Eclectic Prog
United Kingdom
ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE is basically a solo effort by one Paul FISHMAN. He wrote it all, arranged it, played all the instruments (synths, sequencers, flute, pianos, mellotron) except guitars & percussion. "In Search of Ancient Gods" is an instrumental album that's a musical interpretation of Erich Von Daniken's books. This is a real fine album of HELDON meets CRIMSON and Alan PARSONS with tons of mellotrons. This is recommended to diehard fans of BRUFORD on drums or to fans of early synthesizer albums.
ALBUMS:
1976 - IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT GODS
This one-time project is best known for featuring Bill Bruford on drums. But the main man behind Absolute Elsewhere was keyboardist and flutist Paul Fishman, who wanted to make a concept-album inspired by the books and theories of Eric von Däniken about aliens visiting earth in ancient times. The record is wrapped up in a lavish die-cut cover featuring a glossy booklet with lots of comments from von Däniken himself, and also a separate sheet with many photos from the places that he think "proves" his theories. No matter what you think about von Däniken and his writings, they sure do make a good basis for a sci-fi concept. The music on "In Search of Ancient Gods" varies from symphonic and spacey multi-part suites to short electronic exercises. The opener "Earthbound" is quite representative. Not overtly complicated or demanding, but very atmospheric and pleasant to just drift along to. It's based in a melodic theme played on synths, while a slightly more upbeat mid-passage also allow guitarist Philip Saatchi to deliver some solos. "Moon City" is the first and best of three short and pure electronic pieces on the album. The mood is, as you naturally could expect, dreamy and spacey, fitting the concept quite well. The two remaining of these pieces are "The Gold of the Gods" that sounds like Tomita in one of his more cheesy moments, while "Toktela" display a slight classical reference. But the best thing the record has to offer is undoubtedly "Miracles of the Gods" where many passages sounds like a spacey version of the early King Crimson sound. Even Bruford's drumming reminds a lot of what Mike Giles did on "In the Wake of Poseidon". It also features quieter parts where Fishman plays some classical-influenced piano and also adds a few drops of Mellotron-flute. "Chariots of the Gods" (which also was the name of von Däniken's first and still most famous book) has a funky mid-tempo rhythm underneath Fishman's cosmic flow of keyboards. The closer "Return to the Stars" is ten minutes of pure electronic and experimental spacey sounds that could have been taken from an early Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze album. And rarely has the 4-channel quadrophonic sound suited an album better than here, giving you a feeling of being engulfed and surrounded by deep space. "In Search of Ancient Gods" is a minor classic of spacey instrumental symphonic progressive rock that will take you on a cosmic journey beyond your physical senses.
Musicians
- Paul Fishman / synthesisers, sequencers, flute, electric and acoustic pianos, Mellotron, string synthesisers
- William (Bill) Bruford / percussion
- Phillip Saatchi / bass guitar
- Jon Astrop / bass guitar
- Kim Mackrell /cello (6)
1. Earthbound (9:10)
- a. Earthbound
- b. Future Past
2. Moon City (4:50)
3. Miracles Of The Gods (11:45)
- a. Miracles Of The Gods
- b. El Endrillado
- c. The Legend Of Santa Cruz
- d. Pyramids Of Teotihuacan
- e. Temple Of The Inscriptions
4. The Gold Of The Gods (2:35)
5. Toktela (1:35)
6. Chariots Of The Gods (10:35)
7. Return To The Stars (9:55)
Total Time: 50:45
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