Dear Listeners,
If you’re like me, you’ve already spent way too much time at the airport this summer. * Flight delays Up, and the recent spate of bad weather did not help at all. That means you need something to listen to while killing time in the terminal.
Brian Eno understood. In the mid-1970s, he conceived one of his most enduring works during a long and stressful flight delay at the airport in Cologne, Germany. He wondered if the whole experience would be a little more bearable if the airport had a quiet, unobtrusive sound throughout the terminal. He began experimenting with this concept, which eventually led to a luxurious, timeless and convenient product. “Music for Airports” (1978), which was the first to declare what he called “ambient” music. This album and subsequent Ambient His series of work created a fruitful and still thriving genre, making it into the 2016 list of Ambient His Albums. 50 Greatest Ambient Albums of All Time“Music for Airports” ranked #1 on Pitchfork.
I’m not saying your flight delays have to be as productive as Eno. I wouldn’t judge if I couldn’t come up with a whole new genre of music before boarding was over. All I want to say is that you can use music to calm your nerves and put your plight into a larger context. That’s where today’s playlist comes in.some of the songs — from Liz Fair, John Denver and Birds — It’s clearly about flying, inspired by the fresh perspective that landscapes and altitude changes bring. Others are less direct, but still have a sort of weightless expanse. One of them is about hot air balloons, at least ostensibly, but I think it’s still important.
I hope this playlist is longer than your flight delay. But if there’s something you still want to hear after it’s over, there’s always that. “Music for Airports”. (and John Pareles’ playlist One of Eno’s 15 best ambient tracks. )
Read while listening on Spotify.
1. Caroline Polachek: “The Gate”
hope you don’t spend that too To quote this fantastical, tone-setting opener from Caroline Polacek’s 2019 album Pan, she “stands at the gate” for a long time. (listen on youtube)
2. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: “Learning to Fly”
Like many songs here, flying is an emotion in the 1991 hit “Learning to Fly,” from the Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Jeff Lynne-produced album Into the Great Wide Open. functioning as a metaphor. (In October 2017, not long after Petty’s death, Bob Dylan played beautifully.) cover He performed the song live as a tribute to his mate Wilbury. ) (listen on youtube)
3. Cat Case “Lady Pilot”
“We have a female pilot and she’s not afraid to die,” sings Neko Case of this impressionist adventure from her fantastic 2002 album The Blacklist. (according to International Association of Women Airline Pilots, Only 5.8 percent of the world’s airline pilots are women. Not enough!) (listen on youtube)
4. The Byrds: “Eight Miles High”
Commercial aircraft don’t actually fly eight miles, but the Byrds thought “Six Miles High” didn’t sound all that cool. Still, what sounds decidedly cool is Roger McGuinn on his 12-string guitar. His playing on this pioneering psychedelic rock song was influenced by both Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane. (listen on youtube)
5. Liz Fair: “Stratford on Guy”
The perspective-changing experience in flight makes us all poets, especially when we’re seated in the window seat. Liz Fair perfectly captures the view from her 27D on this track from “Guyville’s Expulsion.” “When we moved out of the farmland and into the grid, all you saw was a city plan.”listen on youtube)
6. Howlin’ Wolf: “Mr. Airplane Man”
In this song, from the Change My Way compilation, blues great Howlin’ Wolf begs Mr. Airplane Man to fly to Jackson and deliver an urgent message to the baby. . (listen on youtube)
7. John Denver: ‘Jet off’
The next time you don’t know what to do with yourself while waiting for a connecting flight, remember that John Denver wrote this song while in transit. I think he makes good use of his time. (listen on youtube)
8. Fifth Dimension: “Up, Up, and Away”
We hope that by the time this playlist is over, you’ve taken off like this bubbly, feel-good retro 1967 tune by The Fifth Dimension. Airplanes are preferable to hot air balloons, but I don’t blame you for considering alternative modes of transportation at this time. (listen on youtube)
oh oh oh
lindsey
*Remember Friday’s ‘Amplifier’ where I talked about my experience watching the North American premiere of Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour? However, the flight was later canceled. outside The Toronto show was also canceled. I was stuck there for two more days, most of which I had on hold with various airline bookings.Now I know how Drake felt at the time I’ve been running through six days with worries.
amp playlist
Listen on Spotify. We will update this playlist with each new newsletter.
“Music for (Waiting in) Airports” tracklist
Track 1: Caroline Polacek “The Gate”
Track 2: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “Learning to Fly”
Track 3: Neko Case “Lady Pilot”
Track 4: The Byrds “Eight Miles High”
Track 5: Liz Fair “Stratford on Guy”
Track 6: Howlin’ Wolf “Mr. Airplane Man”
Track 7: John Denver “Jet Off”
Track 8: Fifth Dimension “Up Up And Away”
Bonus track
For more hands-on air travel advice, our Travel Desk colleagues put together this handy guide. A must read before traveling to Toronto.
and rest in peace Jane Birkin, is more than where the bag got its name. Among many other things, Birkin was also a peerless ally of both countries. Serge Gainsbourg and great filmmakers Agnès VardaAnd, of course, she is a singular vocalist and songwriter herself.spin “Jane B.” and “Didudha” in her honor today.
