Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character reminds Patrick Fugit’s in the movie “Almost Famous” why music journalists who want to do a credible job can’t become friends with their subjects: “They make you feel cool. And, hey, I met you — you are not cool.”
Peter Frampton worked as a technical adviser on that film and can fully identify with the pitfalls of the allure of cool — even though he happens to be a world-famous and world-class guitarist.
After all, when his seminal live album “Frampton Comes Alive!” blew up in 1976 and stayed hot in ’77, he instantly went from moderately successful musician to supernova rock star, a not-altogether-unpleasant process but one that also frequently saw his music overshadowed by glamour-shot magazine covers featuring him shirtless, long blond hair flowing.