Peter Frampton launched a farewell tour in 2019, right on the heels of announcing his positive diagnosis for a progressive muscle disorder called inclusion body myositis. Realizing he had limited time before he couldn't perform music anymore, he decided to hit the road and to start recording as many albums as possible, including
Frampton Forgets the Words, a semi-sequel to 2006's
Fingerprints, his first all-instrumental LP.
Frampton Forgets the Words is a clever title for a covers record, suggesting there might be some levity lying within its ten titles. That's not the case.
Frampton Forgets the Words is a heartfelt affair, one where
Frampton's guitar is as rounded and lyrical as a human voice. Throughout the album, his warm, burnished tone -- he's playing his signature 1954 Les Paul Phenix, an instrument believed lost in a plane crash but found in the early 2010s -- carries the listener from melody to melody through his solos, the two intertwined tightly in a fluid motion.
Frampton's elegance gives the album a soulful lift, preventing his tasteful surroundings from succumbing to smooth jazz cliches. It also helps that
Frampton's choice of covers is idiosyncratic, ranging from
Radiohead's "Reckoner" and
Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" to
Roxy Music's "Avalon,"
George Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity," and "Loving the Alien" from his old school mate
David Bowie. The breadth of material gives a sense of
Frampton's taste, yet the appeal of
Frampton Forgets the Words lies squarely upon his guitar playing. He's dominant yet never showy, playing with a deep feeling that ultimately transcends the album's slightly stuffy arrangements. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Heavy Load Blues [Deluxe 2 CD]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072287150_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Heavy Load Blues [Deluxe 2 CD]")
