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The Firm or Coverdale Page


zeptangerine

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G'day everyone...I love the 'Coverdale Page' album. I have 'The Firm' albums, and they have their place as in a mood.

'Outrider' is fantastic as a JP solo, and 'Manic Nirvana' a RP favorite.

I don't knock any of it...it is how the artist thought at that period in time...

I have all the Zep & solo stuff on my MP3, and play it through the PC at work...bliss!!

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It was interesting how -page molded his playing for the c/p record. yeah it has nice production, layered guitars. its more of a commercial record, accessable for more listeners than -the firm. on the c/p album i hear some recycling from page, turns and takes from -led zep here and there.

Some of his solos from -the firm/the 80s were strong narratives of the songs...-the firm/live in peace,satisfaction guaranteed,midnight moonlight, -roy harper/hangman... real quality -page. i hear more definate/authentic expressions with those songs than the material off c/p. I guess its more interesting how -page molded his guitar playing for -the firm. its a shame he didnt produce any more albums with others over the years.

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Cool insights Middle Zep. I agree The Firm sonically and visually came across as a true band whether you liked the music or not. Jimmy's tone was in extreme contrast to what he was employing with Zeppelin and was taking his phrasing and execution from another angle. Page from a 1985 Firm era interview -" I've been working on a totally different style of playing, really. It's matured more. I'm trying to play melodic solos, so they're almost like another verse of vocal. It's always heavy, it's always intense.. It's excruciating pain through noise. It's this thing of making a noise that'll really almost annoy you. And, then seduce you after that with a very quiet passage."

Coverdale/Page didn't come across a a band effort at all and focused much more on the hard rock aspect of Jimmy and David's personalities. Page did his best, but a lot of my fellow Zeppelin friends found the vocals tacky and unlistenable. Plus the visual look of the band looked dated. Jimmy with the Paul Stanley -wig perm thing isn't his best look.

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Coverdale/Page didn't come across a a band effort at all and focused much more on the hard rock aspect of Jimmy and David's personalities. Page did his best, but a lot of my fellow Zeppelin friends found the vocals tacky and unlistenable. Plus the visual look of the band looked dated. Jimmy with the Paul Stanley -wig perm thing isn't his best look.

Couldn't agree more. :)

CovPage.jpg

*shudders*

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Coverdale/Page didn't come across a a band effort at all and focused much more on the hard rock aspect of Jimmy and David's personalities. Page did his best, but a lot of my fellow Zeppelin friends found the vocals tacky and unlistenable. Plus the visual look of the band looked dated. Jimmy with the Paul Stanley -wig perm thing isn't his best look.

I think David's hard-rock vocals complimented quite well with Jimmy's guitars. Almost too well with some songs. Paul Rodgers had a great voice, too, but it was always a bit 'soft' for my Firm tastes. And on the C/P hair front- I blame that gold-digger Tawny Kitaen for it all. <_<

250px-Whitesnake_Kitaen.JPG

Now here's a nice photo below...I gotta admit, the '80s was a cruel decade for rock-star hair styles.

1462026.jpg

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I think David's hard-rock vocals complimented quite well with Jimmy's guitars. Almost too well with some songs. Paul Rodgers had a great voice, too, but it was always a bit 'soft' for my Firm tastes. And on the C/P hair front- I blame that gold-digger Tawny Kitaen for it all. <_<

250px-Whitesnake_Kitaen.JPG

Now here's a nice photo below...I gotta admit, the '80s was a cruel decade for rock-star hair styles.

1462026.jpg

I was with Susan when she took that pic funnily enough^

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I thought Coverdale's vocal approach on Take Me For A Little While and Take A Look At Yourself came off effectively. It was the shrieking and banal lyrics that grated most. A common phrase I heard repeatedly when I asked friends what they thought about this album...'It fucking sucks!'"

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A common phrase I heard repeatedly when I asked friends what they thought about this album...'It fucking sucks!'"

:o

Something tells me these "friends" have already endured curse upon curse for such blasphemy. If not, Lord Voldemort and I will be happy to assist. ^_^

edited for conjunction junction what's your function

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:o

Something tells me these "friends" have already endured curse upon curse for such blasphemy. If not, Lord Voldemort and I will be happy to assist. ^_^

edited for conjunction junction what's your function

They've all ended up with arthritic fingers. Whisper A Prayer For The Cursed.

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Cool insights Middle Zep. I agree The Firm sonically and visually came across as a true band whether you liked the music or not. Jimmy's tone was in extreme contrast to what he was employing with Zeppelin and was taking his phrasing and execution from another angle. Page from a 1985 Firm era interview -" I've been working on a totally different style of playing, really. It's matured more. I'm trying to play melodic solos, so they're almost like another verse of vocal. It's always heavy, it's always intense.. It's excruciating pain through noise. It's this thing of making a noise that'll really almost annoy you. And, then seduce you after that with a very quiet passage."

Interesting quote. thanks for posting that -chicago. interesting thing from -jimmy there, about "noise that'll almost annoy you". i think jpj really went for that effect on some stuff from -zooma. in fact, stuff like -tidal, annoys the ear and even causes alarm. in regards to -led zep's hammering, heavy live dynamic. i think this is the thing that turned off so many critics, they just didnt get the physical aspect of the music, the heavy music.

I think there is a good amount of stuff off -walking into clarksdale where -page is coming from a -firm angle of playing. sort of more reliant on the flow of the song, as opposed to a structured riff, with the song built around that.

