Search Results

Being an avid Football Manager player, I'm used to seeing weird and wacky appointments of former world superstars to the most far-fetched clubs. For instance, we once had former Manchester City midfield general Yaya Toure become Gillingham manager, who then got them relegated the following season. Last week saw Chelsea legend Frank Lampard hired as their new manager; a deal that saw former gaffer Maurizio Sarri move to become boss of Juventus. A renewed appreciation is therefore in order for the former world-beating central midfielder who has won everything as a player pretty much, but his managerial prowess on the largest stage is yet to be seen. On first impressions, it could be seen that Lampard's selection is perhaps a little sentimental. If former players and club legends are the subject of discussion, then it's worth bringing up the Manchester United job. Jose Mourinho was ousted in favour of Norwegian super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the hope that the player's status could prevail and shoot the Red Devils back into the big time. As we said back at the end of January (see here: https://www.untitledblog.co.uk/post/has-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-solved-the-manchester-united-crisis), the appointment of Solskjaer looked like he had solved the ongoing crisis at Old Trafford with a long winning run. However, following the publishing of that article, United fell down the table and just clung onto 6th place in the Premier League, gaining them Europa League football. A question that I had heard other people raise surrounding both Solskjaer and Frank Lampard was that of managerial experience. Solskjaer had previously managed Norwegian side Molde, winning various plaudits during his time there. His only venture into English management was five years previous with a short, unsuccessful stint at Cardiff City where they finished rock bottom of the Premier League. Lampard's managerial career is a lot shorter than Solskjaer's which left me pondering as to whether he's really the best option for the Blues. Lampard, in a way, is in a more fortunate position than Solskjaer, having been through the English leagues, both as a player and manager, along with his time at Derby County. He's also got Champions League this year, unlike his Manchester counterpart. Despite the competition's stature, Lampard's Chelsea will have to put up with a FIFA-enforced transfer embargo that lasts this season, meaning that they aren't able to sign players at all. The pre-arranged deal for American Christian Pulisic, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, will go through soon enough, most likely after the Gold Cup Final, which the United States Mens team lost to Mexico. The Blues have also signed former Real Madrid and Inter Milan central midfielder Mateo Kovacic as a result of a loan-to-buy option. The same can't be said for former Juventus and Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain. In addition, with the marquee sale of superstar Eden Hazard, arguably one of the best wingers the Premier League has ever seen alongside the likes of Robert Pires and Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea's life has gotten a whole lot harder. With no other acquisitions possible due to the upheld transfer ban, Chelsea may have to rely on some of their farmed loan prospects like Callum Hudson-Odoi. There's an argument that due to the likes of Hazard leaving that it's now the job of other players, such as Pedro and Willian to step up that little bit further, but this can be countered when you consider the factor of age. Academy graduates like Hudson-Odoi are arguably more worthy of a place in the Chelsea first team and to be honest, on his day, Hudson-Odoi is a world-beater. One key thing I do think that Chelsea will have a problem with is that of capable centre forwards. Outcast Alvaro Morata is on his way out to Atletico Madrid, whilst their only real capable finisher is former Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud, who is now the wrong side of thirty. Giroud was Chelsea's talisman in the Europa League and proved he's still more than capable of hitting the target. Barring the Frenchman though, Chelsea don't seem to have a wealth of forwards, which will unquestionably limit their ability to score. Sure, starlet Tammy Abraham has ripped it up in the Championship, but is one year of prolific scoring enough for him to make the step up? I don't think so. Frank Lampard is arguably Chelsea's best player and comes highly-rated from Mel Morris and the team at previous employers Derby County. A former player with all the energy and motivation may just be what Chelsea need after stale spells with older managers whose tactics were temporary and fans' feelings mixed over their tenures. The state of Chelsea under Lampard remains to be seen but it's fair to say we're going to treat him with high expectations.

