June 1, 1974 cover
Released

This one-off “all stars of prog” concert aged way better than anybody expected. Bits of Ayers’ band and Soft Machine all converged to back up Eno and Cale and Nico and the result was sort of the best of all possible worlds. These two Eno tunes feature his most unafraid vocal performances, and Cale’s “Heartbreak Hotel” is his second most important cover, after “Hallelujah” (more than fifteen years in the future at this point). And Nico, alleged ice queen, burns the hell out of a dumb Doors tune and makes it work with her harmonium. Ayers is great because of Ollie Halsall’s guitar playing and despite his own massively creepy song, “May I?”

Sasha Frere-Jones

Recommended by

Suggestions
Leaper cover

Leaper

Gosheven
A Blues cover

A Blues

Rat Heart Ensemble
Body Meta cover

Body Meta

Ornette Coleman
Daze cover

Daze

Brood Ma
Form Grows Rampant cover

Form Grows Rampant

The Threshold HouseBoys Choir
New Neighborhoods cover

New Neighborhoods

Various Artists
It Changes cover

It Changes

Tim Fraser, Ailie Ormston
Repeater cover

Repeater

Water Damage
Järnnätter cover

Järnnätter

Civilistjävel!
Live at Commend, NYC cover

Live at Commend, NYC

Carlos Niño & Friends
Church of Anthrax cover

Church of Anthrax

Terry Riley, John Cale