As far as guitarists are concerned, it doesn’t get much more legendary than Queen’s Brian May and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. The two icons come together in a new video as they perform the Sabbath classic “Paranoid.”
The pairing of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers comes courtesy of the Sky Arts documentary series Greatest Guitar Riffs. The UK television channel premiered the clip via Guitar World, and it shows the guitar masters discussing the first time they met in the early ’70s, with Iommi declaring that they’ve been “best friends ever since.”
When May asks Iommi where all his great riffs come from, the Sabbath legend responds, “I think it’s within. Normally, we’d jam around and play something, and Ozzy [Osbourne] would go, ‘What the fuck’s that?’ But it just feels right.”
From there, the two go into a specific discussion about “Paranoid,” with Iommi sharing the story about how the song was a last-minute addition to Sabbath’s second album, which ended up titled Paranoid.
Eventually, Iommi starts to play the classic “Paranoid” riff as the two are sitting on a couch together, with May exclaiming, “I’m gonna commit sacrilege by joining in.” The Queen guitarist then lays an impressive solo over the classic metal riff. When it’s all said and done, May quips, “It’s a good riff! It will go far!”
Iommi recently revealed that he’s working on new music, presumably for a long-rumored new solo album. May, meanwhile, has a run of Japan dates scheduled with Queen + Adam Lambert in February. Tickets are available here.
Watch Brian May and Tony Iommi jam “Paranoid” in the clip below.
