335 of 1001 Albums: Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton has a lot of vocal talent and a lot o guitar talent, and in some ways the 80s hair bands seem reflective of some of the attributes he has. He has a lot of talent though, and probably some of the more enjoyable parts of his music prove to be the guitar playing itself. There are quite a couple of recognizable tunes though, and overall Frampton just has something interesting about him that makes you want to listen to him.

Peter Frampton starts with a song to set the album up right enough to keep you curious about what is to come next, and the fact it is live adds to the feel of the live energy. The crowd sort of comes in, and then picks up in volume as you go. "Something's Happening" is one of those songs where you know you like something about it, but you may not exactly remember what when it is over. It has a really good chorus, and just gets Frampton established right out of the gate.


There may be one song in particular that just seems all too familiar and that "Baby, I Love Your Way". While most the songs are faster, more guitar driven ballads this one is slower, and more easy going. It definitely has the romantic vibe going about it. Frampton shows he can not only rock, but croon on the album as well with that one, and after listening to it it seems to have a tad of a habit of getting stuck in your head.

The guy has some really short live songs at only 2 minutes, and some that stretch on for 13 minutes. When it's live though you have a lot less of a reason to try to make it studio and practiced, and just let what hits fly though. For someone who has a short attention span though you might feel a little struggle keeping focus though. If you were in the audience though it would be a ton of fun to listen to, and do whatever this crowd was doing in the audience.

Overall, Peter Frampton makes a great live album. It has a lot of good guitar riffs, and he has a voice that is built to sing. It's a little long, but if you were in the crowd that day for the concert it might have made the experience that much more fun to listen to. You will find some familiar tunes, and some new tunes to enjoy while listening.

Rating 7 of 10.
Recommended Listen: "Show Me the Way"