Jimmy Page's forgotten great album! (The Firm: Mean Business)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by stax o' wax, Aug 25, 2017.

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  1. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The West
    Ok maybe it wasn't that forgotten, and maybe it's not that great. But The Firm - Mean Business is worth your attention.
    This album was almost ignored when it was rolled out in the 80's.
    But it has grown in stature over the decades and now I consider it to be a fine album
    If your searching for a JP fix, and you need something you haven't played to death... Mean Business is very good.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2017
    footlooseman likes this.
  2. RK2249

    RK2249 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Jersey
    I don't think it's grown in stature at all (I think even the band prefer the first album) but I like it a lot. I prefer it over the first album and Outrider...which says something about Paul Rodgers as he solely wrote my favorite songs on the album.
     
  3. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I beg to differ. You were right the first time. It's not that great. The first album is very good. Mean Business not so much.
     
    J_D__, Sean, Dave and 5 others like this.
  4. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    I bought the first album on release, and really like/liked it. For reasons I don't recall, I ignored the second album. In fact, to this day I've not heard it. It's one of those strange anomalies in my collection, where I just totally blanked a band despite enjoying their debut. No reason, it just slipped through the cracks. Then they were no more, so obviously didn't come to the fore again....
     
  5. Chris Slade an amazing drummer. Manfred Mann's Earth Band, The Firm and AC/DC. That's an impressive resume.
    And he looks fit and healthy... good enough for Rodgers and Page!
     
    daltieri, iloveguitars and RK2249 like this.
  6. steveharris

    steveharris Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Aw man, there are plenty of sealed vinyl still out there.
     
  7. DVEric

    DVEric Satirical Intellectual

    Location:
    New England
    I know, I was totally joking. :winkgrin:
     
    Sean, RK2249 and Haggis Wampovich like this.
  8. FourWalledWorld

    FourWalledWorld Forum Resident

    I'm not hugely keen on the album as a whole but I really like "Tear Down the Walls".
     
    DreamIsOver likes this.
  9. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I think the problem might be the strength of the material. Absolutely nothing wrong with the playing. I have both.

    JG
     
  10. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    I was obsessed with "All The King's Horses" for a bit when it came out, but I haven't played this album in at least 30 years and can't remember much about it. It is in my needledrop queue, so I can add it to my iTunes and get reacquainted. Already did that with the debut.
     
    Steve Simm likes this.
  11. superstar19

    superstar19 Authentic By Nature

    Location:
    Canton, MI, USA
    I still enjoy listening to it, but this album came out just after I discovered Led Zep and totally getting obsessed with all things Page so probably some slight bias there. Standout tracks to me are Tear Down The Walls, Fortune Hunter, Dreaming, Cadillac (which was a leftover from the first album I believe). Really liked All The Kings Horses and Live In Peace at the time, but not as much now. Saw them on the US tour. I remember hoping they’d do some Zep tunes, but I’d have to wait until the Outrider tour to see Page revisit some of those.
     
  12. kolive

    kolive 6070rock enthusiast

    Location:
    geneva
    I love both albums. Page and Rodgers seemed like a dream team.
    Plant couldn't sing anymore (well not the way he used to) and Rodgers, well they don;t call him
    the voice for nothing. What a talent, and teamed with Page.
    I'm just sorry there only 2 albums. But yes, they never received the notoriety I think they deserved.
     
  13. aroney

    aroney Who really gives a...?

    They were a wee bit overshadowed - perhaps completely covered - by their past work.
     
    Dondy, RK2249, kolive and 3 others like this.
  14. slipkid

    slipkid Senior Member

    I think both Firm albums are flawed (IE: they have songs I dig and songs I don't dig). But I prefer Mean Biz over the first one, for the songs All the King's Horses and Live In Peace, both of which I think are better than anything on the first album.

    Btw Live In Peace had already come out on Paul Rodger's first solo album, but the version on MB is better.
     
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  15. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The West
    Mean Business is a better album than the debut.
    And I agree both albums are flawed by a mid 80's production.
     
  16. kolive

    kolive 6070rock enthusiast

    Location:
    geneva
    No doubt they were overshadowed by their past work. It was great past work.
    Still everytime I listen to a firm track, it sound great.

    Live in Peace!
     
  17. Channel Z

    Channel Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    These albums have not been remastered as far as I know. I wonder why they have not or if anybody would be interested. I rarely hear anything from these 2 albums on FM Radio or XM Radio. These albums have faded in 80s obscurity.
     
    Motorcity supernaut and RK2249 like this.
  18. steveharris

    steveharris Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    I got that email from Jimmy Page .com to pre order the new live Yardbirds reissue.
     
  19. dylankicks

    dylankicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oshkosh, WI
    I never warmed up to it as much as the first album.
     
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  20. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The West
    I brought up Mean Business because it really seemed like that album never got off the ground to begin with.
    (although it looks like the single All The Kings Horses did meet with some real success....that surprised me).

    I have to admit being pleasantly surprised when I pulled it out of the vaults and took a listen some 20 years later, maybe some of it was relief that it wasn't a train wreck, but also I like Fortune Hunter, All The Kings Horses, Live In Peace and Dreaming.
    I certainly wouldn't put the album in Page's resume of greatness....but it's nice to have some JP material that is still solid and I haven't played 6000 times.
     
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  21. swandown

    swandown Under Assistant West Coast Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Great album. "Tear Down The Walls" and "Spirit Of Love" are two of my favorite songs from Jimmy's entire catalog (even though "Spirit Of Love" is closer to a Paul Rodgers solo recording).

    John Miles did a fantastic job with "Tear Down The Walls" on Jimmy's 1988 tour. He channeled Paul Rodgers' voice while giving the song the soaring Led Zeppelin treatment that it deserved.
     
  22. Paulo Alm

    Paulo Alm Forum Resident

    Location:
    In The Light
    I like Mean Business, it's a good album. Fortune Hunter, Cadillac and Tear Down The Walls are excellent! The re-recording of Live In Peace is pretty good too... Dreaming is fine. The others are just there.

    I wouldn't call Mean Business "great" at all! That said, though, a proper release of The Firm material with all songs remixed and remastered by Jimmy Page would be very welcome, if you ask me. It needs it.
     
  23. Channel Z

    Channel Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    I wonder why Jimmy Page hasn't reissued these albums? I remember when the first Firm LP was released in 1985 there was some hoopla about Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers teaming up together and the song Radioactive was played a lot on FM Radio and MTV. The 2nd album followed the next year it seemed to come and disappear very quickly. Then that was it. They did tour a little also during that time also. I think there isn't a lot of interest in these albums now over 30 years old now. They are just relics from the 1980s now. I have both of these albums I should give them a fresh listen.
     
    RK2249 likes this.
  24. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Got it, gave it away, nothing of value on it IMO. Sorry.
     
  25. johnny q

    johnny q Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bergen County, NJ
    I really can't add anything that others have not already very succinctly stated! Very good album, perhaps not as great as the first one due to some filler tracks. But tracks like "Fortune Hunter," "Cadillac" and especially "Tear Down The Walls" make it a keeper.

    I love how "Fortune Hunter" is riffy Zep style rock (similar to the Candy Store Rock riff) and then breaks down into Bad Company land during the "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" section.
     
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