Product Description

After a tepid solo debut, Lou Reed's post-Velvet Underground standing looked dicey. Fortunately, David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson stepped in to help Reed craft one of thebest albums of his career. TRANSFORMER built on the stripped-down, quirky pop of LOADED-era VU, infusing it with the androgynous, cheeky glitz of the glam era (the bleached-out black-and-white cover photo of Reed in eye makeup is a giveaway), not to mention a fair bit of Ronson's guitar muscle. Much to everyone's credit, however, the album's stylish flair never eclipses Reed's excellent songcraft or acerbic wit. [paragraph here] TRANSFORMER's sense of chic fun is infectious,and is heightened by Reed's character sketches of Andy Warhol's entourage and the glitterati of New York. "New York Telephone Conversation" demonstrates his biting satire, as do "Hangin' Round", a Ronson-assisted rocker, and "Goodnight Ladies", a music hall send-up. But TRANSFORMER's highlights aresome of Reed's best-ever songs: the soaring ditty "Satellite of Love", for instance, the cutting "Vicious", the romantic, yet chillingly melancholic "Perfect Day", and the slice of pop perfection that is "Walk On The Wild Side", complete with shuffling groove, sliding bass, instantly memorable vocal back-ups, and Reed's deadpan talk-singing. Ever the experimentalist, Reed would have difficulty matching the magic formula of this album again. As a result, TRANSFORMER remains one of the infallible standouts in his discography.

Track Listing

1. Vicious
2. Andy's Chest
3. Perfect Day
4. Hangin' Around
5. Walk On The Wild Side
6. Make Up
7. Satellite Of Love
8. Wagon Wheel
9. New York Telephone Conversation
10. I'm So Free
11. Goodnight Ladies
12. Hangin' Round
13. Perfect Day
14. Transformer Radio Spot

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3399 in Music
• Released on: 2003-01-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

70s kitsch and decadence
We just didn't realise it at the time, you know. My friends and I were around thirteen at the times of this album's release and had no idea whatsoever of the gay symbolism in both the music and the album's cover. We just thought Lou Reed was the American Bowie. Why, our hero Ziggy was even rumoured to have played the sax fade out on "Walk On The Wild Side". (Bowie didn't actually play the sax, he just contributed backing vocals to the album, while Spiders guitarist Mick Ronson featured more heavily). Bowie's decadence and transexuality was considered fine in the UK, Bowie's fans were largely "lads", amazingly. The same would be true of Queen a year later. Lads also liked Lou Reed. We loved the bass line on "Walk On The Wild Side", the "dodgy" lyrics, the Stonesy/Spiders riffing on "Vicious", the Mott The Hoople piano on "Satellite Of Love" and the laid back feel of "Perfect Day". We missed all the clear references about coming out of the closet and so on ! Unbelievable really, but that is how I remember this album, as a rock album a bit out of leftfield. I guess, actually, that's what it is.

Bitter Sweet Poetry
I won't say much, but this CD does let you into what Lou Reed is about, it's worth buying this album just for Perfect Day alone.

A must by for good music lovers.

Evocative musical theatre
On this legendary album, Reed celebrates Andy Warhol and his 15-minutes of fame stars in a glamrock style, influenced by David Bowie. This new edition includes two extra tracks, acoustic versions of Hanging Round and Perfect Day. The informative insert includes illustrations and an essay on the history of Reed and the significance of this album.

Transformer is a type of decadent cabaret comparable to Bowie's Alladin Sane, but it is less bleak and much more colourful and engaging. Reed proved himself to be a master of many styles, from the compelling rock of Walk On The Wild Side through the tender and tuneful pop of Satellite Of Love to the oneiric Perfect Day, a haunting poetic excursion.

Other highlights include the edgy rocker Vicious with its hypnotic melody and sarcastic/ironic lyrics (an attitude that would soon infuse punk and new wave), the quirky New York Telephone Conversation, the energetic Hanging Round and the stately Goodnight Ladies. The songs are highly descriptive of a time, a place and a mindset, and the music is powerful in places and very elegant.

The stylistic variety renders Transformer compelling throughout while not detracting from the cohesion, making it a great piece of musical theatre. Devoted followers would agree that it does not reveal the complete Reed, as he has been so prolific and his oeuvre encompasses a much larger spectrum. But as a document of the middle seventies, it remains superb, an essential album for all serious rock fans.