Moving from some eighties supergroup work, we come right up to date with the latest EP from the Scottish lyrical master Fish, entitled A Parley With Angels. A Parley With Angels entwines the work from the upcoming Weltschmerz double album, which will be Fish's last studio work, with live performances of fan favourites. These come from a December 2017 show at the Islington Assembly Hall that I was fortunate enough to attend. The striking artwork comes courtesy of Mark Wilkinson, the artist Fish has worked with for the past thirty-six years, right back to the times of Marillion and Script For A Jester's Tear. The first of the new songs offered is a six minute story entitled Man With A Stick. It keeps in with the signature Fish sound of a haunting backing and conversational lyrics, littered with fabulous metaphor and personification. There's a brilliant synth-driven musical interlude that sounds as good live as in the studio and this song wouldn't feel out of place on a late-eighties Marillion album in all seriousness. From the lyrical side, the song tells the story of Fish's late father and how he viewed every old man in the same way - "I had taken notes about my feelings in the months after my Dad died as I found it difficult to look at any old man with a walking stick as it kept reminding me of him. I also kept seeing his eyes reflected in the rear view mirror when I was following slow moving cars driven by senior citizens. That was the jump off point to this lyric which is all about our relationships with sticks and how they play different roles throughout our lives as we get older. The rest is I think self explanatory." In addition, the first epic of Weltschmerz is also featured on the EP - Waverley Steps. According to Fish, there will be another, entitled Rose Of Damascus, although we're yet to hear any of that. Standing at thirteen minutes in length, Waverley Steps features multiple parts and epitomises what's captivating about the prog-rock genre. Fish's wonderfully formed lyrics merge beautifully with the horn backing and overpowering acoustic guitar to create something truly magical. Hearing this live was a fantastic experience. There's really nothing like hearing a thirteen-minute epic live in a venue with only a capacity of 900 people. A selection of live tracks, such as 13th Star's Circle Line sounds as sinister and evil as it did on the album twelve years ago. It was a welcome addition to close the first part of the 2017 show and really great to hear. The song makes the Tube line it references sound dangerous, yet exciting and the lyrical ability that the big Scot has is beyond belief, in every single song. Furthermore, the inclusion of Voyeur from the Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors LP that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, was a fantastic opener to the set. It's got the same grunt and attitude that it always has and the somewhat hypnotic organ in the background helps to substantiate the song in droves. A Parley With Angels combines both proper prog-rock previews with some truly perfect and immersive live tracks, all wrapped up with one of the best, yet most undiscovered live acts that this country has produced. I've loved the works of Fish for many years and this EP only furthers that love. Onwards to Weltschmerz! If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/2Ddw7tk Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link: More musical magnificence to come next week! UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

Stanley Kubrick's cult classic details extreme violence and an uncertain political climate... Recently, I've started watching slightly older 'cult classics'. I'm already familiar with the likes of The Italian Job, released in 1969, with Michael Caine and Noel Coward. Admittedly, this caper-time masterpiece is my favourite film and so, it may not be comparable to the likes of A Clockwork Orange. With a name like Stanley Kubrick attached to it, admittedly, this is going to be treated with high expectations. The film's basic premise surrounds the idea of Alex, characterised brilliantly by Malcolm McDowell, and his gang of 'droogs' embarking on an evening of what they coin as 'ultraviolence'. The acts themselves are utterly grotesque, ranging from the clubbing of a poor homeless man with a drinking problem, to a large fight with another gang in a small theatre, which Alex and his band of brothers win rather spectacularly. Alex's 'ultraviolent' actions are then turned against him, forcing him to be imprisoned and then endure clinical remedial torture. Our protagonist is forced to watch upsetting footage, such as Nazi rallies, with his eyelids forced open as they are lubricated by a doctor tasked with keeping his eyes hydrated. It's one of the film's more squeamish moments and certainly caused me to toss and turn in my seat. However, despite the uncomfortable actions, it is all soundtracked to the work of Beethoven, Alex's favourite composer - this is referenced throughout the production. Its inclusion causes Alex to develop a hatred not just for the violent actions, but also for his "dear Ludwig Van" in the process. As aesthetics go, there's no finer place to look - indeed, the wide array of costumes, especially on Alex, with his lengthened eyelashes in that iconic scene, teamed with the contrast of the black walls of the bar to the pearly white outfits. There's a harsh reality portrayed in this future dystopia, with unruly bunches of delinquents roaming the streets at night, carrying out disgusting attacks. In addition, Kubrick's ingenious "One Point Perspective" filming technique is in full-force throughout the film, especially in that first scene. Focusing on Alex's eyes, the camera tracks forwards and the cold narration begins. It's got to be one of the best opening scenes in film history. At a time of great social change with the rise of hippies and free love, A Clockwork Orange offered a brutal kick to the head with its anger and vandalism of suburbia. It challenges liberal ideas and the principles of a more permissive society - a key emergence in the late sixties and early seventies. These classically liberal ideas are in full-force today and A Clockwork Orange really does act as a rude awakening to shades of the past. We look back on productions such as this with a renewed vigour as it harks back to the worse, darker days of a broken society that we still haven't fully fixed. As well as being a cult classic, A Clockwork Orange is also an extraordinary tool for culture. The film ended up being banned by Kubrick himself and therefore withdrawn by Warner Bros from UK distribution. This comes as a fascinating example of a director's insistence over a studio, portraying a great deal of power. It was effectively banned until his death in 1999 and has since been freely available on streaming services such as Amazon Prime, along with other Kubrick classics such as Full Metal Jacket. In terms of scoring A Clockwork Orange, it's a difficult one. Its cultural and social significance cannot be overstated, but at the same time, with a film for such a high billing, it falls short of my expectations. Whilst Kubrick's intention may be an overly satirical take on a dystopia and that is well done, I just find it a little too much - it oversteps the mark by a fair way. That being said, the acting and filming is fantastic and the story feels real and very much tangible. It's well-written and well-directed, but overall, just feels a little lacklustre by comparison to its hype.

