Forgets The Words

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 couldnt 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 2006s 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. Thats not the case. Frampton Forgets the Words is a heartfelt affair, one where Framptons guitar is as rounded and lyrical as a human voice. Throughout the album, his warm, burnished tone -- hes 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. Framptons elegance gives the album a soulful lift, preventing his tasteful surroundings from succumbing to smooth jazz cliches. It also helps that Framptons choice of covers is idiosyncratic, ranging from Radioheads Reckoner and Lenny Kravitzs Are You Gonna Go My Way to Roxy Musics Avalon, George Harrisons Isnt It a Pity, and Loving the Alien from his old school mate David Bowie. The breadth of material gives a sense of Framptons taste, yet the appeal of Frampton Forgets the Words lies squarely upon his guitar playing. Hes dominant yet never showy, playing with a deep feeling that ultimately transcends the albums slightly stuffy arrangements. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine