Peter Frampton - "Frampton Comes Alive 2"

Sorry for the long gap in posts, even if it seems no one reads these, I have been busy but I am back for the moment. Like the subject of this post.

Peter Frampton was a member of the band Humble Pie but left when he felt his excellent guitar playing was not getting the attention it deserved, by and large he was right. He embarked on a solo career releasing several moderately successful studio albums in the 1970s. His live shows were what really gained him a following and much of his popularity. So when he released his first solo live album, "Frampton Comes Alive!" in 1976, it made him a superstar. The album became the best selling live album of all time and it is a killer record, one of my favorites.

Yet the success of that album stymied the rest of Frampton's career. He was largely regarded as a one album wonder. He retained his large cult of fans but he lost to mass audience he gained with "Comes Alive!"

Then when the big nostalgia boom of the mid 1990s happened (that continues to this day) Frampton recorded and released a live sequel to his landmark live album. "Fampton Comes Alive 2" is not a bad album and he wisely does not use any of the songs from the original. It is a very slick record with some good songs, "I'm In You" and "Day in the Sun," but overall it is decent but not excellent. This release was his biggest seller in years and it sparked a creative resurgence in his music with a series of popular and critically praised albums like "Fingerprints," "Now" and "Thank you Mr. Churchill."

Originally released as a 14 track single disc "Comes Alive 2" is now only available in a two disc special edition, the second disc contains new live recordings of 4 of the big songs from the original "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do" among them.

Last year I had the opportunity to see Frampton live in concert and he does a killer show. He is a great guitarist and if the original "Frampton Comes Alive!" is his best and most recognizable album so be it, it is a damn excellent record and any artist would be proud to have it in their catalogue.