Do You Feel Like I Do?
A Memoir
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4.4 • 101 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From his early rise to fame to battles with his health, this revelatory memoir by legendary guitarist Peter Frampton celebrates the life of a rock icon.
Do You Feel Like I Do? is the incredible story of Peter Frampton's positively resilient life and career told in his own words for the first time. His monu-mental album Frampton Comes Alive! spawned three top-twenty singles and sold eight million copies the year it was released (more than seventeen million to date), and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in January 2020.
Frampton was on a path to stardom from an early age, first as the lead singer and guitarist of the Herd and then as cofounder—along with Steve Marriott—of one of the first supergroups, Humble Pie. Frampton was part of a tight-knit collective of British '60s musicians with close ties to the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and the Who. This led to Frampton playing on George Harrison's solo debut, All Things Must Pass, as well as to Ringo Starr and Billy Preston appearing on Frampton's own solo debut. By age twenty-two, Frampton was touring incessantly and finding new sounds with the talk box, which would become his signature guitar effect.
Frampton remembers his enduring friendship with David Bowie. Growing up as schoolmates, crossing paths throughout their careers, and playing together on the Glass Spider Tour, the two developed an unshakable bond. Frampton also shares fascinating stories of his collaborative work with Harry Nilsson, Stevie Wonder, B. B. King, and members of Pearl Jam. He reveals both the blessing and curse of Frampton Comes Alive!, opening up about becoming the cover boy he never wanted to be, his overcoming sub-stance abuse, and how he has continued to play and pour his heart into his music despite an inflammatory muscle disease and his retirement from the road.
Peppered throughout his narrative is the story of his favorite guitar, the Phenix, which he thought he'd lost in a fiery plane crash in 1980. But in 2011, it mysteriously showed up again—saved from the wreckage. Frampton tells of that unlikely reunion here in full for the first time, and why the miraculous reappearance is emblematic of his life and career as a quintessential artist.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
Customer Reviews
Well written, positive vibes
As I read this I always felt like it was in Peter Frampton’s own voice. Unlike a lot of rock music biographies, this one is focused on keeping a positive attitude. Yes, some management personnel embezzled over the years. Yes, there were episodes of booze and drug abuses. Frampton appears to have taken his share of the blame for those bumps in the road. It was nice to read a recollection that didn’t make the subject a constant victim. Hey, it was rock and roll.
My favorite musical period was when Frampton was banging out songs alongside Steve Marriott in Humble Pie. After that, meh. Still, I enjoyed the interjections describing his home life, his meetings with other giants of the time, his travels, and the inevitable toll that lifestyle took on his marriages.
I put this one right up there with the Ron Wood biography. I confess, I skimmed the end of the book. Peter kept regurgitating iterations of past hits. *Yawn*
Oh well, we can’t stay young forever.
Not another rock star
Well written and personal. I felt we were hanging out and Peter was talking to me about his life.
Enjoyable
Decent and detailed bio of a solid guitar player. Upon reading this it’s easy to see that “rock stardom” can easily become both dream and nightmare.
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