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Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir
A revelatory memoir by rock icon and legendary guitarist Peter Frampton.
Do You Feel Like I Do? is the incredible story of Peter Frampton's positively resilient life and career told in his own words for the first time. His groundbreaking album Frampton Comes Alive! spawned three top-20 singles and sold 8 million copies the year it was released (over 17 million to date) and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in January. Frampton was on a path to stardom from an early age. By 22, he was touring incessantly and making use of the talk box which would become his signature guitar effect. "I started playing music so young that I sometimes feel I've lived more than one lifetime already," says Frampton.
The artist shares fascinating stories of his collaborative work and tours with the likes of George Harrison and David Bowie, among others, and reveals both the blessing and curse of Frampton Comes Alive!. And he opens up about becoming the heartthrob and cover boy he never wanted to be, his overcoming substance abuse, and how he's continued to play at the top of his game despite an inflammatory muscle disease.
Peppered throughout his narrative is the story of his favorite guitar, which he thought he'd lost in a plane crash in 1980. But in 2011, it mysteriously showed up again - saved from the wreckage. Frampton will tell of that unlikely reunion here in full for the first time, and it is emblematic of his life and career as a legendary artist.
"This is my journey," Frampton says of the book. "All I ever wanted to do was play guitar and it's taken me many different places - physically and mentally. I've been to the moon and back without a rocket, but also to the depths of despair. You never stop paying your dues. Failure has been my greatest inspiration. I brush myself off and then I want to 'do it again.' Do You Feel Like I Do?"
Do You Feel Like I Do? is the incredible story of Peter Frampton's positively resilient life and career told in his own words for the first time. His groundbreaking album Frampton Comes Alive! spawned three top-20 singles and sold 8 million copies the year it was released (over 17 million to date) and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in January. Frampton was on a path to stardom from an early age. By 22, he was touring incessantly and making use of the talk box which would become his signature guitar effect. "I started playing music so young that I sometimes feel I've lived more than one lifetime already," says Frampton.
The artist shares fascinating stories of his collaborative work and tours with the likes of George Harrison and David Bowie, among others, and reveals both the blessing and curse of Frampton Comes Alive!. And he opens up about becoming the heartthrob and cover boy he never wanted to be, his overcoming substance abuse, and how he's continued to play at the top of his game despite an inflammatory muscle disease.
Peppered throughout his narrative is the story of his favorite guitar, which he thought he'd lost in a plane crash in 1980. But in 2011, it mysteriously showed up again - saved from the wreckage. Frampton will tell of that unlikely reunion here in full for the first time, and it is emblematic of his life and career as a legendary artist.
"This is my journey," Frampton says of the book. "All I ever wanted to do was play guitar and it's taken me many different places - physically and mentally. I've been to the moon and back without a rocket, but also to the depths of despair. You never stop paying your dues. Failure has been my greatest inspiration. I brush myself off and then I want to 'do it again.' Do You Feel Like I Do?"
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2020
247 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Peter Frampton
42 books21 followersPeter Frampton is an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist. His international breakthrough album, the live release Frampton Comes Alive! sold more than 8 million copies in the United States and generated several hit singles. Frampton is known for his work as a guitar player, particularly with a talk box and his voice.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
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February 23, 2021
Do you Feel Like I Do? By Peter Frampton is a 2020 Hachette Books publication.
Be still my heart...
Just like millions of other people my age, I had the album… And the poster.
I played that album until the grooves wore out.
Many will say Peter was a victim of his own success. “Frampton Comes Alive’ stayed on the charts for 97 weeks and is still one of the best-selling live albums of all time.
That kind of success is all good and fine until it comes time to follow it up with an equally mind-blowing album. Rarely can such a feat be accomplished, and in my opinion, it is ridiculous to expect lightning to strike twice in a row.
Unfortunately, some image decisions may have kept Frampton from achieving the type of respect from hard rock guitar enthusiasts he deserved.
In fact, despite making it onto some top guitarists list, I still feel his skills are underrated. The guy is phenomenal!!
So, how did Peter rise to such meteoric fame? What happened after he crashed back down to earth?
Peter tells his story with laid back candor, is often self- deprecating, and can be funny and charming too at times.
His story, of course, is a familiar one in some respects, the pitfalls of success, struggles with relationships, management, money, and substances.
Creatively, Frampton was not especially consistent, when it came to releasing new material, but I think he garnered some self-satisfaction with his work, eventually, happy to have produced quality music, despite mediocre sales.
I think that as rock memoirs go, and I’ve read my fair share of them, this is one of the more satisfying ones, at least for me. Sure, all of these memoirs tend to cover the same ground, and often the same formats, but Frampton comes off like a regular guy who just happened to experience some extraordinary events in his life, while mingling with an array of interesting people and multi-talented musicians.
Peter’s approach gives the book an easy- going tone and makes it feel conversational, and not at all like a monologue. While the book is mostly chronological, the flow is not rigid, and Peter often seems to go off script into more of a stream of consciousness, but never veers too far off course.
I do hope that despite Covid robbing musicians of the chance to perform live, at the moment, that Peter’s health will hold steady until it is safe to fully gather again, and that he will be able to enjoy his craft for many years to come.
This one is most definitely for the fans, but Peter is so palatable, and upbeat, those less familiar with the artist will find the book interesting and an easy foray into Peter's life and his music.
* I added audio on this one- switching back and forth between reading the text and listening. Both experiences are pleasant, I think Peter did a wonderful job with the narration.
4 stars
Be still my heart...
Just like millions of other people my age, I had the album… And the poster.
I played that album until the grooves wore out.
Many will say Peter was a victim of his own success. “Frampton Comes Alive’ stayed on the charts for 97 weeks and is still one of the best-selling live albums of all time.
That kind of success is all good and fine until it comes time to follow it up with an equally mind-blowing album. Rarely can such a feat be accomplished, and in my opinion, it is ridiculous to expect lightning to strike twice in a row.
Unfortunately, some image decisions may have kept Frampton from achieving the type of respect from hard rock guitar enthusiasts he deserved.
In fact, despite making it onto some top guitarists list, I still feel his skills are underrated. The guy is phenomenal!!
So, how did Peter rise to such meteoric fame? What happened after he crashed back down to earth?
Peter tells his story with laid back candor, is often self- deprecating, and can be funny and charming too at times.
His story, of course, is a familiar one in some respects, the pitfalls of success, struggles with relationships, management, money, and substances.
Creatively, Frampton was not especially consistent, when it came to releasing new material, but I think he garnered some self-satisfaction with his work, eventually, happy to have produced quality music, despite mediocre sales.
I think that as rock memoirs go, and I’ve read my fair share of them, this is one of the more satisfying ones, at least for me. Sure, all of these memoirs tend to cover the same ground, and often the same formats, but Frampton comes off like a regular guy who just happened to experience some extraordinary events in his life, while mingling with an array of interesting people and multi-talented musicians.
Peter’s approach gives the book an easy- going tone and makes it feel conversational, and not at all like a monologue. While the book is mostly chronological, the flow is not rigid, and Peter often seems to go off script into more of a stream of consciousness, but never veers too far off course.
I do hope that despite Covid robbing musicians of the chance to perform live, at the moment, that Peter’s health will hold steady until it is safe to fully gather again, and that he will be able to enjoy his craft for many years to come.
