08/24/2020
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.)
"Peter Frampton lets loose with a killer solo memoir....Do You Feel Like I Do? is as much fun as hearing a talking box guitar solo for the first time."—Den of Geek
“This is Peter Frampton’s story, and he tells it with refreshing candor in his wildly entertaining memoir."—The Wall Street Journal
“Peter Frampton looks back in a gentle memoir. It’s a tale of talent…loss and redemption.”—The Associated Press
"Frampton's renowned gift for songwriting translates to storytelling, and his vivid, conversational style lends this memoir the intimacy of a coffee shop chat — just you, Peter Frampton, and the pressing question: 'Do you feel like I do?'"—Nashville Scene
"Many fascinating tidbits and tales."
—Magzter
“A rollickingly fun read….Frampton unflinchingly takes the reader behind the scenes, strips away the veneer of stardom, and is able to give insight into what it’s been like to be this kid from South London who became a rock giant. There’s loads of humor, as well as naivete…you’re left with the feeling Frampton cannot believe the bonkers journey life has taken him on. An articulate autobiography from someone obviously in love with music.”—Classic Rock Review
"[A] bracing new memoir."
—The Guardian
"Frampton's optimistic attitude comes through..., making it a case study in what happens when dogged determination is paired with immense talent."
—American Songwriter
"It's a fascinating read that takes you at a steady clip from Frampton's childhood memories through his days as a teen prodigy to the moment he first realized being cute could be the bane of his existence, meeting Jimi Hendrix, forming Humble Pie, cutting Frampton Comes Alive!, and every high and low along the way to his farewell tour."—USA Today
"Peter Frampton's chatty, cheerful memoir Do You Feel Like I Do? looks back on his many decades of making music with humor and insight."—Columbus Dispatch
"The memoir isn't so much a window into Frampton's life as it is a wide-open front door and a magnifying glass."—Under the Radar
"[Frampton is] an engaging storyteller....As pop memoirs go, this one could show plenty the way."
—Uncut
"Cleverly framed."
—PopMatters
"[Frampton's] 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....[Do You Feel Like I Do] is full of appealing anecdotes involving the many musical favorites with whom Frampton has played... his determination is inspiring. Frampton provided a soundtrack for a generation; here's the story...Entertaining and rousing, on the stage and now on the page, Frampton Comes Alive."—Library Journal
“The book reads as if Frampton is speaking right to the reader, making it an easy and conversational read. For readers who love classic rock and who have read other memoirs by musicians, this book is a must-have for your collection."—That Music Mag
“A frank, hilarious, entertaining and honest read…very genuine.”—Zoomer
“This is Frampton’s story, sure, but it’s also a trip back into ’70s and ’80s rock ’n’ roll and a nod to Frampton’s resilience."—The Toronto Star
"Fantastic.”—Rock Cellar
“The incredible story of Peter Frampton’s positively resilient life and career.”—That Eric Alper
"A gentle, warm-hearted memoir."—MOJO
“Inspiring… [it] is not only introspective; at times, it is raw in its acknowledgment of the author’s own shortcomings.”—Niagara Gazette
“In a new life-spanning memoir… Frampton chronicles with a warm touch.”—Tennessean
"Reads like a dream come true, albeit with a sting in the tail...Frampton's story is told well."—Irish Times
“[A] charming memoir. Frampton’s story is a low-key epic without any self-aggrandizing….There’s a gracefulness and kindness to Frampton’s story, although it has its dark chapters. It’s a rock solid memoir that, from beginning to end, is a lively journey. Few rocker memoirs portray childhoods and parents that are every bit as fascinating as the career highs, but from the beginning, Frampton lived a grand life.”—Grit Daily
“A rare behind the scenes look at a man destined for stardom and musical greatness…. Frampton's bio reads like a who's who from the 1960's British Invasion…. Do You Feel Like I Do is not a dark expose, but the revelations are rather candid…. Much like his cherished 'Phenix', Frampton's life story is about resurrection, overcoming adversity, beating the odds, and finding balance in his life. Show us the way, Peter!”—Holy City Sinner
“Every once in a while, a book falls in your lap that makes you laugh, makes you cry, and leaves you feeling utterly inspired….Do You Feel Like I Do?…is an intriguing, yet supremely humble, assemblage of a life….It’s quite fun to read this cleverly written book and shift through the multiple collaborations and friendships Peter Frampton developed over the years….There is a conversational air to how Frampton writes, making you feel as though he’s telling these stories, from childhood to coronavirus, to you and only you….Little seemed to be off the table….Peter Frampton comes across as your next door neighbor who you chat with over tea after you’ve found yourself locked out of your house during a snowstorm: inviting, transparent, and easygoing. And, of course, a musician through and through.”—The Aquarian
“[A] pull-no-punches autobiography….Fun stories are plentiful.” —Vintage Guitar
“[Peter Frampton] writes about his peaks and valleys in rock ‘n roll and beyond with both candor and grace.”—High Times
09/01/2020
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
2020-07-14
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.
