This album was a product of its time, and went far beyond Peter Frampton’s studio material, even though those were mostly good, the live environment was where he excelled, the results here and the ensuing success of this live set a testament to that fact.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Peter Frampton
ALBUM: Comes Alive
LABEL: A&M
SERIAL: SP-3703
YEAR: 1976
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Peter Frampton – guitar, lead vocals, talkbox, production * Bob Mayo – guitar, backing vocals, electric piano, organ, grand piano * Stanley Sheldon – bass, backing vocals * John Siomos – drums
TRACK LISTING:A01 Introduction, Somethin’s Happening * A02 Doobie Wah * A03 Show Me The Way * A04 It’s A Plain Shame * B01 All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side) * B02 Wind Of Change * B03 Baby, I Love Your Way * B04 I Wanna Go To The Sun * C01 Penny For Your Thoughts * C02 (I’ll Give You) Money * C03 Shine On * C04 Jumping Jack Flash * D01 Lines On My Face * D02 Do You Feel Like We Do
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
It’s been touted as the most successful live album of the 70’s, and I doubt there would be few in disagreement. Who would have thought that after a few years playing with the band Humble Pie, and being one of the lesser lights within that band, Frampton would end up being one of the iconic rock artists of the 70s, moving into the Super Leagues.
The Songs
It was a 4 sided LP, which featured a couple of trademark songs from the 70’s decade. The world was introduced to the talk box, an instrument that has hardly been heard of up until this time. The talk box went on to become the vocoder. One can never get enough of songs like ‘Show Me The Way’, ‘Baby I Love Your Way’, Do You Feel Like I Do’, or even the Stones classic ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’.
This album was a product of its time, and went far beyond Frampton’s studio material. Even though those were mostly good, the live environment was where he excelled, the results here and the ensuing success of this live set a testament to that fact.
In Summary
Over the years, the recording has seen significant reissues, and improvements in sound over and above the original recordings. Though the website ‘All Music’ suggests that there was considerable studio doctoring of the raw live tapes. Where have we heard that before? Nonetheless, ‘Comes Alive’ was a significant statement, and changed Frampton’s life forever, as well as the status of melodic rock for years to come.
Video
Entire Album (Select Tracks)
