| Mean Business | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 February 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 39:20 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers and Julian Mendelsohn | |||
| The Firm chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable)[2] |
Mean Business is the second and final studio album by The Firm, released by Atlantic Records on 3 February 1986. Repeating the same bluesy formula as on the first album, The Firm (1985), Mean Business did not achieve the same commercial success.
One of the album's tracks, "Live in Peace", was first recorded on Paul Rodgers' first solo album in 1983, Cut Loose. The versions differ in that Chris Slade played the drums at half tempo compared to the original version, apart from the ending. Paul Rodgers has recently played a new version on his new compilation album Live in Peace.
The album's title was intended to have a double meaning: that the music business is a hard one, and that the band was serious about its music ("The Firm mean business"). However, perhaps due to the lukewarm-at-best critical and financial success which the band met, Page and Rodgers decided to disband The Firm within months of this album's release.
The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[3] and at #46 on the UK Albums Chart. The single "All the King's Horses" spent four weeks at the top of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
"Fortune Hunter" was originally co-written by Page and Chris Squire for the aborted XYZ project in 1981. Squire was not credited on The Firm's version.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fortune Hunter" | Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Chris Squire (uncredited) | 5:00 |
| 2. | "Cadillac" | Page, Rodgers | 5:57 |
| 3. | "All the King's Horses" | Rodgers | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Live in Peace" | Rodgers | 5:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tear Down the Walls" | Page, Rodgers | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Dreaming" | Tony Franklin | 6:00 |
| 3. | "Free to Live" | Page, Rodgers | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Spirit of Love" | Rodgers | 5:06 |
Personnel
Band
- Paul Rodgers – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, producer
- Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitars, producer
- Tony Franklin – fretless bass, keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm guitar on Dreaming, back vocals
- Chris Slade – drums and percussion
Other
- Julian Mendelsohn – producer
- Aubrey Powell Productions – cover design
- Barry Diament – mastering
Charts
Album
| Chart (1986) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart[3] | 22 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[4] | 37 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[5] | 43 |
| UK Albums Chart[6] | 46 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "All the King's Horses" | US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[7] | 1 |
| 1986 | "All the King's Horses" | US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 61 |
| 1986 | "All the King's Horses" | US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[9] | 67 |
| 1986 | "Live in Peace" | US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[10] | 21 |
References
- ↑ "Mean Business - The Firm | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ↑ "The Firm: Mean Business : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- 1 2 "The Billboard 200 - 15 March 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ↑ "RPM Albums Chart - 29 March 1986". RPM. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ↑ "Top 60 Albums - 2 April 1986". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 5 April 1986". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
- ↑ "Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 22 February 1986". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
- ↑ "Hot 100 Chart - 22 March 1986". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
- ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 22 March 1986". Cashboxmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
- ↑ "Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 5 April 1986". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2009.