Gary Allan's debut, Used Heart for Sale, is a competent set of neo-traditionalist country that occasionally comes to life, such as on the single "Her Man." Allan's best moments suggest that he is capable of more.This Album will really surprise you when you know it was his first,"From where I'm Sittin" is fantastic and "All I had Going Is Gone" will tear at your heart strings,"Forever and a day' I loved and "Her Man"finds him cleaning up his act,and trying to make amends….
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 Elf 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" and "Streetwalker," two cuts that were somehow placed at the tail end of the record, despite their strong melodies and musicianship. Because the Rainbow 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., Trying to Burn the Sun is a great listen for fans of '70s rock, not just Dio/Rainbow fans.