Darryl Way's Wolf - Night Music (1974)

Artista: Wolf

Álbum: Night Music
Año: 1974
Género: Jazz Rock Fusion / Progresivo ecléctico
Duración: 34:40
Nacionalidad: Inglaterra

Lista de Temas:
1. The Envoy (Darryl Way, Bruce Messecar) - 6:34
2. Black September (John Hodkinson, Darryl Way) - 4:53
3. Flat 2/55 (John Etheridge) - 6:59
4. Anteros (Darryl Way) - 4:33
5. We're Watching (Darryl Way) - 5:14
6. Steal The World (John Hodkinson, Darryl Way) - 4:22
7. Comerade Of The Nine (Darryl Way) - 2:44

Alineación:
- John Hodkinson / vocals
- Darryl Way / violin, keyboards
- John Etheridge / guitars
- Dek Messecar / bass
- Ian Mosley / drums

Carlos el menduco nos trajo los tres discos de esta banda inglesa y éste es el último, y mi modo de ver el más flojo no por tirarse un tanto a la parte más comercial sino por dudar en hace esa música que les sale tan bien en pos de que quizás puedan salir en las radios. Sea como sea, éste es el tercer y último disco de esta banda que les recomiendo que conozcan. Banda sumamente ecléctica que como intercambiábamos con CucaTrap, combina de manera magistral el jazz con el rock, la música clásica, el folk y la música popular europea, eso más la original manera de ejecución de sus instrumentos los hacen únicos a pesar de todas las similitudes que tuvieron con Curved Air...
A continuación el atinado comentario de CucaTrap (que vamos a ver si accede a escribirnos algunos comentarios de los discos que tenemos pendientes)... y si no accede lo puteo, lo juro ;)

Visto a la distancia (que es mucha), además de las evidentes influencias jazzísticas, rockeras y clásicas, lo que me parece que campea a lo largo del disco es una feliz influencia de las músicas populares de Europa central y del Este (Alemania, Hungría, etc.), las cuales están en el corazón del romanticismo del siglo XIX, por lo que algunos ritmos y melodías nos resultan tan cercanas. Sin ir más lejos, y pecando un poco de anacronismo, algunos ecos pueden encontrarse en algunos temas de Spasiuk, por ejemplo. Excepto el tema que da título al disco, que es un clarísimo ejemplo del jazz-rock que triunfaría hacia finales de los '70 (comparar por ejemplo con algunos temas de Stanley Clarke, o de Jeff Beck), los restantes están teñidos por esa alegría un tanto melancólica de la música centroeuropea a la que nos referimos más arriba. Párrafo aparte merece la calidad extraordinaria de los músicos, especialmente Way y Etheridge. El primero, no solo por sus solos de violín cercanos, me parece, a Jerry Goodman, sino por el modo de usar el violín como si fuera una guitarra rítmica, algo que creo lo hace único entre los violinistas ligados al rock o al jazz-rock. Y si el oído no me engaña, prácticamente no usa electrificación en el violín, ateniéndose al sonido acústico, lo cual me parece una opción artística y estética a contrapelo de la epoca en la que todo el mundo se electrificaba. Finalmente, Etheridge es una absoluta sorpresa: su veloz digitación y, sobre todo, su técnica de púa poderosísima, que combina digitación y acordes ejecutados con gran precisión y velocidad, más un sonido crudo y dulce a la vez, logrado, creo también, con una amplificación sin nada de efectos, solo la distorsión natural del equipo.

CucaTrap

Y no tengo mucho más para agregar, ni tiempo para hacerlo, vamos pues a los comentarios en inglés, un par de videos y al disco....

The scarcest of the three Wolf albums, Night Music is finally remastered and reissued along with its litter mates. For those who did not follow the sometimes tortured path of rock-bands-with-violins (re: High Tide, Curved Air, et al.) Wolf was one of those niche bands, appealing to the minority that thought adding an electric violin to a rock format was more than a great idea, and further appealing to the even smaller minority that preferred instrumental work to "songs". And that difference, between the instrumental and vocal, is the compromise which erodes the impact of Night Music.
Following two albums that offered flashes of intensity and some fine instrumental stretches, blistering violin work and well-conceived interaction among instruments with a minimum of marginal singing and frankly silly lyrics, the pressures of commerce seemingly dictated a need for more familiar forms. Always a mistake since the word "familiar" already contains the implication that there's already plenty of whatever that is available.
by Kerry Leimer
Way was to bring ex-If vocalist John Hodkinson into the line-up for Night Music. Wolf's most accessible and commercial release benefited from his rich, individual vocal while greater use of keyboards changed the band dynamics to something more focussed. Ironically, this is where Way bowed out, rejoining his former band, and Wolf disbanded.