This one is most definitely for the fans, but Peter is so palatable, and upbeat, those less familiar with the artist will find the book interesting and an easy foray into Peter's life and his music.
* I added audio on this one- switching back and forth between reading the text and listening. Both experiences are pleasant, I think Peter did a wonderful job with the narration.
4 stars
July 7, 2022
1976 was the year I graduated high school.
It was also the year that the album “Frampton Comes Alive” was released.
This album was on repeat by myself and my friends if we were just sitting around at home, at every party we went to, it was everywhere, and we knew every word to every song..which song came up next.. every riff!
It included the big hits "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do" ..
I never knew anything about Peter’s career or personal life, and it was a pleasure to listen to him tell his story on this audiobook!
It was also the year that the album “Frampton Comes Alive” was released.
This album was on repeat by myself and my friends if we were just sitting around at home, at every party we went to, it was everywhere, and we knew every word to every song..which song came up next.. every riff!
It included the big hits "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do" ..
I never knew anything about Peter’s career or personal life, and it was a pleasure to listen to him tell his story on this audiobook!
October 17, 2020
4 Stars
I was born in the 60's, but became ultra musically aware in the 70s. My favorite music is from that decade. I've never been a huge Peter Frampton fan, although I must have been a little interested in his heyday because I bought the "I'm in You" album and also read a paperback biography of him that was out in the 70s. My older brother owned the "Frampton Comes Alive" album that exploded onto the musical zeitgeist in the 70s, but I was only drawn to the two singles that played endlessly on the radio, "Show me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way". So, I guess you could call me a mild/casual fan of him. My husband likes him a lot more. Sometimes I like to read biographies where I don't know a lot about that person already. The book reads like it's coming naturally from his mouth. It's an easy read, and he even ends a good number of sentences with "whatever".
Peter Frampton's dad was an art teacher in high school, and one of his students was David Bowie. So, Peter and David knew each other way back then. Peter got a really early start in his teens with being successful on the guitar. At one point the band wanting to recruit him had to ask the parents' permission and they reasoned that if Peter got a regular job he would be making a certain sum per week. Just to placate Peter's parent's, they agreed to pay Peter that sum each week, even if the band wasn't actually making a lot of money to support that. Frampton was in a band called The Herd and also in Humble Pie. They found success and recording contracts quickly, but almost as soon as things were taking off, Peter felt in his gut that he wanted to go solo, and did. He was only 26 when his mammoth hit live album "Frampton Comes Alive!" was released. He was pressured to come up with another album while "Alive!" was still simmering on the charts. He bristled at this because it had taken him roughly 6 years to write the songs that comprised the live album. It frankly scared him to be pressured to follow up with something great so quickly. Peter was also troubled by the fact that a lot of guys had been attending his concerts previously, but now it seemed like a blanket of girls was filling the front sections of arenas. He always considered himself a serious musician, but since the "Alive" album his persona was shaped into this really cute rocker that adorned the covers of magazines. He was cynical after a photographer took photos for his first Rolling Stone magazine cover, putting a lot of heavy makeup on him and begging Peter to take off his shirt.
Peter wasn't too happy with his follow up album "I'm in You". For one thing, he hated the cover where he was sitting on the floor almost like in a Playgirl cover pose in satin pants and a gauzy top. This is the only album I actually bought of Peter's back in the 70s. I'm not sure if it was an option via the Columbia House program for which I was enrolled where you would get albums in the mail. Sometimes I forgot to mail the card in and got a surprise in the mail! I did actually like very much the title song, and enjoyed even more Peter's cover of the Stevie Wonder hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)". There also was a fun song called "(Putting My) Heart on the Line" where he employed his famous "talk box" hooked up to his guitar like he used on "Show Me the Way".
Peter made millions when his "Alive" album and companion tour was unleashed on the world, but his financial picture took a huge nose dive at one point where he was actually in the negative and had to ask a music mogul for $100,000 to keep him afloat. Like many musicians, he wasn't business savvy and was taken advantage of. His original manager was involved with the mob and was siphoning off money for years. An admiring quality of Peter Frampton is that he is not obsessed with money, and was able to accept fluctuations in his financial status with grace. Peter was fortunate to have many famous musical peers who he revered in awe...who would often ask him to go on tour with them to play guitar. Peter is a humble guy who is a musician by trade, but it is his lifeblood. He will accept life's ups and downs in popularity and financial gratification just to play his guitar...that's the most important thing. So he was very grateful and happy when people like Ringo Starr, George Harrison and David Bowie would ask him to go on tour with them. He would drop everything!
I loved the many times he mentioned meeting certain Beatles members for the first time and never getting over the thrill of it. The first time he met George Harrison he was invited to go to a recording session where George was producing another artist. When he walked in the studio and George greeted him, "Hi, Pete!", Frampton actually turned around to look behind him thinking that perhaps Pete Townsend had walked in. He couldn't fathom that a Beatle actually knew about him and admired his guitar playing. But, many famous musical artists admired Peter's guitar playing, asked him to tour, participate in their albums, etc.
The guitar Frampton is holding on the cover of the iconic "Frampton Comes Alive!" album, a customized black Gibson Les Paul, was lost to Peter for 32 years following a plane crash where the equipment was on a separate plane. At the time he didn't obsess about it because he was more concerned about the people that died in the crash. However, the guitar surfaced decades later when it was brought into a store to be repaired, and the proprietor recognized what he was holding. Frampton was so grateful to get it back and dubbed it "Phenix" from that point on.
In recent years Frampton began having sudden falling episodes involving one of his legs. Physicians later determined that he had a muscular inflammatory disease with no cure called IBM or myositis. It seems to be a slow moving disease as far as progression in his case, but Frampton had a Farewell Tour to ensure that he could still perform without losing any of his guitar prowess. It was cut a little short...or perhaps paused...as a result of the covid19 pandemic. Frampton has a regimen of trying to write music everyday, and has been very prolific with releasing all kinds of albums throughout the decades...even if they could never top the success of "Frampton Comes Alive!"
Frampton was born in Kent, England, but after the September 11 attacks in the United States, he was moved to become a U.S. Citizen so that he could vote. He also was unique as a rocker in his personal life in that when he was with a girlfriend or wife, he remained totally faithful. He was famously (and unsuccessfully) sued with a palimony suit by his former live-in girlfriend Penny McCall, his main squeeze during Peter's most successful period.
A very enjoyable memoir of a most likeable subject!
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I was born in the 60's, but became ultra musically aware in the 70s. My favorite music is from that decade. I've never been a huge Peter Frampton fan, although I must have been a little interested in his heyday because I bought the "I'm in You" album and also read a paperback biography of him that was out in the 70s. My older brother owned the "Frampton Comes Alive" album that exploded onto the musical zeitgeist in the 70s, but I was only drawn to the two singles that played endlessly on the radio, "Show me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way". So, I guess you could call me a mild/casual fan of him. My husband likes him a lot more. Sometimes I like to read biographies where I don't know a lot about that person already. The book reads like it's coming naturally from his mouth. It's an easy read, and he even ends a good number of sentences with "whatever".