"Four million dollars!" Charlie Croker exclaimed whilst watching the video of Mr Beckerman walking around Turin, detailing the greatest robbery of its time. As Altabani looked on towards the end of the film reel, the suspense built up into what would make one of the best films of the twentieth century. The Italian Job is fifty this year and it's only right we give it a fitting tribute. There's this certain charm about the overall film, when a bunch of plucky British men go on a jaunt to Italy's industrial capital and remarkably pull off one of the best raids of its type. What's more, its usage of three Minis, in Union Jack colouring, allowed it to ooze patriotism and give that true sense of Britishness. The Minis would go on to cement themselves as one of film's greatest cars, along with the Ford Mustang in Bullitt as an example, whilst the chase scene ultimately portrays that British character of perseverance. As Charlie states to Mr. Bridger when he has "invaded his toilet", the bullion raid is an attack on "Europe… the Common Market… Italy… the Fiat car company…". Indeed, it seems like Charlie Croker has somewhat foreshadowed the outcomes of British society today. The chase scene that The Italian Job contains is one of the most famous parts of the film, besides Michael Caine's catchphrase of "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!". The quick changes of direction, combined with some incredible driving, allows for a fast-paced, action-filled set of scenes that would go on to cement The Italian Job as one of the best British films. Besides the chase scene, there is some brilliant dialogue in the film that makes it a fantastic production. For instance, where Charlie goes out to collect his Aston Martin DB4 and is met by the garage attendant, whom he pays the princely sum of £200. What makes this scene is the joke about Croker being in India for two years, shooting tigers. Obviously, Croker has been in Wormwood Scrubs and uses a little trick to do with a lack of air in the second carburettor to remove his hidden wallet. It's a great shame that the Blue Danube 'car ballet' scene wasn't included in the final cut, but it can be found on the DVD extras and is a joy to watch. The automotive choreography is incredible, although if this scene had been left in, it would have slowed the film down and cut the tension a little. Obviously, the film is of its time in many ways, especially with the character of Professor Peach, played by one Benny Hill. Hill's character is someone who is absolutely perverted and the casual sexism that his lines are littered with is not the most pleasing watch to say the very least. It comes as little surprise to me that the lines for Peach were written in by Benny Hill himself, with the rest of the script coming courtesy of Troy Kennedy Martin. What is nice however is the representation of Camp Freddie, played by Tony Beckley. Besides Croker, Camp Freddie is my personal favourite character and is someone who doesn't get the credit he deserves. The late sixties marked a high time for the true beginnings of freedom of expression and where homosexuality was beginning to be accepted. 1969 and The Italian Job marked the first time in film where the word 'Camp' wasn't used in a derogatory sense. Camp Freddie is a true expression of self-love, with the pastel pink suits and obsessive nail filing, but he's central to the development of the plot and the film wouldn't be half as good without him. The Italian Job is one of the best out there. Being fifty years old this year only allows it to become even better. It's aged like a fine wine and as British cult classics go, it's hard to look any further than this masterpiece. To quote Charlie Croker - "Hang on a minute lads, I've got a great idea..." - If you haven't seen it, go and watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again! And again, and again...

Moving on from our late nineties funk, we move backwards to 1982 for one of our first supergroup offerings - the eponymous debut album from prog-rock masters Asia. One of the first things you'll notice in the picture is the truly fantastic cover art, courtesy of long-time collaborator Roger Dean. Roger Dean has worked with other progressive bands such as Yes and this dragon/mythical beast artwork has become a cornerstone of Asia albums from way back in 1982, right up to the recent Gravitas, which is also brilliant. It may seem odd to say, but I find this artwork so striking that it currently resides as my wallpaper on my computer, complete with another Roger Dean piece entitled Squawk - you can find that here - https://www.pinterest.es/pin/324470348145312989/ - it comes from the second album from Welsh rock group Budgie. As debut albums go, it's hard to look any further than the Asia album. It's got an eclectic mix of tracks and features, overall, an tremendous sound collage from some of the best musicians that prog-rock has to offer. Indeed, this LP spawned Asia's biggest and most well-known song, Heat Of The Moment. It's typical of some early eighties AOR (album-orientated-rock) too, with a somewhat similar correlation to bands like Journey and Whitesnake. Despite its typicality, this doesn't at all detract from how fantastic the song is, with a great guitar solo from Steve Howe and an exemplary vocal from the late, great John Wetton. There's also some deeper cuts such as Sole Survivor and Time Again that are equally sinister and indeed exemplify the more progressive side to the band. On Time Again specifically, the heavy drumming from Carl Palmer, of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame, sets the tone perfectly for one of the darkest songs present. Its six minute or so duration shows the progressive pedigree that the supergroup had to offer, with former members of King Crimson (Wetton), Yes (Howe, Downes) and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Palmer) present to allow the prog-rock to flourish for a wider audience. I love Time Again and would argue its the album's best work. Cutting It Fine is typically AOR in nature with its vocal harmonies, but portrays some progressive aspects with a fantastic guitar solo from Steve Howe and a thumping bassline and indeed vocal from John Wetton. This track is a wonderful showcase of what Asia are about, with both of the above entwining with Carl Palmer's energetic drumming and some amazing work on keys from Geoff Downes. Overall, the Asia LP is one I've loved for many years and one that I really do recommend. It brings the prog genre to a wider audience and makes it perhaps a little more accessible. I truly adore the works this album presents and it is one of the best of all time. If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/3hHkUAe Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link: More musical magnificence to come next week! UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

