The Elves and Ronnie James Dio
“And Before Elf…There Were Elves”
Label: Niji Entertainment
12 Tracks
Running Time: 53 minutes
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you are expecting the Ronnie James Dio on this album that we knew and loved, you might be a little disappointed. This is a very blues-fused album with very early recordings from metal legend Ronnie James Dio. The Elves were formed in the late 60’s and are categorized as a mix between Rock, Honky Tonk and Blues. This album features 12 previously unreleased tracks from 1971 and are collections of both studio and live tracks. I definitely enjoyed the album and it definitely shows a different side of Dio that I never knew.
One of my favorite tracks on the album has to be “Stay With Me”. It is very catchy and very well orchestrated. The album runs a nice strong 53 minutes and delivers pretty strong from beginning to end. The music reminds me of a mix between “The Who” and “Grateful Dead” and a twist of the blues. This album just proves how much range Dio really had and he definitely nails it on this album. Although these tracks are 40 years old, the quality is quite notable especially since Dio’s Wyn Davis remastered from the original tapes.
Track List:
01. You Shook Me
02. Stay With Me
03. Four Day Creep
04. Buckingham Blues
05. Wakeup Sunshine
06. Driftin’
07. Smile For Me Lady
08. You Felt The Same Way
09. Simple Man
10. Drown Me In The River
11. Cold Ramona
12. Little Queenie
