Frampton Comes Alive Becomes A Letdown....

Love it! It's part of the great soundtrack of '76!

I can listen to "Do You Feel Like We Do" over and over and over.

 

You're right. That "I'm In You" cover killed it. Made me not buy it at the time.
A shame because I finally bought it last year, and it's pretty good. That cover
ruined his momentum. Fair or not, that's how I remember it.

 

Frampton Comes Alive! has diminished for me a little bit, but the Humble Pie Fillmore Box Set has become THE Frampton music that I listen to the most.

 

I'm In You was the only one of the bunch to have any stigma attached, but most of the damage had been done by the Sgt. Pepper movie. Where I Should Be and Breaking All The Rules were part of endless 80's attempts at a comeback.

Today, "Lines on My Face" came on one of the Sirius stations. It demonstrated that Frampton was doing sappy ballads before "I'm In You," indeed before Frampton Comes Alive. His biggest mistake was choosing the teen idol route over showing that he was a great guitarist.

 

He made his guitar talk, man! Like through a tube!

 

It was a huge seller. The title track was a huge single, as was Cisco Kid.
Platinum certifications didn’t even come into existence until 1976, so their label would have had to pay to have it certified again.

 

He was done in by the one-two punch of a lackluster follow-up album with the Tiger Beat photo on the cover, then having a co-starring role in one of history's smelliest examples of cinematic excrement known as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

If he had skipped the movie, and instead released a kickass album to show that he still had it, he probably could have weathered the storm. To this day he still refuses to answer any questions about the film.

 

It's still a great album compared to most of the dreck being released nowadays.

 

My 12 year-old self liked it but I haven't listened to it in 40 years.

 

I get why people liked it, and it was unavoidable at the time. I was a huge Humble Pie fan but always felt his solo stuff was lackluster (even saw Frampton's Camel live on their first U.S. tour) and that being in a band with Marriott brought out the best in his playing.
Plus I was 22, it was 1976, and my musical tastes were elsewhere.

 

And it was ironic because he became huge in 76/77 because he was a great artist and guitarist, not because he was a teen idol. So he finally becomes a star, and instead of committing to what made him popular in the first place, he deviates from it and tries to become a teen idol.

 

Well put.....all 3 of those fall into that scope.

 

I agree, Bat Out of Hell remains terrific, but it’s an awfully strange hit record.

 

Yet somehow Bat Out of Hell II also became a massive hit.

 

I replaced my Canadian original for a US original a few years ago, noting a discernible sound improvement. And it’s wonderful!

I have no idea what the Doesn’t Hold Up crowd is on about: it holds up as a great rock record...not of its time, but in general.

Oh, and let me add...play I’m in You one quiet night when you’re chilling, and then tell me you don’t like it. It’s a really good album.

 

I saw Peter Frampton live in 2017 opening for Steve Miller. He played many of the songs from Frampton Comes Alive. The crowd was only semi-attentive. The songs seemed pleasant but it was not all that memorable a performance. Steve Miller blew him off the stage. I was surprised that the Frampton set was not more compelling. I expected it to be.

I was in college when Frampton Comes Alive came out and it was a phenomenon. It was the big musical event of the year when it was released. At that time he was viewed by the music loving rock fans as a really good guitar player and his albums were looked upon favorably.

 

He's retiring due to a condition that is making it more and more difficult for him to play. In the near future he won't be able to play at all so he's doing one farewell tour. I forget if he's done or if it's still ongoing.

Personally, there are a few songs that are fun and just kill but the album as a whole isn't magical.

 

Anybody who plays and pays attention to his playing will confirm he's a great player, even today.

As for his poor performance that one time, anyone can have an off-night for any number of reasons.

 

I don’t like “Frampton Comes Alive”.

But I absolutely love the four studio albums he did before it -

“Wind Of Change”

“Frampton’s Camel”

“Somethin’s Happening”

and “Frampton”.

Every song from the live album is much better in its studio version,
especially the guitar solos.

And those albums also contain great songs that he didn't perform live.

 

Overexposure.
Just ask Billy Squire....or Billy Idol.....any of the Billy's.....

 

I paid attention a little late, I think in the early 80's. As a live album it's really excellent, good songs, great performance and very well recorded.
Eventually I can hear it in its entirety without any problem and also enjoy it. Maybe for not getting hooked to burn it makes it pleasant for me.

I think this album has a very strong connection with a particular time and generation (not my generation by the way)

I have always had immense respect for Frampton as a musician and guitarist

 

Agreed. The MFSL CD is sweet also!

 

I got this LP as a wee lad, as you (feel like we) do.

Still give it a spin once a year, as it's a good collection of tunes.

And (turning on talk box) that's alright. That's alright. That's alright.

--Geoff

 

I like the album more now than I did when it was current because now I’m not hung up on Frampton’s teen appeal, the years have made it a non-issue. FCA is a fun album packed with great songs and strong performances and great guitar playing. I think people disdain it now because it was mega-popular without having a dark side. Too fresh-faced and positive for the critics.

 

It was a fresh sound, and it stood out among the usual blues rock and heavy bands that had been going on for awhile. Plus, he had a great band and they sounded good. Boston was another band that came with something fresh and it paid off. This was the time when more melodic bands like Little River Band, Christopher Cross etc. were making it. It was fresh.