"There's a time in life for Hoagy Carmichael. There's a time in life for Claude Debussy. There's a time in life for Jerry Lee Lewis. There's a time in life for Destiny's Child. All these things have their moment." ~Elvis Costello
In a recent article titled 10 Records That Changed My Life, Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson named “Last Train to San Fernando” by Johnny Duncan & his Bluegrass Boys, saying:
“Around this time, I heard a song on the radio and I really liked it, and I convinced my parents to let me buy a copy with my pocket money. It was folky and it had something of a skiffle beat, which was becoming the rage in England. It was Last Train to San Fernando, by Johnny Duncan and his Bluegrass Boys. It was an incredible piece of Americana music, but interestingly, it’s really a calypso song but done in a skiffle kind of way.”
There are four Grammy categories that carry the most prestige—Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. The latter is self-explanatory, but what of the other three? For the distinctions between Album, Record, and Song, we have to look at the Grammy academy’s rules about who is eligible for each of those awards…
A poignant reflection on the end of life. As I wrote elsewhere in this blog: This is the kind of song most rock bands wouldn’t touch; it takes balls, frankly, to sing about the surrender of earthly cares and the forgiveness of sins within the rock arena. This is the kind of song that makes Asia’s John Payne era matter. With none of the Wetton-Downes power harmony bluster Asia is known for, “Ready to Go Home” might actually be the boldest artistic statement in their catalog.
Co-written by Andrew (“Thank You for Being a Friend”) Gold and 10cc alum Graham Gouldman.
On the street below these walls Where I used to walk Now I can barely crawl All this darkness rising tall Lord, shine a light for me I’m waiting to be called
I’m ready to go home I’m ready to receive Forgiveness for my sins I’m ready to begin
Take this river to the sea Where the delta flows The tide is washing over me Guide this soul to heaven’s door Show me where tomorrow lies I’m waiting to be born
I’m ready to lay down I’m ready now to sleep A promise I must keep I’m ready to go home
Sometimes I lay down with these memories Breathe shallow deep inside of me When time has run its course with me And I’m ready to go home
When the evening shadows fall When the time has come I’ll let defenses fall To surrender’s to survive I will give up everything To those I leave behind
