Customer Reviews

The Good News and The Bad News

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The Rainmakers "The Good News and the Bad News" is one of the best written albums I have had the pleasure to listen to. It will please musician purists as well as general public by blending straightforward roots rock and roll while maintaining fun and energy throughout. There are no "filler" songs on this album, each track is a well written and executed experience.
Many people will recognize "Spend it on Love" as it did get a fair amount of airplay, but the rest of the album is even better.

It's just a damned shame The Rainmakers never made it to national prominence. Bob Walkenhost is one of THE most literate singer/songwriters of our times, and he proves it again with The Rainmaker's TGNATBN.
References to American history and the Bible mix seamlessly with an astoundingly astute perspective of American culture, all powered with a classic brew of folk/kick-out-the-jams-rock-n-roll. Side one (yes, I'm old enough to have bought this release on cassette tape) is simply awesome. "Reckoning Day" starts the album out with a powerful rock theme as Bob wails about an American Apocalypse. "Hoo-Dee-Hoo" follows with a great tale of small town living, sex and sin. "Spend It On Love" is a slower song, but no less powerful as Walkenhost details America's twisted perspective on what exactly should be important. "Battle of the Roses" touches on the aftermath of a broken family, while "Wild Oats" is kick-a** tribute to youth and crazy living (and what is it about preacher's kids anyhow?).
Side two is still great, but with a few less tunes worthy of specific mention. "Thirty Days" is a reflective tune on being on your own in this world. "Knock On Wood" deserves mention because of Steve Phillips' contribution. A fine guitarist, he also would get lead vocals on a song or two on each album. As always, it's a good uptempo song that catches on the inner ear and sticks there. "Horn O' Plenty" ends the record, and may be one of my favorite Rainmakers tunes. Classic rock 'n' roll (complete with horn section naturallly), mix with an acerbic commentary on the rich and poor in America.
And on and on and on. While I don't think this album is toes-to-tail as great as their self-titled debut, it comes close. And it sure as shootin' is better than the syrup I hear on most of today's airwaves.
I was lucky enough to catch The Rainmakers on their "Tornado" tour, and rarely have I seen a band rock the house as hard as they did. Luckily, Bob Walkenhorst is continuing onward, but Rainmakers seem defunct at this point. More's the shame. America, you can have your Boy Bands and your Brittany Spears. Me? I'm gonna keep listening to my worn-out tape of The Good News and The Bad News.

Again a vintage effort from the Rainmakers. Another great album with little know songs telling great stories from this unknown midwestern band in the 1980's out of Kansas City. This band should have gotten more national acclaim during the day!

This is one of my favorite CD's of all times. American Poets. Poets of America. Small town boys that write about life in small towns and the people that live in them. DRY DRY LAND.... Prophetic...