The Rainmakers & Bob Walkenhorst: Top 100 Songs

The Rainmakers/ Bob Walkenhorst Top 100 Songs

The Rainmakers are a roots-rock band from Missouri. They started as a trio in 1983 named Steve, Bob & Rich for members Steve Phillips (guitar and vocals), Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, drums, and guitar), and Rich Ruth (bass and vocals). They released one independent album, Balls, in 1984. They signed to Polygram Records, added drummer Pat Tomek, and renamed themselves the Rainmakers. They released their self-titled debut in 1986. Four more studio albums followed from 1987 to 1997. Rich Ruth had left in 1994 and was replace on their 1997 album Skin by Michael Bliss. The band were then inactive for more than a decade, during which time frontman Bob Walkenhorst released a solo album and collaborated with Jeff Porter, who joined the Rainmakers when they reunited in 2011. Steve Phillips and Pat Tomek returned to the fold as well. After three more studio albums, the band again went dormant during which time Walkenhorst collaborated with his daughter Una for a 2018 album and released another solo effort in 2021. He has also recorded two albums, known as Spare and Spare Vol. 2, of stripped-down, acoustic versions of his songs with and without the Rainmakers. Also appearing on this list are a few cuts from the 1977 album The Last Adventure by the Walkenhorst Brothers. Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers. Spotify Podcast: Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: The Best of Bob Walkenhorst and the Rainmakers based on this list. It debuts August 24, 2021 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 20%: 1. Let My People Go-Go (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 2. Snake Dance (1987) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 3. Downstream (1986) 4. The Wages of Sin (1987) 5. Big Fat Blonde (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 6. Small Circles (1987) 7. Nobody Knows (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 8. Spend It on Love (1989) 9. Government Cheese (1986) 10. Like Dogs (2011) 11. Suspicious Minds (2015) 12. Last Song of the Evening (2011) 13. Given Time (2011) 14. Primitivo Garcia (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 15. Drinkin’ on the Job (1986) 16. Information (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 17. Go Down Swinging (2011) 18. Half a Horse Apiece (2011) 19. Hoo Dee Hoo (1989) 20. America (2015) 21. Another Guitar (1984) 22. Reckoning Day (1989) 23. One More Summer (1987) 24. Suspicious Minds (2015) 25. The Lakeview Man (1987) 26. For Tomorrow (Bob & Una Walkenhorst, 2018) 27. Different Rub (1997) 28. No Romance (1987) 29. Long Gone Long (1986) 30. Missouri Girl (2011) 31. Thirty Days (1989) 32. Rockin’ at the T-Dance (1986) 33. Doomsville (1986) 34. Turpentine (2011) 35. The Battle of the Roses (1989) 36. Siamese Twins (1997) 37. The One That Got Away (1986) 38. Stick Together (live, 1989) 39. Baby Grand (2011) 40. Wild Oats (1989) 41. Kansas City Times (2011) 42. Skin (1997) 43. To the Hum (1997) 44. 13th Spirit (2014) 45. Rainmaker (1987) 46. Renaissance Man (1989) 47. Carpenter’s Son (1987) 48. Tattoo (1997) 49. Fool’s Gold (1994) 50. Shithole Town (2014) 51. Life Can Turn (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 52. Width of a Line (1994) 53. Miserable (2014) 54. Little Tiny World (1994) 55. Jan Vermeer (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 56. J-Walkers (Bob Wakenhorst, 2003) 57. Just Leaving (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 58. Shiny Shiny (1989) 59. Along Comes Mary (2015) 60. Tornado of Love (1987) 61. Just Another Joe (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 62. The Day We Hung Up the Flag (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 63. The Other Side of the World (1987) 64. Fly Over (Bob & Una Walkenhorst, 2018) 65. You Remind Me of Someone (1994) 66. Monster Movie (2014) 67. I Talk with My Hands (1987) 68. Greatest Night of My Life (1994) 69. Silver Lake (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 70. Remarkable (Bob Walkenhorst, 2006) 71. No Abandon (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 72. Mystery Road (1994) 73. Dry Dry Land (1989) 74. Sugartree (Bob Walkenhorst, 2020) 75. We Walk the Levee (1989) 76. Happy Enough (Bob Walkenhorst, 2020) 77. View from the Tower (1994) 78. Rock On (2015) 79. EGBDF (Steve, Bob & Rich: 1984) 80. A Million Miles Away (1997) 81. Punching Bag (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 82. Call a Wrecker (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 83. Stolen the Moon (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 84. Overland Hill (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 85. Burgers (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 86. Spite (1994) 87. Winter Dreams (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 88. Shenandoah (Bob Walkenhorst, 2016) 89. Kissin’ Time (Steve, Bob & Rich: 1984) 90. Good Sons and Daughters (1997) 91. Kissses from St. Louis (1993) 92. Rockin’ Around (1993) 93. Autumn Song (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 94. When We Say Goodbye (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 95. Vermillion (2011) 96. Who’s at the Wheel (2014) 97. These Hills (2011) 98. Broken Down (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 99. Too Many Twenties (1997) 100. Signs of a Struggle (2014) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for The Rainmakers DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Bob Walkenhorst Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Performers” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Songwriters and/or Producers First posted 6/17/2021; last updated 8/24/2021.

