Brian May's opinion of Jan Akkerman

[@ikhaatjullieallemaalpersoo5715]

Jan Akkerman was a friend of my family, he lived near me as well. It's always funny to see someone that you grew up with as normal until you realize even Brian May looks up to him

[@ddoeser5830]

Respect vóór Jan Akkerman 👍❤🇳🇱👋 Gewéldige Gitarist waar wij Nederlanders trots op Zijn ! Onvergetelijk 🎸Vrijdag 29 Julli Jaar 2022.Tijd om 12:15 UUR MIDDAGS .

[@kentfranklin212]

wonderful May! Akkerman a true master and so underastimated! Focus one of my insperations as a kid! So groundbraking and genuine as a band! LOve from Sweden!!

[@teddyrondinelli7047]

J.A. way ahead of his time. A true master. Brilliant melody, technique. Jaw dropping. Live at the rainbow, this was him at his finest, The best, as great as anyone, paved the way to the instrumently genius of Jeff Beck. Jans Akkerman melodies untouched.

[@danguee1]

Oh, right. So Jeff had Jan to thank for his genius? I did not realise that.....

[@Eitner100]

Thank you Brian! Much appreciated comment.

[@TOBBYGREEN12]

I know Jan Akkerman in Argentina i have his signature in the ticket from concert in 2007.Is my great jewel of my favourite guitarist. Jan Akkerman was name the best guitar of the world in 1972 with HOCUS POCUS and the album MOVING WAVES.

[@jacquesfinster5034]

1973-Melody Maaker Winners Poll

[@larryurbon9550]

Nicely said, Brian, about the greatest guitarist of the rock era.. Jan Ackerman..

[@martijnvandenakker803]

larry urbon Akkerman...

[@raymondvaughan6262]

Your right brian jan akkerman was a brilliant guitarist and still is today nice comment 👍

[@326vince]

May is so humble. They’re both Heros to me!

[@tothandras1741]

Brian has good ears when it comes to recognize genius guitar players....J. Akkerman and R. Blackmore

[@nieko3038]

Once did a lightshow for a concert of Jan Akkerman. Someone told me Jan usually wasnt happy with lightshows. I didn't hear him complain so I guess it was ok. Great to hear this legend talk about him.

[@thedolphin5428]

Ha ... or maybe he was soooo pissed off with it he resisted crucifying you for it !!! ; ; ;

[@marcuso.424]

Jan Akkerman was a jazz/fusion guitar player in a rock band. As he said, his chops are much more in a Wes Montgomery way than in a blues way, like all the other guys with a rock appoach in that time. He was much ahead his time and he Is not only a guitar player but a real and complete musician.

[@zeffie100]

So True

[@metafis2490]

I love how Brian refers to himself as 'A young kid' when he was 24. :).

[@kamwrites]

As you get older, 24 is a young kid! ;)

[@counterpoint11]

Particularly as he and Jan Akkerman are the same age...;)

[@WarhawkBeyond2040]

Great showing of respect from one iconic guitar player to another

[@user-zb2hi8ct9q]

Focus と Queen はそんなに世代が違わないよ… Jan Akkerman は、演奏技術の高さだけではなく、歌心と言うか、情感豊かに演奏するので、非常に魅力的なギタリストだと思います。 1970年代前半にしか売れなかった点で、商業的には今一つだったとは言えるのではないでしょうか。 しかし、ギタリストとしての Jan Akkerman は２１世紀にも健在です。

[@bertvanstaveren3178]

Saw Akkerman many times, still terrific.

[@seamasmanly]

Brian May, you are no slouch either! Both of you continue to challenge my playing, Thank You 🙏

[@johnstitt2615]

Gonna download Jan's acoustic album. If you want to appreciate guitar playing listen to Jan. Eddie Van Halen was great but Jan is a whole other level. Makes the guitar......magical

[@fullmoon7192]

Enough said... One great complementing another great. That's the perfect sign of humility 🐳

[@KPNutsMusic]

There' some interesting comments here. There are some amazing young players today, but all of them have the advantage of standing on the shoulders of giants like Akkerman and May, and they were influenced and stood on the shoulders of other giants. Jan Akkerman was influenced by the late great Julian Bream, Was Montgomery and Django Rheinhardt, all completely different in style. I first saw Jan Akkerman with Focus in 1972. He is my favourite player amongst other giants, Allen Holdsworth being one. But its difficult and perhaps pointless to compare. They both played the same instrument, in some respects in similar genres in parts of their careers , but with different results, but we are privileged to have such musicianship to enjoy and cherish, and influence other generations. kx

[@drumdad54sdl47]

Humility & class.

[@johno4521]

Brian would have been 25 when Hocus Pocus came out - round about the time of the Queen 1 album. (not a kid!)

[@Kgio-2112]

I am 48. When i think back to my early 20s... i was a kid!

[@hendrikheemels8615]

I'm 54 now and still a kid sometimes. Luckily.

[@VidzGB]

Just for the record Brian May is only six months younger than Jan Akkerman. However, Hocus Pocus was in the charts in 1973 just before Queen's first hit Seven Seas of Rhye and so what Mr May says makes sense.

[@RoyPortel]

Give that man a microphone!

