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
Schaum cover

Schaum

Masayoshi Fujita, Jan Jelinek
Monophonie cover

Monophonie

Phillip Sollmann
Intensity Ghost cover

Intensity Ghost

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band
Returns cover

Returns

Warm Currency
Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! cover

Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Top Natural Drum cover

Top Natural Drum

Mister Water Wet
Mette Henriette cover

Mette Henriette

Mette Henriette
Meith cover

Meith

Kassel Jaeger