Peter Frampton's dad was an art teacher in high school, and one of his students was David Bowie. So, Peter and David knew each other way back then. Peter got a really early start in his teens with being successful on the guitar. At one point the band wanting to recruit him had to ask the parents' permission and they reasoned that if Peter got a regular job he would be making a certain sum per week. Just to placate Peter's parent's, they agreed to pay Peter that sum each week, even if the band wasn't actually making a lot of money to support that. Frampton was in a band called The Herd and also in Humble Pie. They found success and recording contracts quickly, but almost as soon as things were taking off, Peter felt in his gut that he wanted to go solo, and did. He was only 26 when his mammoth hit live album "Frampton Comes Alive!" was released. He was pressured to come up with another album while "Alive!" was still simmering on the charts. He bristled at this because it had taken him roughly 6 years to write the songs that comprised the live album. It frankly scared him to be pressured to follow up with something great so quickly. Peter was also troubled by the fact that a lot of guys had been attending his concerts previously, but now it seemed like a blanket of girls was filling the front sections of arenas. He always considered himself a serious musician, but since the "Alive" album his persona was shaped into this really cute rocker that adorned the covers of magazines. He was cynical after a photographer took photos for his first Rolling Stone magazine cover, putting a lot of heavy makeup on him and begging Peter to take off his shirt.
Peter wasn't too happy with his follow up album "I'm in You". For one thing, he hated the cover where he was sitting on the floor almost like in a Playgirl cover pose in satin pants and a gauzy top. This is the only album I actually bought of Peter's back in the 70s. I'm not sure if it was an option via the Columbia House program for which I was enrolled where you would get albums in the mail. Sometimes I forgot to mail the card in and got a surprise in the mail! I did actually like very much the title song, and enjoyed even more Peter's cover of the Stevie Wonder hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)". There also was a fun song called "(Putting My) Heart on the Line" where he employed his famous "talk box" hooked up to his guitar like he used on "Show Me the Way".
Peter made millions when his "Alive" album and companion tour was unleashed on the world, but his financial picture took a huge nose dive at one point where he was actually in the negative and had to ask a music mogul for $100,000 to keep him afloat. Like many musicians, he wasn't business savvy and was taken advantage of. His original manager was involved with the mob and was siphoning off money for years. An admiring quality of Peter Frampton is that he is not obsessed with money, and was able to accept fluctuations in his financial status with grace. Peter was fortunate to have many famous musical peers who he revered in awe...who would often ask him to go on tour with them to play guitar. Peter is a humble guy who is a musician by trade, but it is his lifeblood. He will accept life's ups and downs in popularity and financial gratification just to play his guitar...that's the most important thing. So he was very grateful and happy when people like Ringo Starr, George Harrison and David Bowie would ask him to go on tour with them. He would drop everything!
I loved the many times he mentioned meeting certain Beatles members for the first time and never getting over the thrill of it. The first time he met George Harrison he was invited to go to a recording session where George was producing another artist. When he walked in the studio and George greeted him, "Hi, Pete!", Frampton actually turned around to look behind him thinking that perhaps Pete Townsend had walked in. He couldn't fathom that a Beatle actually knew about him and admired his guitar playing. But, many famous musical artists admired Peter's guitar playing, asked him to tour, participate in their albums, etc.
The guitar Frampton is holding on the cover of the iconic "Frampton Comes Alive!" album, a customized black Gibson Les Paul, was lost to Peter for 32 years following a plane crash where the equipment was on a separate plane. At the time he didn't obsess about it because he was more concerned about the people that died in the crash. However, the guitar surfaced decades later when it was brought into a store to be repaired, and the proprietor recognized what he was holding. Frampton was so grateful to get it back and dubbed it "Phenix" from that point on.
In recent years Frampton began having sudden falling episodes involving one of his legs. Physicians later determined that he had a muscular inflammatory disease with no cure called IBM or myositis. It seems to be a slow moving disease as far as progression in his case, but Frampton had a Farewell Tour to ensure that he could still perform without losing any of his guitar prowess. It was cut a little short...or perhaps paused...as a result of the covid19 pandemic. Frampton has a regimen of trying to write music everyday, and has been very prolific with releasing all kinds of albums throughout the decades...even if they could never top the success of "Frampton Comes Alive!"
Frampton was born in Kent, England, but after the September 11 attacks in the United States, he was moved to become a U.S. Citizen so that he could vote. He also was unique as a rocker in his personal life in that when he was with a girlfriend or wife, he remained totally faithful. He was famously (and unsuccessfully) sued with a palimony suit by his former live-in girlfriend Penny McCall, his main squeeze during Peter's most successful period.
A very enjoyable memoir of a most likeable subject!
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
July 9, 2020
Peter Frampton overnight went from rock obscurity to being a household name with the phenomenal success of "Frampton Comes Alive," which at the time sold eight million copies, a figure unheard of. Frampton is best known for such hits as "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do", and "I'm in You." His trademarked long locks and pop star looks combined with awesome musicianship made Frampton a sensation in the mid seventies. He wasn't a one-hit wonder, but his catapult to success with that one live album came out of nowhere and was never duplicated. Truth be told Frampton, as he tells it in his autobiography, never wanted pop stardom and wanted to be recognized for his guitar playing with or without his talk box 📦 featured on Show Me the Way and Do You Feel.
Frampton had a long career that encompassed far more than his brief flirtation with ultra stardom and here he tells the story beginning with childhood, going to school with Dave Jones (who later became Bowie) and jamming and hobnobbing with all of British rock royalty. He doesn't leave out the drunken car crashes in the Caribbean, the drug addled concerts, and the AA meetings, the promoters who ripped him off, and the times when the world's biggest star was dead broke. Frampton can be an intriguing storyteller. Nevertheless, like most rock biographies, the endless stars and tours can be a bit numbing to go through. Overall, and to a story of a meteoric rise and fall and perseverance that ended up at seventy years and going a life full and well lived.
Frampton had a long career that encompassed far more than his brief flirtation with ultra stardom and here he tells the story beginning with childhood, going to school with Dave Jones (who later became Bowie) and jamming and hobnobbing with all of British rock royalty. He doesn't leave out the drunken car crashes in the Caribbean, the drug addled concerts, and the AA meetings, the promoters who ripped him off, and the times when the world's biggest star was dead broke. Frampton can be an intriguing storyteller. Nevertheless, like most rock biographies, the endless stars and tours can be a bit numbing to go through. Overall, and to a story of a meteoric rise and fall and perseverance that ended up at seventy years and going a life full and well lived.
October 31, 2020
Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir is the new autobiography by musician Peter Frampton.
He gives us the details of his breakthrough into the world of music as a teenager, the many ups and downs in his career, his marriages, and his serious health issues later in life.
The stories involving the many famous musicians he has collaborated with was fun to read.
A wonderfully humbling and interesting account of Peter Frampton's life!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
He gives us the details of his breakthrough into the world of music as a teenager, the many ups and downs in his career, his marriages, and his serious health issues later in life.
The stories involving the many famous musicians he has collaborated with was fun to read.
A wonderfully humbling and interesting account of Peter Frampton's life!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
October 10, 2020
Do you feel like I do....yes, indeed! I was in middle school when Frampton Comes Alive came out. My dad gave it to me and not long after he passed away. I battled grief with this album, listening over and over. Sgt, Peppers came out and I knew I was in love. I knew that Frampton had the admiration of some of the biggest, baddest guitar players so I knew he had to have an interesting background. The story was written as if Frampton was talking to you....quick read that keeps you glued.
