Over thirty five years ago Peter Frampton changed the landscape of the record industry by releasing one of the most important sound recordings in the history of rock music. “Frampton Comes Alive!” did for the live album what “Sgt. Pepper” did for studio albums; it showed the massive commercial potential of a live album that captured the intensity of a great live performance.
Thirty five years later Frampton revisited the album with a massive anniversary tour featuring some great players, including bassist Stanley Sheldon, who appeared on the original recording. In recent years Artists have revisited their past glories with mixed results, and Frampton’s latest video offering of a show from his FCA! 35 tour had the potential to be written off as a piece of nostalgia, but of late Frampton is joining a small group of elite performers who gets better with age. “FCA 35 Tour: An evening with Peter Frampton,” is simply the best performance DVD I have ever seen. Where “Frampton Comes Alive!” set the standard for live rock albums, this video sets the standard for capturing a visual performance.
There are many reasons that “FCA 35 Tour: An evening with Peter Frampton,” reigns supreme. The first is the location. Even though the performance was culled from two venues (The Beacon Theatre in New York City and Milwaukee’s Pabst Theatre) both venues are striking and add to the visual element.
Secondarily, the band was tight and one of the major mistakes DVD producers make is picking the wrong moment on the tour, either when the band is not jelling. In short, it was a great performance.
Finally, the camera work is perfect and captures the feel of a live performance instead of trying to be too artsy. Anyone that has seen the “Woodstock” movie understands how far a director can move from a performance, and of late too many bands rely on directors that seem hell bent on making their presence known through a series of distracting camera angle switches. “FCA 35 Tour: An evening with Peter Frampton,” has the perfect balance, with the camera enhancing the performance because the viewer isn’t inundated with quick switches or odd angles.
If you went to one of the FCA! 35 shows this DVD is a must own. If you missed the shows and are even a casual fan of Frampton, or have ever been one, you will love “FCA 35 Tour: An evening with Peter Frampton.”
