A Peek into the Recording of the New Album
The first track was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, a long-time favorite of Queen. The vocal tracks were the recorded at Sarm Studios in London, a studio that provided the necessary equipment for Queen's challenging recordings.
Currently, the band is working hard at Roundhouse Studios, said to be the best studio in London, sacrificing sleep for the final stretch. The other day we went to the studio while they were recording to check it out. Apparently they had been up working until 4AM the previous morning, and the usually energetic group seemed a little tired.
Freddie is a fashionable guy who is always concerned about his messy hair, but on this day he was extra preoccupied with it, brushing it all the way down, worried about it getting tangled. Roger's hair had grown longer and fuller than when we last saw him, and he looked like a mischievous boy. Brian still has that gentle, Christ-like smile, and John also always has a smile on his face and seems to be watching over everyone.
When you meet the Queen guys, there's something refreshing about them... they really have a mysterious magic.
Even though Roger was busy recording, he was kind enough to bring me milk tea. Freddie was the only one who didn't even bother to take time for tea, as he was playing the Yamaha piano in the corner all by himself. He was in the front of the studio, apparently concerned about the recording, and was having serious discussions with Roy Thomas Baker. (John quietly told me that Freddie also played a Yamaha piano at home.)
Suddenly, a whoosh sounded and smoke rose. I was shocked, thinking it was a bomb, but when I looked behind me, Roger was holding a fire extinguisher and clapping his hands like a mischievous boy, delighted to see my surprise. If someone else had played a prank like that, I might have gotten angry, but when Roger plays a prank, you can't bring yourself to be angry. Instead, I found myself laughing along with him. No matter what he does, you can't come away disliking him... he's got such a sense of mischief.
Brian showed me the toy koto that he received as a gift from a female fan in Nagoya. I was surprised at how skillfully he played Sakura, Sakura. Brian enjoys playing the koto and remembering Japan from time-to-time. He said he's going to use this koto on the album, along with an acoustic guitar. I'm looking forward to seeing what the album will sound like.