October 6, 2020
Frampton has written a frank, unpolished, from the heart autobiography. He has led an interesting life.
Peter starts off the book with a bang. “Let me tell you one thing - if Peter Frampton does not play, first I kill you, and then I kill Peter Frampton.’’
Frampton was to hold a sold-out concert in Panama. Unfortunately, the previous day, Frampton’s cargo plane carrying all of his band’s equipment left the runway in Caracas, Venezuela, crashed and exploded. There was no way they could put on a concert but Frampton’s road manager was told in no uncertain terms by the Panama promoter that the show must go on or else… Manuel Noriega’s name was mentioned. Through pure luck and quick thinking, the band escaped out of the country despite not having their passports which were being held by the promoter to ensure the concert would go on.
From a young age Frampton had a natural gift of ‘special ears’. He became known as a master of musical nuances and sound. Word spread about his musical genius and he was sought out by bands and rockers who would influence his music and who would become friends for life. Bowie, The Stones, Eric Clapton, The Who, Led Zeppelin, you name it, Frampton jammed with them! It was a smaller world back in his heyday but Frampton’s music is still relevant and recognized by a younger generation. Frampton has had some crazy ups and downs and clearly lives to play guitar. I was very sad to read about his myositis diagnosis, a rare and progressive muscle related disease.
Frampton’s concert was my first of many. A lot of years have gone by but I still remember the thrill and the magic he could make on that guitar. I snatched up his memoir as soon as I saw it was available. If you like Frampton, buy this book! Thanks to Hachette Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Peter starts off the book with a bang. “Let me tell you one thing - if Peter Frampton does not play, first I kill you, and then I kill Peter Frampton.’’
Frampton was to hold a sold-out concert in Panama. Unfortunately, the previous day, Frampton’s cargo plane carrying all of his band’s equipment left the runway in Caracas, Venezuela, crashed and exploded. There was no way they could put on a concert but Frampton’s road manager was told in no uncertain terms by the Panama promoter that the show must go on or else… Manuel Noriega’s name was mentioned. Through pure luck and quick thinking, the band escaped out of the country despite not having their passports which were being held by the promoter to ensure the concert would go on.
From a young age Frampton had a natural gift of ‘special ears’. He became known as a master of musical nuances and sound. Word spread about his musical genius and he was sought out by bands and rockers who would influence his music and who would become friends for life. Bowie, The Stones, Eric Clapton, The Who, Led Zeppelin, you name it, Frampton jammed with them! It was a smaller world back in his heyday but Frampton’s music is still relevant and recognized by a younger generation. Frampton has had some crazy ups and downs and clearly lives to play guitar. I was very sad to read about his myositis diagnosis, a rare and progressive muscle related disease.
Frampton’s concert was my first of many. A lot of years have gone by but I still remember the thrill and the magic he could make on that guitar. I snatched up his memoir as soon as I saw it was available. If you like Frampton, buy this book! Thanks to Hachette Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2020
This book will appeal more to musicians than to the casual music listener, even a Peter Frampton fan. I loved Frampton’s music in the mid-seventies, you heard it everywhere, all the time. When his number one album, “Frampton Comes Alive” came out in 1976, (we did not say ‘drop’ then), he was more popular than ever. The media turned him into a ‘Rock Star’ by focusing more on his looks than his music. Although he claims this bothered him, and it might certainly have, it did not seem to stop him from enjoying all the fruits of that status and lifestyle. He does not deny this. The most difficult part for him was living up to this height of success the rest of your life.
Peter talks about every gig he has played since he was a kid, which guitar he used, and who he played with, which, of course, is an impressive list. Everyone from each of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and bands and great musicians whose names are too numerous to recall. He was and still is a talented musician. I was also hoping for a little more ‘fun fan facts.’ If someone else wrote this for him, this book might have some of that, but it is not his nature.
He does discuss his second marriage to Barbara, and his two kids, Julian and Jade, and the time he never got to spend with them because he was always on tour. His third marriage was a reconnection to a woman he met in 1979, while on tour in Cincinnati, Ohio. They later met again, married, and have one child, a daughter, Mia, born in 1996.
At some point his oldest son, Julian was having problems, and Peter and his ex-wife, Barbara, are advised to attend a program at the center his son is staying at in Tucson. So, they go, and Peter claims to have undergone this transformation of the mind and body, that he is now a totally new person. He is ready to listen and help his son and apologize for not being there to his ex-wife, etc. But what I totally do not understand, he then announces as a result of this, he has to end his marriage to Tina. He says this in the book like it is an obvious conclusion. Well, call me confused; as were Tina, and his daughter Mia. Apparently, they have all adjusted now, but that made no sense to me.
So fast forward to 2020. Peter is living in Nashville and is suffering from a degenerative muscle disease known as, IBM – Inclusion Body Myositis, which weaken the muscles oven time. Since he is in his early seventies, born in 1950, it is a tough thing to deal with, since there is no cure. We wish him well. He has written a no-frills autobiography as far as I can tell, and that is all we can ask of anyone.
Thank you Netgalley, Hachette Books, and Peter Frampton
October 30, 2020
A wonderful book and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I of course also grew up listening to Humble Pie, and like so many others bought and still have “Frampton Comes Alive” which for the longest time was not the only top-selling live recording album but also a top-selling album for a while as well.
He takes you through his journey of life from childhood to meeting Davey Jones in school who would change his name to David Bowie as to be confused with Davey Jones from The Monkeys. They would stay life long friends which only added to this story.
He really goes into the men who were behind him at the time of his biggest success and how they continued to drive him as far as coming up with another album when “Comes Alive” was still in the top five of sales. How those men kept pushing for more songs and more tours. One man would be someone who would steal from him and then on top of that he had to pay to get out of the contract. He just doesn’t like it when men take advantage of the people who created the music. Frampton though blames himself for not looking into it himself and not being more concerned about everything up to that point.
When you get into his later part of his career, he speaks of touring with David Bowie and then playing backup on other people’s albums. He leads you up to the album “Fingerprints” which I still think is his best album I still listen to it even now it is that good. He also speaks about his marriages and divorces, along with his children, and also about an illness he has been diagnosed with. Overall, I really liked this book and he seemed to be totally honest about everything, a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com
He takes you through his journey of life from childhood to meeting Davey Jones in school who would change his name to David Bowie as to be confused with Davey Jones from The Monkeys. They would stay life long friends which only added to this story.
He really goes into the men who were behind him at the time of his biggest success and how they continued to drive him as far as coming up with another album when “Comes Alive” was still in the top five of sales. How those men kept pushing for more songs and more tours. One man would be someone who would steal from him and then on top of that he had to pay to get out of the contract. He just doesn’t like it when men take advantage of the people who created the music. Frampton though blames himself for not looking into it himself and not being more concerned about everything up to that point.
When you get into his later part of his career, he speaks of touring with David Bowie and then playing backup on other people’s albums. He leads you up to the album “Fingerprints” which I still think is his best album I still listen to it even now it is that good. He also speaks about his marriages and divorces, along with his children, and also about an illness he has been diagnosed with. Overall, I really liked this book and he seemed to be totally honest about everything, a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com
November 20, 2020
Uneven but entertaining
Frampton more or less arrives on the scene with Frampton Comes Alive, and even I, who was around at the time, thought as much. I had no idea who he was, that he was in Humble Pie, and so on. Reading this book was a major corrective.