Over the past few weeks, all the papers and online news outlets have been littered with jargon-filled news about the ongoing Conservative Party Leadership Contest. In here, we'll aim to keep it short and sweet in describing parts of the action and ultimately, what's next for Great Britain. A New Type Of Stewart Dynasty? - The Unexpected Rise Of Rory Stewart The Tory Leadership Contest saw the unexpected rise of one Rory Stewart, the current International Development Secretary, who arose as the dark horse of the competition, making it all the way through to the Third Ballot of MPs, which is no mean feat for someone whose meteoric rise was absolutely unforeseen by every onlooker. Stewart set himself apart from the rest of his opposition, advocating a much 'softer' Brexit, along with citizen's assemblies, if the current Deal doesn't work, to try and get a fairer representation of the people in order to try and solve the absolute mess that we've gotten ourselves into. Despite his soft stance, some saw Stewart as a contender, especially those from outside the Conservative mindset; other members of the public would have backed the International Development Secretary, if the vote had gone to the public. High-profile endorsements from MPs such as David Lidlington and David Gauke also put Stewart in good stead, although his efforts would ultimately be quashed by a loss of 10 votes in the next Ballot. Rory Stewart offered something a little fresh and left-field by comparison to the Hunts and Johnsons of this world and who knows what will have happened if he'd have been at No. 10 Downing Street. Michael Gove's 'Detailed Plans' - Are They All True? If the BBC leadership debate taught us anything, it's that Michael Gove has 'Detailed Plans' for absolutely everything. He's got them for everything from Brexit to the environment, of which he is the current Parliamentary Secretary. For Brexit, Gove sees a No-Deal better than No-Brexit at all. His three deal-makers with the EU would be a full stop to the Northern Ireland 'backstop' issue, a Union Guarantee so that the UK can't be 'undermined' in his eyes, and finally a Free-Trade-Agreement, like that of Canada. Besides Rory Stewart, all other candidates, Gove included, appear to believe that it's possible to renegotiate a Deal with the EU. The EU themselves have said that it's not possible to re-open the Withdrawal Agreement, so, what makes Gove think it's possible to rework the Deal? For the issue of the environment, Gove's Twenty-Five Year Plan talks about ending the selling of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 and the removal of plastics from the oceans. However, no politician on those stools, during the BBC debate, could guarantee net-zero emissions by 2025 - admittedly, this may be a tad optimistic. A Resounding Victory - Is Boris Johnson The Man To Win? There's no denying that the former Mayor of London is the clear frontrunner to seize the reigns of power from an outgoing Theresa May. Even back in 2016, Johnson flirted with the idea of becoming Conservative Party leader with the outgoing David Cameron at the time, but he ultimately never threw his hat far enough into the political ring. Is now high-time for the rise of the Boris? Some would argue that it is - what they perceive a strong leader, who needn't show up at the first debate on Channel 4. It got people talking, that's for sure. Johnson's charisma and vocal nature as a politician has indeed got people talking and backers in the Commons too. However, others would say that it's too little too late for the prominent Brexiteer. With the deadline in October fast approaching and a stubborn bunch in Brussels, the chances of Britain getting a better Deal than what's on the table is extremely unlikely, whilst a No-Deal and leaving on WTO rules would cause massive economic uproar, if their projections are to be believed. Tax cuts for the rich are an inherently Tory policy and in the age of a disheartened electorate, are these what are really needed? Sure, it gives the rich more to pocket, but to promise higher levels of public spending whilst allowing for rich tax breaks makes little sense. Boris currently holds a colossal lead over his only opponent, Jeremy Hunt, following the result of Thursday's Ballot - 160 votes to Hunt's 77. Whilst it's pretty much a dead cert that Boris is going to get in to No. 10, what remains to be seen is the result's of Johnson's premiership. In answer to the above, what's next for Britain? It looks like a Boris Johnson-run Conservative government with tax cuts and God knows what's going to happen with Brexit. The less said about that the better. All us mere mortals can do is wait and see what happens with the times of Boris Johnson...

Note: This review will be written from the perspective of a general audience member, as I was on the 8th June at The Curve in Leicester, not from a theatre critic. I've been to see a few musicals in my time, but not that many to be considered fully experienced in them, but the ones I have seen are ones that have been cherry-picked due to musical tastes. On Your Feet! is an example of one of those; a jukebox musical featuring the various hits of Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. I've grown up with their music to an extent and it evokes memories of my parents' holidays to Florida perfectly. This musical therefore, even before going, had high expectations and in short, they were met exactly. On Your Feet!, I'm certain, will be characterised as one of the feel-good musicals of the year and to be honest, it's easy to see why. The choreography and dance routines are absolutely fantastic and there's a myriad of them to enjoy, with each one bringing its own little piece of Latin passion and fire. With a minimalistic set too, those dance routines acted as some well-thought-out interludes whilst members of the cast and crew were preparing for the next scene. The story, despite being described as one of great love, wasn't too overpowering and didn't take control of the musical, which was a rather nice touch. It was more about the stable union of Gloria and Emilio and there's only certain moments where their love and falling for one another takes centre stage - the restaurant scene involving Emilio's deception about his birthday to get a kiss from Gloria was the only real 'loved up' moment, I felt. Both Christie Prades as Gloria and George Ioannides as Emilio complemented each other wonderfully and their on-stage chemistry felt real and very much tangible. In addition, the supporting cast playing both Gloria's mother (Madalena Alberto) and Consuelo (Karen Mann) work well together and what's more, there is this genuine feel of a tight family unit, especially with Gloria's father suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. This forms a basis of part of the story and the somewhat frosty relationship between Gloria and her mother. The character of Consuelo is a particular highlight of the supporting cast, taking centre stage at various points in the show, whilst also providing valuable injections of humour that work perfectly and are very well-timed. The live band present aided in creating a truly fantastic atmosphere. By the show cultivating a proper feel-good feeling, it's hard not to have a gleaming smile on your face by the end. I get the immediate sense that this musical will become one of the West End's summer hits due to its overwhelmingly positive feelings and story that takes its twists and turns, putting obstacles into front of both Gloria and Emilio. The show presents this wonderful feeling overall and you leave the theatre feeling all revitalised and energised. I think it's the sense of the Latin music that does this, but it could be a tremendous combination of both the music and overall setting. Either way, On Your Feet! is guaranteed to get you up dancing! The West End run starts tomorrow (Friday 14th June) at the London Coliseum and runs till the 31st August and then goes on a nationwide tour of theatres, so I would highly recommend you go and see what is guaranteed to be one of the best musicals of the year!

