Peter Frampton had a relatively short shelf life as a Top 40 solo artist, but when he was at the top, he was at the
top. The phenomenal success of Frampton Comes Alive!, once the best-selling live album of all time (which
shows how useless the phrase "of all time" can be) put Frampton on the cover of Rolling Stone as well as a near
permanent perch atop the Billboard album chart. A handful of huge hit singles accompanied the release, but after
I'm in You failed to reach the stratospheric heights of the live album, and then a devastating car accident which
hobbled Frampton both personally and professionally, he seemed consigned to releasing well received albums that sold
only moderately well. What's completely apparent, however, at least with regard to this 1999 Detroit concert, is that
Frampton never lost his passion to play and perform, and that his fan base never lost faith in the artist.
Frampton is met with adulatory screams from an admittedly middle aged audience (at least in the front rows), but age
hasn't dimmed either his guitar playing, which is surprisingly fierce at times here, or his plaintive tenor, which still sounds
clear as a bell and has in fact become rather nicely burnished with the advancing years. His band offers more than able
support, with good contributions from keyboardist Bob Mayo and Chad Cromwell on drums. The set list is relatively varied,
hitting some of his bigger successes ("I'm in You" is noticeably absent) while also visiting some lesser known gems.
Frampton Live in Detroit is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision (an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment)
with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. This is a really nicely sharp looking live performance video, helped
immeasurably by the fact that the stage is well lit and not swathed in blue or red. Colors are nicely robust and fine detail
pops extremely well in close-ups. The interlaced presentation has a few issues with regard to close-ups on hands
strumming guitars and the like. Black levels and contrast are solid throughout.
Frampton Live in Detroit features both losseless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 tracks. The 5.1 track is
nicely spacious, though for my personal tastes, the audience roars of approval (not to mention the requisite sing-alongs)
could have been mixed a bit lower. The band is extremely well recorded, with nice separation of instruments. Frampton's
voice sounds fantastic and is extremely well mixed up front where it should be. Fidelity is excellent throughout.
Frampton Live in Detroit is both kind of charmingly low key as well as surprisingly energetic. The singer-guitarist is
in fine form and is surrounded by an excellent band. Fans will certainly be pleased with the concert, even if they wish the
playlist might have included this or that song. Video and audio are very good, and the brief supplements are also quite
interesting. Recommended.
Peter Frampton: Live In Detroit Blu-ray, News and Updates
Eagle Rock Entertainment has announce that it will release on Blu-ray Peter Frampton: Live In Detroit. Filmed in high definition at the Pine Knob Amphitheatre on July 17, 1999 and mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, the show will be available to purchase online and in ...
Peter Frampton: Live In Detroit Blu-ray, Forum Discussions