The thing about these rock autobios -- and here I'm thinking of Johnny Marr's and Bruce Springsteen's -- is that they all follow a similar trajectory, mostly to do with beginning rough, having unscrupulous managers who steal from them, doing drugs, then mature clarity with a loving family. Frampton's does too. What makes these books interesting, then, are the early days that are rocked with friction. But when things settle, it gets a bit dull.
In Frampton's case, it appears that he doesn't want to speak ill of anyone (arising, no doubt, from wisdom achieved from going through a 12-step program), and that's okay. Yet he sands down the friction to the extent that you have to wonder. His manager, Dee, steals millions from him, and Peter walks away (now at 70) with "lesson learned." Okay, but.....
With the music, you get a lot of Frampton Comes Alive but not much about the later works. He touches on them so briefly (save for Fingerprints that you have to wonder. Moreover, what really motivates him is talking about the details of playing music, all the chords and flats and so on, none of which I understand, and so all these experiences are lost on me (and this accounts for at least a 5th of the book).
At the very least, he opens some doors on the people he has known (everyone turns out to be a lifelong friend, it seems), and he sure has known major names, from David Bowie and George Harrison and Pete Townsend, on down. No dirt, just observations.
In the end, what you come to realize is that all you really know of him is, again, Frampton Comes Alive and maybe the follow-up. He's been around all these years, yet perhaps his major, important record still overshadows all.
Frampton more or less arrives on the scene with Frampton Comes Alive, and even I, who was around at the time, thought as much. I had no idea who he was, that he was in Humble Pie, and so on. Reading this book was a major corrective.
The thing about these rock autobios -- and here I'm thinking of Johnny Marr's and Bruce Springsteen's -- is that they all follow a similar trajectory, mostly to do with beginning rough, having unscrupulous managers who steal from them, doing drugs, then mature clarity with a loving family. Frampton's does too. What makes these books interesting, then, are the early days that are rocked with friction. But when things settle, it gets a bit dull.
In Frampton's case, it appears that he doesn't want to speak ill of anyone (arising, no doubt, from wisdom achieved from going through a 12-step program), and that's okay. Yet he sands down the friction to the extent that you have to wonder. His manager, Dee, steals millions from him, and Peter walks away (now at 70) with "lesson learned." Okay, but.....
With the music, you get a lot of Frampton Comes Alive but not much about the later works. He touches on them so briefly (save for Fingerprints that you have to wonder. Moreover, what really motivates him is talking about the details of playing music, all the chords and flats and so on, none of which I understand, and so all these experiences are lost on me (and this accounts for at least a 5th of the book).
At the very least, he opens some doors on the people he has known (everyone turns out to be a lifelong friend, it seems), and he sure has known major names, from David Bowie and George Harrison and Pete Townsend, on down. No dirt, just observations.
In the end, what you come to realize is that all you really know of him is, again, Frampton Comes Alive and maybe the follow-up. He's been around all these years, yet perhaps his major, important record still overshadows all.
June 26, 2020
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This memoir is a very quick and easy read: two thirds "I played with XX famous musician" and 1/3 personal/musical memoir. Frampton certainly collaborated with a huge host of big names in his career - from Ringo to Bowie, and it is clear he's a genuine and nice, laidback kind of guy. There are no big reveals here, no inside story. A lot of the bad he's at peace with and so doesn't discuss much at all. So what you get are a lot of memories playing with various people across the decades and how he came to terms with the doubled edged sword of having the number one selling record (at the time) and live album of all time.The book is mostly chronological, though there are some memories appearing randomly in places. It details growing up a generation after the deprivation of WW2 in England, how he was the right age/place to become part of the British rock wave begun with the Beatles, and mostly it just feels like he walked into the perfect situations to further his success and career. Looking deeper, it becomes obvious that he is a nice and decent person who was definitely very good at playing the guitar. And so other musicians gravitated to him and knew they could trust him (in a business where drugs, alcohol, money, and women turn nice guys into destructive balls of selfishness).
The hardest aspect of the book is that you have to read between the lines to understand the difficult parts of his life. E.g., he says he became an alcoholic but all you really read of how that affected him was when he said he got plastered one night and realized he would have to go to AA. He never chose to be with groupies and instead was monogamous but also failed to keep marriages (and again, he doesn't really go into why they failed, perhaps to protect his children from the fighting that would result of trying to find blame). Similarly, he had several managers (nearly all of them, if you read between the lines) steal a lot of his earnings. But then he'll dismiss that as "well, but without them I likely wouldn't have made as much anyway." In many ways, Frampton can be very hard to pin down; he is very sanguine about most topics and clearly doesn't dwell on the negative.
I think most people will remember him for the Frampton Comes Alive album. He doesn't go into a lot of detail about the making of the album but it is clear that its success had a deleterious effect: he had to compete with himself for the rest of his career. As well, at the same time the album hit success, the media focused on his looks and turned him into an idol - alienating his male rock audience and diluting the skill of his music.
The book is very current to the end, discussing Covid 19 lockdown issues and his deteriorating health. It was fun reading about all the people he has played with and their mutual respect. But that was a lot of the autobiography and it mostly came down to "he liked me and my music and I liked him and his music." As such, they could pretty much have been just listed since there wasn't perhaps all that much to discuss about the collaborations. E.g., Frampton went on the Glass Spider tour with Bowie and all we hear about it is that Bowie would call him out by name and that he enjoyed it. And yeah, that Bowie is a great guy. If Frampton had bad/poor collaborations or was snuffed/insulted by other musicians, it isn't in here. If anything interesting happened on the various tours, we would only get rare snippets unless it was a major known incident (such as the plane crash in South America).
So although Frampton is candid about his life, it's about the positives. I don't think he's hiding anything; rather, he's just the type of guy who doesn't let things bother him too much and so doesn't dwell on them. Great for him but perhaps not as interesting for readers.
As a sidenote, I was a tween when his albums hit but my mother and her best friend just loved him. Her friend even tried to get a license plate in California that said, "ImInYou" but it was rejected as being too salacious by the DMV. The I'm In You album was a disappointment to Frampton (he said his head just wasn't in it after the success of Comes Alive) but it was certainly everywhere at the time. So while Frampton really hated becoming an idol rather than a musician, being an idol meant a lot to so many women at the time. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
January 16, 2021
Sigh. I'm still searching for a good memoir by a musician. I had hopes for this one, but it's not the one. If you enjoy reading a litany of names, places, and names of engineers, well, you may enjoy this. But it gets tedious.
It's a shame he didn't work with a journalist and a good editor on this book. For example, in one chapter he's living with his future wife, mentions a future girlfriend, then talks about getting married to wife 1. Very disjointed. A good journalist could have delved further into his feelings, influences, regrets, etc in his life. He talks about working for the Kennedy Foundation very perfunctorily. The only time he starts opening up is outlining his autoimmune disease.
It's a shame he didn't work with a journalist and a good editor on this book. For example, in one chapter he's living with his future wife, mentions a future girlfriend, then talks about getting married to wife 1. Very disjointed. A good journalist could have delved further into his feelings, influences, regrets, etc in his life. He talks about working for the Kennedy Foundation very perfunctorily. The only time he starts opening up is outlining his autoimmune disease.
