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Worlds Collide
The Firm — The Firm (1985)
The Firm’s self-titled 1985 debut album is a notable intersection of rock mastery. It united Jimmy Page’s signature guitar work with what is arguably one of the best rock and roll voices in history, Paul Rodgers.
The pair had already left an indelible mark on rock — Page through the seismic success of a little band named Led Zeppelin and Rodgers as the voice of Free and Bad Company. With these credentials, expectations were high. Yet The Firm aims not for epic theatrics but a lean, radio-friendly approach.
While the decision is refreshing, it can leave some listeners feeling that the album doesn’t fully deliver.
The overt attempt to create a radio-friendly song is most evident in “Radioactive,” which, fortunately for the band, was successful.
Tracks like the album opener, “Closer,” showcase the group’s willingness to experiment. Tony Franklin’s fretless bass lines in the song add a unique character, even if they occasionally overshadow Rodgers’s dynamic vocals.
For reasons known only to the band, they covered The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” which was a miscalculation. It’s not awful; sonically, it works, but it’s so egregiously…
