Desertshore was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Unlike its predecessor The Marble Index, it incorporates elements of traditional Western pop. “Janitor of Lunacy” was composed as a tribute to her friend Brian Jones, who had died the previous year. The front and back covers feature stills from Philippe Garrel’s film The Inner Scar, which starred Nico, Garrel, and her son Ari Boulogne. A few of the album’s songs were included on the film’s soundtrack. Like The Marble Index, Desertshore gained a small cult following upon its release but was overlooked by most major publications and the public in general. However, it has received mainstream praise from critics in subsequent years, with AllMusic and The New Rolling Stone Album Guide in particular giving it a strong, positive reception.
