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

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