Elf
Carolina County Ball

"No one is like you and there is no other God but you, just as we have heard with our ears"
Second Book of Samuel, Chapter VII, Verse 22

For those who are still inconsolable after the death of the aforementioned Ronnie James Dio, sometimes it is not enough to obsessively play "Heaven&Hell", "Mob Rules" and "Dehumanizer" on a loop. It’s not even enough to numb the brain by headbanging to the notes of Stargazer or by pretending to be an air guitarist on A Light in The Black.

And so it happens that in the terrible suffering, at times bordering on withdrawal symptoms, there's a desire to return to the roots of Dio's history, to those Elf who in the early Seventies - produced by none other than Roger Glover and Ian Paice (Deep Purple, for whom they also opened concerts) - offered three little pearls of Rock'n roll - Blues with hard and folk undertones.

"Carolina County Ball" (*) (1974 - 9 tracks, 38 min) is their second album. The Elf moved from the American scene to the United Kingdom, but in the opening track, the title track Carolina County Ball, one could easily be at a party in Virginia, at a 'boogie woogie friday night'. The piano sets the rhythm, the brass section fits in aptly, the guitar is in the background, but it will make its presence felt. The final tempo change invites everyone to dance.

"L.A. 59" is still made in USA, with always cheerful rhythms and RJD's voice already exhibiting grit, power, and class. "Ain't it all Amusing" brings to mind, quite a bit, the Led Zeppelin, in every aspect. The driving rhythm of the percussion perpetuates the festive impression.

"Happy" is anything but happy. It drags on darker and more disturbing peaks. But immediately, the festive atmosphere of the deep South returns with "Annie New Orleans", and "Do The Same Thing" is pure rock'n roll. "Rainbow" may be a harbinger of Ronnie James's bright future.

The melancholic and disenchanted "Blanche" closes a cheerful album, light, absolutely pleasant, like all of Elf’s, where Dio's voice is already evident for what it will become: indispensable.

Now, however, I start again with "Neon Knights".

(*) Mr. DeBaser, among the album choices there's a Carolina CountRy Ball, but since I am picky, I’ve added the real title.