind the scenes: I'm thinking of Ryan Drummond who most likely was never hired back by SEGA because he joined an union, for example.

It is a shame, though. Gilbertson is a talented voice actor and he clearly enjoys his role as Zero, even redubbing some scenes from X4 and collaborating with TerminalMontage :( at least he can lend his voice in fan projects.

[gaykarstaagforever]

Todd in the Shadows and his friends (trans! Yay!) did another "Song vs. Song" podcast, where they talk about the 9/11/2025 VMAs.

Because MTV hasn't played a music video in 30 years, but still inexplicably exists, and still hands out awards to music people based on...things...? Taylor Swift was there.

I don't know. I don't get it, and they don't seem to either, and the show only broadcasts about half of the inexplicable awards they actually give out. And maybe 40% of them make sense?

Go listen to the podcast. They talk about it. Here:

What I want to highlight is, on this weird legacy MTV awards show, there are a lot of live performances. And one of them was Halsey (remember her?) performing her new song "Ego", which is a novelty track that is clearly referencing the "grrlrock" sound of the very early 2000s.

Todd is old like me so he remembers this 20+ yo era of pop music. And in describing the sound of the new song, he mentions Fefe Dobson.

I haven't thought about Fefe Dobson in 20+ years, because I'm old. But my brain still has that stuff inside it, because I'm old.

Here is a Fefe Dobson track from 2003 that is dated, but maybe still kind of good? I can't judge, because I'm old.

(Also this video might be about a black rocker girl being into an Asian guy? Pretty progressive for 2003.)

The most annoying thing is that this song is this old, and this lady is still 3 years younger than me.

For context to those of you who weren't born yet when this came out: have you heard of one Avril Lavigne? Yes? No? Ask your mom. Avil got real popular, so record labels (which still mattered at this early-Internet point) decided to sign artists vaguely like her, as they figured it. Fefe Dobson was vaguely like her, to them.

Compare this to nowish, when Billie Eilish got popular and suddenly 16 people who sounded vaguely like her suddenly had hot tracks on TikTok. And only like half of those were backed by Grandpa Record Labels. And only Olivia Rodrigo is good. And she emerged from the Disney TV egg.

(But so did Miley and Brittany, and like half of your favorite serious actors. So I guess the 90s Corporate Monoculture isn't quite as dead as we all like to think.)

...I forgot what point I was trying to make with this. Because I'm old.

FEFE DOBSON! SHE'S 39!

[dearsuzenblog]

▪️ Zombie Boy: How Rick Genest Transformed Visual Social Media ▪️

WEEK 8 - Body Modification on Visual Social Media

Hey hey hey, my fellow bloggie peeps ✨

Guess who's back with another blog post? That's right, it's me! 🩷

I know it's been a while, but I'm here and ready to share some new content with you all~

Welcome to today's blog, where we’ll be diving into something truly fascinating. We're gonna dive into the topic of Body Modification on Visual Social Media and I will be focusing on the one and only Rick Genest, aka Zombie Boy.Sadly, Rick passed away in 2018, but his legacy continues to inspire and captivate people around the world. Despite his untimely death, Rick's journey is filled with positivity, creativity, and the power of genuine support.

Let’s get into it right away now!

𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓: 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐀𝐒

In our digitally connected world, digital citizenship goes beyond just our online actions—it’s also about how we present ourselves and influence others.

One captivating example of this is the late Rick Genest, aka Zombie Boy. Rick was a Canadian artist, actor, fashion model, and musician who left an unforgettable impact on visual social media with his unique body modifications. With a Guinness World Record for his full-body tattoos, Rick’s journey provides essential insights into digital citizenship and the health education surrounding body modification.

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀

Rick's presence on visual social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook was groundbreaking. His tattoos, which intricately depicted a decomposing body, were both shocking and mesmerizing. They challenged conventional beauty standards and sparked conversations about body modification, self-expression, and identity. Rick used these platforms not only to share his art but also to connect with a global audience, inspiring many to view tattoos and body modifications as legitimate forms of art and self-expression  (Guichard-Kenny 2018).

𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏: 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

Rick's journey highlights essential aspects of digital citizenship. By sharing his body modification journey online, he took on the responsibility of influencing how others perceive and engage with the concept of body modification. His candidness about his transformation and the artistic process behind his tattoos fostered a community that appreciated and respected diverse forms of self-expression (Dobson 2019).

