Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Frampton ascended to rock-god heaven on the propulsive riffs of his 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive! --and almost as quickly, his career plummeted. In this rambling memoir, Frampton chronicles his lifelong passion for music, but also delves into his depression and alcoholism, bouts of ill health, and recovery from a near-fatal car crash. Frampton was playing the guitar at eight years old; six years later, his band the Preachers opened for the Rolling Stones. In 1968, he and Steve Marriott formed the blues-rock band Humble Pie, but Frampton departed a few years later to "be in charge of his own destiny" and released four solo albums between 1972 and 1976. He confesses that the sudden popularity of Frampton Comes Alive! left him afraid of never living up to its success, which "had a lot to do with my starting to drink too much and do drugs and whatever." Touring and partying tales are packed with cameos from "Dave" Bowie, "Mick and Keith," and Stevie Wonder. In the end, Frampton finds optimism in sobriety and songwriting: "when you least expect it, you get a new idea." There's a perhaps surprising tuneless feel to the work, which comes across more as a meandering monologue than a fully formed narrative. Frampton's fans, though, will likely hang on his every word. Agent: Steve Troha, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Talented youngster shows promise, displays perseverance. The gigs increase, and what starts as word of mouth becomes national press, each recording a progressive step and then boom! Album of the year in Rolling Stone magazine as well as the best-selling LP; ultimately one of the most praised live albums ever. Then comes the incredible pressure to replicate a once-in-a-lifetime success, followed by the excess, drugs, drink, artistic decline, wandering, and, ultimately, rehabilitation and self-satisfaction. Yes, we've heard this story before, but as with his guitar playing, no one does it like Frampton, and his unique voice and style leave you feeling the way you do after one of his guitar solos, as if it's absolutely right and distinctly his. Frampton's self-deprecation and willingness to take responsibility for his choices win readers over. Coauthored by Light (Johnny Cash), the work is full of appealing anecdotes involving the many musical favorites with whom Frampton has played. That the veteran touring guitarist has been diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease adds poignancy to his musical mission, but Frampton's determination is inspiring. Frampton provided a soundtrack for a generation; here's the story. VERDICT Entertaining and rousing, on the stage and now on the page, Frampton Comes Alive. [See Prepub Alert, 4/15/20.]--Bill Baars, formerly with Lake Oswego P.L., OR
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The British guitar legend looks back on a long ride in rock 'n' roll. "I never really wanted to be the front man; I just wanted to get in a band that was successful and be the lead guitarist." So writes Frampton, a professional musician since his early teen years--and, to hear Charlie Watts tell it, a good drummer as well. The author's by-the-numbers story, told with the assistance of music journalist Light, is like many a British rocker's: He fell in love with the Beatles and set out to become a star--or at least the lead guitarist in a decent band. He went to art school, where his teacher father had an especially promising student named David Jones. "Later, of course, everyone called him David Bowie, but I always called him Dave, because I knew him as Dave at school," Frampton recalls in a datum that probably didn't need to be committed to print. Armed with a battery of guitars, one of which figures as a framing device for his memoir, Frampton played in a series of bands and almost wound up in the Small Faces. Instead, Steve Marriott left the group to form Humble Pie with him. A couple of years later, that band broke up, and Frampton found teen idol--dom with radio-friendly songs such as the one that lends its title to this book. Success came at a cost: The author gamely looks at the sexual politics of going from rocker to rock star, with the girls up front and the resentful original fans, the guys, in the back of the room, glowering. Frampton has few regrets apart from appearing with the Bee Gees in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (though, ever the fan, he notes that "meeting George Burns was a thrill"), posing shirtless for Rolling Stone, and falling prey to substance abuse. Middling, as rock memoirs go, but a pleasure for die-hard fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
