Frampton Comes (Alive) to Kingston!
Q: “Where have all the good people gone?”
– Sam Roberts
A: They’ve gone to Owen Sound & they’re sending mail!
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A, of course, stands for the incomparable Aaron @ keepsmealive.
The curator of the grail list generously sent me this splendid surprise package, replete with Taranna stationery & Frampton Comes Alive, on 8-track no less!
Thanks to Aaron, this is my first album review from the 1001 list using the delightfully obsolete 8-track medium!
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How is Frampton Comes Alive?
I really can’t say.
Oh it plays just fine, with deceivingly good audio quality.
It’s just that when I listened to the album this weekend, apart from giggling at the 8-track ‘program’ chugging & changing mid-song (and they say it’s antiquated technology), I don’t really hear Peter Frampton.
To borrow a Chris Murphy tune, I keep on thinkin’ ’bout how nice it was to receive this in the mail. Which could not be less of a complaint, more so just acknowledging that any attempts at objectivity would be futile.
What about the talkbox? Reminds me of the mailbox!
Standout Tracks? 8-tracks!
But really, as John Cusack once asked, Peter F’n Frampton? Darn right, Aaron sent me Peter F’n Frampton and I’m loving every minute of it!
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So needless to say, I really enjoyed this listening experience.
And if you’re wondering where the good people have gone, look no further than the blogging community ’round these parts.
Or head up to Georgian Bay, where the scenery’s great and the people are even better!
1001albumsin10years 
Aw shucks. You made me blush…
Glad it plays fine! I had no way of checking it, here, before sending it on.
ENJOY! 🙂
It was a gamble that paid off beautifully, my undying thanks!
Hooray! Give ‘er!
Fantastic!! I love these mail blogs!!
I love that feeling of opening the mailbox and instead of bills, it’s surprise music!
Me too!
Doobie Wah!
A most excellent story! Baby we love your way :).
I love song reference comments Danica – nice of you to ‘show me the way!’
And I love surprise mail music! The world is a better place for it.
8-Track? Brilliant. And a wonderful example of how to write a piece on Frampton Comes Alive without mentioning the music once. Respect.
Ha I’m glad you noticed that too! 🙂
I believe it was Marshall McLuhan credited with the phrase “the medium is the message” – I feel that applies here. The medium (obsolete tech. arrives in mail) speaks volumes, no need to get bogged down in such details of music contained on the album!
Haha, thanks Bruce!
Couldn’t think of a better album to have on 8 track than “Frampton Comes Alive”. It’s an album eternally set in its easy going hippy tinged 70s time frame, like The Eagles, Doobie Bros, Jackson Browne, the 8 track feels just perfect.
Throw in that it was a surprise arrival & it felt like the perfect format even more!
A friend and I, long ago, used to make Dallas-to-Austin trips, 200 miles, in his ’64 Mustang, drinkin’ beer and listening to 8-tracks. Favorites: The Doors’ Morrison Hotel, Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.
Both of which are on the 1001 list and I haven’t got to either of them yet – I’m hoping to find them on 8-track to recreate that experience Steve!
LOVE!
So Geoff, will this be a future CD or vinyl buy?
A wonderful question – I don’t think I could buy it again for myself, the novelty of the mailed 8-track can’t be topped.
But I’d like to pick it up on CD/LP at some point and send it along to someone going through a list like the 1001, pay it forward as a way of thanking your friend and mine at the KMA!