However, with great influence comes great responsibility. As a digital citizen, Rick was aware of the impact his posts could have on young and impressionable audiences. He often spoke about the significance of his tattoos, not merely as a form of rebellion but as a deeply personal and artistic journey. His transparency and openness provided a more nuanced understanding of body modification, encouraging his followers to think critically about their choices and the motivations behind them (Motta 2018).

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Rick's extensive tattoos also bring to light critical health education issues related to body modification. Tattoos, especially to the extent Rick had them, require significant consideration regarding physical health, mental well-being, and social implications.

When it comes to Physical Health, Rick's tattoos were done by professional artists under sterile conditions, minimizing the risk of infections and complications. His experience underscores the importance of seeking reputable tattoo artists and understanding the health risks involved (Mackinney-Valentin 2013).

As for mental health being, For Rick, tattoos were more than skin deep. They were a therapeutic and artistic outlet. However, not everyone has the same experience. Body modification can have profound psychological effects, and it’s crucial to approach it with a clear mind and realistic expectations. Rick’s journey encourages potential enthusiasts to consider their motivations and the potential long-term effects on their mental health (Matsyshyna 2016).

But to sum it all up, Rick’s appearance challenged societal norms and, at times, led to social stigmatization. His resilience and ability to turn his body into a celebrated work of art serve as a reminder of the societal challenges that come with extreme body modification. Educating oneself about these potential challenges is an essential aspect of the health education surrounding body modification.

𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐀'𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐄𝐘

One of the most beautiful aspects of Rick's story is the incredible support he received from Lady Gaga. She recognized his unique artistry and saw something special in him. Their paths crossed when Rick starred in her music video for "Born This Way," a moment that skyrocketed his visibility and helped him gain recognition for his extraordinary self-expression (Galway & Mallon 2018).

Lady Gaga wasn’t just a collaborator; she was a true friend and advocate. She often praised Rick’s talent and courage, using her platform to shine a light on his work and the art of body modification (Yebra 2018). Her support played a significant role in Rick’s rise to fame and helped break down barriers and stigmas associated with extreme body art.

Rick’s life may have been cut short, but his impact on the world of art, fashion, and digital media is everlasting. He showed us that self-expression knows no bounds and that true art comes from within. Lady Gaga’s unwavering support and belief in Rick's talent remind us of the importance of lifting each other up and celebrating our unique differences.

So, let’s remember Rick Genest not for his passing, but for the incredible legacy he left behind and the positive influence he had on the world, thanks in part to the support of a superstar who believed in his vision. Keep expressing yourself, and never forget the power of a supportive community! 💖

Love, Zen🌸

REFERENCES

Dobson, J 2019, ‘The marvellous history of medicine’, BMJ, p. l6603.

Guichard-Kenny, S 2018, ‘The Anatomical Tattoo’, Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 140–142.

Galway, K & Mallon, S 2018, Lady Gaga’s Twitter blunder and why speculating about suicide after a celebrity death is problematic, theconversation.com.

Motta, G 2018, Fashion through History: Costumes, Symbols, Communication (Volume I), Google Books, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Mackinney-Valentin, M 2013, ‘Face value: Subversive beauty ideals in contemporary fashion marketing’, Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 13–27.

Matsyshyna, IV 2016, ‘Body-centrism in advertising texts, or how we are inured to pain’, AI & SOCIETY, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 109–115.

Yebra, JM 2018, ‘Camp revamped in pop culture icon Lady Gaga: The case of “Telephone” and “Born this Way”’, European Journal of American Culture, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 39–55.

[primeprofitmedia]

Unraveling Mysteries: The Untold Tale of Taelyn Dobson

The Untold Tale of Taelyn Dobson" invites readers on an enigmatic journey into the lesser-known chapters of Nick Carter's family history. This compelling narrative peels back layers of secrecy surrounding Taelyn Dobson, exposing a tapestry of hidden stories and buried truths. As the mysteries unfold, readers will navigate a labyrinth of intrigue, exploring the complexities of fame, familial ties, and the profound impact of the past on the present. Taelyn's untold tale promises a riveting adventure through the shadows of fame, where every revelation adds a new layer to the captivating Dobson legacy.

[lachalupas-blog]

With inexhaustible charisma, disarming good looks and undeniable talent, Stephen Tomlin captivated his contemporaries, and references to Stephen ‘Tommy’ Tomlin pepper countless biographies of twentieth-century figures. However, until recently, that was where his story remained.

