NIGHT MUSIC

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.

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 ....

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.

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.

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

(***1/2 really) 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.