June 8, 2022
The quitar God we all wanted to be. A story told beautifully about Rock n Roll.
January 2, 2021
I was a massive Peter Frampton fan in my teens.... staring with the Live album and then combing through all of his back work. I remember the crushing disappointment when “I’m In You” came out.
Frampton does a thorough job walking you through his life story. His breadth of experience and playing partners is off the charts if you are a big music fan. If not I would steer clear of this book.
I read this immediately after David Chang’s “Eat a Peach”..... struck by the similarities .... driven, bouts of serious depression and most interestingly... each level of success was not cause for celebration but cause for panic of how do I top that
Frampton does a thorough job walking you through his life story. His breadth of experience and playing partners is off the charts if you are a big music fan. If not I would steer clear of this book.
I read this immediately after David Chang’s “Eat a Peach”..... struck by the similarities .... driven, bouts of serious depression and most interestingly... each level of success was not cause for celebration but cause for panic of how do I top that
October 29, 2020
As a fan of the Small Faces (& The Herd) as a teenager, I soon acquired both Humble Pie & PF albums, & bored friends during my Uni days endlessly playing his early solo records. Booked to see him in the UK for his farewell tour which ended up cancelled but looked forward to this as a substitute. Lots of good memories, supported by dips into You Tube to bring them alive (can’t get I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die out of my head!), but I found the telling of the story a bit disjointed (did he just tape stuff and the writer just transpose it all verbatim?) Encouraged me to explore some of his later albums though because I do love his guitar playing.
February 23, 2021
Great guy. Undeniable talent with an amazing story. He needs a better editor here to make this book tighter. Very interesting to hear his perspective of what it was like to be the man behind iconic songs and a roller coaster career. He makes the point in the book that working with different producers at different points in his career could have had a positive impact. Likewise, a different editor might have helped this book.
October 27, 2020
the book is as modest and unassuming and soft-spoken as the musician ... this memoir is light on personal details and heavy on name dropping and guitar gig reenactments, but Frampton does come alive in many ways ... he's a genuinely nice human and a treasured, talented contributor to the golden era of rock & roll
February 7, 2021
I loved reading about Frampton’s life as a musician, the other famous musicians he played guitar with, the stories of how he made his records. Being a memoir, rather than a biography, the book tended to meander back & forth through time rather a chronological time frame. Just a minor complaint though!! It was a lovely read.
July 22, 2021
LOVED IT!! Such a joy to read! So well-written, honesty, and funny. Highly recommended for old fans, new fans, and those new to Peter. I hope everyone reads it. :)
October 2, 2020
DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO?: A Memoir by Peter Frampton with Alan Light is a fantastic memoir! I remember when I was young and I saw him in the movie Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and thought he was cute! I didn’t know much about him or his career before reading this book so it was really interesting to read all about his life from his grade school days just learning how to play the guitar to joining a band and becoming a sensation. I really loved the conversational tone of his writing. It was really fun to read about all the big name musicians he’s collaborated with over the years. I honestly got teary eyed at one part near the end of the book. I loved this book and now I want to watch his movie again!
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Thank you to Hachette Books via NetGalley for my advance digital galley!
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Thank you to Hachette Books via NetGalley for my advance digital galley!
December 20, 2020
Few rock musicians are more associated with sudden career collapse than Peter Frampton. "Frampton Comes Alive" album released in 1976 sold 8 million copies. In four years, he was broke.
The story of his life is humble beginnings, stardom, adversity, and then success through perseverance. He left high school in England early to play guitar in bands. His parents were happy for him to become a musician at 16.
He quickly rose through the ranks to form Humble Pie with Steve Marriot. Then he left to go out on his own to become the huge star, Peter Frampton. Along the way, he befriended influential members of the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and countless other rock icons.
He had the classic rock star career arc, fame, booze, partying - all the while he had bad managers which were giving poor advice and taking most of his money. A sudden pivot by Frampton from hard rock to pop music in 1978 dwindled and limited his fan base.
Peter found his way back. Most of the book describes his gradual climb to improve musically, while dealing with his addictions and string of bad relationships. Now at 70, he is a top musician and sound engineer, after 56 years of hard work.
The book is frank and informative, and it demonstrates his solid humility. He's thankful for what he has and generous. You understand the astronomical work and faith required to survive as a musician.
The excitement of the book sort of follows the same pattern, unfortunately. After 1980, his life does become a normal grind, as dedication and wisdom replace rollercoaster fame. Fortunately, by 1980, he had done enough through Humble Pie and Frampton Comes Alive to etch himself into rock and roll history, and he had the desire to preserve the wonderful music and create even more art.
The story of his life is humble beginnings, stardom, adversity, and then success through perseverance. He left high school in England early to play guitar in bands. His parents were happy for him to become a musician at 16.
He quickly rose through the ranks to form Humble Pie with Steve Marriot. Then he left to go out on his own to become the huge star, Peter Frampton. Along the way, he befriended influential members of the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and countless other rock icons.
He had the classic rock star career arc, fame, booze, partying - all the while he had bad managers which were giving poor advice and taking most of his money. A sudden pivot by Frampton from hard rock to pop music in 1978 dwindled and limited his fan base.
Peter found his way back. Most of the book describes his gradual climb to improve musically, while dealing with his addictions and string of bad relationships. Now at 70, he is a top musician and sound engineer, after 56 years of hard work.
The book is frank and informative, and it demonstrates his solid humility. He's thankful for what he has and generous. You understand the astronomical work and faith required to survive as a musician.
The excitement of the book sort of follows the same pattern, unfortunately. After 1980, his life does become a normal grind, as dedication and wisdom replace rollercoaster fame. Fortunately, by 1980, he had done enough through Humble Pie and Frampton Comes Alive to etch himself into rock and roll history, and he had the desire to preserve the wonderful music and create even more art.
February 25, 2021
I didn't find this memoir to be very well written or organized. I wouldn't characterize Frampton as eloquent. But, I think his is an interesting story. Without-a-doubt a phenomenal guitarist, as was recognized when he was just a child, Frampton shot to the top of the charts at the age of 25. But then he plummeted and never regained his original status, though has been redeemed in recent years. Frampton explains his fall, as best he can, as being attributed to: his fear, after the HUGE success of Frampton Comes Alive, of being unable to repeat that success; his dependency on alcohol and drugs to smother that fear; pressure to release a follow-up album without sufficient time to write new material; being portrayed (by the likes of The Rolling Stone and others) as a Rock'n Roll pretty boy, idol to teen girls, causing him to lose his male audience; making the regrettable decision to perform in the panned movie, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which likely didn't win him any fans.
Even after the fall, Frampton remained highly regarded by his peers as an extraordinarily talented guitarist. He made his way back doing session work with some other of the greats.
Frampton seems like a genuinely nice and sincere individual who has made and maintained many friendships over the decades.
Even after the fall, Frampton remained highly regarded by his peers as an extraordinarily talented guitarist. He made his way back doing session work with some other of the greats.
Frampton seems like a genuinely nice and sincere individual who has made and maintained many friendships over the decades.
March 20, 2021
I have very little knowledge about who Peter Frampton is or what he's accomplished in his long career--he was hot before I came into existence and then not really around when I started listening to music. But, since I was gifted the book by an enthusiastic Frampton fan, I gladly read it.
