Net Rain

On Buddy Guy's second Silvertone release, he continues the practice of guest appearances begun on Damn Right, I've Got the Blues. In this case, the notables include Paul Rodgers, Travis Tritt, and John Mayall. The finest combination comes when Bonnie Raitt joins Guy on John Hiatt's "Feels Like Rain." Raitt's gritty vocals and sweet slide guitar add a pleasing nuance to the bittersweet track, and it is ultimately the high point of the record. Certain critics and blues purists have derided Guy's search for mainstream success as evidenced by his penchant for guest appearances and non-traditional blues forms, but Guy sounds fantastic in these unconventional situations (witness his burning version of the Moody Blues' "I Go Crazy").

Los Angeles-based hard rock outfit Burning Rain draw from a well dirtied by classic late-'70s blues-rock and Sunset Strip-kissed pop-metal. Issuing a pair of efforts – 1999's eponymous debut and 2000's Pleasure to Burn – at the turn of the century, they pressed pause on the project until 2013, when they returned with Epic Obsession. Formed in 1998 by seasoned guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Lion, Dio, Hurricane), vocalist Keith St. John (Big Trouble, Medicine Wheel), drummer Alex Makarovich (Steelheart), and bassist Ian Mayo (Bangalore Choir), the band issued a pair of well-received albums (1999's Burning Rain and 2000's Pleasure to Burn) in Japan and Europe before going on an indefinite hiatus due to Aldrich's busy touring and recording schedule with Whitesnake and Dio.

Depending on the personal state of mind: rain can be perceived as unpleasantly wet or wonderfully refreshing. At all times and across all genres, composers and musicians have been dealing with rain. Bear Family Records delivers a wonderfully relaxed CD compilation that spreads good cheer in rain as well as sunshine with songs like Raindrops, Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, Just Walking In The Rain, It Might As Well Rain Until September or Crying In The Rain. Stylistically, we cover a wide range from R&B, soul and blues to country, doo-wop and pop.