J. GEILS BAND- ” GEILS BAND & FOGHAT UPSTAGE FRAMPTON”

PETER FRAMPTON JOINS THE J. GEILS BAND ONSTAGE IN OAKLAND ON JUNE 6, 1976. PHOTO ART BY BEN UPHAM.

THE J. GEILS BAND-
“GEILS & FOGHAT UPSTAGE FRAMPTON”
BY JOE SEGURA
THE INDEPENDENT PRESS TELEGRAM
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
JULY 9, 1977

Following the J. Geils Band-Foghat-Peter Frampton concert Wednesday at the Anaheim Stadium, one lingering question — not melody— surfaced. Is Frampton petering-out?

The rock idol of the pre-puberty generation offered a limited platter of musical morsels — mainly hits from his immensely popular “Frampton Comes Alive” album — on which to satisfy an appetite for rock.

Frampton’s performance, in short, was — if not tasteless’ — in need of a strong dose of spice. . . GRANTED, the hit-singles of Alive —”Show Me The Way,” “Do You Feel Like We Do” and “Baby I Love Your Way”— were great crowd pleasers. But, there is a repetitiveness about Frampton’s compositions that can be irritating — like a stuck needle on a warped disc. The three hit tunes, for instance, offer slight beat variations — along with the “talking” guitar trademark — that attracts the listener’s attention for a period. But, without the Frampton gimmick — a novelty that has its limits — the works would suffer greatly.

For example, most of the other ‘Frampton pieces, including the rock idol’s album’s title song, I’m in You, (a surprisingly anti-climatic tune for an encore) were sleepers, with monotonous lyrics and tempo.

Aside from his three hit singles Frampton’s best received songs during the 75-minute performance were creations of two earlier superstars — Stevie Wonder’s “Here I Am Baby” and the Rolling Stones “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” — who offered fans a steady diet of rich compositions.

Frampton, it seems, needs to develop more variety in his music to maintain the momentum of his earlier success. With added dimension, Frampton’s music might reach the maturity many of his youngish fans lack.

On the other hand, the J. Geils Band and Foghat delivered strong performances for the 55,000 rock fans that arrived at the midday concert by 3 p.m. Based soley on an educated guess, the older fans at Wednesday’s concert appeared to be attracted to the hard-driving rock of the J. Geils Band and/or Foghat rather than the soft measures of Frampton. The two groups, performing under bright clear skies, helped set the festive mood for the audience — dressed mainly in swimwear — that sprawled along the stadium’s baseball outfield.

Adding to the festive mood, the promoters of the concert included
an air devil show and a trapeze act — both designed to keep the natives charmed during the unusually long intermissions.

As a credit to both the J. Geils Band and Foghat, the sideshows were not needed. J. Geils Band’s finish song, “Nothing Like A Party,” had the partying crowd clapping its agreement. But, it was Foghat’s energetic rock and cool abandon that stood the partying crowd on its feet, stomping and swinging, with hits from the three golden albums, including “Drivin’ Wheel” and “Slow Ride.” The group, demonstrating an unceasing stream of powerhouse rock ‘n’ roll, proved to be the high point of the concert that was needlessly prolonged by the Frampton finale.

J. GEILS BAND DISCOGRAPHY:

1970 The J. Geils Band
1971 The Morning After
1972 Full House (Live)
1973 Bloodshot
1973 Ladies Invited
1974 Nightmares & Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle
1975 Hotline
1976 Blow Your Face Out (Live)
1977 Monkey Island
1978 Sanctuary
1980 Love Stinks
1981 Freeze Frame
1982 Showtime!
1984 You’re Getting Even While I’m Getting Odd

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J. GEILS BAND PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM