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
Burn cover

Burn

Sons of Kemet
Accelerando cover

Accelerando

Vijay Iyer Trio
Piedras 1 cover

Piedras 1

Nicolas Jaar
Con-Struct cover

Con-Struct

Schneider TM, Conrad Schnitzler
After the Heat cover

After the Heat

Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius
First Issue cover

First Issue

Public Image Ltd
Alto//Piano cover

Alto//Piano

Everest Magma