Brian May Reveals What Adam Lambert Can Do, That Freddie Mercury Couldn't

“When Roger and I play, you can put – in some way – the stamp of Queen on it,” Brian May said in a behind-the-scenes video courtesy of Universal Music Japan, while discussing the band’s current tour. “It’s not Queen like the old days, but it’s the spirit of Queen that’s alive when we play together.”

May and Roger Taylor will head out on the European leg of the tour in the new year with Adam Lambert on vocals, in a show that’s been billed as Queen + Adam Lambert.

“Adam is so much like Freddie, in many ways,” May said of the American Idol finalist, “but Adam doesn’t have to try to be Freddie. Which is the nice thing, he doesn’t imitate, he just does his own thing.”

“And he can sing all of those lines,” May continues. “See they’re difficult songs to sing, Queen songs. There’s too much range that plenty of people can’t sing them in the original key. Even if they are good singers. Adam comes along, he can do it easy. You know, he can do it in his sleep. You know, he can sing higher than even Freddie could in a live situation.”

And May thinks Mercury would approve of Queen’s partnership with Adam Lambert, he reveals. “So I think Freddie would look at this guy and think, ‘Hmm. Yeah, OK.'”

Watch the full video below.

Queen + Adam Lambert kick off their 26-date European tour on January 13th.

The band also recently released Queen Forever, an album that features never-before-heard material from the Freddie Mercury era.