The Rainmakers Monster Movie released

Monster Movie The Rainmakers

Released: April 21, 2014 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Click for codes to singles charts. Shithole Town [3:56] Monster Movie [3:36] Who’s at the Wheel (Tomek, Walkenhorst) [2:24] Blue Museum [4:16] Miserable [2:54] Your Time Has Come [3:13] Save Some for Me (Porter, Walkenhorst) [2:34] Believe in Now (Porter) [3:27] 13th Spirit [3:26] Dogleg Ruth, Walkenhorst) [2:55] Signs of a Struggle [4:03] Swinging Shed [3:01] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Pat Tomek (drums) Jeff Porter (guitar, piano, vocals)

Rating: 2.920 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: The Rainmakers, “arguably Kansas City’s best known band,” DL returned in 2011 with 25 On, their first studio effort in fourteen years. Rather than it being a one-off, though, it launched a second wave for the band. They followed up that album three years later with Monster Movie. While not as strong as its predecessor, songs like Shithole Town, 13th Spirit, and Miserable are worthy additions to the Rainmakers’ repertoire and this is still “a band that is comfortable with itself and dares to still care about what can be done musically.” DL “Shithole Town” “starts out like a crowd-clapping sing-along, then morphs into a country-tingled tale of backwoods/back roads folks, bad country music, and small towns. Then it shifts gears again as the music moves from a country feel to a rock and roll song; as the story changes and moves forward, the music does, too.” DL “13th Spirit” touches on religious themes. As frontman Bob Walkenhorst says, the song “is just asking the big question…Can you please – YOU UP THERE! – please just give us a hint as to what this all means? Is there supposed to be some kind of secret code we’re supposed to be figuring out? Why does this all seem to make no sense at times?” KM The goal with the album was a record “that was loud and aggressive and rooted in its early style.” KM The album “examines the horrors and realities of everyday life.” KM Walkenhorst said, “There’s plenty of monsters and horrific ideas in our modern culture. I’ll address a few of them.” KM He also explained that the title came from bassist Rich Ruth’s “taste for B-grade terrible monster movies.” KM Regarding the title song itself, Walkenhorst said “I thought it would be a really funny song…about bad monsters and bad scientists and all that. Songs have a mind of their own. You can start with an idea…and the song will suddenly rear its ugly head and go, ‘No, I’m gonna be THIS!’ So this became more of a very blunt, social criticism.” DL Pat Tomek “provided the poetry that became the lyrics to Who’s at the Wheel, a lovely conspiracy song with Creedence-like chooglin’ guitar work from Walkenhorst and Porter. Like fellow Missouri resident Chuck Berry, who wrote similar Americana-themed songs, this song takes a wry look at human foibles and Internet-fueled paranoia.” DL Porter contributes the “mid-tempo, introspective’ DL Believe in Now and co-wrote Save Some for Me with Walkenhorst. The song “has a folk rock feel aided by Porter’s music and a great acoustic riff.” DL The album closer, Swinging Shed, is “a catchy song about a club in the town where Walkenhorst grew up.” DL The song “references music from the early ‘60s” DL and “sounds as catchy as something by Chris Kenner or Freddy Cannon.” DL

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for the Rainmakers DL The Deli magazine review by Barry Lee KM KMUW review by Jeff Beaduoin (8/15/2014) Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 8/19/2021.

