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
Debut cover

Debut

Björk
Noyaux cover

Noyaux

Benoît Pioulard
Chronology cover

Chronology

Qasim Naqvi
Y in Dub cover

Y in Dub

Dennis Bovell, The Pop Group
A Time For Healing cover

A Time For Healing

The Kahil El'Zabar Quartet
FRKWYS Vol. 14 - Nue cover

FRKWYS Vol. 14 - Nue

Yoshi Wada, Tashi Wada
Éliane Radigue: Occam Ocean cover

Éliane Radigue: Occam Ocean

Julia Eckhardt, Carol Robinson, Rhodri Davies