THE RAINMAKER

This album is often viewed less worthy than other TFK albums. However, there is some excellent music on here. This album is the last album to feature Jamie Salazar on drums, who had played with the TFK since inception (and on the album that started it all, The Flower King). I don't have any inside information about the band, but Salazar officially quit in May 2001, and listening to this it seems that Stolt may have rushed the recording process in order to be able to get Salazar to play on it (and the title "Rainmaker" - clearly a double-entendre - does this also refer to Salazar - the one who brought the 'rain' (Stolt crying?)). Some of the songs are mere fragments (eg "Red Alert") that would have been great if developed into, or made part of, longer pieces, while others (eg "World without Heart", "Thru the Walls", "Elaine") feel like they were written, or wrapped up, quickly. I also wonder if the last song "Serious Dreamers" is not about the loss of Salazar, who apparently quit not for emotional or musical reasons, but for entirely pragmatic reasons. While I think many of the songs are great, I do think there is a problem with the running order. Unfortunately, at key points the songs do not flow well from one to another, and I actually think it opens with the wrong song. While on first glance "Last Minute on Earth" sounds like a good opener, after multiple listens I think it would have been better near the end. 'Last Minute' sets a sad-ish tone, and as a longish and often harder-edged song, exacts a bit more from the listener than many other tunes, which is good but means they may be tired by the time the rest of the album comes along. "World without Heart" should also be near the end - it doesn't work as a second song. The best piece on the album is the longest one, "Road to Sanctuary", up there with the best TFK pieces, and if this had opened the album I think it would have set the tone differently. Saying this, I also agree that a number of tunes on this album don't seem as well worked out. Even 'Road' should have been longer - just when it seems it would be great for it to come back to the main theme (after 14 minutes, thus creating an extended epic) it ends. Did the band not have time to make sure this one lived up to its potential? "Serious Dreamers" is excellent, and it grooves. However, the groove is interupted on a number of occassions - if this had been played live a number of times first I think the band would have realised a better arrangement. "Rainmaker" And songs like "Elaine" and "Thru the Walls" are filler (although "Elaine" has a really fantastic bass-led section at its coda - that minute alone is worth the price of the album!). I really like the title track, but it is mainly a guitar solo, and could have been developed more into something with even more musical and emotional weight. So, on the whole, lots of excellent music, but an album that seems to miss its potential, possibly because the band didn't have enough time to really think/play through the music before it had to be recorded. On balance, I give this album 7.7 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translate to the high end of 3 PA stars.

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