We move to an album that was twenty years old yesterday as a matter of fact - it's the Red Hot Chili Peppers' groundbreaking and downright funky 1999 album Californication. I've been a fan of the Chili Peppers for a little while now and Californication was the album that got me into the LA rockers, with its quite-frankly perfect basslines from bassist Flea and excellent drumwork from Chad Smith. The album majorly features quick and short tracks, such as I Like Dirt and Right On Time. Whilst these songs may make absolutely no sense, they give the album a sense of quirkiness in character that is found on most of the Chili Peppers' releases, so it's really pleasant to see it here. Around The World is an absolutely fantastic opening track and acts as a perfect introduction to the Chili Peppers to any new listeners, featuring a myriad of styles all in four minutes, such as a heavier middle section and the skittish verse exemplifies the funkiness of the entire album. Purple Stain is equally, if not a tad more rampant, with Kiedis' frantic vocals exemplifying this perfectly. The title track is perhaps the best on the album, with its slow-building sound leading to a truly brilliant chorus. Its lyrics are the best on the album bar none, taking an in-depth, symbolic look at the alternative Hollywood that has masqueraded itself in the lives of the band, with frequent drug usage and promiscuity. Drumwork from Chad Smith is rather good here, along with Frusciante's guitar work too adding to create a fantastic sound overall. Emit Remmus is one of the best tracks on here hands-down, with Anthony Kiedis attacking the vocal to great extent and this complements Flea's bassline perfectly. The song talks about a relationship between an American man and an English girl - there are several little references to London, through Leicester Square and Primrose Hill, oddly enough. It's a song with endless grunt and some fantastic attitude. Contrary to this, Scar Tissue is one of the softer tracks in the catalogue, showing a different side to Kiedis, with a song that's more melodic and mellow overall; the guitar notes from John Frusciante are a little reminiscent of Steve Rothery in Marillion by way of the recurring riff and its less harsh sound. Californication is arguably one of the best albums of the nineties, bringing something a little different to the rock scene, juxtaposing the rising alternative scene at the time with a little more power and attitude. Personally, I see it as the Chili Peppers' best album and for anyone looking to get into their work, this is the perfect starting point. If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/2CZ4Xqe Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link: More musical magnificence to come next week! UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This week saw Apple's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) take place in San Jose, California and as always, we saw a new array of Apple products and indeed, a shed-load of ridicule from some wonderful people on Twitter... The New Mac Pro - A Hefty Price Tag, But Worth The Money Perhaps the most intriguing addition to Apple's product lies in the brand new Mac Pro tower. This follows on from the 'trash-can'-designed Mac Pro from 2013, but instead, the new Mac Pro takes on the form of a cheese grater, as described in various Twitter memes: Indeed, these new names do seem much more creative than the classic Mac Pro, although there were some calls from social media users to rename it the classic iGrater. Some design features did catch the eyes of Rich DeMuro too: Besides the various memes that have spawned out of the work of some eagle-eyed Twitter users, the actual specification of the new Mac Pro does seem to be designed for hardcore editors at production firms. It boasts a 28-core Intel Xeon W processor, as well as a maximun of both 1.5TB of RAM and 4TB of internal SSD storage. Despite the starting $5999 price tag according to the Silicon Valley developers, the new Mac Pro packs an almighty punch, and that would be expected from its hefty price tag, to consumers certainly. However, the $5999 price tag is only for the tower system. The Pro Display XDR monitor will set you back an extra $4999 and indeed, that's only for the panel. Any prospective buyers will also have to have the financial means to shell out an added $999 for a stand, which, personally speaking, does seem a tad excessive. According to the calculations of website The Verge, a fully upgraded Mac Pro could set you back well in excess of $50,000. MacOS Catalina & The Demise Of iTunes - The Progression Of Societal Habits Also represented at the WWDC was an upgrade for MacOS named Catalina. Most notably, Catalina will do away with the old desktop iTunes app and instead split it up into three new sections - Apple Music, Podcasts and Apple TV. Users now wishing to connect their iPhone to their Mac will have to operate through MacOS's Finder system. One landmark addition to MacOS Catalina is a new process called 'Sidecar' that allows users to connect their iPad to their Mac and use it as a second screen. Some applications such as Adode Photoshop will immediately support Sidecar, but Apple has said that the new applications should work straight out of the box and require little to no optimisation. Apple has also introduced full voice control for their accessibility requirements on both new iOS and MacOS builds. A full release of Catalina is expected this coming autumn, whilst a public beta will be released in July. iOS 13 - A Faster And Safer Operating System This year's WWDC also saw the advent of Apple's latest operating system - iOS 13. It brings a wealth of all-new features, such as a new 'Dark Mode' and also a exclusively phone-based system. Instead of running iOS 13 on the latest iPads, from now on, Apple has split down their operating system into the phone-exclusive iOS 13 and an all-new iPadOS for its iPads. The landmark feature for the latest iteration of Apple's mobile operating system is 'Dark Mode'. Dark Mode will allow for the user interface to be changed to a white-on-black look, as opposed to the reverse. This allows for a more