Wrecking Ball
Columbia
****
"My work has always been about judging the distance between reality and the American dream," Bruce Springsteen told journalists last month after a playback of Wrecking Ball at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris. "It's often [appropriated] by different political groups because there is a strand of patriotism underneath, but it's a critical, angry, often questioning kind of patriotism."
That much was apparent even as far back as Springsteen's 1984 single Born in the USA. Though it was mistakenly read by some as a jingoistic anthem, the song was actually a nod to the marginalised Vietnam veterans Springsteen thought the US government had used, then abandoned.
On Wrecking Ball, its title a metaphor for the socio-economic devastation wrought by the banking crisis of 2008 and its subsequent mismanagement, The Boss's righteous anger is again cranked to the max. Death to My Hometown, an Irish-folk flavoured nugget built on massive-sounding drums, expressly targets greed and corruption on Wall Street, Springsteen lambasting "the greedy thieves who came around / and ate the flesh of everything they found".
This is the singer's 17th studio album, and once again one has to marvel at the reserves of heart the 62-year-old brings to proceedings. His music still crackles with real energy and verve when he has something to rail against – and he has plenty to rail against here.
The title of We Take Care of Our Own is of course ironic, Springsteen's "There ain't no help / the cavalry stayed home" neatly tapping into potent cowboy movie imagery as he references such travesties of "care" as the US administration's achingly slow response to Hurricane Katrina. Musically speaking, the song is classic Springsteen, a hugely infectious guitar-piano riff driving home its simple but powerful message.
At the Paris press conference, the singer also spoke of seeing his father "emasculated by long-term unemployment". One wonders if that experience fed into the writing of another of the album's standout tracks, Jack of All Trades. A moving piano ballad in waltz time, it's voiced from the perspective of a down-at-heel manual worker who has been forced to diversify. Like so many of Springsteen's best songs, it's a tribute to blue-collar stoicism, but after an exquisite brass section and mandolin-led interlude, the deeply felt frustrations of the song's protagonist leak to the surface. "If I had me a gun / I'd find the bastards and shoot 'em on sight," he sings. "I'm a jack of all trades / we'll be all right."
Wrecking Ball certainly sees The Boss do his bit as an employer. The record's folk, blues, country and gospel-infused songs feature some 30 musicians and backing vocalists – and that's not including the Victorious Gospel Choir, the ensemble that lends extra oomph to Land of Hope and Dreams. That track also features a typically explosive saxophone solo by Springsteen's dear departed E Street Band foil, Clarence Clemons, and it's one of several songs here underpinned by a tangible spiritual yearning.
Springsteen's revisiting of certain cherished themes in this US election year currently makes perfect sense, and with he and the producer Ron Aniello sometimes using sequenced loops and hip-hop influenced beats, there is no question of The Boss merely treading water here. Rocky Ground even features a Bruce-written rap courtesy of Michelle Moore – and in defiance of all existing raps written by people over 60, it works.
Some might quibble that Wrecking Ball asks many questions but offers no real answers other than to persevere. But unlike Bono, Springsteen has always been careful not to confuse an aptitude for music with an aptitude for hands-on politics. Indeed, he recently opined that it is better for artists to "maintain a certain distance from the seat of power", adding that his job is to raise awareness, doing for us what Bob Dylan had done for him.
What's clear from listening to Wrecking Ball is that Springsteen still has an unrivalled knack for dignifying unabashed grandiosity. These are stirring, big-hearted songs with big themes, The Boss still digging deeper than we might reasonably expect of someone who made his first album some 40 years ago.
artslife@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Game Changer
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Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
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Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now