"I have one question and one question only? does this pass the PHILBY TEST?"
I dunno what the "philby test" is.
Forty Mile Town - This, I like. Very melodic, & though I don't see it as any type of #1 hit, it's a good piece of music. Nice production. Sneaky bit of vocalization, which appeals to me. Odd choice of guitar tones, but it ain't offensive or anything.
Nothing Can Keep Me From You - See, this one hits my ear like an after-school special, or a song you might hear on Baywatch or something. It's that kind of production. It's perfectly okay, but imho, it isn't really as strong a piece as the previous one. Nice guitar work. It just sounds hackneyed to me, though. It's okay for background stuff, but there's nothing that really makes it stand out to me, other than the guitar work, which, while it's nice & all, isn't enough to make it a great piece.
Manhattan G3 - Very nice axe work. I love those octave melodies. (For some reason, when I think of octave melodies on guitar, I think of George Benson.) This is where this guy shines. Excellent guitar work, & imho, he should stick with the more jazzy stuff. I see what you mean about Roscoe Beck - he really knows how to fit into anything, & yet keep his licks interesting.
(Just for fun, I decided to put this one up for ya. I used to love this guy -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voNjeUUc ... re=related )