Peter Frampton • Wind of Change
Peter Frampton • Frampton's Camel
Peter Frampton • Frampton
ostalgia is a powerful thing. Memories of youth can make years melt away, helping us feel young again and reminding us of times and events lost in our aging minds. But what can trigger nostalgia? Many are quick to say that the sense of smell best revives memories, but I respectfully disagree. To me, sound, especially the sound of music, triggers my mind to recall lost memories better than any other sensation. Which makes these three albums from Peter Frampton, his initial solo efforts after leaving Humble Pie, bring on a rush of nostalgia. While playing these three SACDs, I can close my eyes and be a teenager again, at least in my mind. I can suddenly remember vividly how I felt and what I was doing at the time of hearing these albums for the first time. I retained my vinyl copies of all three right up until I sold my entire LP collection, so these three SACDs have comes at the perfect time for me. I could easily compile a greatest-hits mix tape from just these three records. Beginning with his initial solo album, Wind of Change, Peter Frampton laid the groundwork for the releases that would follow. While not his strongest overall work, all of the songs had that inestimable something that would define Frampton’s solo work -- a gentle, comforting style that kept each tune playing over and over in my head. Songs like “Fig Tree Bay,” “Wind of Change,” “It’s a Plain Shame,” and “All I Want to Be” can stand with anything he would write in the future. While all his best works touched on relationships, they were all different enough not to cloud the mind, and they remain fresh through repeated listens. Frampton’s Camel was my initial purchase, at the long-lost, long-lamented Upstairs Records on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont -- my favorite record store and after-school hangout. I was extremely intrigued by the cover art, which is the way I bought some albums back then, and it was my introduction to solo Frampton. I still think this may be his best, most consistent album. There is not a bad song, from the opening “I’ve Got My Eyes on You,” to one of the few covers Frampton recorded, Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall In Love With You It Will Be Forever),” to the closing “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Frampton found his singular groove here, and it would carry over to subsequent releases. Frampton, the final album of this group, contains songs that many will automatically associate with Peter Frampton, like “Show Me The Way,” “One More Time,” Nassau/Baby I Love Your Way,” and “Nowhere’s Too Far For My Baby.” All are hit songs that have come to define his solo work. The sound quality improved album by album, and on none of these albums do the production values get in the way of the music. Wind of Change is okay sonically. Frampton’s Camel took the sound up a notch or two, and Frampton kept the sound on the same level as the previous album, with perhaps a tad more polish. Frampton’s guitar and voice take center stage on all three of these albums, all of which are recorded in a clear, concise manner that allows you to appreciate what a capable a singer and fine guitarist he was. While none of the original LPs possessed demo-quality sound, the SACDs definitely offer a clearer view into the music. For instance, listen to the way the drum sticks sound just that much more wooden on the rim shots. Also, the sound of the sticks hitting the cymbals gives off a far more realistic brassy shimmer. You also get a better sense of the group harmonies, with a clearer sense of the other three members of the group’s vocal contributions. But mostly listen to Frampton’s guitar. There is a richer clarity to each note that I don’t remember hearing on any previous version. These things hold true over all three discs. To my ears, this is the best these albums have ever sounded, so if you are an early Frampton fan, these will really make you smile. Interventions Records' remastering, by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundmann Mastering, to SACD is well done. The vinyl used by A&M for the original releases on LP was not of the highest quality, so these SACDs are definitely quieter, and that quietness allows for more of the micro details to shine forth. From the opening notes, these three SACDs helped me
recall times, events and feelings long lost to the haze of time, and that brought a smile
to my face. They also reminded me of why these albums received so much time on my
turntable all those years ago. Add in the fact that these albums have never sounded
better, and they become a no-brainer purchase. Well done, Intervention Records, well done. |
