Thanks gang. Every day when I came home at 4:00pm my neighbor was standing outside having a cigarette. He didn't smoke in the house because of his daughter. He would always smile and ask me, "How's it going Tim ?", and we'd have a small conversation about the weather or the Tigers before I walked upstairs. I'm going to see him standing out there for a long time in my mind. This really sucks, and my old neighbor who owns the place is heartbroken because he had to evict him the day before. He was totally shattered when he heard the news. RIP Rodney.

My next door neighbor took his own life on Friday morning. He was only 31 years old. He shot himself in the head with a revolver. He was a union painter and hadn't worked in over a year and a half. He was so desparate for work that he tried to join the Service, but they didn't want him until November. I had just shared a 6 pack with him on Wednesday night. We sat on the porch (same place as my profile pic...he lived to the right) and had a nice conversation for over an hour until the mosquitos started biting. He was divorced....his ex-wife had drug problems, and he got custody of his 6 year old daughter just a couple of months ago. She moved in with him at that time, and I had gotten to know both of them very fairly well. She didn't make a move without him. There was no funeral service....no news article...not even an obituary in the paper. We later found out he was months behind in his rent, credit cards maxed out, and his truck repossessed. When we talked Wednesday night, I could tell things could be better, but he didn't give me any hints that he was at his wit's end....or that he was about to cash it in. I'm really bummed about this, and both have been constantly on my mind since. I feel so sorry for this little girl. To think that she is going to have to deal with this her entire life makes me very very sad.

Yes...I was.

Escaping from the Endodontist's office without any cutting. Is there anything scarier than seeing a dentist you don't know ?

"Moon Child".....King Crimson

"Blue Blue Sky"......Alan Parsons Project

"Rain On the Roof"......The Lovin' Spoonful

First thing that came to my mind....

"The Siren's Song".....Parkway Drive

"Song Sung Blue"......Neil Diamond

No Spats, it's often referred to as "The Dance". Something in nature that you will remain clueless about throughout eternity. If you were an elk....you would be gored. If you were a wolf, you'd be banned from the pack. If you were a male black widow spider, you'd be eaten before your only purpose was fulfilled. You're lucky to be human....because the only reality you'll have to face is never getting laid.

A summer cold and a toothache.....Somebody just shoot me. Can't see the dentist until Monday, so I'm living on Motrin.

I had a t-shirt too but heaven knows where its gone. I was on vacation out West the next Summer, and saw a teenager with a Firm t-shirt from the tour. I didn't hesitate and walked right up to the kid and told him how much I liked his shirt and enjoyed the show. He gave me a funny look and said, "Oh Dude....that show was last year !" Thanks to everyone for posting your stuff.

I remember The Firm covering Willie Dixon's "I Just Wanna Make Love To You" as one of the encores on the '86 tour.....pretty rip-roaring version too. Did they ever cover anything else ? Did any of the singles have any b-sides that weren't released on the two albums ? Steve....Do you have a studio timeline ? If those articles are accurate, I'm getting the impression that most of the second album was recorded with the first.

The names of their two albums were The Firm (1985) which hit number 17 in the U. S. And number 19 in the U. K., , and Mean Business (1986) hit number 22 in the U. S. And number 46 in the U. K... They released 4 singles which were Radioactive (1985), which hit number 28 in the U. S., Satisfaction Guaranteed (1985) hit number 73 in the U. S., All the King’s Horses (1986) reached number 61 in the U. S., and Live in Peace (1986). Peaked at # 46 in the U.K. ? What the hell ? LoL....outsold by Mike & the Mechanics. After playing the game with radio broadcasts, MTV videos, and other promotions, Jimmy must have been pretty depressed about the sales of both albums, especially when the 2nd album was given even harsher treatment than the first. Anyone have any vinyl 45's from The Firm ?

Wasn't there also a radio broadcast from one of the Firm shows at the Great Western Forum ? ( I was listening to Cleveland and Edinburgh) I saw the May 2nd, 1986 show at Joe Louis.

http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004097.html Modern Guitar Interview with Page from 1986

This thread is for all things related to The Firm....because I checked back pretty far, and we don't really have one.....and they deserve it ! I just got done listening to some Firm shows. I was blown away by how tight this band was by 1986. Jimmy's playing is far better than most people give him credit for. Even the fretless Bass now sounds good ! The lame studio songs like "Cadillac" and "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin" seem to come alive on stage. While listening to some of their shows, I couldn't help but think that Rodgers and Page didn't get enough credit at the time for the chances that were taken with this band. The shadow of Zeppelin and even Bad Co. would loom large over anything either tried at this point of their careers, yet this band really didn't attempt to copy either. That in itself was no small accomplishment. With both having a vast back catalog to rely on, Rodgers and Page relied only on the present. The mid-80's were also not the best time for a new veteran hard rock band to get on the map. In fact, the aging dinosaur cracks from the press began before anyone even heard a tune. I remember finding "Mean Business" in the cut-out bin at the local music store for $1.99...about a year after it's release. I already owned it, but it pissed me off so bad that I bought another two copies on vinyl. So maybe you hate the fretless Bass sound....Jimmy's B Bender.....the lack of improv.....but I think The Firm as a whole is wearing quite well these days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhImk5QPA8s...feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS0Nu2NBRpM...feature=related

PECANS IN THE CEMETERY On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. 'One for you, one for me One for you, one for me,' said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence. Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, 'One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.' He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along. 'Come here quick,' said the boy, 'you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.' The man said, 'Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk.' When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard , 'One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.' The old man whispered, 'Boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord.' Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord. At last they heard, 'One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done.' They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

I got me a new Dell Latitude E6500 delivered to my desk today. No more sticking mmmmmmmm key.....Yay !!

Hi....How's it going Zeppfanforever ? I must say I can't think of a worse band than Stynx. I only saw them once in the late 70's, and they sucked major ass. It was at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and it was free. It's pretty damning when a 17-18 year old kid walks out of a free concert, but I did. I can't think of a poorer excuse of a lead singer than Dennis De Young (sp...who cares ?). I think it's fitting that a guy named "Todd" replaced him. This is just my personal opinion, and as Steve is fond of saying, "mileage may vary", so don't take my comments personally. If I had to choose one Styx song though that I could tolerate it would have to be Miss America Rock on Zeppfan ! Again, nothing personal !

Great kitchen shot Manders.....but you need some culture on that fridge of yours. (pics removed to protect the guilty)

Sunday, May 3, 2009 Rockers Meg White, Jackson Smith set to marry The Detroit News White Stripes drummer Meg White is set to marry Jackson Smith, the rocker son of punk poet Patti Smith and late MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, later this month, The Detroit News has confirmed. A source close to the couple says White and Smith will walk down the aisle May 22 in Nashville, Tenn., and says the pair is not interested in media attention surrounding the union. White is temporarily on hiatus from the White Stripes, who last performed in February during the final episode of "Late Night with Conan O' Brien." Smith is the guitarist for Detroit rock foursome Back in Spades. The couple was engaged earlier this year. Nashville has become a second home for the Stripes, since White Stripes frontman Jack White moved to the city several years ago. The city also played host to another recent Detroit rock wedding, when Kid Rock married Pamela Anderson at a Nashville bar in August 2006.