Now the first major exhibition of his work at Philip Mould & Company is aiming to return Tomlin to the artistic spotlight where he belongs.

The youngest son of five children born to Lord Tomlin of Ash and Marion Waterfield, Tomlin was a young man possessed of artistic sensibilities. He attended Harrow School for Boys and briefly studied at New College, Oxford but left after just two terms and travelled to Cornwall where he is likely to have met his artistic tutor, the artist Frank Dobson. Developing his skills with the celebrated sculptor in Cornwall, and later honing his draughtsmanship at the Slade School of Fine Art under Henry Tonks, Tomlin laid the foundations of his professional career.

Although he was a highly complex individual, ‘Tommy’ – as he was known to his friends – used his seductive charm, brilliant conversation and obvious ability as an artist to ensure that he was much in demand. Virginia Woolf described him as ‘the devastation of all hearts’, while the literary critic and writer Cyril Connolly commented that Tomlin was ‘the most interesting young person I have met’.

A few major names have come to define our view of the influential Bloomsbury group, the progressive band of avant-garde artists, writers and intellectuals. The Bloomsbury Stud: The Art of Stephen Tomlin seeks to explore an alternative view of the Bloomsbury group, through the eyes of its principal sculptor.

His recently published biography Bloomsbury Stud: The Life of Stephen 'Tommy' Tomlin lays bare the career of Bloomsbury’s forgotten iconographer. He died tragically young at the age of thirty-five, but his legacy speaks of a life lived intensely and ferociously. Drawing upon the transformative research undertaken for this project, this exhibition will reveal the life of Stephen Tomlin and re-present his era-defining sculptural images.

An exhibition designed in collaboration with Luke Edward Hall

[kusin-tisdag]

Belly and baby are growing <3

We also get the news that, out of all people, Jim has started dating and is now living with Karen Dobson! Karen has left her sister the fantastic house in Sulani, and moved to live with Jim in Copperdale!

Wishing them all the joy and happiness!

[man-creates-dinosaurs]

I also noticed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (which is excellent BTW) reference to the 1950s sci-fi trope of the female scientist and the disbelieving male GI but @tyrantisterror needs to revisit those classic 50s monster movies because those female scientists are never shown as incompetent or incapable of doing their job. From paleontologist Lee Hunter in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) to entomologist Dr. Patricia Medford in Them! (1954) and biologist Stephanie Clayton in Tarantula (1955) as well as marine biologist Prof. Lesley Joyce in It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955), and ichthyologist Helen Dobson in Revenge of the Creature (1955) all are portrayed as smart, brave, independent, and often the ones with the answers to save humanity if only the dumb military men would listen to them, which they eventually do.

In none of these films are these working women scientists forced to abandon their careers. Yes they often to get married, or at least accept a proposal, by the end of the film, but the movies seem to hold out hope for an appropriate work-life balance (harder than you would think in academia).

All-in-all these films were incredibly progressive for their time. It Came From Beneath the Seas ends with a denouncement of sexism which is remarkable for a movie about a giant octopus attacking the Golden Gate Bridge. These characters were not damsels in distress and paved the way for the likes of Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park (1993), Dr. Eleanor Alloway in Contact (1997), and Dr. Susan Tyler in Mimic (1997).

For more I would recommend looking up gender studies scholar Linda Levitt’s essay on this topic "1950s B-Movie Women Scientists: Smart, Strong, but Still Marriageable" as well as film journalist Bob Calhoun's "Atom Age Feminists: The Women of '50s Sci-Fi." There's also an entire book on this subject: scholar Bonnie Noonan's Women Scientists in Fifties Science Fiction Films (McFarland, 2005).

Really enjoying Monarch: Legacy of Monsters so far. The flashback scenes in particular are very much my cup of tea, for reasons anyone who's read ATOM could easily guess. There's a thing that happens a lot inf 50's monster movies where a lady scientist is introduced and the male character initially can't believe she's the scientist they're looking for because she's a woman, and in the old movies it's played as a "Wow, times are crazy because broads can have jobs now, how fucking weird is that, they better get husbands and become wives soon!" thing, with the men's disbelief being justified and the women often being incapable.

