€ The Firm forms: Tony Franklin (bass,
synthesizers), Jimmy Page (guitars), Paul Rodgers
(vocals), Chris Slade (drums).
1985.02 A1.RADIOACTIVE US.28
7PRO: US Atlantic 7-89586 [ps]
12PRO: US Atlantic PR-698
B1.Together
7”: US Atlantic 7-89586 [ps], UK Atlantic A-9586 [ps],
UK Atlantic A-9586P
[picture disc], CAN Atlantic 78 95867, JPN Victor
VIPX-1799 [ps]
B1.Radioactive (Special Remix)
12PRO: US Atlantic PR-714
A1.Radioactive (Special Mix) B1.City Sirens (Live)
B2.Live in Peace (Live)
12: US Atlantic 86896, UK Atlantic A-9586T, GER
Atlantic 786905
1.Radioactive (Special Mix) 2.Together 3.City Sirens
(Live) 4.Live in Peace
(Live)
12: UK Atlantic A-9586TE
(reiss) B1.All the King’s Horses
7”: US Atlantic Oldies Series 7-84966
Produced by Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers
A1.Closer
A2.Make or Break A3.Someone to
Love A4.Together A5.Radioactive
B1.You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling B2.Money Can’t Buy B3.Satisfaction Guaranteed
B4.Midnight Moonlight
(orig lp) US Atlantic 81239-1 [ps], UK/CAN/GER
Atlantic 78 12391 [ps], COL Atlantic 6076,
JPN Victor VIL-6157, MEX Atlantic LWA-6352
(orig cs) US Atlantic A4-81239, CAN Atlantic 78 12394
(orig cd) US Atlantic 81239, UK Atlantic 78 12392
3 stars. Apparently
the contract read “guitarist in the greatest rock and roll band” and not “the
greatest rock and roll guitarist.” Just another reason to bring a lawyer with
you when you’re dealing with the devil. If Jimmy Page sold his soul for rock
and roll immortality, he sold whatever was left in this unholy alliance with
Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers and a rhythm section (Chris Slade, Tony Franklin) of
little “L” lemures. Now I love Zeppelin (who doesn’t?), but I lost that loving
feeling pretty quick with this album. Paul Rodgers is no Robert Plant, no Lou
Gramm, not even a John Wetton, and Chris Slade was booted out of Uriah Heep for
goodness sake. That leaves us pretty much with Page, a burned-out waltzer who
used to be one hell of a dancer. The mighty riffs and black sheets of rain
never arrive, just a light drizzle and an acoustic epic at the end that sounds
like “The Rain Song.” That last track, “Midnight Moonlight,” is far and away
the closest thing to Zeppelin (I refuse to repackage the same information and
tell you that it is) and thus the most likely to please long-suffering
Leddites. Otherwise the Zeppelin comparison is slim. Some of the riffs from
Page (“Closer,” “Someone to Love”) deliver on a Bled Company union, but unless
you thought Billy Squier really rocked you won’t be happy with the results. The
hit, “Radioactive,” is probably the best thing about the record, a classic
crotch rock song from the 80s (back-handed compliment that it is). The trick to
appreciating this record lies in the direction you’re coming from. If you’re
following Paul Rodgers, proceed without caution since for him The Firm is an
elevated platform. If you’re following Page, there are more interesting
chapters in Zeppelin’s archives, from Coda to... well, okay those are some pretty
slim archives so better to proceed directly to Pictures.
1985.04 A1.SATISFACTION GUARANTEED US.73
7PRO: US Atlantic 7-89561
B1.Closer
7”: US Atlantic 7-89561 [ps]
1985 A1.SOMEONE TO LOVE
12PRO: US 1985 Atlantic PR-735
Produced by Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers & Julian
Mendelsohn
A1.Fortune Hunter
A2.Cadillac A3.All the Kings
Horses A4.Live in Peace B1.Tear
Down the Walls
B2.Dreaming B3.Free to Live B4.Spirit of Love
(orig lp) US Atlantic 81628, UK/CAN/GER Atlantic 78
16281 [ps], JPN Victor VIL-28022, MEX
Atlantic LWA-6483 [ps]
(orig cs) US Atlantic 81628-4-E, CAN Atlantic 78
16284
(orig cd) CAN Atlantic CD 81628
3 stars. It
was mean business then The Firm collapsed, another example of an arena-rock
supergroup that ultimately rejected its new organs. Shame, since they were
really better than most gave them credit for. I missed their debut (when buying
stuff, I follow fortune) but was surprised to find their second album stays
true to the promise of a marriage between Led Zeppelin and Bad Company. No,
Paul Rodgers doesn’t burn the way Robert Plant does, and Jimmy Page’s guitar
riffs don’t fall like black sheets of rain out of a troubled sky, but The Firm
does suggest what BadCo would have sounded like in a serious mood. In fact,
Mean Business could be seen as BadCo on an epic scale. Like John Wetton,
Rodgers has his lyric eye on bigger issues, summoning the last wave on “Spirit
of Love” and “Live In Peace” or feeding the unquenchable fire on “All The Kings
Horses.” The singer is clearly the lead force here, with Jimmy delivering a few
Pageworthy riffs but otherwise invisible save for the sleepy exoticism of
“Cadillac” and “Free To Live.” Tony Franklin also contributes one track,
“Dreaming,” which further frees Page from the troublesome task of writing
songs. I suspect that those disappointed with Mean Business had pinned their
hopes for a Zeppelin lovechild on The Firm, which is shaky reasoning. Robert
Plant’s music better delivers on that promise, whereas three quarters of The
Firm weren’t responsible for (or likely interested in) keeping Zeppelin’s dim
flame alive. Approaching their music from the BadCo angle proves to be their
better side, a vantage point from which The Firm’s stature is elevated. Mean
Business lacks the instrumental chops of Asia’s debut, but it’s not the
sophomore slump that Alpha was either. Put aside squinting for Zeppelin’s
shadow and you just might develop a soft spot for The Firm’s last stand.
1986.04 A1.ALL THE KING’S HORSES US.61
7PRO: US Atlantic 7-89458 [ps]
12PRO: US Atlantic PR-834
B1.Fortune Hunter
7”: UK Atlantic A9458 [ps], US Atlantic 7-89548 [ps],
CAN Atlantic 78 94587 [ps],
JPN Victor VIPX-1842 [ps/promo], SPA Atlantic 789458-7
[ps]
-à
The first single from The Firm’s second album. “All The King’s Horses” isn’t
bad at all, just the sort of thing to fortify young love. The B side, “Fortune
Hunter,” is the more interesting track. Sounding like a Zeppelin outtake from
the late ‘70s, it is (according to the ever-reliable internet) based on an
instrumental that came out of the XYZ (Ex-Yes and Zeppelin) sessions between
Page, Chris Squire and Alan White. Both tracks on the single appear in
identical form on the elpee, The Firm Mean Business.
1986.05 A1.LIVE IN PEACE
7PRO: US Atlantic 7-89421
12PRO: US Atlantic PR-878
B1.Free to Live
7”: US Atlantic 7-89421, CAN Atlantic 78 49217
-à I
(as in eye) is the trouble I have every time with this title. (Eye blame John
and Yoko.) Five minutes of hand-wringing over war, with a guitar solo that
reminds me of Stairway for a fraction of a second. But we’re not playing spot
the zeppelin with The Firm today. The band was following the coast of Asia and
Foreigner, and Rodgers’ voice makes BadCo the home port for me. At five
minutes, “Live in Peace” didn’t stand much of a chance as a single. Plus, no
one wants to hear about war on the radio. That’s what we have television for.
(promo lp) US Atlantic PR-883