DARRYL WAY'S WOLF - Night Music (1974-2007) SHM-CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

On their debut album Canis Lupus, Darryl Way's Wolf included both instrumentals and vocal numbers, with bassist Dek Messecar taking on the latter duties. The album garnered critical acclaim, and in its wake the quartet embarked on a successful British tour. On-stage, however, Messecar found it difficult to combine vocals with his intricate bass playing, thus the band's sophomore set, Saturation Point, was comprised almost exclusively of instrumentals. It was a grand album, but also failed to chart, and Way became convinced that the lack of frontman was holding them back from success. Former If vocalist John Hodkinson was recruited to amend this flaw, and the new-look Wolf began work on Night Music, their third and final album. Hodkinson's arrival wasn't the only change evident on this set, many of tracks have a more abstract feel compared to their earlier work, with the album in general far "proggier" than its predecessors. This was partially due to the prominence of Darryl Way's synthesizer, particularly on "Anteros" and "We're Watching You," where it counterpoints John Etheridge's lovely guitar solo. Only on "Steal the World" does Way's violin play an important role. The set is more improvisational as well, but counter-intuitively less genre-bending, although the hints of British Beat that are tucked neatly into "Black September" and the funk that powers parts of "The Envoy" are strong reminders of Way's more eclectic past. Mostly, the album straddles rock and jazz, and although it too is a highly accessible set, only the final number, "Comrade of the Nine," could be described as catchy. Unfortunately, once again Way failed to break into the British charts, and when he was invited to return to his former band, Curved Air, he accepted the invitation, and his Wolf would roam free no more. by Jo-Ann Greene  
Tracklist :
1     The Envoy 6:34
Written-By – Way, Messecar
2     Black September 4:53
Written-By – Way, Hodkinson    
3     Flat 2/55 6:59
Written-By – Etheridge
4     Anteros 4:33
Written-By – Way
5     We're Watching 5:14
Written-By – Way    
6     Steal the World 4:22
Written-By – Way, Hodkinson
7     Comerade of the Nine 2:44
Written-By – Way
Credits :
Bass Guitar – Dek Messecar
Drums – Ian Mosley
Guitar – John Etheridge
Violin, Keyboards – Darryl Way
Vocals – John Hodkinson

DARRYL WAY'S WOLF - Saturation Point (1973-2008) RM / Rock Legend Series / SHM-CD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

 

 The band's second album, released a few scant months after their debut, found Darryl Way and co. still edging away from the Curved Air ideal, without doing anything to truly alienate that band's loyal followers. Indeed, there were moments throughout Wolf's career when they sounded more like the original Air than that band's current incarnation ever could. Of course it's the mad violin that best confirms the similarities, but one can only dream of how dramatic this band could have been had they only reached a wider audience. Listening to Saturation Point is like walking a tightrope, a taut, nerve-bending ride that takes you from the eccentric peaks of "The Ache" and "Two Sisters" (combined, one of the greatest album overtures of the year), to the boleric attack of "Toy Symphony," a cut that raises the specters of Caravan and ELP, even as it shakes off comparisons with anything else. This was indeed the peak of Wolf's musical career, an album that snagged all the high points from its predecessor, then mashed them with the experience that the live show brought into reach. by Dave Thompson
Tracklist:
1 The Ache 4:50
Darryl Way
2 Two Sisters 4:20
Darryl Way
3 Slow Rag 5:17
John Etheridge
4 Market Overture 3:38
Darryl Way
5 Game Of X 5:48
John Etheridge
6 Saturation Point 6:45
Darryl Way
7 Toy Symphony 7:06
Darryl Way
- Bonus Tracks -
8 A Bunch Of Fives 3:31
9 Five In The Morning 2:40
10 Two Sisters (Single Version) 3:21
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Dek Messecar
Drums – Ian Mosley
Guitar – John Etheridge
Keyboards, Violin – Darryl Way

DARRYL WAY'S WOLF - Canis Lupus (1973-1991) APE (image+.cue), lossless

After two successful years and three seminal albums, violinist Darryl Way departed Curved Air in search of a tougher, heavier sound. Gathering a trio of little known musicians around him -- future Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge, vocalist/bassist and future Caravan member Dek Messecar, and future Trace and Marillion drummer Ian Mosley, Darryl Way swiftly inked a deal with Decca's Deram imprint.
The band's debut, Canis Lupus, was produced by King Crimson's Ian McDonald, who also provided his own piano skills to "Chanson Sans Paroles," one of a clutch of stellar instrumentals on the set. Here the band create a series of shifting moods, incorporating classical, rock, and jazz elements into the piece. Way's swirl of genres and tension between structure and improvisation was the key to their sound and the album. Entire sections of "The Void," for example, feature arpeggios soaring above R&B, with stately almost pomp rock passages haunted by Messecar's dreamy vocals. "Isolation Waltz" dances along Messecar's potent R&B bassline, even as Way's violin solo flips the piece towards classical. "Wolf," although somewhat beholden to Cream, also slides between genres, its gypsy flair adding a wild element to a piece that gracefully plays off classical against rock and the blues. The song's powerful melody made it an obvious choice for single. It's "Cadenza," however, that is the ultimate showcase of the musicians' considerable skills, with each member taking a solo turn -- Way gets two, on violin and Moog. The number storms merrily from classical to blues, jazz to rock, and throws in some country for good measure. Way is marvelous, but his personal epiphany is found on "McDonald's Lament," which features his most emotive violin playing. With its mixture of songs and inspired instrumentals, subtle hybrid styles, strong melodies, superb musicianship, and accessibility even at its most improvisational, Canis Lupus was feted by critics and prog rock fans alike. by Jo-Ann Greene  
Tracklist :
1 The Void 4:36
Written-By – Way
2 Isolation Waltz 4:40
Written-By – Way, Messecar
3 Go Down 4:44
Written-By – Way, Messecar
4 Wolf 4:10
Written-By – Way, Messecar
Instrumental
5 Cadenza 4:51
Written-By – Way, Mosley
6 Chanson Sans Paroles 6:29
Piano, Tambourine [Tasty] – Ian McDonald
Written-By – Way, Etheridge
7 McDonald's Lament 7:10
Written-By – Way, Messecar, Mosley, Etheridge
Credits
Bass, Vocals – Dek Messecar
Drums – Ian Mosley
Guitar – John Etheridge
Producer – Ian McDonald
Violin, Viola, Keyboards – Darryl Way