The writing was all over the place (often several rambling topics in one paragraph), which made the editor in me cringe a bit. At times it felt like he was just name-dropping page after page after page... which likely makes for an exciting read if you're a big fan. Since I didn't know Peter Frampton, I also didn't know most of those names (save for Mick, Keith, Eric, Ringo, etc.). That said, it was also clearly written in his own voice and rhythm, which was honest and humble enough to make all this forgivable and keep me turning the pages.
I walked away feeling like I had just spent a few hours with a very decent and reasonably down-to-earth human being. I like this guy. And if you're a fan and have some knowledge of his albums and associates, you'll probably love the book.
The writing was all over the place (often several rambling topics in one paragraph), which made the editor in me cringe a bit. At times it felt like he was just name-dropping page after page after page... which likely makes for an exciting read if you're a big fan. Since I didn't know Peter Frampton, I also didn't know most of those names (save for Mick, Keith, Eric, Ringo, etc.). That said, it was also clearly written in his own voice and rhythm, which was honest and humble enough to make all this forgivable and keep me turning the pages.
I walked away feeling like I had just spent a few hours with a very decent and reasonably down-to-earth human being. I like this guy. And if you're a fan and have some knowledge of his albums and associates, you'll probably love the book.
November 1, 2020
As a 70's Girl I grew up listening to Peter Frampton. I actually used to get chills from the song "Baby I love your way" I still have the "Frampton comes alive album, And was excited to learn that the album came out on my birth date- January 6th in 1976. I also loved that Peter spent time on Long Island at a studio in Commack. And currently lives in my favorite place, Nashville TN.
I loved hearing about all Peter's family, interactions with others artists and career experiences.
Peter talked incessantly about other artists and how humble they are but I have to say Peter himself truly sounds the most humble.
Bonus that this audio book was read by Peter himself!
I loved hearing about all Peter's family, interactions with others artists and career experiences.
Peter talked incessantly about other artists and how humble they are but I have to say Peter himself truly sounds the most humble.
Bonus that this audio book was read by Peter himself!
January 8, 2023
If you are a fan, then this book is a must. If you are not a fan, listen to “Frampton Comes Alive!” Than read the book. Enjoy always.
August 4, 2022
I'd heard in Peter's interviews before how he really only ever wanted to be a guitar player in a band, never the pretty boy singer up front.
His humility rings true throughout his career, summed up in this quote:
"...I've never thought I'm good enough... I've always got to practice to be good, better, better. I'm my own worst critic, a perfectionist..."
He played by ear as a young teen, but his parents made sure he took guitar lessons for several years to get a solid foundation. He hated how confining reading music felt, but ultimately appreciated learning the skills of music theory. It helped him understand the genius behind the seemingly spontaneous solos of B.B. King, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Django Rhinehart, etc., etc.
He studied all genres of guitar players: jazz, blues, of course rock, and blended them to make his own style. He put in easily ten years of work towards this evolving goal. It all provides the background needed to be able to play his solos differently every time. There's always something new to learn, and that's what keeps playing fresh and interesting.
"A pop star's career may last 8 years, but a musician's career can last a lifetime."
As he described his albums, the YouTube connections really enriched the reading experience.
He's not a literary writer, but it was great fun to hear the track, such as when Stevie Wonder came in to the studio and played harmonica.
He and David Bowie were chums from school. (Dave was in Peter's father's art class.)
Years later, after Peter's career had stalled after the meteoric rise from the Frampton Comes Alive album, Dave called and asked if Peter would come on his Glass Spider Tour as his guitar player.
That's all he ever wanted and it was a great life preserver his friend gave him.
Peter has released all varieties of albums over the years, instrumental, jazz, blues, acoustic classics, etc. and sampling them on iTunes has been great fun. I have great respect for his underrated talents.
His instrumental album Fingerprints won him a Grammy, and he wore a tie to the ceremony in memory of his father who recently passed away.
"The reviews were phenomenal. It was a lovely surprise... They think I'm a guitar player again- thank the Universe!"
"They finally gave me a Grammy for not singing."
His progressive muscle disorder diagnosis in 2015 is called Inclusion Body Myositis and causes atrophy of his legs, arms, hands and fingers. There's no cure, but a rigorous exercise and PT regimen can delay the weakness.
He's been in the recording studio ever since, laying down as many tracks as possible for future projects while he still can.
He has set up the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.
In 2018 when Soundgarden lost Chris Cornell, he performed in a tribute with Brandi Carlile which crossed several streams for me.
Peter's movie and TV appearances are on YouTube as well, and they were great fun to watch after his descriptions of the behind the scenes antics.
He produced a Vevo video in 202o to his instrumental of George Harrison's Isn't It a Pity.
It summarizes the (ongoing) dismay at having to lockdown just before his farewell tour.
His 3 grown children and baby granddaughter are included via Zoom.
(Bink, I see an in-depth conversation with Nick in my future. :)
His humility rings true throughout his career, summed up in this quote:
"...I've never thought I'm good enough... I've always got to practice to be good, better, better. I'm my own worst critic, a perfectionist..."
He played by ear as a young teen, but his parents made sure he took guitar lessons for several years to get a solid foundation. He hated how confining reading music felt, but ultimately appreciated learning the skills of music theory. It helped him understand the genius behind the seemingly spontaneous solos of B.B. King, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Django Rhinehart, etc., etc.
He studied all genres of guitar players: jazz, blues, of course rock, and blended them to make his own style. He put in easily ten years of work towards this evolving goal. It all provides the background needed to be able to play his solos differently every time. There's always something new to learn, and that's what keeps playing fresh and interesting.
"A pop star's career may last 8 years, but a musician's career can last a lifetime."
As he described his albums, the YouTube connections really enriched the reading experience.
He's not a literary writer, but it was great fun to hear the track, such as when Stevie Wonder came in to the studio and played harmonica.
He and David Bowie were chums from school. (Dave was in Peter's father's art class.)
Years later, after Peter's career had stalled after the meteoric rise from the Frampton Comes Alive album, Dave called and asked if Peter would come on his Glass Spider Tour as his guitar player.
That's all he ever wanted and it was a great life preserver his friend gave him.
Peter has released all varieties of albums over the years, instrumental, jazz, blues, acoustic classics, etc. and sampling them on iTunes has been great fun. I have great respect for his underrated talents.
His instrumental album Fingerprints won him a Grammy, and he wore a tie to the ceremony in memory of his father who recently passed away.
"The reviews were phenomenal. It was a lovely surprise... They think I'm a guitar player again- thank the Universe!"
"They finally gave me a Grammy for not singing."
His progressive muscle disorder diagnosis in 2015 is called Inclusion Body Myositis and causes atrophy of his legs, arms, hands and fingers. There's no cure, but a rigorous exercise and PT regimen can delay the weakness.
He's been in the recording studio ever since, laying down as many tracks as possible for future projects while he still can.
He has set up the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.
In 2018 when Soundgarden lost Chris Cornell, he performed in a tribute with Brandi Carlile which crossed several streams for me.
Peter's movie and TV appearances are on YouTube as well, and they were great fun to watch after his descriptions of the behind the scenes antics.
He produced a Vevo video in 202o to his instrumental of George Harrison's Isn't It a Pity.
It summarizes the (ongoing) dismay at having to lockdown just before his farewell tour.
