Today is a first… I am going to blog about an album I do not own… Yet. How can I do that, you ask? Simple. I go to the fabulous site, Wolfgang’s Vault where I can stream hundreds and thousands of live shows. Their collection is amazing, and not just of music. They have vintage apparel and posters and photos. So cool. I could drop way too much money here. If you sign up as a WVIP you get even better discounts (on top of the sale price) and lots of special deals and sales just for you. This download for example is $3.50. Not sure how long the Frampton sale is going on, but $3.50!!! Come on, that is amazing.
They have been featured all over the place and the folks who work there are cool as s–t! I liken them to a film preservation society. There are so many recordings out there that need to be cataloged and kept track of and kept safe and of course listened to. This is our history… this is our culture. Concerts are such a huge part of our lives and there is nothing like being in a dark room or arena or stadium with a thousand of your friends hearing something live. That’s what makes each and every concert a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Okay, I am really not trying to sound like a paid endorsement… and sadly for me, I am not… but just check them out. It is a truly amazing site and an app!!! They are so worth your time and your music dollars.
Back to Frampton…
Peter Frampton – Oakland Auditorium 8/31/1979
Frampton Comes Alive came out in 1976 and took the world by storm. It continues to be one of the best-selling live albums of all time, pushing close to or even past 16 million sold!!! That is how I first came to discover him… and of course by his turn in the nostalgic but not very good film 1978′s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band… Hey Aerosmith was cool.
Discovering how young he was when he started out and how he co-founded Humble Pie at 18 is bit humbling. I really need to get off my keyster and do something grand!
This live recording sounds great, so I am assuming it is from the sound board… It has a lot of the Frampton Comes Alive songs of course but also some other gems and is a nice addition to what you may already have in that. You quickly realize how amazing he really is, then and now… amazing guitar player… amazing writer and singer and performer… Listen for the screams to prove this point!
I got to see him at the Canyon Club a few years ago and was mesmerized by his playing. For as big a rock star as he is, he was also as nice as can be!
Long live LIVE rock! Thanks, Wolfgang.