eye-pleasing look that will help for those who are using their phone late at night ans also will aid greatly in prolonging battery life. FaceID has also had a revamp and now runs 30% faster than its older counterpart. App sizes have been reduced by 50% and updates by 60% . Indeed, this is compounded by apps launching twice as quickly as usual. Apple's Senior Vice President Of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, was quoted as saying: "Nothing is more important to our iPhone users than performance." with regards to the new speed fixes. Rather intriguingly, the new iOS has also seen support from Xbox and Sony to provide both Xbox and Playstation controller support, allowing for more precision in gaming. This comes in part with Apple's new 'Apple Arcade' service, with a game library with over one-hundred exclusive titles from developers and key players such as Sega. Indeed, all of this combines to increase Apple's presence in the gaming community as they look to rival Microsoft's Project xCloud and Google's Stadia project that was unveiled only a couple of months ago. WatchOS 6 - A Greater Degree Of Independence Finally, this year's WWDC did not disappoint when announcing the latest incarnation of Apple's watch operating system, WatchOS. WatchOS will now feature its own standalone Watch App Store and grants app developers the ability to develop new apps that do not require the usual companion of the iPhone. Also coming to Apple Watch is a new voice-memo application, along with both a calculator and audiobooks, and some new watch faces. Tracking on the Health app now compares metrics on physical activity such as steps and floors over the past 90 days to the rest of the year, providing users with coaching when their trend fitness levels are down. Menstrual cycle tracking has also been added to both the Health app for iPhone and the Apple Watch itself. A new app, Noise, also managed to find its way into the WWDC, and provides users with a new feature on surrounding decibel levels, warning them when it gets closer to damaging your hearing, such as being at a concert or construction-site noise. In short, Apple's WWDC performance this year could be considered to be stellar and its lineup of new products and services has not disappointed. It gives an inside look into the minds of the California boffins and also kick starts hype and confirms longstanding rumours.

Following on from some mid-sixties psychedelia, we move forward sixteen years to find Duran Duran's marvellous second album released in 1982, Rio. Now, I've always had a fond passion for eighties music and especially the earlier half of the decade with the rise of new-wave acts like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. The ongoing debate was settled a good while ago between some friends and myself as to who was better and we concluded Duran Duran. Whenever we've discussed this era of music, the Rio album has always made its way into conversation. It's one of those era-defining albums and it's a compulsive listen these days to be honest. Rio is the LP that really cemented Duran Duran within the confines of fame and stardom, featuring fan-favourite tracks like Hungry Like The Wolf and Rio itself. Hungry Like The Wolf features a seething vocal from lead singer Simon Le Bon and I have to say, the song features a shedload of sinister attitude, combining with the exemplary guitar work of Andy Taylor to create something absolutely fantastic. The title track is equally brilliant and is one of those iconic eighties tunes that is hard to escape on older episodes of Top Of The Pops. The bassline is incredible and to be honest, the entire song is arguably one of the best and most-known of the eighties, but that doesn't detract from the fact it goes from strength to strength over its near-five-minute duration. The Chaffeur, most likely Duran Duran's most famous non-single, closes Rio, with a darker sound, combined with something a little more synth-driven and looped, but also features what I perceive to be Le Bon's best vocal of the album. It's got this prog-rock like quality with regards to the backing, but it's prog for a more modern audience, which makes it absolutely brilliant to say the least. Save A Prayer is probably one of the darker sounding tracks, with Le Bon's slower and lower-tone vocal fitting in perfectly with its subject matter. The song concerns the main speaker as a male prostitute, talking about how he is sinning and being unfaithful in his 'occupation' of sorts. My Own Way is one of the funkiest offerings, with a fabulous bassline and tremendous vocals from Simon Le Bon. The synth work from Nick Rhodes is also absolutely cracking. New Religion is a little more progressive by way of genre, featuring a minute-long introduction and a more conversational vocal from Le Bon, both of which tie in to mark it as a stand-out song overall. It's five minutes of some great production work too, with the overlapping vocals complementing the backing guitar-driven soundscape perfectly. To conclude, it is fair to say that Rio would act as era-defining album for the eighties and pave the way for other symbolic works through artists like that of Howard Jones and Johnny Hates Jazz. It's a record that I thoroughly recommend to anyone reading and if you're wanting to become accustomed to the sounds of the eighties, look no further than this absolute masterpiece. If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/3hKqQs6 Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link: More musical magnificence to come next week! UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

