Uptown Special
Mark Ronson
(Columbia)
Four stars
The super-producer Mark Ronson's latest outing has already secured a place among the most talked-about records of the year, thanks to the breakout single Uptown Funk, the Bruno Mars-led feel-good anthem which topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic, clocking 100 million You Tube views and counting.
The album that it's home to, Uptown Special, has been a long time coming – five years have passed since 2010's lukewarm Record Collection.
But Ronson has been no slouch in the interim, producing albums for Duran Duran, Lil Wayne, Rufus Wainwright, Mars and also a couple of tunes for Paul McCartney.
The reason Ronson remains the producer of choice is the peerless reputation he built aping the horn-heavy spirit of 1960s Motown on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black in 2006 and his own star-studded solo Version released the year after.
Where Record Collection channelled the synth sounds of the 1980s, the new album has the ever-on-trend tunesmith looking further back to the 1970s, crafting a meticulously tight set of brazenly retro-referencing funk and disco.
Inevitably, Ronson has pulled out his prized contacts book, calling (somewhat bizarrely) on the services of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon to pen the album's late-night lyrics, while Stevie Wonder turns in a harmonica solo on the ambient opener Uptown's First Finale.
Yet the highlight comes from Keyone Starr, an unknown 23-year-old singer Ronson discovered in the southern United States, who channels Chaka Khan on the irresistible boogie groove of I Can't Lose.
The comparison is no slight – Uptown Special is so enthralled by the sounds of the past that the lines between homage, pastiche and rip-off are bent to breaking point.
Summer Breaking is a slab of dreamy, Isley Brothers' soul-pop (think, Summer Breeze), featuring one of three sweet lead vocals from Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker.
The most clear homage is Feel Right; a straight-out James Brown groove littered with a mic-bursting, cuss-laden rap from Mystikal that's so silly it's hard not to laugh.
There are arguments to be had about whether such wilful appropriation is good for music – pop borrowing from the past is nothing new, but there's a proud honesty about Uptown Special.
The album remains a superbly executed set of infectious funk-pop that it would take a true bore not to enjoy and admire.
rgarratt@thenational.ae
SPECS
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The%20specs
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Indika
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RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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