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Phil Mercy: Fear of Fantastic Flight (CD, 43:27); Mellow Records MMP 337 import

	This is a one-man show of guitars coursing deftly through synth mazes and a 
sophisticated synth drumlines. Phil got tired of mainstream music doldrums and relaxed 
creatively in his studio and 'fore he knew it he discovered the joys of all instrumental 
rock without the irritating chaff of commercialism. This CD is the results of a musician 
not "selling out". For this alone I praise his efforts. Sum this release up as havin' fun 
doin' yer own thing.
	Musicianship is excellent -- compositions are "driving tunes" kind of guitar-rock. 
"Aliens Wear Boots" and "Fear of Fantastic Flight" are Satrianic riffs over Argent/ELP-
Tarkus analogish keys and time signature changeups ample enuff to keep things lively. 
"Symphony" is an intriguing little ballad of Brian May meets Satriani over BoHansson 
keys in a Happy the Manish mode. "Tears" is a building, slow-mover ballad with more 
Satriani voicing and a tinge of Eric Johnson. "Pump II" does recall Jeff Beck's days 
trading licks with Jan Hammer but Mercy still sounds more like Satriani.
	Well at last, in "Dance of the Aliens", I get to hear a tad of amphetamine-jazzrock 
fusion guitar pursuing manic keys in again the Tarkus mode. It drops down to second 
gear for an extended but mellow-to-peppy synth solo sounding very 70's. I would have 
really got into a mellotron wall of sound in there somewhere, Phil. "Khaa Bhut" is the 
final piece with a Steve Morse/Al Dimeola/Satriani melodic feel meeting Chick Corea, 
circa Romantic Warrior, again using that very familiar Not-of-This-Earth gestalt. I got a 
whiff of Ken Watson in this one. If you're into early Satriani then have Mercy.
-John W. Patterson



More Mercy guitar here: Thieves' Kitchen

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