Afterbach Matinee

Without a doubt, The Cure is one of the most essentials bands from the 80s with an iconic image that is on pair with superstars of that time such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and Boy George. Surging as part of the post punk and dark-rock movement, The Cure and especially their leader, Robert Smith, had the cunning ability to create -within their large catalog- multiple hit songs that have become absolute pop classics, without compromising its credibility. The Many Faces Of The Cure showcases the parallel paths of the band members, some of Robert Smith collaborations with other artists, the mostly unknown post-Cure projects by the band’s drummer / keyboardist Lol Tolhurst and by bassist Simon Gallup and of course, their songs, both performed by the band itself and by a large number of artists who have respectfully created fantastic new versions.

"Tristes Noticias del Imperio" is a good quality effort through and through, a production that has stood the test of time very well indeed. And while perhaps not exploring the most advanced fiels of the progressive rock universe it is an effort that merits a listen by those who have a general fondness for art rock, with followers of artists like Pink Floyd and King Crimson as a likely key audience.
Argentinian trio Redd was formed in 1977, and "Tristes Noticias del Imperio" was to be the first of two albums this band issued before disbanding. While they were a highly talented act, a disease affecting the hearing of drummer and keyboardist Escalante diagnosed a few weeks after the completion of this debut effort caused an abrupt stop to the further development of this band…

History hasn't been kind to La Muette de Portici. Premiered in Paris in 1828, Auber's opera deals with a 17th-century Neapolitan uprising against Spanish rule, led by the fisherman Masaniello, whose mute sister, Fenella, has been seduced by Alphonse, son of the Spanish viceroy. Morally, the work is complex. Though Masaniello is in the right, his distrust of revolutionary violence is confirmed when he encounters Elvire, Alphonse's blameless wife, who is victimised by both sides in the conflict. Masaniello's fanatical deputy, Pietro, however, advocates indiscriminate carnage, and the power struggle that ensues has catastrophic consequences.

Hard on the heels of a triumphant Lohengrin, Decca follows up with an equally astonishing debut performance from Jonas Kaufmann: Goethe’s love-lorn hero Werther, in Massenet’s romantic opera. His premiere appearance in the role, in Paris in January 2010, took the French operatic world by storm, his performance being hailed by Le Monde: “Werther is portrayed by the tenor of the moment, the German Jonas Kaufmann. He brings to the part a sublime timbre (warm, at times “baritonal” and musky), exceptional musicality, a very wide palette of tonal shadings and immaculate diction. Add to that his histrionic gifts and matinée-idol appeal and you’ve got a cocktail of qualities that rarely all come together at the opera.”…

"I Wear the Face" is the 1984 RCA Records debut album from Mr. Mister. It reached a high of #170 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. It was originally issued with a different cover photograph that was changed after the success of their 2nd RCA album. The first single from the album "Hunters of the Night" reached a high of #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Following their successful appearance here on the Golden Rose TV Festival in April 1969, the band was invited back to play the Montreux Jazz Festival in June to a more youthful audience. The hot sunny weather saw the boys play an impromptu afternoon matinee by the pool, which culminated in a topless Dick Heckstall-Smith diving in to cool down! During that time bootlegs were a big part of the scene. Repertoire Records has curated the best of the best and these albums are now 'officially' available for digital download for the first time. Physical copies are on their way!