Great Rock Albums of 1985: The Firm

 

For a good number of people in 1985, The Firm were considered a disappointment. This was because many people, including yours truly, thought that a band with both Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page in it was going to be some sort of Led Zeppelin/Bad Company hybrid. The Firm's debut album certainly wasn't that. What Rodgers and Page did was make their own unique music with the help of a great rhythm section featuring Tony Franklin and Chris Slade.

The album's first single, "Radioactive," put many metalheads off exploring them more. This is a shame because I knew that there would be better things to come on the album and I was right. This is not to say that there isn't anything wrong with "Radioactive," it's a good song in it's own right. It was just the fact that many people were expecting the song to be the love child of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Bad Company" and "Radioactive" doesn't come close. I still like the song.

Once one has thrown away their expectations of what they thought this album was going to sound like and listen to it with an open mind, one would find that it's a damn good album. Okay, it's definitely not heavy metal, more of a straight forward rock album and if you listen closely, you can still hear some Bad Company influence. Especially in the songs "Make or Break, which is the hidden gem and "Satisfaction Guaranteed." Furthermore, while Jimmy Page doesn't nail down the solos like in the old Zeppelin classics like "Stairway" or "Whole Lotta Love," he still shows he can wail on the guitar. It's just with The Firm, it's not as pronounced like it was with his former band. "Money Can't Buy" is a fine example.

Proof that Rodgers, Page, Franklin and Slade were determined to forge their own path in the rock world is their cover of the Righteous Brothers classic, "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling." The coolest part in the song is Jimmy's guitar solo supported by Tony on the fretless bass, good stuff. Also, Paul's vocals are as good as ever on every song on this album.

Track Listing:

1. Closer
2. Make or Break
3. Someone to Love
4. Together
5. Radioactive
6. You Lost That Lovin' Feeling
7. Money Can't Buy
8. Satisfaction Guaranteed
9. Midnight Moonlight

Paul Rodgers- lead vocals, guitars

Jimmy Page- lead guitar

Tony Franklin- bass, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals

Chris Slade- drums, percussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfng9F8hqM

Does anyone have a time machine I could borrow? If so, I would like to go back in time and say to all of those people who rejected The Firm back in 1985 because they didn't sound like former bands, "Look, they're not like Bad Company or Led Zeppelin, get over it!" Because their first album shows what they can do on their own.

Next post: John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band- Tough All Over

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com  

Great Rock Albums of 1985: David Lee Roth- Crazy From the Heat

 

Here's a thought, I wonder if David Lee Roth had some sort of deal with MTV back in 1984 and 85. The first video shown on the channel in 1984 was  the debut video for Van Halen's "Jump." One year later, the first video shown in the new year for 1985 was from the video from David's solo album, "Crazy From the Heat," the Beach Boys' classic, "California Girls." This seems too much of a coincidence for me and I wonder if David did have some sort of deal with MTV.

The first noticeable thing about "California Girls" is that it sounds nothing like the Beach Boys nor Van Halen. David puts his own spin on the song and I think he does a very good job on it. That is if you cast aside the predictable girls in bikinis video for the song. He sings very well on not just this but all songs even if sometimes one can't take him seriously. On the other three songs on this four song EP, he departs even further from what he did with Van Halen and heavy metal in general.

With two of the remaining three songs, David tries to be a 1940s era type big band singer. Always being more the showman as opposed to the singer, his personality does burst through more than his vocal ability but he does sing very well on it. Full credit, he's a more versatile singer than what he was often given credit for back then or even today. As for the final song, "Coconut Grove" I have always had trouble getting into that one but the reason is not down to David. Three of the four songs are good for me and it doesn't matter that the entire EP is less than fourteen minutes.

Track Listing:

1. Easy Street
2. Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
3. California Girls
4. Coconut Grove

[caption id="attachment_4646" align="aligncenter" width="328"] David Lee Roth[/caption]

David Lee Roth- vocals

Dean Parks- guitar on "Coconut Grove"

Eddie Martinez, Sid McGinnis- guitars

Willie Weeks- bass

John Robinson- drums

Sammy Figueroa- percussion

James Newton Howard- keyboards on "Coconut Grove"

Edgar Winter- keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals on tracks 1&2

Brian Mann- keyboards

Carl Wilson, Christopher Cross- backing vocals on "California Girls"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GMoLENWsSk

David Lee Roth's debut solo album sparked a lot of rumours in regards to his relationship with Van Halen. It has been said that the success of "Crazy From the Heat" inspired him to go solo. Maybe it did. All I know that this is a cool little album.

Next post: The Firm

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Yngwie J. Malmsteen- Rising Force

 

The last of the 1984 albums that didn't come to my attention until 1985 and it wasn't until May of said year that I was treated to this one. I remember it well, fairly well anyway. I was sitting in the cafeteria of my local glorified high school, (community college), when a friend offered me a listen on his walkman saying, "I think you'll like this." He was right, I did like it. It was the opening track to the "Rising Force" album by Swedish guitar god, Yngwie J Malmsteen. It was said that the J is there so we won't confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the world.

"Black Star" the opening track I mentioned changed my entire outlook on guitar instrumentals, which was a hard thing to do because I have always had great admiration for masters of the axe. It was just the way that then 21 year old Yngwie made the guitar scream and bend to his will as he played that had me totally hypnotized. "Black Star" was simply the perfect introduction for me and apparently, he still plays it live.

One criticism aimed at guitar albums is that all of the tracks sound the same. Yes, I know, complete hogwash but if anyone says it to you, then you can point them to this album. All of the tracks are original and unique as Yngwie strains his guitars to fit the sound of each song. Whether it's the faster paced "Far Beyond the Sun," it is rumoured he still plays that one live too or the classical sounding "Icarus's Dream Sweet Opus 4," Yngwie delivers a unique sound every time.

While the guitarist is the main attraction here, you must give credit to the supporting cast. Jens Johansson premieres his keyboard skills on the album and shows he is very good at what he does. One must also give credit to drummer Barriemore Barlow. He has to keep up with a guitarist who can change direction at any time and often does so. And while there are only two vocal tracks on the album, it was here where I got my first experience of Jeff Scott Soto. Even with very little vocal opportunity, he shows he's got the pipes. Fortunately, he would be given more opportunity on future albums as "As Above, So Below" is proof that Jeff and Yngwie made a very good combination. See, if it hadn't been for Danny Vaughn, Jeff would have been my vocalist of choice for the 80sMetalman Band of Underrated Musicians.

Track Listing:

1. Black Star
2. Far Beyond the Sun
3. Now Your Ships Are Burned
4. Evil Eye
5. Icarus's Dream, Sweet Opus 4
6. As Above, So Below
7. Little Savage
8. Farewell

[caption id="attachment_2962" align="aligncenter" width="194"] Yngwie Malmsteen[/caption]

Yngwie Malmsteen- guitars, bass, Moog Taurus

Jens Johansson- keyboards

Jeff Scott Soto- vocals

Barriemore Barlow- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blNQZc84Q5c

In the later years, I would learn all about Yngwie's over inflated ego and how he doesn't play nice with others but that's in the future. What I knew in May 1985 was that he could rip a guitar, which he does extremely well on his debut album.

Next post: David Lee Roth- Crazy From the Heat

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com