Eclectic, populist, low brow, and hopelessly romantic
Flying out to and back from California on Virgin America was so much more pleasant than my recent trip on American Airlines. The seats are wider, plusher and leather, with a little more room from the seat in front of you, and more space in the cabin as well, so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic.
The wide-screen touch-screen “entertainment systems” built into the seatback in front of you (and just when did “seatback” become a word?) are still buggy as hell (I think the term “wiggy” might be better), unpredictable as Windows 97, although don’t freeze up quite as often as they did on my first flights, or take as long to reboot.
However, I totally HATE that all TV shows and free films (I haven’t paid $8 for a recent movie yet) are still stretched and shown in incorrect aspect ratios. If I was one of the filmmakers or content creators I’d raise holy hell over this.
One thing I do enjoy is being able to select a musical playlist from about 2,500 cuts by about 250 artists, and the high-quality earphones they have available for $2 (which now come in cool colors to match the soothing magenta and purple LED cabin lights). So I queued up and chilled transcontinentally to the following.
As you can see, my tastes are eclectic, populist, low brow, and hopelessly romantic.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE SOUNDTRACK ANIMAL HOUSE SOUNDTRACK ARETHA FRANKLIN THE BEACH BOYS THE BEST OF SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK BEYONCE BILLIE HOLIDAY BILLY JOEL BOB DYLAN BYE BYE BIRDIE OCR COLDPLAY DAVID BOWIE DOLLY PARTON DUKE ELLINGTON ELLA FITZGERALD ELTON JOHN ELVIS PRESLEY ETTA JAMES FOR THE KIDS PHILIP GLASS JAMES BROWN JENNIFER HUDSON KRAFTWERK LOUIS ARMSTRONG THE MAGNETIC FIELDS THE MUSIC MAN OCR NINA SIMONE O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? SOUNDTRACK THE ARTIST ONCE AGAIN KNOWN AS PRINCE R.E.M. RAY CHARLES STEVE REICH THE ROLLING STONES STEVIE WONDER THE PRODUCERS OCR WICKED OCR WILLIE NELSON | I Am the Walrus (Bono) Strawberry Fields Forever Hey Jude Shama Lama Ding Dong What a Wonderful World Shout Respect God Only Knows In My Room Conjunction Junction Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) You Go to My Head My Man You May Be Right Just the Way You Are New York State of Mind Visions of Johana The Telephone Hour Viva la Vida Heroes Youg Americans Changes Where Do the Children Play I Will Always Love You Coat of Many Colors Take the ‘A’ Train Baby, It’s Cold Outside I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues Your Song Can’t Help Falling in Love Are You Lonesome Tonight? Love Me Tender I’d Rather Go Blind The Other Day I Met a Bear (Barenaked Ladies) I’m a Believer (The Sippy Cups) Freezing I Got You (I Feel Good) And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going Trans Europe Express What a Wonderful World Honeysuckle Rose Ain’t Misbehavin’ Basin Street Blues Drive On, Driver Too Drunk to Dream I Thought You Were My Boyfriend I Wish I Had an Evil Twin All My Little Words Come Back From San Francisco Marian the Librarian Gary, Indiana Till There Was You Black is the Colow of My True Love’s Hair I Put a Spell on You My Baby Just Cares for Me You Are My Sunshine Keep on the Sunny Side U Got the Look Raspberry Beret* Delirious Losing My Religion Georgia on My Mind Desert Music** Start Me Up Miss You Angie Sympathy for the Devil Ruby Tuesday (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Get Off of My Cloud Time is on My Side For Once in My Life Isn’t She Lovely You Are the Sunshine of My Life Keep it Gay Springtime for Hitler Prisoners of Love Popular I’m Not That Girl Defying Gravity Wonderful For Good A Song For You Always on My Mind The Rainbow Connection |
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* which for years I truly believed he was singing about “Raspberry Parfait”
** yup, the entire 48:04 composition