The Rainmakers Live at Knuckleheads: May 15, 2011

image from rainmakers.com

14 years after their last album, The Rainmakers returned with 25 On. In support of the reunion, they toured, including a hometown stint at Kansas City's Knuckleheads saloon on May 14 and 15, 2011. As part of the show, the group performed their 1986 eponymous debut in full. Here's the set list for the entire show:

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THE SET LIST

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1. Rockin’ at the T-Dance ¹
2. Downstream ¹
3. Let My People Go Go ¹

4. Doomsville ¹
5. Big Fat Blonde ¹
6. Long Gone Long ¹
7. The One That Got Away ¹
8. Government Cheese ¹
9. Drinkin’ on the Job ¹
10. Nobody Knows ¹
11. Information ¹
12. Given Time ⁶
13. Half a Horse a Piece ⁶
14. Like Dogs ⁶

15. The Wages of Sin ²
16. Small Circles ²
17. Spend It on Love ³
18. The Lakeview Man ²
19. Missouri Girl ⁶
20. Another Guitar ⁴

21. You Remind Me of Someone ⁴
22. Reckoning Day ³
23. Shiny Shiny ³
24. Width of a Line ⁴
25. Hoo Dee Hoo ³
26. Go Down Swinging ⁶

ENCORE:
27. Turpentine ⁶
28. Burning Love *
29. The Last Song of the Evening ⁶
30. One More Summer ²

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THE ALBUMS

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¹ The Rainmakers (1986)
² Tornado (1987)
³ The Good News and the Bad News (1989)
⁴ Flirting with the Universe (1994)
⁵ Skin (1997)
⁶ 25 On (2011)
* Elvis Presley cover

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The Rainmakers return with 25 On

25 On The Rainmakers

Released: March 14, 2011 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Given Time [2:54] Vermillion [2:13] My Own Bed [3:10] Missouri Girl [2:38] Half a Horse Apiece [3:04] These Hills [3:46] Kansas City Times [2:41] Baby Grand [4:13] Like Dogs [3:23] Turpentine [3:22] Last Song of the Evening [5:11] Go Down Swinging [3:39] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst. Total Running Time: 40:14 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar) Rich Ruth (bass) Pat Tomek (drums, vocals) Jeff Porter (guitar, piano, vocals)

Rating: 3.759 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings) Quotable: “What could be their most mature and soulful work to date.” – Kevin Triebsch, Atlanta Music Examiner Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: This Kansas City-based rock band formed in 1986 and became popular in the Midwest and overseas in Norway. They released five albums in just over a decade, calling it quits after their 1997 album Skin. The band’s lead singer and chief songwriter, Bob Walkenhorst, returned with a solo album, The Beginner, in 2003. A regularly weekly gig at a Kansas City club led to a partnership with another local musician, Jeff Porter. They paired for an album (No Abandon) in 2009. However, as Walkenhorst acknowledged, “the response was good…but we realized the people who’d come to see us were primarily Rainmakers fans who wanted to hear Rainmakers songs. We won some people over, but we came back thinking a Rainmakers tour was the next, natural thing to do.” TF With 2011 marking the 25th anniversary of the band’s debut album, the timing was right for a celebratory reunion tour AND a new album. Pat Tomek and Rich Ruth, the band’s original drummer and bassist respectively, signed on board again and Porter filled the shoes of original guitarist Steve Phillips, who was committed to hs band The Elders. Walkenhorst acknowledged a difference between the group’s material and his solo efforts. “There’s a distinction between songwriting styles…It’s about attitude. There’s some humor on my solo stuff. No Abandon is pretty serious.” TF “When you’re hanging out with the guys, you’re not going to be so sensitive, although there are some heartbreaking songs on the new one, too. But mostly, there are a lot of big smiles.” TF He also said, “It reminded me that, sure, you can be the big, nutty lead singer, but it’s the combination of people and personalities that make a band happen.” TF “The good news is…their unique vision and sound is fully intact.” JM This is “a true return to form: traditional rock n’ roll about all the non-traditional subjects – politics, turpentine, religion, friendship, delivering newspapers, dying, dogs, driving in the snow, going down swinging, and one about girls.” VR “25 On is another great album from a truly exceptional band.” LTB “The new songs bear the Rainmakers’ imprint, especially Walkenhorst’s inimitable voice and his unusual ways of turning a phrase.” TF “Sense of humor intact, and sense of heartbreak within reach, the Rainmakers deliver it all with meat-and-beer guitars and drums. And a little piano.” VR “For literate, humorous, challenging, lyrics and elemental barroom rock and roll, nobody since Creedence has ever done it better than these guys.” LTB “This is real, this is fun.” VR “In 25 On, the Rainmakers show that they have not lost one ounce of their fervor to cynicism” JM and “have released what could be their most mature and soulful work to date.” KT “They have not become a listless oldies act and this is not an effort to squander past glory on a distasteful money-grab. This is a great rock & roll album, crafted by masters, who understand that standing behind microphones with all the wisdom of the ages in their back pockets don’t mean squat if the people on the dance floor ain’t smiling. The Rainmakers have managed to…become 25 times as good and still just as much fun.” JM The quartet used Tomek’s home studio to record the album. As Porter said, “The recording process was very shoot-from-the-hip…And I mean it in good way.” TF “There are no duds, the Rainmakers don’t do duds.” LTB Songs “run the gamut from a first class melodic rocker (Given Time) to a story of life on the road and the joy of finally getting back home (My Own Bed) to a wicked political stomper that begs Americans to work together (Half a Horse Apiece).” KT “25 On has it’s soft spots as well, as in Baby Grand, which will touch the heart of any father of a daughter.” KT “The second track finds Walkenhorst rhyming ‘ceiling’ and Vermillion possibly achieved for the first time in music recording history (do the research). On Turpentine, the band grooves to a jazzy piano intro and a soulful wonder of a song as Walkenhorst sings, ‘Got the rollin’ bass, got the baritone / Got a ringin’ high tenor reachin’ Jesus on the phone / And a smooth lead singer got the women cryin’ / Sweatin’ salvation, turpentine.’ This song is a prime example of Walkenhorst’s superb songwriting ability as well as showcasing the entire band’s superior musicianship and harmonies. It sounds like a gospel choir straight off the bayou.” KT “The album closes with Go Down Swinging, a raucous tribute to life itself, if not simply a musical career. Walkenhorst channels his best gritty-voiced good ole boy blowing away that harmonica and professing, ‘If I go down, I’m gonna go down swingin’ / If I grow old, It won’t be gracefully / I’m gonna trip and fall, and pass it off as dancin’ / I’m gonna croak and moan, say it’s a new kinda singin’ / I’m gonna go down swingin’’ as the rest of the band tries to keep up.” KT “It sounds like the greatest of parties, but it also witnesses a singer and a band looking at what’s left of their lives. The Rainmakers have a multitude of fans around the world who will likely be transported back in time for a joyous musical experience with a band that has been there and back.” KT

