The Flock were one of the many bands of the 60s and 70s like Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears caught somewhere between jazz and rock, their one distinguishing feature being a focus on the violin instead of horns, thanks to Jerry Goodman, who later joined Mahavishnu Orchestra. While not as famous as their counterparts, they put out a truly underrated self-titled album in 1969, followed by two less successful but no less inspired efforts in the 70s. Goodman left after their second album, and by 1975 they had drifted towards a tighter, more concentrated sound that unfortunately never found its way onto record during the band’s lifetime.
Luckily, Cleopatra Records imprint Purple Pyramid is finally putting some of these lost recordings out in the form of Heaven Bound – The Lost Album. Comprising songs recorded after their 1975 album Inside Out, this disc is by no means a mystical lost masterpiece like the Beach Boy’s Smile or any number of Neil Young’s abandoned sessions, but many of the songs here are excellent, offering priceless insight into the last days of the band. Admittedly, some of the songs like “Rolling With The Clones” are just downright silly, and it’s hard to believe they would have actually been committed to a final record, but others like “C’mon Let’s Walk” rank among the band’s greatest achievements.
By the time of these recordings, the core of the group had shrunk down from the massive days of Dinosaur Swamps to vocalist and guitarist Fred Glickstein and drummer Ron Karpman, and it truly reflects in how focused and reinvigorated with a new sense of purpose they sound. Sure, some of the stuff here like “Mama,” a heavily tinged country flight of fancy, sound merely like the duo goofing off in the studio, but that’s what’s so fun about these recordings.
The quality of the recordings here differs largely from track to track. The majority of the material here sounds release ready, but some of the incidental or instrumental tracks sound as if it they were either recorded deep underwater or you’re listening to it from the outside of someone else’s car. Nevertheless, it remains a fascinating artifact of a band stuck at a crossroads yet so hopeful for a new record deal that unfortunately never came. It’s not the best starting point for the band, but for those familiar with their previous work, Heaven Bound – The Lost Album should be greeted as only a welcome addition.
~ Cody Alexander