Peter Muir

Wolf was the band which Curved Air's violin/occasional keyboard player Darryl Way formed during '73/'74, whilst Eddie Jobson filled his shoes in that band. Assembling a selection of highly skilled musicians ; Ian Mosley (drums, and to this day, drumming for MARILLION), Dek Messecar (bass/vocals* - *1st two albums only) who later joined CARAVAN for the 'Better by Far' and 'The Album' releases, and John Etheridge (guitar), who later joined SOFT MACHINE for their albums 'Softs' and 'Alive and Well in Paris'. Employing a full-time vocalist, Colin Hodkinson, for this release (and he has a very good voice), enabled Dek more freedom for his, often stunning Bass playing, and this shows on the fantastic opening track, 'The Envoy'. Etheridge's guitaring is firmly in the jazz mould, and can remind one of an embryonic Holdsworth in style. This album, 'Night Music', is quite a gem, fairly consistent throughout, and fans of the abovementioned bands should most certainly enjoy all of Wolf's output. I wouldn't consider their music 'fusion', but it has hints of Canterbury and is a great example of U.K. progressive jazz-rock.

Tom Ozric

The addition of a full time singer will not do them any good as this is their last album and also the least interesting and "least good". Actually if it wasn't for the opener and the instrumental track Flat2-55 , this album I would consider downright poor (as in lack of riches compared with their potential).This is really the type of album that typifies the 2* ratings : For fans only. Not that this is bad , but rather pointless - start with the other two, make your compilation and if there is still place on it, try this one , finish the tape or CDR and get rid of it.

Sean Trane

The third work of release in 1974 "Night Music". The enhancement of the Vorcal part was aimed at on John Hodkinson of IF. It is a quite experimental content though the pop taste is felt like the main feature as for the tune that the way initiated. It is a masterpiece of the progressive rock that has been forgotten why. To our regret, it became the final work. Personally, I like lowered performance as for the vertical shake of the stick of Ian Mosley.

braindamage

A great album for this band. The cd is reissue by Esoteric Recordings what much pleased me. The great violin sound with a great bass player, made Night Music an album what we should not have lost. Some parts are calm, but others have an impressive rhythm, which it does so that it is not annoyed. Nothing is exaggerated, but completely very balanced. In spite of is the most commercial of the three what the band did, it does not stop being a great album what I was already not hearing there are many years because the tape it broke in the auto-car. Hear and they do not go away to repent, specially the fans of the Curved Air

João Paulo

All 3 WOLF albums are GREAT and examples of how self expression can be fantastic instead of cloning famous models. Probably the 3rd "Night Music" is the one that grabs me more because of Hodkinson excellent vocals addition. It completed the musical WOLF scope providing well balanced instruments with vocal harmonies. Darryl Way violin and keyboards are cool as the whole band famous performers (read P.A. for biography of them all). This is a fine example of how prog genre can provide unlimited creativity (hey, it's not jazz-rock style, please, WOLF is predominantly prog style with few ala guitar and violin Mahavishinu solos). In a prog context "Saturation Point" 1973 2nd WOLF may be the most consistent and pleasing album in spite of its annoying cover.
My 1991 Japanese CD edition has the lyrics (in english) and information but I don't read Japanese (for sure!!), a pity as I wanted to know what's written there? After this WOLF last album Ian Mosley replaced not less than Pierre Van Der Linden on drums on the Dutch band TRACE "Birds" (1975,**** highly recommended for keyboards lovers all 3 TRACE albums - to me, the FOCUS drummer demonstrates his most sensational playing in 1st TRACE "s/t" album maybe more than in any Focus albums). Darryl Way played in one track of TRACE "Birds" too. Please take Ian Mosley as the drummer who replaced Pierre Van der Linden, more than the "Fugazi" Marillion drummer. Also after Wolf's end, guitarrist Jonh Etheridge replaced in SOFT MACHINE not less than Alan Holdsworth in the album "Softs" (1975 ****).
I also can say that Darryl Way is not missed in Curved Air "Air Cut" (1973, ****), as later UK Eddie Jobson replaced him wonderfully - listen to 'Metamorphosis' his and Sonja Kristina composition track. Anyway I love Way return to Curved Air in the 1974 "live" (****) album. But Way contribution to C A "Midnight Wire" (1975, **1/2) is less in prog developments. So maybe It would be better if Curved Air remained with Eddie Jobson in the vein of "Air Cut" (at the time it failed in sales, but musically to me is one of the best C.A. albuns), and Wolf continued their career with Way. But there were market rules at record companies, and sales that kept them alive.

Mario

I am of totally another opinion, this is the best Wolf´s album out of their 3 - very ripe and intelligent music. Excellent singer from If, a fusion style playing, great instrumentation and strong melodies (September). A big pity, that this is almost impossible to get on CD, maybe from japanese source for high price ....

dranreb

This is the 3rd and last album by the excellent British Prog group Wolf, formed by violinist / composer Darryl Way, following his departure from Curved Air. Featuring guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Dek Messecar and drummer Ian Mosley, Wolf were a formidable ensemble, capable of playing complex music, which often included extended improvised passages. The overall instrumental work by the group was always first class and of course Way's violin solos had little competition to speak of. On this album the band also included the vocalist John Hodkinson, previously with the excellent band If. An absolute must to all Prog enthusiasts!

Jazzis

There's something strangely familiar about Night Music. I'm not certain what it is exactly - John Hodkinson's overblown vocals maybe. The songs here are at their best when they prog out a little - the first track particularly but there's a lot of ... melodic material here that's a little hard to swallow. A nice enough album and worth hearing again for that indefinable familiar feeling... not a touch on their previous two though.

CrazyFoxMachine

Y no olviden agradecer a Carlos, el menduco!
Y mañana volvemos con más sorpresas, como siempre.