hicago guitar legend Eric Mantel, well that's what it says in
the blurb. OK, I am ignorant. I have never heard of Eric Mantel, he has
evidently kept his guitar light under a bushel for thirty years. No, he's
not Harvey Mandel and he ain't Eric Johnson. But, musically, he could pass
for both.
The upbeat opener 'Tribute' is likeable and it sets the tone for what
follows. The vocal 'The Simple Things' conjures up the jazzy notes of Eric
Johnson or Robben Ford although it contains the mandatory (and well played)
rock-out coda.
'The Real You' rattles along but it's like something from one of Jeff Beck's
mid-seventies funky fusion albums crossed with Frampton's vocoder. Yes, it's
back!
'Tai-Chi' is a terrific instrumental groove and one of the standouts, and
would have sounded well on Jazz FM about fifteen years ago, alongside Larry
Carlton. Switching to synth-guitar, 'Under A Different Light' is atmospheric
and builds gently whilst 'Exit 10' is like a million and one TV theme tunes.
'There Are No Words' is another class jazz-fusion tune that really gets
going when Mantel shifts to distortion guitar and 'Wings Of Fire' plys the
funky rock route again.
Mantel shows off a diverse range of guitar talents and especially on the
appealing acoustic 'Affectionately Yours'. In his favour, Mantel never
sacrifices the songs to sheer technique but I would have preferred a more
balanced offering with some solo keyboards and sax.
***1/2
hicago guitar legend Eric Mantel, well that's what it says in
the blurb. OK, I am ignorant. I have never heard of Eric Mantel, he has
evidently kept his guitar light under a bushel for thirty years. No, he's
not Harvey Mandel and he ain't Eric Johnson. But, musically, he could pass
for both.