Resources and Related Links: TF Timothy Finn, KansasCity.com LTB Lastruebeliever, Amazon.com (customer review) JM Joe Donn Martin, Amazon.com (customer review) KT Kevin Triebsch, Atlanta Music Examiner VR Village Records Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 6/1/2011; last updated 2/5/2022.

The Rainmakers returned with Flirting with the Universe

Flirting with the Universe The Rainmakers

Released: August 1, 1994 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Another Guitar [4:25] Width of a Line [3:52] Fool’s Gold [4:41] Window (Phillips) [4:00] View from the Tower [4:27] Greatest Night of My Life [4:43] Wilder Side (Phillips) [3:20] You Remind Me of Someone [2:52] Little Tiny World [4:07] Mystery Road [5:21] Spite [5:05] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 46:53 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals on “Windows” and “Wilder Side”) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.734 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)

About the Album: From 1986 to 1989, the Rainmakers released three albums, gained moderate success, and then went away for a four-year layoff. As is to be expected, a band that never exactly became a household name wasn’t going to suddenly set the world on fire under such circumstances with their fourth album. Of course, it doesn’t help that of the Rainmakers five studio releases, this is their weakest, although even a weak Rainmakers’ album outdoes many of their competitors. Not that this is a bad release – there just isn’t anything as toe-tapping as their debut album’s “Downstream” or “Let My People Go-Go,” Tornado’s “Snakedance” or even “Spend It on Love” from The Good News and the Bad News. The best bet is Another Guitar, yet another Rainmakers song that sounds like it wants to be played on the radio, but wasn’t. Similarly, when they venture into ballad territory such as on Fool’s Gold or Greatest Night of My Life, the band delivers better than your average band, but still pale in comparison to their own previous material such as “Small Circles” or “Nobody Knows.” Incidentally, Steve Phillips, who wrote and sung “Nobody Knows,” takes charge on Window and Wilder Side, one more appearance than he typically got per album. Unfortunately, neither is going down in even the Rainmakers’ canon as a classic. Still, Steve did make another important contribution regarding the album as the band recorded it in his basement. WK The closest thing to a classic on this album is Little Tiny World. Written with typical Bob Walkenhorst humor, the song turns the It’s-a-Small-World concept into something Disney wouldn’t be able to stick in a G-rated movie. Walkenhorst’s pride is quickly burst when someone he assumes to be an autograph seeker pinpoints him as the guy who used to pump her gas. Another verse spits out a roll call of run-ins at a party in which Walkenhorst concludes, “Seemed most everbody there had/slept with everybody else/when I figured it all out/I figured I’d slept with myself.” Unfortunately, this album didn’t give the Rainmakers the glory they’d always deserved – although it did go gold in Norway, WK where the band had previously built a following. They returned for one more album a couple years later before they packed it in. While this is the weakest album in their discography, it’s still hard to not enjoy a Rainmakers album. This is the hardest album to track down, but if you’re a fan, it’s still a must.

