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
Cluster & Eno cover

Cluster & Eno

Cluster, Brian Eno
Zeit cover

Zeit

Tangerine Dream
Y cover

Y

The Pop Group
After the Heat cover

After the Heat

Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Brilliant Trees cover

Brilliant Trees

David Sylvian
Bending Bridges cover

Bending Bridges

Mary Halvorson Quintet
Social Rust cover

Social Rust

PC Worship
Piece for Cello and Saxophone cover

Piece for Cello and Saxophone

Charles Curtis, Terry Jennings
Days cover

Days

Triac