The road to rock’n’roll’s Hall of Fame is long – and with many a winding turn. James Medd asseses the greats and the ones who got lost on the way.
It's now 30 years since Bon Scott declared, on behalf of his colleagues in AC/DC, that it's a long way to the top when you wanna rock'n'roll. Fortunately, he was good enough to detail just how he had come to this conclusion, namely: by gettin' robbed, stoned, beat up, broken-boned, had, took, old, grey, ripped off, underpaid and sold second-hand… What he didn't mention (probably due to time constraints or that serious drink problem) is that there's more than one way of gettin' to the top and that, once there, it's possible to fall off.
What we're dealing with here (and we're not discounting the possibility that the late and much-lamented Mr Scott was thinking of something else) is "The Canon" - the bands or artists who are generally agreed to be "good" at any one time, the bar of quality, the kind of name you can drop in complete confidence in the presence of even the greatest music snobs. Every art form has this imaginary list; it's often disparagingly referred to as Dead White Males. This is because most critics are white and male, and it is chiefly a critics' thing - generated by the kind of thinking behind those "100 Best Albums of All Time You Must Hear" lists. That's chiefly, but not wholly - the fans do play a part too (aw, bless).
But never mind the why, what about the who? Let's start at the summit, as it were, where you'll find only The Beatles and Bob Dylan. These are the Sacred Cows: you can attack them, but it's like saying Shakespeare's rubbish - however much you believe it, deep inside you blame yourself. At other times, these two might be joined by The Rolling Stones and/or The Beach Boys. But at the moment Keith Richards' perceived coolness isn't quite balancing out the perceived uncoolness of his band and, with alternative music going through a folk and rock, rather than a pop, phase, The Beach Boys sound isn't quite as pervasive as it used to be. Beneath them are the artists that many perfectly sane people might claim were the greatest ever, but lots of other people despise without experiencing that nagging doubt that they're just missing something. Examples here are Led Zeppelin (on the way up to the next level after that reunion), Bob Marley, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and David Bowie.
And how is this decided? Well, there are a few bands that have reached the heights largely on fan-power - U2, Queen, Bruce Springsteen and the aforementioned AC/DC - but that's the long way, as Mr Scott so helpfully pointed out. In 1985, only air-punching meatheads took Bruce Springsteen seriously, Queen were the favourite band of people who didn't actually have a favourite band, U2 were for Christians and post-pubescent girls, and AC/DC were just a patch on the denim jacket of your lank-haired cousin who smelled of moss. Respect wasn't even in their vocabulary, but the people spoke (and yes, giant postmodern lemons and some "great sets at Live Aid" helped too), and the critics had to give in.
By far the most who reach the top, however, start off as critics' favourites. For this, they need to attract a consensus, so it's helpful to seem clever, but not too clever: Steely Dan and Patti Smith make it because they took time out from reciting beatnik poetry or charting pentatonic jazz scales to write some tunes. Another way is to become shorthand for a subgenre - The Clash (punk), Velvet Underground (alternative rock), Gram Parsons (alternative country), Kraftwerk (electronica) - or to be used as token entries in those 100 Greatest Album lists, like Miles Davis for jazz, Public Enemy for hip hop and Marvin Gaye for soul.
After that, it's generally a case of dogged persistence, keeping going until your cult audience gets big enough to be referred to as just an audience. Yes, popularity is important too, and it comes easier to some than others. Tom Waits, for example, staged a gruff, goateed and often incomprehensible war of attrition against the record-buying public for 30 years until, a couple of years ago, everyone just gave in and started calling him a genius. Others, like Nirvana and Nick Drake, find an early death is a handy shortcut, or a key member of your band could go mad, as with Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett (though they are effectively in twice, with the later, Dark Side of the Moon version voted in by the fans).
Because both quality and quantity are needed, there are some surprising omissions. No Elvis (face it, he's taken about as seriously as an Elvis impersonator now), no Eric Clapton (blues-bores only), and none of those hugely popular but unrespected perennials like Rod Stewart, The Eagles, Abba and Blondie. And even those that do make it may not be there forever. They can mess with their legacy by reforming like The Sex Pistols or the Pixies, drift into noodling tedium like Van Morrison, Prince or R.E.M, fall in and out of fashion like T.Rex, Love and The Smiths, make a record expressly designed to alienate their fans like Portishead or simply fade away like Sly Stone. It makes you fear for recent arrivals such as Radiohead, Massive Attack and The White Stripes. Still, probably beats gettin' sold second-hand.
James Medd writes for The Guardian, The Independent and Esquire.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Squad for first two ODIs
Kohli (c), Rohit, Dhawan, Rayudu, Pandey, Dhoni (wk), Pant, Jadeja, Chahal, Kuldeep, Khaleel, Shami, Thakur, Rahul.
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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 rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
