K-Tel may never be known for releasing excellent compilations, but Looks Like Rain is a splendid disc for a rainy day. Including nearly all of the AM radio hits of the '60s and '70s that mention rain, it collects material both brooding and bouncy. Granted, there are many more examples of the former, led by
Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia,"
the Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain,"
Buddy Holly's "Raining in My Heart," and Glen Yarborough's "Baby the Rain Must Fall." Examples of the latter include
Carl Wayne's cover of a hit ("Flowers in the Rain") by his old band
the Move,
the Cowsills' "The Rain, The Park & Other Things,"
B.J. Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and a more temperate recording by the usually distraught
Johnnie Ray ("Just Walkin' in the Rain"). ~ John Bush