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I can admit it.
I am ashamed.
I am hanging my head and hissing “Bad Fred!” as I write this. Why?
I am and have always been a big fan of the Alan Parsons Project. Whether it is the experimental Edgar Allen Poe masterpieces, the creepy instrumentals, or the shameless pop of “Don’t Answer Me” and “Standing on Higher Ground,” I think the musicianship and the talent was irrefutable, and the world lost an icon when Alan Parsons’?band?co-founder and singer, ?Eric Woolfson, passed away last year.
Am I ashamed for being an Alan Parsons fan? No way!
People who know me know my taste in country music definitely leans toward the traditional, as I am much more likely to listen to Alison Krauss or Hank Williams than Rascal Flatts. I have little tolerance for this new breed of manufactured, teeny-bopper pop-country acts with Justin Bieber haircuts and Playboy-ready lead singers. I have, however, taken a real liking to a song by Lady Antebellum (one of the most shameless of these ‘manufactured’ groups), “Need You Now.”
Am I ashamed for liking the song? Well, maybe a little. But that’s 
not it either.
One of the reasons I think I like “Need You Now” so much is that, in addition to relating to the rather sad and emotional lyrics, the song itself feels very familiar.
Well NOW I know WHY!!
The song was already recorded!!….by the Alan Parsons Project!!….in 1982!!…as “Eye in the Sky”!!
Check out this link, where they have “mashed-up” the two songs, and you will hear for yourself just how ridiculously similar they are!
Now you can see why I am ashamed. WHY and HOW did I miss this? I mean, it’s not as gut-wrenching as the whole Queen/Vanilla Ice “Ice Ice Baby” fiasco, but it is still pretty darn bad.
I also can’t help but wonder how many 14-year-olds with Lady Antebellum all over their walls have never even HEARD the name “Alan Parsons”?
(shakes head sadly…
I’m not dead, dummy. I live in Santa Barbara, California with my wife and her two daughters (as well as numerous pets).
BUSTED and MORTIFIED!! The blog has been corrected (and, for the record, I knew you were alive…the mistake came from being in a hurry to get this posted and not proofreading my finished blog like I should have)…can I PLEASE PLEASE be returned to my proper position as one of your biggest fans???? PLEASE??
Make him pay Alan!
There is no excuse for being in a hurry to the point of greatly exaggerating your death!
The fact that Fred is a wonderful human being in no way excuses such droll behavior.
I would punish him severally with tickets and unnecessary memorabilia that only means anything to fans anyway.
YES! Make him PAY!
Signed stuff that you don’t care about anyway!
Make him pay with indifference!
You can laugh the evil laugh as you do!
awesome blog, do you have twitter or facebook? i will bookmark this page thanks. lina holzbauer
I have not been this excited and motivated by a post for quite some time! Keep up the great job. Keep on inspiring the people!
Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I’ve been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a ton of good information as well as enjoyed the way you’ve structured your site.
Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I’ve been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a ton of good information as well as enjoyed the way you’ve structured your site.