The follow up to their debut “Fair Warning” and featuring the same line-up. Heart, Ritgen, Engelke, Malecek and Behrens. Rainmaker was self-produced by the band and serves up a more moody and mature sounding album. The upbeat vibe of the debut has been reined in somewhat. This album showed the band really tapping in to their creative powers.

Opening track “Heart Of The Summer” is unlike anything they’d written before. Almost “West Coast” in its approach with its jangly guitars. It's easy on the ear but still has Tommy’s trademark crisp vocals all over it. Second track “Don’t Give Up” sees us getting more into familiar territory. A real positive sounding chorus. It's easy to see how this became a live favourite.

“Burning Heart” sees the band flexing their hard rock muscles. Great rhythmic interplay between the guitars and a solid drum sound and to top it all off a gorgeous guitar solo. Truly a melodic rock classic in every department. “Rain Will Fall” gives us the albums first melodic ballad. Tommy sings this song with consummate ease and is backed by some great acoustic and electric interplay. “Get A Little Closer” provides the album with a classic driving rock number which also became a live favourite. Walls of vocals and a slide guitar solo. Great fun.

“Desert Sun” is Fair Warning doing a brooding melodic rocker. Tommy does some vocals very reminiscent of the great Robert Plant and the band weave some lovely sonic textures which they hadn't previously shown. A lovely clean guitar solo is followed by some very Led Zeppelin flavoured guitar motifs. At nearly 7 minutes long this is a Fair Warning epic.

“What Did You Find” is a solid mid pace number with a great guitar solo demonstrating another song within a song approach. “Pictures Of Love” harks back to the upbeat sound of the debut. It has strong verse and chorus arrangements. A solid song. “Lonely Room” has a Hendrix guitar style intro giving way to walls of vocals and a sing a long chorus. “One Way Up”. Hold on to your seatbelts. This is an up tempo rocker in the vein of Giant but with some Chuck Berry flavour guitars. Sound odd? Believe me it works and in years to come became a storming live song.

“Angel Of the dawn” brings back memories of Zeno with its high register guitars and Eastern style flavour. “Stars And The Moon” is another nod to Zeno. Strong verses and chorus’s combine with a fine  guitar solo. It has a stop / start rhythm which draws you in.

“Desolation Angels" could be another James Bond theme. Heavy and melodic with another great slide guitar solo. I keep thinking of Pink Floyd when I hear this one. There's something about those guitars. This one is one of the albums epics. “Call Of The Wild” could be Inxs with it’s synth’ and clean rhythm guitar sound. It is just Fair Warning showing another side of themselves. It's rock Jim but not as we know it. Giant would have loved this track. “Too Late For Love” has Def Leppard meets T.N.T vibe to it until the chorus which is pure Fair Warning. A guitar solo par excellence tops of this fine song.

Another fine album which deserves to be heard again. It has more variety in its song content and styles than their debut. There is something new on each listen. All lovers of quality melodic hard rock will love this album and it deserves its new lease of life

Let us know your views on 'Rainmaker'

Track List

The Heart Of Summer
Don't Give Up
Burning Heart
Rain Song
Get A Little Closer
Desert Song
What Did You Find
Pictures Of Love
Lonely Rooms
One Way Up
Angel Of Dawn
Stars And The Moon
Desolation Angels
The Call Of The Wild
Too Late For Love
 

Line Up

Tommy Heart - Vocals
Andy Malecek - Guitar
Helge Engelke- Guitar
Ule Winsome-Ritgen - Bass
C.C. Behrens - Drums