[@mra-cq9ve]

Brian.May couldn't have said it any better...an icon like to say that about Jan is so impressively humble..... I totally agree with you and you are a knight, as well when I listen to (doing alright)&(brighten rock) (lap of the gods) you slay it.... one more time Jan akkerman quiet hero

[@mra-cq9ve]

Jan goes down that Arabian scale road you cant get enough of it

[@FABIO_MARTINSS]

i love both , Jan & Brian, but Hocus Pocus was a hit in '73. Brian was a kid in his twenties trying to play it, lol May is a great musician, with a great tone, sense of melodic construction and counterpoint. He's just not a fusion guitarist, or a jazz player. Akkerman is a guitar genius, he can play whatever he wants, including Lute and classical stuff. It' a shame the world is not prepared for that kind os stuff

[@Headbanger9000]

Obviously you havent seen Hocus Pocus by Focus live in the 70"s where they play the song faster than the studio recording and yes, Jan Akkerman uses sweep picking in the performance. Sweeps have been done way before Jeff was even born. Even Ritchie Blackmore was using sweep picking variations back in the late 60's EDUCATE YOURSELF before spewing nonsense!

[@ianderonde5719]

I know sweeps have been done way before het was born. But it's a completely different wat of sweeping. If you actually Read my comment you van see I never put Jeff above Jan or Richie, I Just said that Times change and no one can play anything he wants.

[@ianderonde5719]

*he *way

[@petervanderlinden8266]

I agree that it was the presentation of that song...@@Headbanger9000

[@lrwguitar]

Presley was sweeping and tapping before anyone because he was and still is the King.

[@wbmeprograms4505]

In Europe, Hocus Pocus was a hit in '71. Not '73.

[@anthonyfesta1224]

Thijis Van Leer genius Jan Akkerman brilliant guitarist.

[@jomano9651]

Thank you Brian.

[@Tonicwine999]

Awesome video. One of my hero’s talking about one of his hero’s. The most unknown and underrated guitarist I have ever learned of.

[@MobiusBandwidth]

very underappreciated, like Steve Tibbets. probably the best guitarist nobody knows.

[@danguee1]

Yes, both true greats... (PS it's "heroes" rather than "hero's")

[@Tonicwine999]

@@danguee1 yeah for sure. And yeah thanks for the autocorrection correction. I think it was my phone that made that mistake.

[@MH-mk9vc]

Brian May is one year younger than Jan Akkerman

[@yunarukami14]

Not even 1 year. He’s like older than May just by about 7 months

[@colourful999real7]

Thank You Bryan May

[@deepindercheema]

Nice observation.

[@vpn171]

Would like to see Brian and Jan together in a band. Brian should keep his little solo finger down though. Come on :-:

[@ytnsanw]

Sort of interesting that BM would be so enamored of JA, when they're TOTALLY different types of players. BM has always been a very prepared, deliberate, fastidious and precise player as opposed to JA, who'd stand on stage with his inevitable cigarette, just ripping out whatever popped into his head at the time, sometimes jaw-dropping genius, sometimes utter crap - but always err.. Akkerman...

[@martijnvandenakker803]

ytnsanw I agree with you, exept for the utter crap part. Akkerman is the world's best guitar player for a reason...

[@MrShadowofthewind]

Martijn van den Akker How do you measure something like that ? Those kind of statements always make me laugh.

[@martijnvandenakker803]

MrShadowofthewind you can laugh all you want, but I know Jan Akkerman, personally, and he never has played crap, and it's a known fact that he was announced world's best guitar player, nothing to measure, it's a fact, and still not rivalled today... And can you play? Besides, I was answering somebody else, so you don't have to chime in, do you?

[@OfDoom.]

I agree entirely. Even the part where he hits bum notes and plays wrong in certain songs such as on the BBC where he is seen making mistakes and even has to do a double take on Anonymus II I believe. Despite that, there are times it those mistakes are intentional such as the timing he does on Hocus Pocus is off as he probably tired of playing the hit. Regardless, there was always a sense of improvisation and taking risks even if led to poor performances, it was a risk he took and it's what makes Focus such an exciting band and Jan one of my favorite guitarists ever. He wasn't perfect, but he certainly pushed what a rock band as a unit could do mainly with instrumental passages which and hardly any vocals.

[@MobiusBandwidth]

nice when one god compliments another.

[@jezedwards3858]

Brilliant 👍

[@WvhKerkhof]

Its simple first there was Jesus, then Mohammed, then Jan. After Jan there is nothing. You can buy Brian May for a good word about a collegue, but you cant buy Jan! First there was Michel Angelo, then Rembrandt and then Jan.

[@giuseppecarlone5050]

Salve a tutti... C'è qualcuno che gentilmente mi fs la Traduzione in Italiano di questa intervista?.... Grazie 🙏

[@giampierogirolamo7134]

❤❤❤❤great video

[@wimweender1306]

😊❤

[@user-lx1is2wl7i]

I prefer the other guy with the classical background. His music is more listenable.

[@brucegelman5582]

One word..LAMMY.

[@JulioBravo-xt6nu]

En español 😢

[@Wilantonjakov]

Queen can't hold half a candle to Focus

[@MrJusmobile]

HMMMMM, interesting fact that King Edward Van Halen was Dutch like Akkermann, boy can those kids play, but Professor Ed took it to another level. Jan who?

[@AsphyxGr]

Totally different achievements mate, Eddie in playing style and Jan in musicianship. Don't confuse their areas of expertise. I love both of course.

[@WvhKerkhof]

Brian played the interview very well. fake ofcourse.

[@micowikstrom7182]

Brian Gay sounds good only when he speaks.

[@VidzGB]

Rather harsh

[@auxpower13]

Yeah, sure...That is a very qualified comment from someone who has posted 0 videos of them playing guitar.

[@stevenaustin8274]

i agree its funny how the harshest critics are usually the least talented

[@stevenaustin8274]

Why Am I Alive true! but there's a difference between criticism and insulting

[@gregdolecki8530]

Moron