I am probably the only music critic who went to elementary school in the '70s and didn't own Peter Frampton's ground- and record-breaking album "Frampton Comes Alive."
The album, which topped Billboard's Top 200 in April 1976, continued to drop out and regain the Top Spot for 10 weeks, culminating in a five-week unbroken stint that ended in October of that year.
"Show Me the Way," "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Do You Feel Like I Do" were the overplayed and most popular songs from that double live album, which has now sold more than 16 million copies and was largely responsible for revolutionizing how the music business approaches tours, merchandising and radio play.
It's a good, solid album. And it's one of the best live albums in the history of pop music. However, it isn't my favorite Frampton album.
I lean toward his 1977 follow-up, "I'm In You."
I'm sure I'll get a bunch of e-mails about that one, but it's true. I like "I'm In You." I even like it more than Peter Frampton likes it.
"I should have taken at least two years off to write and reflect about what had just happened (with the 'Frampton Comes Alive' album)," he wrote in a recent autobiography. "('I'm In You') sold 3 million copies and was deemed a failure."
Sure, it paled in sales compared to "Alive," but I still like it. If it were his debut album, "I'm In You" would have been considered a smash.
I mean, the album peaked at the No. 2 spot on the Top 200 for four weeks. The single reached No. 2 on the Top 100 Singles chart and remained unchallenged for three weeks.
The album is great — at least, that's what I think.
The dynamics of the opening, title-cut ballad and the remake of Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours)" were, and still are, brilliant mood-setting songs that open and close the album.
All the tracks in between are personal and open. Listen to "(Putting My) Heart on the Line," "St. Thomas (Don't You Know How I Feel)" and "Won't You Be My Friend."
Then there's "Don't Have to Worry," "Tried to Love," "Rocky's Hot Club" and "(I'm a) Roadrunner."
The mix makes for a nice, lazy, toe-tapping, air-guitar-riffing afternoon.
The reason I bring Frampton up is because A&M Records has reissued most of his catalog, to, hopefully, rekindle interest in the rockster's career.
"Wind of Change" (1972), "Frampton's Camel" (1973), "Somethin's Happening" (1974), "Frampton" (1975) — which features studio takes on "Show Me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way" — and "I'm In You," have been remastered and repackaged with the original liner notes and photos.
Sure, "I'm In You" isn't "Frampton Comes Alive," but, as I said before, I like it more.
It's the same situation with AC/DC. I love 1983's "Flick of the Switch," which, interestingly enough, is the follow-up to its multi-million dollar smashes "Back In Black" and "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)."
I'll probably get e-mails on that one, too.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com