Hearing Elf's debut was something of a shock for me the first time around. As a young fan of Ronnie's work with Rainbow, Sabbath & Dio, I wasn't at all expecting the boogie woogie piano grooves that propel the highly likable first song, "Hoochie Coochie Lady". Ronnie's trademark tone is still maturing, but very powerful and distinctive even in 1972. "Never More" is the only song that comes close to pointing the direction and persona he'd assume later with Black Sabbath. There's a touch of Rainbow in the main guitar riff for "I'm Coming Back To You". Elf's main problem was that their brand of hard boogie rock was just a bit too laid back and generic overall. If not for Ronnie's stunning vocals, most people wouldn't even give this a second spin. It's a enjoyable record that will always be more of a novelty than anything I'd recommend strongly.
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