Peter Frampton – Shine On – A Collection

I have a friend who works at a used record store. Recently someone came in and traded a crate of their old albums for credit on some CDs. Hours later, the seller returned. He had mistakenly sold the wrong pile, he said. Now he needed to buy back his old records. Many were already gone, and it burned him. Searching through the bins, the seller, who was about 22, finally found and rescued what he was looking for. “Frampton Comes Alive” he announced happily. “This was like my childhood copy.”

It’s quite a statement that Peter Frampton, himself still a young man, has already left behind a potent body of work. The guitarist began at 15, finding his first wave of adulation with British pop sensations, The Herd. Musical acceptance came next with Humble Pie, the much-revered blues/rock outfit he once fronted with singer Steve Marriott. Then, finally, in his early 20’s, Peter Frampton launched his own solo career. After four well-received albums, it was Frampton’s casual decision to release a live recording that changed everything.

Frampton became a lightening rod for rock. The enormous success of “Frampton Comes Alive” brought waves of new fans to Frampton, and to music in general. The sheer size of the record industry doubled, became an industry in many ways, and at the center of the hurricane was Peter Frampton. Covering him for Rolling Stone in the mid-70’s, I was constantly struck by how little he thirsted for the megastardom he achieved. Frampton viewed himself then as he views himself today, a dedicated guitarist and songwriter. That perspective has allowed him to work steadily, no how bright the spotlight, always creating new music that cuts straight to the heart.

“Shine On” puts Frampton’s solo work in context. Each album has had its standouts, and most are collected and sequenced here by Frampton himself. From the early purity of “The Lodger” to the brute force of “(I’ll Give You) Money” to later standards like “More Ways Than One“, it’s an intoxicating listen from beginning to end. For all his songwriting prowess, it is Frampton’s stellar guitar work that very nearly steals the show. His specialty is in guiding his audience, shading their every emotion with soulful precision.

While Frampton’s work with Humble Pie will be featured on that band’s own upcoming collection, it is fitting that “Shine On” ends where it began. Frampton’s 1991 songwriting reunion with former bandmate Steve Marriott came just days before Marriott’s accidental death. “The Bigger They Come” and “I Won’t Let You Down” are strong reminders of the partnership that served them well. These two demos, heard here for the first time, brought out the fire in both artists (Frampton’s own notes on many of these recordings are also included in this set).

That Frampton’s music remains fresh is testimony to the artist. Very simply, Frampton has stayed true to his music, his songs and his guitar. He plays them with the unfaded love of someone whose hobby became a lifelong passion. For Peter Frampton, music is a labor of love. Along the way, he made history.

Cameron Crowe – July 1992

Peter Frampton – Shine On – A Collection (Liner Notes) – Cameron Crowe – July, 1992