After a little while away, we're continuing on with another in-depth piece on one of my all-time sporting idols - the late, great Ayrton Senna. I've always been a great fan of Formula One, ever since I was a small child and even though it was a little bit before my time, I found myself growing up watching the battles in the eighties between Senna and Alain Prost, whom I share my birthday with. Senna was unlike any other at the time and very few drivers have equalled his legendary status. He had this great work-ethic and an absolute drive to succeed, right from his time in karting to his untimely death in May 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Senna's work-ethic is truly evident when you take a look at one of his first notable performances at a torrential downpour at Monaco in 1984 when driving for Toleman. It was his first full season in Formula One and as any rookie should, Senna was determined to prove himself. His first race with Toleman at his home Brazilian Grand Prix, then held at the Jacarepaguá Circuit in Rio de Janeiro, ended in disaster after he was forced to retire after just eight laps with a turbo failure. Toleman's weekend was dismal, after teammate Johnny Cecotto retired from the same ailment ten laps later. Round Six and the Monaco Grand Prix came around and Senna finished in a miraculous second place behind future teammate Alain Prost in his McLaren. Over the course of the rain-riddled race, Prost would suffer a worsening brake balance issue and as a result, the brakes were receiving little to no heat, causing increasingly frequent lock-ups. The torrential rain and Prost's brake problem meant that Senna was catching the struggling Prost at an alarming rate and the conditions caused the clerk of the course (former F1 driver Jacky Ickx) to halt the race after 31 of the scheduled 78 laps. It was a remarkable performance and marked Toleman's best finish in their five years in Formula One history. After leaving Toleman in 1985 and collecting two more career podiums, Senna would move to Lotus for two years until 1987. His time at Lotus would see him pick up the first 'Grand Slam' of his career, picking up the race victory, fastest lap and pole position at that year's second round, the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. In wet conditions yet again, Senna managed to win the GP by a margin of over one minute, lapping all but second place over the race's duration. The relationship between him and teammate Elio De Angelis would sour over the course of the season, as both drivers would demand a higher status than the other. De Angelis would leave at the end of 1985 to Brabham, convinced that his former team had been prioritising the Brazilian over him. 1986 saw the dawn of one of Lotus' most infamous Formula One cars in the 98T, featuring well in excess of 1000BHP in qualifying trim, but as race teams didn't publish their power figures, it is largely speculation on power output. It was a rather large handful for any driver and this was in no way helped by the 4 BAR pressure turbo present that also came with an insane amount of 'lag' - 4 BAR is equivalent to around 58 PSI. It would be the mental 98T that would propel Senna to finish fourth in the Driver's Championship for the second year in a row, with him winning two of the sixteen rounds and also gain six podiums, excluding race wins. It would be the last season that Senna would race with a Renault engine until his time with Williams from 1994 until his death later that season. The Honda powertrains in the Lotus 99T were of the previous season due to the exclusive deal that Williams had with Honda at the time, allowing them to use the newer engines. Senna started the 1987 season off strongly, with a podium and his first race win of the season in five rounds, coming at Monaco - it was his first of six wins in the independent state. He would go on to claim another win in the race following Monaco, the Detroit Grand Prix, giving him his second race win in two years at the circuit, along with the first win there by a car with active suspension. Despite the strong start from Lotus that year, as the season progressed, it was evident that the Williams FW11B that was being piloted by Nelson Piquet was a superior car, now with its own active suspension and year-younger engine. Piquet, in the 1987 season, would go on to win his third and final World Drivers Title and Senna would be left in third that season, with six race victories and one pole position, his worst run of poles since his debut season with Toleman. Senna's time in Formula One is mostly known for his dominating five year stint with McLaren, alongside Alain Prost, who he would develop a famous rivalry with. The 1988 season would see Senna win his first World Drivers Championship with the Woking-based team. The MP4/4 would prove to arguably be the most dominant car in modern F1 history, with a win percentage of 93.8% that season - this has not been equalled for the last thirty-one years. Over the course of the season, it would take all race wins bar one and all pole positions bar one and would see Senna drive at his very best and feel connected to the machine. He took eight race wins over the course of the season, including an inspiring performance at Suzuka in Japan, the championship's penultimate round. Senna qualified on pole, some 1.7 seconds faster than teammate Prost. The race started with Senna stalling on the grid, putting him rather far down the order in 14th place, whilst Prost battled up front and would lead the first fifteen laps of the Grand Prix. Rain starting pouring down on lap fourteen and this benefitted the Brazilian greatly and he ended up finishing an entire thirteen seconds ahead of his teammate by the end of the race. Senna rewrote the record books over the course of the 1988 season. His eight wins beat the old record of seven jointly held by both Alain Prost and Jim Clark. Meanwhile, his thirteen pole positions would smash the record of nine held by Nelson Piquet. Prost was to go on to take the 1989 World Title, whilst the off-track battles between the two drivers would become more heated than ever. Despite starting the season off strongly once again, reliability problems in France, Phoenix, Canada, Britain and Italy, along with collisions at both his home grand prix in Brazil and Portugal would heavily swing the title in the Frenchman's favour. Senna would win consecutive titles over the next two seasons, winning the ding-dong battle with teammate Prost. He became Formula One's youngest ever three-time World Champion in 1991. The following season would see the arrival of prodigy Michael Schumacher and the rise of Benetton. The pair had frosty relations between them and as Senna's