RAINS
Compilation CD, Various Artistes
(a-ha, J.D. Souther, The Cascades, Everly Brothers)

I was arranging one of my CD racks (not packing my room which I seriously need to do) today when I came upon a various-artistes compilation CD titled "RAINS" - A CD which I bought many many years ago... I recall it was one of the first 50 CDs which I bought. Somehow I could not resist the temptation of putting it on tray.

Why do I mention "first 50 CDs "? Well, those were the days before I entered the army (I had lesser than 60 CDs back then). Buying CD was not easy. They were expensive and I as a JC student would have to go several days of hunger campaign just to buy one CD - No joke. But I love CDs then. OK, OK... I love cute girls more. But I figured that I do not need to muster as much courage to buy CDs than to approach a girl for a date. Hence I devoted my time and money on CDs. My private time was spent listening to CDs I bought over and over again. Kind of sad but what else could I do?

Enough crap. I started this blog for this CD. I browsed through my "compilation CD" collection and found no other which has this much of sentimental value to me.

• I have to admit what caught me at the first sight was TWO a-ha tracks included in this compilation. Not many people would share my sentiment for "Here I stand And Face The Rain", a song pretty often overlooked by even their fans.
  
• Of course the theme was good - Rain...
  
• It has Japanese words on it. Cool! I like English CD released by the Japanese record companies. They are certainly of better quality than their European/USA releases.
  
• Plus the cover-art was so well done. Very classy indeed.
  
  Front of CD
  
  
  Back of CD
  
  
  Inside of CD
  
  
  Sleeve plus CD
  

My Review on this CD

First, a look at the tracklist:

Rains - Various Artistes
9548-30494-2 (1992, Warner Bros, WEA International Inc)

1. CRYING IN THE RAIN - A-HA
2. GO AHEAD AND RAIN - J.D. SOUTHER
3. RAINY NIGHT IN TOKYO - MICHAEL FRANKS
4. RETURN OF THE RAINMAKER - EARL KLUGH
5. RAINY DAY CROSSROAD BLUES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
6. RAINY DAY MAN - BONNIE RAITT
7. RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA - RANDY CRAWFORD
8. RHYTHM OF THE RAIN - THE CASCADES
9. RAIN - BOB JAMES
10. HERE I STAND AND FACE THE RAIN - A-HA
11. CRYING IN THE RAIN - THE EVERLY BROTHERS
12. WALK BETWEEN RAINDROPS - DONALD FAGEN
13. OVER THE RAINBOW - THE VOGUES
14. REMEMBERING THE RAIN - BILL EVANS

My reviews:
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1. CRYING IN THE RAIN - A-HA

I loved this song right immediately when I first heard it on radio. And you can imagine my estasy when I heard the DJ citing "a-ha"!! My #1 fav band! So I really kept vigilant attention on the performance of this song. Sadly, it didn't do too well on the chart. I was hoping it would hit at least top 3. But amidst other hits performed by more popular artistes like U2, Pet Shop Boys, etc , I guess they had not much chance then. Plus this song was originally sang by The Everly Bros, which I believed led to some people labelling it as "Not original".

2. GO AHEAD AND RAIN - J.D. SOUTHER

This is a great masterpiece. Written by J.D. SOUTHER, I seriously don't know who. Frankly I have never heard this song before.. but this is indeed a masterpiece song in many ways. I like it at the first listen. It has very a romantic lyrics
- "You could be the girl I'm searching for, but I hardly know your name..."
(Occassionally this would flash past my mind whenever I see a pretty girl walk pass...
- "cause you're the face I always see, When I close my eyes and dream..."

3. RAINY NIGHT IN TOKYO - MICHAEL FRANKS

So-so... This is rather a jazzy song. It has this "toh kee yo...kee yo, toh kee yo...kee yo" which would sometimes turn me off and to skip track.

4. RETURN OF THE RAINMAKER - EARL KLUGH

Instrumental. It depends on your mood when listening to this song. It started slow and at the 1min+, it suddenly sprang to some hippy beat. Ok song I would think.

5. RAINY DAY CROSSROAD BLUES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

Country song. A bit cowboy style. I would usually skip this song.

6. RAINY DAY MAN - BONNIE RAITT

Not to my liking

7. RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA - RANDY CRAWFORD

Not-so-nice song with an OK chorus.

8. RHYTHM OF THE RAIN - THE CASCADES

"Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, Telling me just what a fool I've been" I do not need to go further. This is one of these classic "rain" songs. No one would disagree with me that this is a very catchy song. I would sometimes tray this disc for this song alone.

9. RAIN - BOB JAMES

Synthesizer -Instrumental song. What really ponders me is.. among the rain drizzling sound, there are also birds chirpping. I thought they will be the first to hide when it is going to rain?? It should be titled "After Rain" or something like that. But I really like this song though.

10. HERE I STAND AND FACE THE RAIN - A-HA

This is a truthfully nice song by a-ha. I am not saying because I am a fan. I believe a lot of people overlooked this very very nice song from them... probably overwhelmed by "Take On Me". It has a very superb intro. Morten Harket doing the "ah.... ah..." with his super voice which no one could imitate. A song depending heavily on synthesizer. Upbeat and yet very dreamy. Superb chorus too! Have a listen to it to understand what I'm saying!

11. CRYING IN THE RAIN - THE EVERLY BROTHERS

Ok.... no need intro

12. WALK BETWEEN RAINDROPS - DONALD FAGEN

Jazz. Quite upbeat.. sound like a happy song... "Dancing In the Rain" kinda song.

13. OVER THE RAINBOW - THE VOGUES

A classic song. Gives me the "majestic" kind of feeling. I'm pretty sure many have heard this song before. Probably don't know the title. "...Somewhere over the rainbow, Skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.."

14. REMEMBERING THE RAIN - BILL EVANS

Piano-Instrumental. No comment.

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PS: Oh ya.. I forgot to mention that there's a volume 2 of this CD. It is green in colour I believe. I was not enticed to buying it because of the foreign-song tracklist.