Every generation will want to find new ways of turning their instruments inside out. As much as artists might find it easy to try and copy what has come before, there are only so many times you can play the same albums by artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones before wanting to find something different. Although many have tried to push the limits of their instruments, Brian May thought that the true guitar hero of the modern age is Nuno Bettencourt.
For a brief period in the 1970s, it looked like May would be next in line for Britain’s resident guitar hero. As much as he idolised artists like Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, May took a completely different approach to the instrument, overdubbing different parts to make his guitar sound like a symphony whenever he played.
Although May’s melodic sensibilities were second to none, the campiness of Queen’s setup would result in many substance-less bands around the 1980s. When Queen started becoming known as pop stars with albums like The Game, the mainstream had suddenly turned towards the sounds of hair metal, with many playing up their looks rather than focusing on their guitar parts.
Whereas Eddie Van Halen may have started the virtuosic side of playing in the late 1970s, Bettencourt joined the party in the late 1980s with the band Extreme. Outside of being one of the fastest shredders on the planet, there was always a ton of passion in his performances, having a playful way of playing that suited the band’s songs perfectly.
Granted, there’s a good chance that most people just know them for the song ‘More Than Words’, a simple ballad that the band performed unplugged on their album Pornograffiti. Outside of their biggest hit, though, the band’s back catalogue features some of the wildest soloing anyone laid down at the time, blending hard rock, pop and even a dose of funk into their delivery.
While May was refining his sound by the end of Queen’s tenure, he knew that Bettencourt was something special. Inviting the band to take part in Queen’s tribute concert for Freddie Mercury at Wembley Stadium, May was stunned at the musicianship behind Bettencourt when he took to the stage.
In the years since, May said that Bettencourt was miles above anyone working in the rock scene today, saying, “Nuno is outrageous! We’ve played together a lot, and we’ve hung out together a lot. But his soloing? Beyond belief! Nuno’s really very underrated I would say. He’s one of the greats. One of the greatest living guitarists, I would say”.
Bettencourt also held Queen in high regard, ranking the solo to ‘Good Company’ as one of his favourite music moments and continuing to wow guitar fans around the world with his technical finesse on the band’s latest song, ‘Rise’. May may have his own place in rock history, but for those familiar with the fretboard, Bettencourt might deserve a placement next to the Eddie Van Halens of the world.
