Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Internet: A Wondrous Thing

It's amazing what one can find on the 'net. Today I am at home, enjoying a day off (well, considering it's snowy and cold outside, I am making do inside), with XM Radio on, listening to some "classical" (read symphonic) music. On comes Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2 in E Minor--3rd Movement. Normally, it would just be background noise to me...but, wait....what do I hear? Is that Eric Carmen's "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"? It can't be! But wait, wait...there it is again!

Wow...I wonder if anyone else has noticed that? Since I know almost nothing about music, other than what I like and don't like, I figure somebody somewhere has picked up on this. So I do a search on the phrase "Rachmaninoff and Eric Carmen" and get the website Songfacts. I don't get the one I was listening to, but I did get to a page linking Carmen's "All By Myself" with Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto, even quoting Carmen how he used parts of that piece in his song (he wrongly assumed it was in the public domain). Following the link More songs that use parts of Classical compositions, it turns out that there are at least 46 (yes, 46) songs that Songfacts has identified fitting this description. And on that list, sure enough, is the pair that sent me on this chase.

Speaking of music that sounds similar, have you ever listened to "Do Ya" by ELO, "What Is Life?" by George Harrison, and "I'll Supply the Love" by Toto back-to-back-to-back? Tell me if those guitar riffs aren't eerily similar?

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