Brian May Says Adam Lambert Reaches Vocal Heights Freddie Mercury Never Could

Most classic-rock stars might shy away from directly comparing their newest singer with the career-making frontman he replaced. That would seem even more so if the singer in question was the late Freddie Mercury, one of music's most dynamic and memorable figures.

But Queen's Brian May is not most classic-rock stars. In fact, he says Adam Lambert -- the former 'American Idol' finalist who has been touring with May and fellow remaining Queen co-founder Roger Taylor -- is a decided improvement on Mercury, in at least one regard.

"We didn’t look for this guy, but suddenly he’s there -- and he can sing all of those lines," May says of Lambert in a new interview. "See, they’re difficult songs to sing, Queen songs. There’s too much range that plenty of people can’t sing them in the original key -- even if they are good singers. Adam comes along, and he can do it easy. He can do it in his sleep! He can sing higher than even Freddie could, in a live situation."

Lambert first worked with Queen on the 'Idol' finale in 2009. Since then, they've appeared in several overseas venues before launching an ongoing world tour. Those dates now continue into Europe, with 26 more scheduled shows for 2015. May and Taylor also recently oversaw the release of more never-before-heard material from the Mercury era on a new project titled 'Queen Forever.'