contract was up at the end of the '92 season, it was unclear as to what Senna's intentions were. He felt that McLaren's cars were becoming less competitive year-on-year and as Honda had abandoned the sport in 1992, McLaren's dominance had come to an end, which saw the resurgence of Williams, with Nigel Mansell winning the World Title that year, in the all-conquering Williams FW14B. In 1993, Ron Dennis' pursuit for Renault V10 engines had failed and so McLaren, for that season were lumbered with Ford V8s that were much less competitive than the previous Honda powertrains. Williams continued their domination in the latter half of the season, whilst Senna suffered mechanical failures at five races. The last race of the '93 season in Adelaide would be both Senna's last race for McLaren and his 41st and last career victory. The 1994 season would see Senna move to the dominant Williams, although with the banning of active suspension the season prior, Williams would see themselves suppressed as a team. Senna took two consecutive poles in his home Grand Prix at Interlagos and also at the inaugural Pacific Grand Prix in Aida. Michael Schumacher would take two victories in those two races. It was Senna's worst start to a Formula one season as he failed to score points in his opening two races, despite taking pole in both. Of course, Senna would meet his tragic end at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after a collision at Tamburello corner at Imola. That weekend also saw the death of rookie Roland Ratzenberger and a life-threatening injury to Rubens Barrichello. His death is twenty-five years ago this year and it's only right that this article should act as an eternal tribute to one of the best and most-loved Formula One drivers in history.

This week, we're turning back the clock to the sixties for the first time; specifically, we come to 1966 and The Beatles' superb sixth studio album Revolver. 1966 saw The Beatles end their days of touring and playing to baying crowds of girls who would scream their heads off for half an hour. The band played their final gig at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in August 1966, before lumbering themselves into the back of a meat van used in slaughterhouses to take them away from the stadium. Revolver sees them shift from a band aiming to please the masses to a band that wishes to experiment and think outside the box. Opener Taxman is an obscurity by comparison to most of The Beatles' back catalogue and sees George Harrison take lead vocals in a jibe against then Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who had recently imposed a 95% super-tax for those earning ridiculously high wages, which the band were at the time. Harrison talks of "one for you, nineteen for me" in relation to the tax, but what also makes this track apart from its satire, is the fantastic guitar solo Harrison plays towards the end. It's erratic in delivery, perfectly portraying the flustered nature of the British political system at the time. In-keeping with works from George Harrison, I Want To Tell You is a song about having so many ideas in your head, but not having the ability to say them all aloud. It's catchy, with some great piano backing, and would go on to play a part in some of Harrison's later solo live work. The album is packed full of undiscovered rarities for most casual Beatles fans, such as the fantastic She Said She Said sung by John Lennon. Lennon described it as an "acidy" track and in listening to the way that the lyrics jump around and are mostly half-formed sentences that cut one another off, it's evident that there is a drug influence here. And Your Bird Can Sing is a little more upbeat than some of the rest of the album, with some fantastic harmonies, echoing older Beatles records, along with the overpowering lead guitar riff and cracking bassline. It's arguably Lennon's best vocal on the album and the song is allegedly about Mick Jagger's girlfriend at the time, Marianne Faithfull. By way of experimentation, the band didn't just experiment with their different musical styles, but also with substances as well. One such song is Doctor Robert. Allegedly about the man who provided The Beatles with drugs in the USA in the sixties, according to bassist Paul McCartney, although this was disputed by Lennon, who said that the song was semi-autobiographical, claiming he was the one who held the band's supply of drugs. It's noted for The Beatles' first explicit mention of recreational drug usage and its recurring guitar riff, along with Lennon's cold vocal, makes it the best song on the album from a personal perspective. I'm Only Sleeping sees John Lennon sing about what everybody wishes they could have in their lives at various points - a little more sleep. It's a commentary on his laziness and details the majesty of being half-awake and half-dreamy. Specifically, the song is talking about how everybody sees him as a layabout, whilst everyone around him rushes around for no particular reason. This track definitely marks a change in The Beatles' styles and musical purposes, featuring more raw songwriting and some backwards-tracked instruments. As with every Beatles album, Revolver features its fair share of solemnity with the two-minute-long For No One featuring a dejected Paul McCartney delivering a disheartening and powerful vocal about the end of a relationship. The song fits in with the baroque style, with its old-time piano backing and horn section in the middle helping to create an air of sadness. In conclusion, Revolver is one of the best Beatles albums over their career and certainly signalled a massive change from their prior beat-driven style designed to please crowds to a more experimental style that would change their genre until the end in 1970. It's much-loved amongst Beatles fans, but often gets majorly overlooked and so, it's only right that I would recommend what I perceive to be their best work. Pure genius. If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/30YYxPW Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link: More musical magnificence to come next week! UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.