If you were alive and semi-conscious in the 70s, odds are that you owned Frampton Comes Alive!, the quintessential rock album of the decade. It may have seemed that Peter Frampton disappeared after that disc, but he’s been alive and well and still performing. While other guitarists of his generation have either gone back to their blues roots or into jazz, Frampton has stayed the course. Here are a few reissues to consider.
Premonition from 1986 has Frampton with Richard Cottle/key, Tony Levin/b and best of all Omar Hakim/dr who adds a nice groove to this collection of rockers. He provides a great riff on the rocker “Moving a Mountain,” but the real gem here is the acoustic ballad “All Eyes On You,” which is a beauty. The band also sizzles on “Lying,” which became a semi-hit. Not a bad 80s session!
Frampton didn’t record again until 1989, with When All The Pieces Fit which has the leader playing almost every instrument. Lenny Castro brings in some nice percussion, and Nathan East/b with Steve Ferrone/dr keep the sound tight. Frampton’s voice is great here, but he uses a lot of overdubbing on the vocals which gives a bit of a pop feel. “Holding On To You” is a memorable piece and his writing skills are still impressive on “More Ways Than One” and “Back to the Start.”
Frampton went dry for about 9 years before putting out the 2003 Now which even declares “I’m Back” as a title of one of the songs. Lots of keyboards are on this album, provided by Bob Mayo of Frampton Comes Alive! Fame. As with most thing Frampton, the soft ballads carry the day with “Above it All” one of his strongest pieces yet. For guitar fans, his cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a gutsy call in its tribute to George Harrison. If you don’t check out this old rocker, well, “It’s a Plain Shame.”
Omnivore Records