Critics of rock electric guitar who claim the instrument is nothing but a phallic symbol must take comfort in the sheer number of performers on this instrument who are named John Thomas, a common name with an innocent enough sound that somehow became a euphemism for a penis. In some cases, these guitarists named John Thomas gravitate toward long-running bands named after various fauna: the John Thomas from the band Firefly should not be confused with the 1978 replacement guitarist in Budgie, it should be mentioned whilst alit on this subject. The Firefly guitarist, a Canadian, is something of a veteran himself. He has put in time providing perhaps needed macho axesmanship in the touring ensembles of several groups that -- at least according to publicity shots -- were all-girl. Thomas' playing with both Vixen and the second-generation showbiz combo Wilson Phillips does not seem to have been documented on recording, however. Besides sideman appearances with performers such as yowling vocalist Graham Bonnett, Thomas has worked largely with Firefly, specifically three CDs released between 1998 and 2003. The group has been labeled as AOR yet sometimes gets heavy enough to invite Led Zeppelin comparisons. ~ Eugene Chadbourne