Tornado (The Rainmakers album)

Tornado is the second studio album by the American band the Rainmakers, released in 1987.^[2][3] It reached No. 116 on the Billboard 200.^[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour.^[5] "The Lakeview Man" is about a Vietnam veteran.^[6]

Tornado
Studio album by The Rainmakers
Released	1987
Recorded	May–July 1987 at Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre	Rock, heartland rock[1]
Length	41:07
Label	Mercury
Producer	Terry Manning
The Rainmakers chronology
The Rainmakers (1986) Tornado (1987) The Good News and the Bad News (1989)

A remastered version of the album was released in 2012, with eight additional tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]

The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album "offers more thought-provoking rock and roll that recalls the lyrics of T-Bone Burnett and the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the early Rolling Stones."^[9] The Los Angeles Times noted that "Bob Walkenhorst's characters are generally the same kind of small-town folk as in [John Cougar] Mellencamp's world, but aren't as stereotyped."^[8] USA Today said that "songs like 'Snakedance' and 'Tornado of Love' sound terrific—if a bit familiar—but the lyrics are too transparent."^[10]

Track listing

All tracks written by Bob Walkenhorst except where noted.

1. "Snakedance" – 4:02
2. "Tornado of Love" – 4:15
3. "The Wages of Sin" – 3:42
4. "Small Circles" – 3:28
5. "No Romance" – 3:35
6. "One More Summer" – 3:34
7. "The Lakeview Man" – 3:02
8. "Rainmaker" – 4:29
9. "I Talk with My Hands" – 6:33
10. "The Other Side of the World" – 4:27

Bonus tracks on 2012 remastered CD

1. "Stick Together" – 4:43
2. "Rockin' Around" (Steve Phillips) – 3:31
3. "Stupid Way to Die" – 3:39
4. "Small Circles" [acoustic] – 3:00
5. "Task" – 4:14
6. "He Yells at the Birds" – 3:48
7. "My Days Are Numbered" – 3:22
8. "Kisses from St. Louis" – 2:30

Personnel

The Rainmakers

• Bob Walkenhorst - lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
• Rich Ruth - bass, vocals
• Steve Phillips - lead guitars, vocals
• Pat Tomek - drums

Additional musicians

• Terry Manning - keyboards

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Billboard 200	116

References

1. Niester, Alan (23 Dec 1987). "A genuine 'American band'". The Globe and Mail. p. C9.
2. Okamoto, David (15 Nov 1987). "Clever Rainmakers spawn a trenchant 'Tornado'". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2F.
3. Takiff, Jonathan (11 Dec 1987). "I'm especially hot for Wednesday's double bill of the Rainmakers...". Features Friday. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 55.
4. "The Rainmakers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
5. Joyce, Mike (14 Dec 1987). "The Rainmakers". The Washington Post. p. D7.
6. Burliuk, Greg (9 Jan 1988). "Tornado The Rainmakers". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
7. Tornado at AllMusic
8. Hochman, Steve (6 Dec 1987). "Midwestern Hoodoo". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 93.
9. Kobel, Peter (2 Dec 1987). "Politics or No, the Rainmakers Call It Rock". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
10. Milward, John (14 Jan 1988). "Popular". USA Today. p. 5D.