A Dream Within a Dream

When I was a kid, my mother got us into ice skating, of all things. My brother was made into a freestyle skater (which is where they do all the jumps), and there ensued a constant search for music for his routines for competition. It was then I was introduced to one of my very favorite albums of all time: Alan Parsons Project-Tales of Mystery and Imagination, which was vetted and rejected for one of his routines.

The album got me interested in the works of Poe, and may have been instrumental in my buying the album, Famous Ghost Stories! With Scary Sounds. That album had a version of "The Tell-Tale Heart" which scared me and thrilled me all at once, and taught me the meaning of terror for the very first time. Alan Parsons Project did a great version (in my opinion) of that murderous madman's story, and introduced me to other grand stories of Poe's imagination.

I found the first two tracks on YouTube, the first of which has a delightful narration by Orson Welles. Click on the pic to get to the list, then click, "Play All."