Brian May Lost His Robot but Likes to Think He Found It Again

Brian May says his favorite piece of Queen memorabilia is a model of the robot Frank from the cover of their 1977 album News of the World – but admitted it might not be the property he likes to think it is.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, he explained why the figure – similar to this one – means to much to him, saying: “I have one of the original robots… which stands about four feet high and holds the album cover. He’s quite a treasured relic, I must say. He’s even more treasured to me because I lost him.”

He continued: “What happened was I moved house, forgot that he was in the attic, and I left him, which caused me great upset. And then I was able to come across one second-hand from a collector, and I kind of kid myself into thinking that he is the original guy that I had. I don’t know if he is or not, but I tell myself that he’s the original Frank that I had in those days… I’d say that he’s the most meaningful piece that I have.”

May reported that he continues to collect vinyl records, although not to the extent he once did. “When I want to relax, I put vinyl on,” he said. “I don’t generally put CDs on. I think partly it’s the feel, and it’s partly the fact that you get a nice big sleeve where you can read and enjoy the pictures. And you get to physically touch this beautiful thing, treasure it, smell it, and put the needle on in a very physical way.”

He added: “[T]here is also something undefinable about the sound of vinyl. I know that they can make digital sound great, but I think your body still knows the difference. Because when it comes to vinyl, I think your body is a vital piece of gear, and it reacts much differently to analog stimulation. I don’t know why, but that’s my theory of what goes on.”