How consistant are the Elf albums and Rainbow?

[masterx1059]

While I'm certainly not new to Dio, I am somewhat in the dark about Ronnie's former bands Elf and Rainbow(except for the songs on the Stand up and Shout Anthology). Can anyone let me know if these albums are as consistantly good as the Dio albums are? I would hat e
to purchase some of these records and find out only a handful of songs are good. Thanks!

[I'm The Stranger]

All three Rainbow albums are excellent. Come on, they have Ritchie Blackmore. Smoke On The Water ring any bells? Ritchie left Deep Purple after Stormbringer after seeing this band called Elf perform on stage. He jioned the group, fired the lead guitarist and the first album had plently of great songs. The next album, he fired the rest of the band except Dio, and put out an even better album. Long Live Rock N Roll, the third one, is just as good, if not better. To be fair, it is a different sound than what Dio would go on to do with Sabbath and in solo releases, but Ritchie Blackmore knows what he's doing with that guitar!

As for the Elf albums, I don't have them, from the songs I've heard, it's more or a blues/southern rock sound, and doesn't really compare to the albums they put out with Blackmore at the helm. However, if you want to hear the band that made Ritchie Blackmore quit Deep Purple, then definitely add at least the last two to your collection.
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Weird thoughts that don't work,
Black lilies that smell of lavender,
A fork in the eye of the sun,
Cantering the horse till dusk.

[Rimax]

Buy all three of them, you won't be disappointed. They are all great albums, and Rising is simply one of thee very best rock albums of all time, maybe the best

[Rimax]

I forgot: buy the live albums too: "On Stage" and "Live In Germany"

[mike md4eva]

All the Rainbow albums are excellent imo i have them all... As for the ELF albums dunno i havent heard those sorry but all the Rainbow albums are worth getting!!!!!!!
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The world is full of Kings and Queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams its Heaven and Hell

[RainbowRising]

Rainbow is the greatest band in history (talkin' 'bout the 1976-1977 lineup)... Elf is more like a couple of school kids jammin' around a honky tonk piano.
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LLRNR - Long Live Ritchie 'n' Ronnie

[Teka Phoenix]

Everyone here knows that Rainbow was great with Dio in it. I won't go into that, since there are plenty of comments above and I'm not sure what I can add to them. So about Elf. This stuff is just as great as anything else that Dio has done, but it's very different. You have to be able to appreciate the style. It is called "blues rock" and if it had been anyone other than Dio, I might say it's sometimes just different enough from country to make it tollerable. Dio's voice makes it shine, though, as in anything else. The first album, Elf, is my favorite. It has "Nevermore" which I count as one of my Dio favorites. The other songs are pretty decent as well and it's a great listen for certain moods. I believe that the only way to get the other two on cd are to get "Dio: The Elf Albums" which is what I have. I don't care for this one as much. I've listened to it a couple of times, but the lyrics aren't as appealing to me. Still, I can't say there's anything there that I hate on the cd either. So if you're one of the more open-minded Dio fans, go for it.
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The ultimate treasure is one that guards itself.

[Dragon235]

I'll have to look for that Dio: The Elf Years CD....I've never seen an Elf CD or record ever! I've only see the covers from the Stand up and Shout Anthology so now I have the visual to go off of but still, never seen em anywhere..

but, Dio: The Elf Albums..where could I get that or is it also hard to find?

[I'm The Stranger]

[Dragon235]

I hate ordering online though

[I'm The Stranger]

[Dragon235]

i dunno, i just don't trust the US mailing system

[I'm The Stranger]

[Teka Phoenix]

[nightmaread]

FINALLY THE NIGHTMARE HAS COME BACK TO The official DIO page!!!So you want to know about ELF eh?Well let me tell you a little about Elf. It's not just a bunch of school kids getting together Jamming yet it is!!!Check out all of them if you can.Was really into Dio when they started bringing out these tapes of him and confiscated them fuckers!!!!(BEER BREAK)First one I got was called Trying to Burn the Sun(now don't that sound like Dio?) was kinda dissappointed at first yet over the years it has grown on me to the point that now love the shit out of it!!!!Good songs to listen to on this one is WONDERWORLD,SHOTGUN BOOGIE,(YEA IT HAS some boogie oogie type of feel to it!!)Good time Music to name but a few!!!Next is Carolina County Ball or otherwise known as LA 59 Really good albumn started into a bit of a jazzy afair and really kicks ass!!!Good songs on this one include L.A. 59,Happy one of my faves Ain't it all amusing and of course the great ROCK- N- CHAIR-ROCK-N-ROLL BLUES. Like I've mentioned before was getting into the whole jazz thing like Smashing Pumpkins was about 30 yrs ahead of time.!!!Only older Louis Armstrong type of Jazz!!Now on to the first album it was simply called ELF.Cover has what looks like an elf on the cover in fact I believe it is RJD in makeup with elfin ears!!!Some songs on this one sound like old Rolling Stones (which is what they were shooting for,I believe)Hoochie Koochie Lady for example,Good songs on this one include NEVERMORE(yes it was a song before it was a band)!!I'm Coming Back For You(someone either very pissed or happy about seeing someone again!!),Sit down Honey pretty good one too.Standouts on this album are Nevermore absoluty(OOPS)DIO and Coming back my faves!!!So HELL YEAH Check out ELF!!!THEY ROCK!!! and then go into some cool Places HOPE THIS HELPS 8)And in closing tell me who this sounds like?!!"I'm a Fire Burning Higher Trying to Burn The Sun"!!