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 2/27/2006; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers released The Good News and the Bad News this month

The Good News and the Bad News The Rainmakers

Released: May 1989 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Reckoning Day [3:10] Hoo Dee Hoo [4:28] Spend It on Love [2:54] Battle of the Roses [4:08] Wild Oats [3:17] We Walk the Levee [4:14] Thirty Days [4:08] Knock on Wood (Phillips) [3:18] Dry Dry Land [3:31] Shiny Shiny [2:52] Johnny Reb [2:32] Horn O Plenty [2:12] Songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 40:44 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals on “Knock on Wood”) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.824 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “The good news is that once again this Kansas City quartet marries hard-rocking blues to literate references, mentioning Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and John Wilkes Booth in the opening track alone.” AMG The bad news is the “murky production by [Bob] Walkenhorst and engineer Jeff Glixman.” AMG Also, the “enthusiastic whoop of songwriter and frontman Bob Walkenhorst will put off some listeners. Their loss.” AMG Not only does he bring energy and charisma, but he has a unique voice that casts him as the Midwestern version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty. With this being the Rainmakers’ third album, it was apparent they weren’t going to take off and get the audience they deserved. Their first album produced gems like “Let My People Go-Go,” “Downstream,” and “Big Fat Blonde.” The second album wasn’t quite as strong, but “Snake Dance,” “The Wages of Sin,” and “Small Circles” made for more deserved radio hits. This time around, Walkenhorst and Co. serve up more songs which feel like they should have clicked with album-rock listeners, if not a wider pop audience. Spend It on Love is sentimental, Thirty Days is clever, and Wild Oats is a party rocker. All three demonstrate an ear for commercial music that has something to say. The band took a four-year hiatus after this release, but released a live album in 1990 and a best-of collection in 1993. Reckoning Day, Hoo Dee Hoo, and Shiny Shiny were all featured on both albums. Notes: The 2010 reissue of the CD added acoustic versions of “Frustration Train,” “Renaissance Man,” “Prove Me Wrong,” “Downstream,” Johnny Reb,” “Spend It on Love,” and “Shenandoah.”

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide review by Mark Allan First posted 2/27/2006; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers charted with Tornado

Tornado The Rainmakers

Charted: November 28, 1987 Peak: 116 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Snakedance [3:58] (11/14/87, 31 AR) Tornado of Love [4:11] The Wages of Sin [3:39] Small Circles [3:27] No Romance [3:18] One More Summer [3:30] The Lakeview Man [2:59] Rainmaker [4:21] I Talk with My Hands [6:30] The Other Side of the World [4:30] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst. Total Running Time: 40:23 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.934 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “The Rainmakers' second album finds their basic Midwestern rock sounding a little tired, despite more studio polish and Steve Phillips’ solid guitar work. While the band sounds more accomplished than on their 1987 debut, Tornado lacks anything as arresting as ‘Rockin' at the T-Dance’ or ‘Let My People Go-Go’ on that album, or ‘Reckoning Day’ on their next one, although Snake Dance and Wages of Sin come close.” AMG “For most of Tornado, Bob Walkenhorst tones down his yelp of indignation, which is both the most distinctive and potentially annoying characteristic of the band’s sound. The restrained Small Circles shows how conventional the band could be, suggesting how easily the Rainmakers could have carved out a comfortable career as a standard AOR act.” AMG “Nice as that track may be, Tornado generally sticks to the Rainmakers’ strengths: being wry, provocative, and confrontational. Only the overly long I Talk with My Hands is truly a poor effort, seriously bogging down the album with a misguided attempt at dance-oriented rock.” AMG “Even when they come up short on melody, though, as on the bland No Romance, Walkenhorst’s lyrics usually provide something to listen for. The Rainmakers’ next release, The Good News & the Bad News, would offer more of Walkenhorst’s outrage, which may have been what Tornado needed to register as one of the band’s better efforts.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide review by James A. Gardner First posted 3/24/2008; updated 6/2/2021.