Queen guitarist responds to being left off new Guns N' Roses album

Queen guitarist Brian May has posted a response to fans who have asked him how he felt about singer Axl Rose's explanation for why guitar parts that May recorded in 1999 for the just-released Guns N' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, were left off the final version of the disc. Rose said in an online post that May's parts for the song "Catcher N' The Rye" were removed "not in spite or to slight anyone," revealing that he and producer Sean Beavan edited together a composite version of May's solo from several different takes before dropping it altogether. Rose explained, "Sean Beaven and I were not in any way trying to mess with Brian, we just did what we do and then try and do our best to stand up for our decisions."

Writing at his official website, BrianMay.com, May said in part, "In my mind, I gave it a small piece of my life, without any thought of getting anything back, except the feeling that I'd contributed a little to the journey of the album project. I didn't ask to be paid, or even credited, and I certainly didn't put any constraints on whether the guys had to use my work or not. I'm totally relaxed about the outcome, as I always was, and I hope that Axl will now feel liberated, by the final emergence of his magnum opus, to move on, and get back out there where we all want him to be, rockin' around the world."

While confirming that May did work on the album, Rose has also denied rumors that basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal recorded a rap for the disc which was also eventually discarded. Other artists who contributed to the recording sessions over the years included Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.