Yes guitarist (also a member of Asia) Steve Howe was born on this day April 8th, in 1947. The band Yes was a passionate favorite of mine growing up in the seventies. In fact, one of the most crazy fun and highly memorable concerts I’ve attended was the co-headlining concert of Yes with Peter Frampton back in the summer of 1976, which took place before a crowd of 55,000 people at Anaheim Stadium in Southern California. Although he does not enjoy the level of continued buzz as, say, a player like Jimmy Page, to give you an idea of his popularity during Yes’s heyday, Steve was voted Best Overall Guitarist in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row from 1977 to 1981. Below, please enjoy a live clip of Steve playing “The Clap” and also the acoustic ballad “Mood For Day” to hear an example of his one-take perfection. Happy Birthday, Steve!
Tag Archives: Peter frampton
Frampton Comes Alive! Is Released
On This Date, January 1st in 1976: Peter Frampton released his breakthrough double live album Frampton Comes Alive! The album would be certified gold less than 8 weeks after its release and go on to sell 6 million copies and is currently the biggest-selling Live rock album in history. Frampton Comes Alive! is definitely an important album in my personal history and, in my opinion, it’s among the best live albums ever released. That record unlocks so many great memories for me from that time in music. I was lucky enough to be one of about 56,000 people to see Frampton in concert (with co-headliners Yes) at California’s Anaheim Stadium back in the lovely summer of 1976, and that was a concert I will never forget.
Happy Birthday, Peter Frampton!
Peter Frampton was born on this date, April 22nd in 1950. One of the most exhilaratingly memorable concerts I attended as a rebel youth was the 1976 co-headlining mega-tour featuring British Prog Rock legends Yes and Superstar Guitarist (and Sex Symbol), Peter Frampton. Frampton’s then-recently released double live album, Frampton Comes Alive! (you’ve probably heard of it) was number one on the charts, which helped to sell out the venue – Southern California’s Anaheim Stadium – to a capacity crowd of around 56,000. I was fifteen years old that summer and I had the time of my life. Thanks for the memories, Peter.
15 Albums That Changed My Life
“HELP!”
15 Albums That Changed My Life is one of the more interesting notes that are going around on FaceBook right now, and I felt compelled to share it on the ‘Gig. What you’re supposed to do is make a list of 15 albums, CDs, LPs (if you’re over 40) that had such a profound effect on you that they, literally, changed your life. It wasn’t hard for me to think of that many. In fact, it was hard to limit it to just fifteen. The glaring omission of any album released after 1987 certainly says something about the lack of vital, ass-kicking, earth shaking rock released since that time. Sometimes it’s advantageous to be an old fart. Here’s my list, kind of in chronological order but undoubtedly with MANY omissions.
1. The Beatles – Help! (Original Soundtrack)
2. Led Zeppelin 4
3. ELP – Welcome Back My Friends
4. The Who – Who’s Next
5. Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive
6. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
7. Peter Gabriel – Wet Windshield (First Solo Album)
8. Queen – A Night at the Opera
9. Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits (original band)
10. Buzzcocks – Love Bites
11. Generation X – S/T
12. Julian Cope – World Shut Your Mouth
13. The Smiths – The Queen is Dead
14. Blur – Park Life
15. Guns & Roses – Appetite for Destruction