As a lifelong musician who has worked in the industry for over 30 yrs I think I’m qualified to say that Frampton is one of the most overrated guitarists of all time.
Zappa was a guitarist.
Frampton was just a pile of hair that could hold a pick.
He was better when he was with Humble Pie.
David Bowie thought enough of Frampton to have him be the guitarist on his Glass Spider Tour.
Only caught Zappa once- 74-75 or so at the Cap Center near DC.
He did weird scales like egyptian jazz or something, coupled with muffin and snow references.
Definitely not commercial, but he would flash some riffs showing he could be commercial if he so chose...
Zappa could play really fast with no melody.
“Frampton was just a pile of hair that could hold a pick.”
You should see him now. Bald as a cucumber. he lives near my Eastside Cincinnati neighborhood in Indian Hill. He does a lot of charitable work here in town. A genuinely good guy. Little known fact, his nighbor across the street from him his Neal Armstrong.