Riffs: The First and Last Records Bought by Former Humble Pie Guitarist Peter Frampton
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The Everly Brothers:
"Til I Kissed You"
I HAD seen Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran on television to my dad's warning: "You are not bringing that rock and roll stuff into this house."
Little did he know. He turned out to be a quick convert, my dad, and has introduced me to other great music. What I didn't realise at the time is that it's the maestro Chet Atkins playing the guitar. I live in Nashville and Chet is Nashville, so much so that he has streets named after him.
Anyway, there I was one day, and I got a call saying he wanted me to come round to his house, which is like the Holy Grail for a guitarist. So I said to him: "The first record I bought, you were on it." And he said: "Oh, I remember: it had the tremolo."
Obviously, it's the guitar sound on it that most appeals - being a guitarist myself, it's always the main sound I listen to when I first hear a record. The tremolo was like the first guitarists' sect, when there wasn't any other gadgets. Now there are hundreds and thousands you can get with the little pedals on the floor. There is a great drum piece in there and the harmonies of the Everly Brothers really move me. It also has this catchy and folky tom-tom feel that isn't the main part but is just as catchy as the guitar and voice.
Last Record
Pearl Jam:
"Yield"
I WAS a little late picking up on Pearl Jam; this must be the third album they've done. I like the fact that it is a two guitar, bass and drum and singer outfit. And again, it's the way that the guitarists work together.
It reminds me a little bit of Humble Pie - the fact they are not playing at each other but with each other.
It's very interesting and it's a very clever skill to play off each other and still play extremely well. I guess as a guitarist I don't think twice about it, but they really work out parts that are very complemen-tary to each other; one will start and finish and the other will continue. It's just a very cohesive way to work together. It also has very good songs. They were one of the first bands that began the grunge sound and now, of course, they are getting put down. But I think it's a great record for them and it's a great place to be musically.
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