The self-titled album "Elf" was released August 1, 1972 and was produced by Ian Paice and Roger Glover, the drummer and bassist of Deep Purple. The album features the early work of Ronnie James Dio, who wrote most of the songs and sang lead vocals. On this album, Dio is credited by his birth name, Ronald Padavona.
The music on the album is a mix of blues rock, hard rock, and early heavy metal. Some of the notable tracks on the album include "Hoochie Koochie Lady," "Never More," and "First Avenue."
"Elf" is a relatively short album, with a total running time of about 35 minutes. It contains eight tracks in total, with most of the songs being original compositions written by Dio and his bandmates. The album showcases Dio's powerful and soulful vocals, which were already well-developed at this early stage in his career.
The album's opening track, "Hoochie Koochie Lady," is a hard-driving blues rock number that features some impressive guitar work by David Feinstein, who also co-wrote the song with Dio. Other standout tracks on the album include "Never More," a haunting ballad that showcases Dio's range and emotional depth, and "First Avenue," a hard rock song with a catchy riff and some great vocal harmonies.
"Elf" is an interesting artifact of its time, showcasing a young Ronnie James Dio and his bandmates experimenting with various styles of rock music. While the album may not have been a commercial success at the time of its release, it has since gained a cult following among fans of early heavy metal and Dio's later work.
Trivia: The elven figure on the front and back cover is Dio (Padavona) himself, in prosthetic makeup.
Trivia #2: In 1975, Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and recruited Dio and Elf to form the band Rainbow.
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