Peter Frampton has had a career most musicians would kill for: A No. 1 album, sellout tours, and performances with a host of musicians from B.B. King to Ringo Starr to David Bowie.
He been a star to one degree or another for more than 40 years, since Frampton Comes Alive and its hit singles blasted onto the airwaves in 1976. Now his new album, Frampton Forgets the Words, makes the argument that if he hadn’t become a star, he’d have been better appreciated for his guitar work.
It’s not simply that he’s a fine guitarist. That’s been known for some time. But trying to cover hit songs instrumentally can be a tough sell. It’s nearly impossible to do so in a way that honors the original but doesn’t feel empty without the vocals. On Forgets the Words, Peter Frampton mostly manages the trick, starting with the opening “If You Want Me to Stay.” His take on the Sly Stone hit from 1970 shows he’s a master of groove.
Radiohead’s “Reckoner” is a more recent choice. The guitar lines are laid back, while the insistent drumming keeps things moving, before the percussion-less interlude. His blazing leads on the lengthy outro are stunning.
Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Going to Go My Way” conjures up images of Kravitz as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan, though perhaps it’s not quite as incendiary as their playing could be. It’s nicely balanced by the following “Loving the Alien,” his homage to Bowie.
This isn’t Frampton’s first instrumental album. That honor belongs to Fingerprints, released in 2006. He’s also contributed to various projects over the years, including teaming up with Chris Spedding on Thelonious Monk’s “Work” on the Monk tribute album That’s the Way I Feel Now.
This isn’t a shredding contest. Peter Frampton isn’t here to dazzle with his technique. It’s a soulful, consistently fulfilling outing. He hasn’t forgotten the words, just made them unnecessary.
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