Ukulele Songs
Monkeywrench
****
When Eddie Vedder was striding purposefully across the world's major stages 20 years ago, that sweat-drenched mane swishing majestically as he bellowed angst-ridden anthems at feverish crowds, a tiny guitar and classic show tunes were presumably quite a long way from his thoughts.
How people change.
Vedder came to global prominence, if not universal popularity, as the charismatic singer with Pearl Jam, an earnest Seattle outfit who went toe-to-toe with Nirvana in the great plaid-clad grunge wars of the early 1990s. Nirvana won the credibility battle but Pearl Jam proved more resilient and remain active; sessions for a new album were due to begin last month.
The band began to incorporate folkier elements as their career progressed, and Vedder's first solo long-player - the soundtrack to Sean Penn's 2007 film Into the Wild - featured several stripped-down acoustic numbers. Now, having discovered the "uke" while on holiday in Hawaii, he has cast aside the bombastic rock completely. Ukulele Songs is about as similar to the original Pearl Jam template as Vedder is to George Formby, the wartime entertainer who popularised the uke in the UK with jaunty songs about windows and lampposts. The former grunge idol does not fully follow the Formby route here, but comes mighty close.
The album's two closing tracks, for example, are a gruffly humorous take on the pre-war ballad Dream a Little Dream of Me preceded by a ramshackle cover of the 1920s standard Tonight You Belong to Me. The latter is a duet with the New York singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, and clearly owes much to Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters' touchingly silly version in the 1979 Carl Reiner farce The Jerk. Martin actually managed to snap his uke during that scene but thankfully Vedder's remained intact, as this album leans on it rather heavily.
Only the lovely single Longing to Belong features extra accompaniment - some welcome strings - and elsewhere Vedder illustrates his new toy's versatility in impressive fashion. Track one - the old Pearl Jam song Can't Keep - opens with some stark plucking oddly reminiscent of The Edge's guitar work on U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday, while You're True - a previously unrecorded favourite from his solo shows - boasts a rigorous riff not unlike that from The Who's Pinball Wizard.
Vedder was reportedly keen to add a darker dimension to the uke's jolly image and there are genuinely dramatic moments here, particularly the sparse and brooding Light Today. A version of The Everly Brothers' Sleepless Nights follows, however, on which he and The Frames' frontman Glen Hansard - better known outside Ireland as the star of the Oscar-winning film Once - appear to be having a whale of a time.
It may not be his magnum opus, but Vedder manages to achieve just about the perfect balance here. Yes, Ukulele Songs may alienate fans of his earlier, heavier work, but the jauntier setting should also reintroduce that extraordinary voice to a different demographic: those who have steered well clear of Pearl Jam ever since the gloomy grunge years. Only a tiny guitar can do this.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Oppenheimer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Maestro
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
