Recorded while the band was evolving slowly into the
Ritchie Blackmore
's
Rainbow
,
Trying to Burn the Sun
is the third and final release from
Elf
, the band that finally earned
Ronnie James Dio
the attention he had been seeking since the late '50s. After writing and recording a few singles for
Blackmore
Dio
and
were solidly moving in a heavier musical direction, no doubt influenced by
Deep Purple
and the British supergroup's lead guitarist. Standout cuts include
"Wonderworld"
"Streetwalker,"
two cuts that were somehow placed at the tail end of the record, despite their strong melodies and musicianship. Because the
debut was released during the same year, this record was slightly overlooked, even though the band had established a small amount of momentum in Europe and Japan especially. So while only available as an import CD in the U.S.,
is a great listen for fans of '70s
rock
, not just
/
fans. ~ Vincent Jeffries