Dave's 500 Bus Albums No 15 - Peter Frampton "Live in Detroit" (1999)

You know when you go back to where you were 20 or 30 years ago, whether it's meeting an old friend or visiting an old haunt, it's never the same. The place has changed and it isn't how you remember it, or your friend has grown older, more cynical and (let's be honest) fatter?

Well this album isn't like that. This album is how it ought to be.

THE album of 1976 (and arguably one of the best live albums of all time) was Peter Frampton's double LP "Frampton Comes Alive!". Basically to a certain generation, it's legendary. Part of our musical DNA. As Wayne says in "Wayne's World 2" - 'Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of "Tide".'

So when Frampton releases another live album 23 years later, it can't fail to be compared to the 1976 magnum opus. It won't be as good. It just won't sound the same. Some things shouldn't be touched.

But it is the same! Frampton's vocals sound no different, his guitar is just as good (possibly better), and both the band and the audience are enjoying themselves immensely. OK there's some differences, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's not a complete note for note replay of "Alive", but then God you wouldn't want that. Some tracks have been dropped, and others added. Again, that's no bad thing. I'm sure we've all got our least favourites songs from "Alive"...and I'd be willing to bet they're much the same (didn't we all use to skip Side 2?).

Quite frankly it's like going to see a band 20 years later and finding they haven't lost it, they sound just as good as ever, and they sound just like you remember them. Which is basically what's happened here. The band isn't quite the same, but they sound the same, and when Frampton introduces them you realise why. "Bob Mayo on the keyboards!" The defining core of the "Alive" album was Frampton on guitar and vocals & Mayo on guitar, keyboard and vocals. Both accomplished musicians, both still just as good 23 years on, and the reason why this album sounds so good.

And yes he still does the talky guitar bit on "Show Me The Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do".

Awesome album.