Brian May says his favorite piece of Queen memorabilia is a model of the robot Frank from the cover of their 1977 album News of the World – but admitted it might not be the property he likes to think it is.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, he explained why the figure – similar to this one – means to much to him, saying: “I have one of the original robots… which stands about four feet high and holds the album cover. He’s quite a treasured relic, I must say. He’s even more treasured to me because I lost him.”

He continued: “What happened was I moved house, forgot that he was in the attic, and I left him, which caused me great upset. And then I was able to come across one second-hand from a collector, and I kind of kid myself into thinking that he is the original guy that I had. I don’t know if he is or not, but I tell myself that he’s the original Frank that I had in those days… I’d say that he’s the most meaningful piece that I have.”

May reported that he continues to collect vinyl records, although not to the extent he once did. “When I want to relax, I put vinyl on,” he said. “I don’t generally put CDs on. I think partly it’s the feel, and it’s partly the fact that you get a nice big sleeve where you can read and enjoy the pictures. And you get to physically touch this beautiful thing, treasure it, smell it, and put the needle on in a very physical way.”

He added: “[T]here is also something undefinable about the sound of vinyl. I know that they can make digital sound great, but I think your body still knows the difference. Because when it comes to vinyl, I think your body is a vital piece of gear, and it reacts much differently to analog stimulation. I don’t know why, but that’s my theory of what goes on.”

Rock Stars Who Walked Away and Never Looked Back

Sometimes you've just got to move on. 

You Think You Know Queen?

More From 97.7 KCRR