Customer Reviews

Frampton

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After releasing an album each year from his first solo release in 1972, this record was the one which gave Peter Frampton his first real taste of solo success. As he toured the States in support of it in 1975, he found his music was being greeted with increasing enthusiasm, even though back in his native England most people barely remembered him from his earlier successful years with The Herd and Humble Pie. This American success paved the way for his massive smash live album 'Frampton comes alive', which took the world by storm in 1976, and although his superstardom rapidly waned thereafter, the live album brought his melodic pop/rock and tasteful lead guitar work to a worldwide audience.

'Frampton' in many ways followed the pattern of Peter's three previous solo albums, containing largely guitar-driven, lively songs, with his characteristic lead guitar style and sound, and some short instrumentals. However, the songs were, in his own opinion, considerably better than many of his earlier ones and had a more commercial sound. Despite being recorded during the gloom of a British November, the album has a cheerful, sunny sound which perhaps helped its American success the following summer. The recording was made with a mobile studio at Clearwell Castle in the Welsh borders, and has something of a 'live' ambience about it, reflecting the acoustic characteristics of the large castle rooms in which it was recorded. The songs are primarily based around Frampton's lively but relaxed piano and acoustic rhythm guitar work, with attractive melodies and harmony vocals, but the overall sound is fairly simple and not heavily overdubbed. In that sense it very much resembles the hit sound of 'Comes alive', but without the extra 'urgency' of a live performance.

The songs 'Show me the way', 'Baby I love your way' and 'Money' and the short acoustic guitar instrumental 'Penny for your thoughts' (all contained in the live album) are included, but because of their familiarity they are not my favourites on this record. To me, perhaps the best tracks are the relatively gentle 'One more time' and 'The crying clown', which include very tasteful guitar solos, whilst among the more lively songs 'Day's dawning' and 'Fanfare' are the most memorable.

So though hardly a musically ground-breaking album, 'Frampton' shows the artist establishing his identity as a competent purveyor of melodic pop/rock, and is an essential for any Peter Frampton enthusiast. And with most of Frampton's albums having been unavailable on CD for years, the release of several of his early albums in remastered form is very welcome indeed.

Then I played this. It does have a Steely Dan feel to it, but that's alright. It kicks off well with "Day's Dawning", and the version of "Show Me The Way" is no slouch, but the version on "Frampton Comes Alive" is still better. "Penny For Your Thoughts" is a fabulous showcase of Frampton's guitar work. There is one song that is weaker than the rest of this album, but it's still o.k., and that's "Crying Clown". A tearful ballad, but still packs a good punch. Without a doubt Humble Pie was holding Frampton back, and he was wise to go onto being a solo artist. I would rank this up with Santana's "Caravanseri", and Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll Animal" as some of my classic 70's albums. I was hoping to hear a studio version of "Something's Happening" as that's my fave Frampton song. I will keep looking.

A classic, a record which holds up over many, many repeated listenings. One thing that will strike you is how crisp the recording is from the mid-70's. Frampton's songwriting, guitar playing and voice were all peaking at this point in time. Several tunes here didn't become big hits until "Frampton Comes Alive" came out, but I much prefer this studio record. Overall it has a sparse acoustic sound to it that goes well in either the morning or evening.

This is Peter Frampton's best studio album!!! It was recorded recorded on location at Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire,England!!! Captured on tape inside the late Ronnie Lane's "Reels On Wheels"!!! This great album is chock full of awesome tracks including the original versions of "Show Me The Way" and Nassau/Baby, I Love Your Way",as well Day's Dawning,One More Time,(I'll Give You)Money,and five more!!! Great remastered sound too!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

My best friend Josie gave me this as a surprise gift and I haven't stopped playing it. Frampton is an excellent guitarist as this cd illustrates. This is a must have for any Frampton fan.

This was the first Frampton album I had owned, and is still my favorite. Alive was a great album, but the intimacy of Frampton's recording is what tips the scale in it's favor for me. Recorded at Clearwell Castle, this album gives the feel that only you, Peter, and a few bandmates are at a private listening party. Also, some great, underappreciated songs here like One More Time, The Crying Clown, Day's Dawning, and Nowhere's Too Far. The material here plus a few songs pulled from I'm in You would have made for a great live set; who knows, maybe it's not too late for Frampton to cut another Live album from some of these "other" great songs from the 70's. But you don't need to be a Frampton completist to own "Frampton", it stands next to Alive on it's own laurels.

We purchased this item because we were looking for a non-live performance of "Baby, I Love Your Way". That is "our" song and we wanted to use it as our first dance at our wedding. We found it on this album and we are very happy with the purchase.
The rest of the CD isn't bad either. :)

I had the Frampton 8-track when I was in Jr.High. The CD was in excellent condition! What a bargain. Thanks for bringing back good memories.

I went into this album expecting a pleasant listen, because the few songs I know from Peter Frampton have shown me that he is a pretty good songwriter who just writes nice music. That's exactly what this album is- a nice listen. I didn't hear any wild guitar playing (not that I went in expecting to) but I did hear a listenable collection of nice tunes.

The way Peter Frampton seems to *almost* write ballads, but insists on throwing in *just* the right amount of guitar playing as a way to seemingly trick the listener into thinking he's writing a ballad when in fact it's actually somewhere in between a ballad and a rocker, is probably his trademark sound. That's the thing I always remember about him, anyway.

Another thing- the back of the album says this album was recorded in a castle, and Frampton comments on how freaky that is, and how the music reflects that. Not really. Now, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is an album recorded in a castle that really SOUNDS like it was.

Anyway, this album is just what I expected- a nice listen with nice songs coming from a nice guy. It's nice to hear versions of "Show Me The Way" and "Baby I Love Your Way" that AREN'T from Frampton Comes Alive. In the case of "Show Me The Way", there's a certain empty vibe about it that the live version seemed to fill, and surpass. "Penny For Your Thoughts - (I'll Give You) Money" is a really good, energetic way to end the album, too. The former being a good instrumental, and the final song being a pretty decent rocker. Good music.

EXCELLENT SONGWRITING, GUITAR PLAYING AND OVERDUBBING. ANOTHER LIVE ALBUM FOLLOWING HIS FIRST WITH PREVIOUSLY RECORDED SONGS NOT ON FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST AS SUCCESSFUL AS COMES ALIVE. DAYS DAWNING, CRYING CLOWN, FANFARE ARE A FEW SUCH SONGS. A FEW SONGS FROM WIND OF CHANGE, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, AND EVEN A COUPLE FROM HIS EARLY DAYS WITH THE HERD WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A SECOND SUCCESSFUL LIVE ALBUM RATHER THAN THE I'M IN YOU ALBUM WHICH WAS A TERRIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT.