Working on Queen’s 15th and final album Made in Heaven—the band’s sole release after the death of singer Freddie Mercury—and on tour supporting his 1992 solo debut Back to the Light, guitarist Brian May began tapping back into his roots on sophomore release, Another World.
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The second release in May’s Gold Series reissue campaign, Another World showcased May’s influences—with chosen covers from Jimi Hendrix, Mott the Hoople, and blues-rock artist Larry Williams— along with his own original material.
“I traveled a lot of paths to gather all the pieces,” said May in a statement. “In order to have something worthwhile for the next Brian May album, I would have to rediscover who I was. I decided to go out and do a lot of playing and open myself up for projects because I didn’t want to make another purely introspective album. I thought I would go out into the world, experience things, and rediscover my roots.”
Reissued in multiple formats, Another World is available in 1-CD, 1-LP versions, a 2-CD Deluxe set, and a 2-CD + 1-LP Collector’s Edition, featuring both CDs and a sky-blue vinyl with a 32-page booklet and enamel badge. The 1-CD format of Another World is newly remastered by Bob Ludwig from its original tapes and features a 16-page book with photos and album notes, while the 2 CD Deluxe version is presented in a six-panel digipack with a 24-page booklet. The first CD is the original Another World, remastered by Ludwig and personally overseen by May, while the second 15-track Another Disc, mastered by Adam Ayan, with B-sides, alternative versions, and live tracks.
Another World is a complete realm of 10 May-penned tracks and three covers, including Jimi Hendrix’s “One Rainy Wish,” Mott the Hoople classic “All The Way From Memphis” and Williams’ “Slow Down.”
Originally released in 1998, the album, backed by late drummer Cozy Powell, who tragically died in a car crash on April 5, 1998, at the age of 50, prior to the release of the album, is highlighted by the title track and singles “The Business (Rock on Cozy Mix),” “On My Way Up,” and “Why Don’t We Try Again.”
“It’s impossible to describe what a terrible gap it’s going to leave in our lives, our mate Cozy not being here,” said Brian on a spoken-word tribute to Cozy in 1998, which opens Another Disc. In his new liner notes, May also chronicles his journey from the time of Another World through present day. “It seems perhaps that in 2022 we are in Another World,” writes May, “but if it’s not quite the world we asked for, perhaps we can still reach that perfect world… in our dreams. Join Me!”
The reissue also features guitarist Jeff Beck on the track ‘The Guv’nor,’ a song May originally proposed for an unmade film about a bare-knuckle boxer. “In our world, Jeff is the guv’nor, the standard by which you judge yourself,” said Brian. Foo Fighters’ Hawkins is featured on the sci-fi tilted “Cyborg,” originally influenced by May’s collaboration on the video game Rise Of The Robots and Rise 2: Resurrection.
“He’d never really had done a studio session for someone else, so he was wired to the hilt,” said May. “I mean, there is energy spilling out all over Surrey from this guy, incredible. I think he’s well represented on the track. It’s insane, the amount of energy on there.”
The re-issue of Another World is also being commemorated with a fan art book, or ‘Bri-art,’ which has blown up around May within the Instagram fan community. The 100-page book features more than 300 unique pieces of artwork in various media and styles, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to May’s charity Save Me Trust, which works to protect the welfare of wild animals worldwide.
“This, dear listener, is the second release in my ‘Brian May Gold Series’ reissues,” said May. “To this album, historically my second solo record, we’ve applied the same loving care that we lavished on ‘Back to the Light,’ re-polishing and remastering but using the exact original mixes. Originally delivered 24 years ago, ‘Another World’ is now reborn just as it was originally created.”
Another World Reissue Tracklist
Disc 1 – Another World
- Space (Brian May)
- Business (Brian May)
- China Belle (Brian May)
- Why Don’t We Try Again (Brian May)
- On My Way Up (Brian May)
- Cyborg (Brian May)
- The Guv’nor (Brian May)
- Wilderness (Brian May)
- Slow Down (Larry Williams)
- One Rainy Wish (Jimi Hendrix)
- All The Way From Memphis (Ian Hunter)
- Another World (Brian May)
- Being On My Own (Brian May)
Disc 2 – Another Disc
- Brian Talks (Brian May)
- “The Business” (Rock On Cozy Mix) (Brian May)
- Hot Patootie* (Richard O’Brien)
- F.B.I. (Original Ruff Mix With Real Bass And Drums) (Bruce Welch/Hank Brian Marvin/Jet Harris)
- Maybe Baby* (Norman Petty/Charles Hardin)
- It’s Only Make Believe* (Conway Twitty/Jack Nance)
- Otro Lugar (Brian May)
- Cyborg (Solo Instrumental Version) (Brian May)
- Business Stings (Brian May)
- I’ll Be Prayin’ (Brian May)
- On My Way Up (Guitar Version) (Brian May)
- The Last Great Optimist (Brian May)
- On My Way Up (Live in Paris, June ’98) (Brian May)
- Hammer To Fall (Live in Paris, June ’98) (Brian May)
- My Boy (Brian May)
*guest vocal T.E. Conway
Photo: Richard Gray
