Released today (April 23rd) is Peter Frampton's latest instrumental collection, titled, Frampton Forgets The Words. The album — billed to the Peter Frampton Band — features the Grammy Award-winning legend's new takes on Radiohead's “Reckoner,” Lenny Kravitz' “Are You Gonna Go My Way?,” George Harrison's “Isn't It A Pity,” Roxy Music's “Avalon” and Jaco Pastorious' “Dreamland,” among others.
Earlier this year, Frampton announced the set in a post to fans on his social media platforms, saying, “This album is a collection of ten of my favorite pieces of music. My guitar is also a voice and I have always enjoyed playing my favorite vocal lines that we all know and love. These tracks are my great band and me paying tribute to the original creators of this wonderful music. So much fun to do and I really hope you enjoy it too.”
Peter Frampton told us there's a distinct difference between recording an instrumental song as opposed to one with a vocal: “The thing about the vocal is, the second verse is just as interesting as the first verse, because there's different lyrics — hopefully (laughs). And it's a story. It's a voice that takes you through the song. Basically, it's the same melody, but this continuing story — that's what keeps your interest. But with an instrumental, you have to make the second verse as interesting as the first verse and the third verse, so it's changing it up a little bit.”
Not too long ago, Frampton, who turned 71 earlier this week, admitted to us that despite his advancing age, he feels just as energetic making music as he's ever felt: “The thing is that I feel the same as I did when I started inside, it's just the casing that changes. Y'know, I still have the same excitement for what I do — which I think is pretty amazing. I don't understand it myself, but I do! It's still an addiction to music — if you want to put it in brutal terms. Y'know, what else am I gonna do, it gives me so much pleasure.”
The tracklisting to Frampton Forgets The Words is:
“If You Want Me To Stay” – Sly & The Family Stone
“Reckoner” – Radiohead
“Dreamland” – Michael Colombier featuring Jaco Pastorius
“One More Heartache” – Marvin Gaye
“Avalon” – Roxy Music
“Isn’t It A Pity” – George Harrison
“I Don't Know Why” – Stevie Wonder
“Are You Gonna Go My Way” – Lenny Kravitz
“Loving the Alien” – David Bowie
“Maybe” – Alison Krauss