His 3 grown children and baby granddaughter are included via Zoom.
(Bink, I see an in-depth conversation with Nick in my future. :)
November 19, 2020
In "Wayne's World 2", Mike Meyers as the title character says of Peter Frampton's "Frampton Comes Alive" album: "If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide".
He is not far from the truth. I was 14 years old in 1976 when my sister won this album by calling into a radio station and we played the heck out of it. Peter Frampton was only 26 years old at the time and that record went on to become the biggest selling album of all time!
To say that Peter Frampton peaked at a young age is to understate the obvious. At 12, he was performing publicly; At 14, he was in a band managed by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones; at 16, he was in a band that was getting radio airplay in his native England; at 18, he joined the seminal band Humble Pay; at 21, he began his solo career; and at 26 he recorded his iconic "Comes Alive" album. Along the way, he was invited to play guitar with many of the best rock artists of the day. And as a teenager, he befriended major stars like Wyman, David Bowie, and Pete Townsend.
Through this period, Peter managed to keep his focus and avoid the common pitfalls of sex, drugs, and alcohol that tempt so many rock stars. Until, that is, the extreme fame that came with "Frampton Comes Alive" and the pressure to maintain that pinnacle. It was during this time, that he developed a drug addiction and his career waned - both commercially and artistically.
Yet, Frampton recovered and - although he never matched the commercial success of his mid-20s - he was able to write and perform some excellent music in later years - including winning a Grammy for his 2006 "Fingerprints" album.
Later in his career, Frampton siezed the opportunity to focus on his guitar work and was able to work with many of the best musicians of his time. This continued until a degenerative muscle disorder forced him to announce his final tour and retirement.
Peter Frampton's memoir "Do You Feel Like I Do?" recounts this meteoric rise, followed by a fall, followed by a recovery.
In between, he talks about his personal life and his relationships.
It does so in a relaxed and enjoyable way. The book's conversational tone makes it clear that Frampton was telling the story to writer Alan Light, rather than writing it himself. But it is light and enjoyable, and Peter comes across a sincere person that one would love to share a cup of tea with. Or a concert. Which I did when I took my 24-year-old son to see him on his final tour 2 years ago.
He is not far from the truth. I was 14 years old in 1976 when my sister won this album by calling into a radio station and we played the heck out of it. Peter Frampton was only 26 years old at the time and that record went on to become the biggest selling album of all time!
To say that Peter Frampton peaked at a young age is to understate the obvious. At 12, he was performing publicly; At 14, he was in a band managed by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones; at 16, he was in a band that was getting radio airplay in his native England; at 18, he joined the seminal band Humble Pay; at 21, he began his solo career; and at 26 he recorded his iconic "Comes Alive" album. Along the way, he was invited to play guitar with many of the best rock artists of the day. And as a teenager, he befriended major stars like Wyman, David Bowie, and Pete Townsend.
Through this period, Peter managed to keep his focus and avoid the common pitfalls of sex, drugs, and alcohol that tempt so many rock stars. Until, that is, the extreme fame that came with "Frampton Comes Alive" and the pressure to maintain that pinnacle. It was during this time, that he developed a drug addiction and his career waned - both commercially and artistically.
Yet, Frampton recovered and - although he never matched the commercial success of his mid-20s - he was able to write and perform some excellent music in later years - including winning a Grammy for his 2006 "Fingerprints" album.
Later in his career, Frampton siezed the opportunity to focus on his guitar work and was able to work with many of the best musicians of his time. This continued until a degenerative muscle disorder forced him to announce his final tour and retirement.
Peter Frampton's memoir "Do You Feel Like I Do?" recounts this meteoric rise, followed by a fall, followed by a recovery.
In between, he talks about his personal life and his relationships.
It does so in a relaxed and enjoyable way. The book's conversational tone makes it clear that Frampton was telling the story to writer Alan Light, rather than writing it himself. But it is light and enjoyable, and Peter comes across a sincere person that one would love to share a cup of tea with. Or a concert. Which I did when I took my 24-year-old son to see him on his final tour 2 years ago.
January 9, 2021
I "discovered" Peter Frampton when I was about 11, and he became one of my celebrity crushes. I had his picture on my wall & everything. My very first live concert was Stevie Nicks "Rock a Little" tour, with Frampton opening, supporting the album "Premonition"...which I went out & bought the next day. Watching him on stage at age 22...I became a 13-year-old again. Yes, I even like the movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"! That all said, I was a little nervous about reading his autobiography. They say, "Don't meet your heroes"...or, in this case, celebrity crushes.
This book is a very FAST read! I could hardly put it down. The book captures his speech: it's like he's talking to you. He's sweet, humble, funny, sarcastic, and his asides are hilarious. He tries really hard not to say anything bad about anyone, and many times he refers to people as "dear friends", "good friends", "life-long friends", etc. He tends to be a little light on super-personal information - I don't remember him mentioning a single one of his weddings - and is true to his "tech nut" spirit. Separate sections are dedicated to the loss and eventual miraculous recovery of his beloved "Phenix" [actual spelling] guitar.
I'm glad I read it, and "love" him more for it. I highly recommend it, and am actually looking forward to re-reading it in the future.
This book is a very FAST read! I could hardly put it down. The book captures his speech: it's like he's talking to you. He's sweet, humble, funny, sarcastic, and his asides are hilarious. He tries really hard not to say anything bad about anyone, and many times he refers to people as "dear friends", "good friends", "life-long friends", etc. He tends to be a little light on super-personal information - I don't remember him mentioning a single one of his weddings - and is true to his "tech nut" spirit. Separate sections are dedicated to the loss and eventual miraculous recovery of his beloved "Phenix" [actual spelling] guitar.
I'm glad I read it, and "love" him more for it. I highly recommend it, and am actually looking forward to re-reading it in the future.
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April 14, 2025Peter Frampton has been consistently writing, playing, performing, and recording excellent music for more than fifty years, but he is largely defined by Frampton Comes Alive, his epic 1976 double-live album that energetically permeated a great time of life for me and others who are roughly my age. In this memoir Frampton explains his pre-Comes Alive career, and what it has meant to continue his professional journey in its shadow. Frampton seems humble while still aware that his guitar playing is a rare talent. He proudly owns his successes and frankly admits his professional missteps. The final chapter focuses on Frampton’s battle with Inclusion Body Myositis, a rare degenerative muscle disease that creates fall hazards for him but, so far, hasn’t affected his playing ability. If you are interested in classic rock stories, you will probably enjoy Do You Feel Like I Do?
July 5, 2024
I have been a fan of Peter Frampton for more than 45 years, saw him live in the 70's and again with my daughters as a 50th birthday gift. I am always nervous when I read (listen to) a memoir by a celebrity that I think well of, as I see a bit of the behind the public persona, and often enough am less than impressed. Thankfully, that was not the case for Do You Feel Like I Do?: a Memoir, in which Frampton tells his story, warts and all, and takes responsibility for even his lowest moments. The audiobook, read by Peter himself, is wonderful, with short snippets of his music at every chapter. It broke my heart a little to hear how miserable the fame that came with Frampton Comes Alive made him, and also how much he disliked the movie, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; both bring back such fond memories of my teen years. Frampton fans and those who remember the 1970's music scene will enjoy this trip down memory lane, with very little of his life and career left out.
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