And, like, I mocked this pretty relentlessly in my two kaiju books, but Monarch: Legacy of Monsters takes a jab at it too. Monarch has the same setup as the old movies, but in execution it's clearly the guy making presumptions who's weird by the narrative's standards, and presented as an embarrassing moment for him, where his prejudice made him look like a jackass, and the lady scientist goes on to be INCREDIBLY competent and capable. It's nice, I like it.

[cowplant-pizza]

[fieriframes]

[My father, he's really smiling down. He paused, thinking, so Dobson asked again that we sit, and daughter-in-law, Brandi, have carried on what he started.]

[givememoveobjectsorgivemedeath]

“Piper and I were just taking a quick lunch break.” Christopher responded nonchalantly, taking another spoon-full of his meal.  

“Surely a  loose interpretation of the word ‘quick.’” she narrowed her eyes, voice metallic and cool. “Henley, if you’re done I’d like your help back at the lab.”

“Sure, be there in a few.”  Chris returned her gaze evenly, offering a polite smile. It occurred to Piper that his apparent bravery might be a sign of insanity.

“As for you Kingsley,” the senior scientist shifted her focus, snapping Piper back to the present “it’s about time you tended to the cell line.”

Piper glanced in Chris’s attempting to emulate his calm demeanor. “As soon as I finish I’ll-”

“Kingsley.” Dobson cut through her sentence, voice slowing to a controlled crawl. “The thing about cell lines is that need to be tended to on a regular basis, regardless of any capricious tendencies you might suffer from.” She looked down the bridge of her nose, lips pressed into a thin line. “Get on it.”

Piper averted her gaze. “Yes, Dr. Dobson.”

“While you’re at it go tend to the garden, the plants seem to be wilting more than usual today… Guess someone’s been forgetting to water them.”

Piper huffed, shooting Chris a defeated smile.

< First I Previous I Next >

[brucedinsman]

Book Review: First-Time Starter by Stan D Jensen

Book Review: First-Time Starter by Stan D Jensen

First Time Starter Book 1 First-Time Starter: #1 in the First-Time Starter Trilogy by Stan D. JensenMy rating: 5 of 5 starsKindleBack to the paddock.Reminiscent of Dick Francis but more about the horse than the plot. I really enjoyed looking at life through the eyes of a misunderstood champion. Definitely going back for more.View all my reviews Amazon “First-Time Starter” was a semi-finalist…

[baddecisionsmakegoodstoriesinten]

It’s about people 

[lonelyasawhisper]

The Hard Life of Brian: Brian May

By Ian Fortnam, unpublished, April 1998

It's quite a spread – set in the majestic, green sward Jerusalem of the Home Counties' stockbroker belt, and surrounded by idyllic gardens painstakingly landscaped a little over a century ago by Kew's leading horticulturalist.

The architectural opulence is quite simply breathtaking, unpretentious yet quietly exuding an authoritative aura of immeasurable affluence. With wealth and celebrity comes the acquisition of such pastoral pleasures. Unsullied tranquillity, precious time to reflect on past achievements and, not least, limitless solitude.

Indeed, as countless recipients of those elusive "big money balls" will undoubtedly find, to their eternal cost, an ivory tower can swiftly metamorphose into an impenetrable cell for the soul. Behind the glitz and glamour associated with our celebrated host – and the proud owner of the careworn white clogs temporarily abandoned in Utopia's sumptuous porch – is a tangible melancholia. In fact, Brian 'Tie Your Mother Down' May is the living, breathing personification of that age-old glam rock dictum: In every dream home a heartache.

As Brian, simultaneously soft-spoken and garrulous, reminisces over his remarkable career; formative gigs on the late-'60s psychedelic underground circuit, the fifteen year ascendancy of Queen from the Wadebridge Young Farmers Club to the unassailable spectacle of their '86 live finale at Knebworth Park, and ultimately, as a solo standard-bearer for Queen's timeless legacy of baroque über-rock, he occasionally touches on the tenacious inner demons which can mercilessly torment a gentleman rock star whilst ensconced in the confines of his country retreat.

"Because my partner (former Eastenders actress, Anita Dobson) is not able to live my life, and I'm not able to live hers, I'm on my own a lot of the time," admits Brian, clutching his ever-present, six-stringed security blanket.

