In 1971, the concept of a hard-rock band achieving its big commercial
breakthrough with a double live album was nothing new. But the
experience had to be a particularly satisfying one for
Humble Pie.
In a way, they were one of the era’s supergroups. Three of the band’s four members — guitarist
Peter Frampton, singer-guitarist
Steve Marriott and bassist
Greg Ridley — had already tasted success with the Herd, Small Faces and Spooky Tooth, respectively. At a mere 17,
Jerry Shirley was less well known but was gaining a reputation as a formidable power drummer in the John Bonham mold.
Still, in spite of their lineup and reputation for explosive live shows,
Humble Pie weren’t able to duplicate their onstage energy in the
studio. Their four studio albums aren’t bad, but they sold only
moderately well.
On 1971′s ‘
Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore,’ Humble Pie
finally captured lightning in a bottle. Recorded over a four-show,
two-night stand at the legendary Fillmore East — home to some of the
most storied concert recordings ever made, from Aretha to the Allmans —
the live double album showcased the band blowing the roof off the grand
old joint. Marriott is a pint-sized powerhouse of a blues-rock singer,
and his thunderous riffs perfectly complemented Frampton’s more fluid,
precise approach. The rhythm section of Ridley and Shirley held the
foundation up from the bottom, driving it home with all the nuance of a
Molotov cocktail.