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Interesting quote. thanks for posting that -chicago. interesting thing from -jimmy there, about "noise that'll almost annoy you". i think jpj really went for that effect on some stuff from -zooma. in fact, stuff like -tidal, annoys the ear and even causes alarm. in regards to -led zep's hammering, heavy live dynamic. i think this is the thing that turned off so many critics, they just didnt get the physical aspect of the music, the heavy music.

I think there is a good amount of stuff off -walking into clarksdale where -page is coming from a -firm angle of playing. sort of more reliant on the flow of the song, as opposed to a structured riff, with the song built around that.

good call, both of you. i found page's playing serving the song in both the firm and on 'clarksdale'. some of his most poignant can be found behind robert's breathy vocals on 'blue train'.

quite a song, that....

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  • 2 weeks later...
Im not going to knock any voerdale/page stuff, but if i had to choose id rather listen to a firm album only because i think paul rodgers voice matches jimmy's riffing a bit better

One of the coolest sights and sounds I've ever heard was seeing from front row,

Jimmy Page on his wah-wah pedal, cigarette dangling in full drool mode slithering through the song Cadillac on the 1985 Firm tour. The sound was so massive and cutting, my girlfriend said it was like getting sliced by steel.

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One of the coolest sights and sounds I've ever heard was seeing from front row,

Jimmy Page on his wah-wah pedal, cigarette dangling in full drool mode slithering through the song Cadillac on the 1985 Firm tour. The sound was so massive and cutting, my girlfriend said it was like getting sliced by steel.

Wow....that's some dangerous drool... B)

I have to take issue with people who point to DC for "banal" lyrics on CP....you are aware that Paul Rogers is responsible for some of the most banal lyrics on the planet right?? I point to anything by Bad Company and the most recent PR + Queen album Cosmos Rocks...uhhhhhhhg.

David Coverdale on his lyric writing "...I never said I was Billy Shakespeare, mate..." At least he knows he writes sub par lyrics. :P

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One of the coolest sights and sounds I've ever heard was seeing from front row,

Jimmy Page on his wah-wah pedal, cigarette dangling in full drool mode slithering through the song Cadillac on the 1985 Firm tour. The sound was so massive and cutting, my girlfriend said it was like getting sliced by steel.

excellent post. your girlfriend has a way with words.

where did you see the firm, chicago?

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excellent post. your girlfriend has a way with words.

where did you see the firm, chicago?

The first Firm show I attended was 3/7/85 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Page came out storming and the Closer/ City Sirens opening had everyone riveted. It was a killer show and it was a thrill to see Page for the 1st time in 8 years onstage once again.

Luckily through a good friend I scored front row- dead center seats for the 4/24/85 show at the Rosemont Horizon. That was the afore-mentioned concert where I commented on Page's performance of Cadillac. Before the show started about 20 hot babes were brought up front by the barrier to provide " inspiration." Jimmy tore it up and the whole band was really gelling.

I had the exact same seats for the 5/6/86 Firm show and what a contrast to the prior gigs. The spotlight hit Jimmy at the start of Fortune Hunter and I could tell it was going to be a long night. Page played terribly and his phrasing was atrocious. Too many intakes. What a letdown. I had encouraged some friends to attend this show based on the earlier and stellar performances. They were pissed off and one notably declared " What a fucking junkie!" I couldn't defend the pure shoddiness of his playing. Thank God for the 1988 Outrider tour.

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One of the coolest sights and sounds I've ever heard was seeing from front row,

Jimmy Page on his wah-wah pedal, cigarette dangling in full drool mode slithering through the song Cadillac on the 1985 Firm tour. The sound was so massive and cutting, my girlfriend said it was like getting sliced by steel.

HAha good story man, i mean the C and P stuff was good, But the firm had so many great people in the band. the vocals were great the guitar was amazing. I wish i could have seen one of their conserts!!!

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I have a bad habit of comparing Jimmy's play as to the bands themselves. This is why I lean a bit towards Coverdale/Page. While I had seen Jimmy emote first hand with the Firm, for me when he solo's in the shows from Japan with Coverdale, he is the Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin that pushes my button. Explanation is...He sounds more like...Himself. My opinion is The Firm are a better band, but Jimmy in his natural element with the material covered in C/P.

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I have a bad habit of comparing Jimmy's play as to the bands themselves. This is why I lean a bit towards Coverdale/Page. While I had seen Jimmy emote first hand with the Firm, for me when he solo's in the shows from Japan with Coverdale, he is the Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin that pushes my button. Explanation is...He sounds more like...Himself. My opinion is The Firm are a better band, but Jimmy in his natural element with the material covered in C/P.

good call. c/p was an exciting album to hear, page-wise, and i don't think it has lessened for me in the passing years. as i've said, page onstage is where it's at for me, and i don't have a stub for c/p, so my vote is void.

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have a bad habit of comparing Jimmy's play as to the bands themselves. This is why I lean a bit towards Coverdale/Page. While I had seen Jimmy emote first hand with the Firm, for me when he solo's in the shows from Japan with Coverdale, he is the Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin that pushes my button. Explanation is...He sounds more like...Himself. My opinion is The Firm are a better band, but Jimmy in his natural element with the material covered in C/P.

--------------------

Page's return to playing the Les Paul and delving into the Zeppelin catalog was in strong contrast to his tone and playing in the Firm. The riffs are mammoth and solos more fluid when played on the Gibson. While in the Firm they wouldn't touch a Zeppelin song in any manner and the Telecaster B- bender was Page's choice of instrument. It's almost like two different guitarists in approach, sound and style.

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