"During the day it's buzzing. Everyone's around – music's happening in the studio, the builders and the gardeners are here – but at night everyone goes away and it's just me. And sometimes I have a problem with that. Sometimes I find it quite difficult. I cling to things like, I'll always make my bed when I get up, because I don't want the feeling when I go to bed that no one's been in there since morning. Strange things like that. I also leave the light on, so that when I go into the bedroom at night it doesn't feel cold. It's not as if I'm scared of the dark, but it's an icy feeling which can grab your heart and say; 'Nobody loves me. After all this time, here I am on my own'."

*

On 19th of July, 1954, Brian May's seventh birthday, he received an acoustic guitar and – enthralled by the recordings of such artists as jazz legend, Django Reinhardt and celebrated Elvis Presley and Jim Reeves sideman Chet Atkins – set about duplicating their chops. However, with the dawn of the 1960s, Brian had succumbed to the charms of solid-bodied rock guitar with an evangelical fervour, firstly by way of obscure Rick Nelson records, but most tellingly, on witnessing Jeff Beck live at the Marquee, and was overwhelmed by an irresistible compulsion to get amplified. There was, however, one seemingly insurmountable obstacle in his path.

"We didn't really have any money, we were really close to the breadline. My mother used to secrete sixpences in jars to try and pay the gas bill."

Happily, what the Mays lacked in finance they more than made up for in ingenuity.

"I played around with my acoustic guitar and figured out how to make a pick-up with magnets and wire, plugged the wires into my dad's radio, and it sounded brilliant. Really amazing. We made everything, my dad and me. My dad was particularly amazing at turning his hand to every kind of craft. He was an electronics draftsman by trade, so he made our radio. We had the first TV in the street, because he made it. We couldn't afford a guitar, so we figured we'd make one."

And so, in August 1963, work began on what became known as 'The Red Special', the most famous homemade guitar in rock history. With a neck fashioned with a penknife from a woodworm-riddled mahogany fireplace, and a body constructed from odds and ends of oak, the guitar cost just £8 to construct, yet its unique fluid warmth of tone has graced every recording and show that Brian has ever played. Yet as we speak, Brian's pride and joy lies in pieces on a nearby workbench. After a thirty-year tour of duty, the battle-scarred 'Red Special' is finally undergoing a belated overhaul.

It was only after three exact replicas were painstakingly constructed over an eighteen-month period that permission was finally granted to disassemble the singular instrument. And when its heavily dented body was cautiously prised apart, its internal acoustic pockets were found to be entirely clogged with innumerable shards of silver. A bizarre condition, symptomatic of the fact that Brian May's plectrum of choice has always been the shiny, pre-decimal sixpence.

From the very beginning Brian May has been reaching for the stars. Literally. With an enthusiasm kindled by the works of Patrick Moore, he would spend moonless nights gazing toward the heavens through a (somewhat predictably) homemade telescope, and at the age of 18 was successful in his application to study physics and infrared astronomy at Imperial College, London. Three years later, in 1968, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Queen Mother. But, by now, Brian's passion for music was all-encompassing and, despite being offered a prestigious research position at Jodrell Bank, he abandoned astronomy for rock 'n' roll. It was a decision that was to cause a major rift within the May household.

"My dad always dreamed that I would get what he regarded as a proper job. A respectable job. So I would be able to do things for my family, that he hadn't been able to do for his. He regarded it as the ultimate form of blasphemy. It was the worst thing he could imagine. He just couldn't compute it, and we actually had a terrible time. We hardly spoke for about a year and a half. But it ended happily, because the first time Queen played at Madison Square Garden, I flew my parents over on Concorde, stuck them in the Waldorf Astoria and said, 'Order yourself some room service'. They came to the gig and they loved it. And my dad said: 'Yeah, I understand now.' It was a really nice moment."

During his years at Imperial, Brian had been playing in his first band, 1984. Fully immersed in the capital's psychedelic underground, the band rapidly found themselves supporting the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"They were prestigious gigs, but we were lower than the bottom of the bill. I had this funny little group, which was put together at school, and a couple of would-be managers took us down to Carnaby Street and bought us all the gear. They put us on at Christmas On Earth (an all-night psychedelic "happening" that took place at London's Olympia in December '67), which was very cool. I remember plugging into the same stack that Jimi Hendrix had plugged into. It sounded like the whole world when he played through it. For me, it sounded like a transistor radio.

"It felt like we were at the beginning of creation. Suddenly, all around us, people were discovering what happened when you turned a guitar up to max and it had a life of its own. It became a completely different instrument and the fact that it went with all the psychedelia, drug culture and peace and love was very exciting for me. It all sounds really corny now, but it was so new and dangerous then that it was just wonderful to be a part of it.

"I never took the drugs. I wanted to be sure that everything I experienced was real. I didn't want to disentangle what was drug-induced and what wasn't. I just got very high on the music. I was supposed to be at college, but we were playing and going out to see people like Pink Floyd, Cream, The Who, Hendrix. You could see all those people in one week. Can you imagine? We never slept."

*

OVER THE NEXT COUPLE of years, 1984 metamorphosed into Smile, and ultimately, into Queen. But when Brian and newly recruited drummer Roger Taylor were initially approached by Ealing art student Freddie Bulsara, they were none to keen to utilise his vocal talents.

"We didn't think he had any vocal talents at the beginning. We thought that he was just all talk. He was very flamboyant and very arrogant, in a rather nice way. But then we started to go round to each other's houses and share our dreams, I suppose."

With Freddie, now boasting the charismatic appellation Mercury, firmly ensconced in the band, they set about conquering the world. But the vocalist's singular dress sense was always a cause of some consternation within the Queen ranks.

"It was a source of great amusement and embarrassment for us, especially what we call the prawn outfit in the video for 'It's A Hard Life'. But it was Freddie, you know, and we all have our quirks and indulgences. I think the first time we saw the red and silver glitter outfit we were kind of dubious. But there wasn't anything he wouldn't do, and the more you were shocked at what he did, the more he loved it. He had great love and respect for his parents, but if they came to a gig, he would do things which were in questionable taste to make them feel uneasy. I think he had a great desire not to be fettered, and it taught me a lot."

To many, Queen's greatest sonic legacy was their epic 1975 single 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

"We viewed it quite tongue-in-cheek, it was mock-opera, and such a step into the unknown that it kind of made us smile. It was meant to be that way. The video was done incredibly cheaply, and again quite tongue-in-cheek, and when we saw it we all had a good laugh. We were all surprised at how seriously people took it, to be honest."

As the years progressed, Queen came to exemplify rock excess in all its forms. Their parties have since passed into legend. Five-day bashes with attendant capering dwarves and, on one infamous occasion, a nude model in a bath of raw liver. Yet as the revellers immersed themselves in behaviour of a distinctly Caligulan nature, for Brian, it was simply a case of another dream home, another heartache.

"New Orleans was pretty excessive, but whatever you're in at the time is your own personal heaven or hell. I remember I was really sad at that party. Cos I'd fallen in love some years before in New Orleans and I expected that I would see her, but she wasn't there. So, you know that feeling, where everything's going on, everything's wonderful, fabulous, marvellous, but inside there's this big hole? So it was great, it was outrageous, but I remember thinking, all is not quite right.

"Over the years, there were some strange things that went on. The Kensington Roof Gardens was pretty strange. There were naked people there with their clothes painted on and some pretty bizarre stuff occurred. But, y'know, nobody got hurt."

With Freddie Mercury's tragic AIDS-related death in November 1991, Queen effectively ceased to exist. "In retrospect, I think my great consolation is that we never went downhill or became a pale imitation of our former selves. Things were still getting bigger and more exciting. The last tour we did, in '86, was the most massive thing that we'd ever undertaken."

The last album the band recorded together, Made In Heaven, was released in 1995. And its final track, 'It's A Beautiful Day', features a brief excerpt of Queen's first hit 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' in its triumphal coda. For Brian it was a final gesture to close the circle.

"I was really proud of that, actually. Even then we were breaking new ground, we'd never done anything like that. So to the last we were crossing over boundaries. We did do a little revisit. I had a track called 'No One But You', which was about Freddie, and it became a Queen song as part of the Rocks album. But the truth is that it reminded me that really I'm happier doing what I do now. I like being the way I am. I like the people I'm working with. In a way it's a liberating thing. I don't have to be Queen anymore. In some ways, although I have great sadness about it, it’s a relief."

Brian initially embarked on a solo career in 1991, when he was asked to write the music for a Ford commercial. 'Driven By You' reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and earned Brian his first Ivor Novello Award. His subsequent debut album Back To The Light went on to sell a million, and the Brian May Band hit the road, supporting Guns 'N Roses, in '93.

May's second solo offering, Another World, set for release this month, has been three years in the making and finds the infrared astronomer on star-scraping form. Sandwiched between the all-out metal holocaust of 'Business' and the acoustic introspection of the title track, Brian pays tribute to a number of his musical heroes. Not only with covers of Larry Williams' 'Slow Down', Hendrix's 'One Rainy Wish' and Mott The Hoople's 'All The Way From Memphis', but also with 'The Guv'nor', a self-penned tribute to Jeff Beck, on which the master himself makes a rare guest appearance.

"I consider myself very fortunate that he's a friend of mine now, because he was and is a hero. Not just because he plays so miraculously, but because of his whole approach to life. He doesn't make any compromises. He's magic, and whenever he picks up a guitar, I don't wanna have a guitar in my hand."

With gigs in place and the band positively itching to retread the boards after a protracted lay-off, disaster struck when Brian's close friend and sparring partner, drum legend Cozy Powell, was tragically killed in a car crash on April 5th.

"I cannot believe that we're sitting here now and he's not around. Cozy was so much part of my life. He was the most supportive friend you could ever imagine. I just can't really seem to comprehend that he's gone. He's all over the album. His power and his enthusiasm, his sense of humour. He was a magnificent bloke, and this is not false. I said it to his face; I think he knew how much I thought of him. He was a hero of mine, and when I first met him it was a dream of mine that I would play with him one day.

"He was like family, he really was. On the road, we had a fantastic time, we toured for a year, and it was a wonderful time in my life. I was probably struggling to get out of that whole sorrow about Queen and everything, I'd lost my dad and my marriage had broken up and I was actually really in pain, and having a hard time trying to pull myself back together and those guys, of which Cozy was the centre, made me have the confidence to get up and lead a band."

*

AS BRIAN TICKLES THE fretboard of his replica red special and stretches his extensive frame across a sumptuous chaise longue in the drawing room of his fabulous country mansion, does he consider that he's led something of a charmed life?

"Yeah, I have a lot to be thankful for. But the person you are is very much what goes on in your own head. So I'm probably very ungrateful, because I've been able to do things that most people would only dream of doing. But you always live in the moment, and the moment can be very cruel. And I've spent a long, long time really battling against being depressed for various reasons. It really doesn't matter what your material circumstances are. If you're unable to move forward in your personal life as you perceive it, then you can get very depressed. And that's not, like, miserable. Depression is a sort of illness which can get you, and I sort of drift in and out of it. I try not to drift back into it, but a lot of the time I suppose I do get too introspective."

The hard life of Brian: a kind of magic, undoubtedly, but more than enough to drive you ever so slightly mad.

Loves of My Life: Those Brian May collections in full:

Striding around the sumptuous confines of the May domicile it immediately becomes starkly apparent that the big-haired maestro is entirely addicted to the acquisition of certain bizarre artefacts. Specifically:

Limited edition plates

As seen in the back pages of the Sunday supplements. They're all here: the robin on the log, the News Of The World Tutankhamun collection, vintage vehicles, and hey, what's this? A Brian May plate. And it's signed!

VOX AC30 amplifiers

A veritable forest of the valve-driven little blighters. They line the walls of the hall, the baronial hall, and very probably, the royal wee. Every colour, every model, and all, characteristically, up to 11.

Vintage Dan Dare toys

In glass cases, no less. Our astronomically inclined host obviously feels an irresistible affinity with the intrepid, granite-jawed pilot of the future. But what's this over here? Wa-hey, Star Wars! All together now: Flash! WO-OH!!!

Stereo Pictures of the 1850s

Second only to Brian's well-documented lust for volume is his unquenchable passion for photography. But not any old snap-snap, grin-grin detritus, we're talking the real deal. Duplicate images from the Victorian age, best viewed through a cumbersome contraption straight out of Heath Robinson. David Bailey? Pish. Charles Piazzi-Smythe, now there's a photographer.

Harold May's tool kit

You never know when they'll come in handy. Greg, the meticulous, antipodean guitar-maker commissioned to rebuild the legendary 'red special' was astonished to find that Brian had retained all of the original apparatus he and his father had used way back in 1963. Screwdrivers, penknives, fret saws, even the original tins of wood-stain.

Brian May rag dolls

Gangly, cloth doppelgangers with intricately embroidered clogs. The fans send them. What can you do?

* Writer for NME, VOX, KERRANG and other publications, Ian has covered the recent alternative and hard-rock scenes extensively.

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