Transformer

Just a perfect album Drink sangria in the park And then later, when it gets dark We go home Just a perfect album Feed animals in the zoo Then later a movie, too And then home Oh, it's such a perfect album I'm glad I spent it with you Oh, such a perfect album You just keep me hanging on You just keep me hanging on

I've found that pretty much anything David Bowie touched as a producer turned out to be among the best, if not the best, material that artist would ever put out. This album is no exception. Some nearly timeless and beautiful songwriting here presented with the perfect atmosphere and arrangements. Such a tight little package that still manages to cover many moods. Bowie does such a good job of sweetening Lou up without completely removing his bitter edge. Sounds effortlessly brilliant.

Such a wonderful, cozy album. Makes me want to stay inside with friends and kiss a boy and dance around.

I'm guessing it's considered a great because of the lyrics and the people involved, but purely musically, it's an absolute borefest.

Cool glam rock album. I liked it when he rhymed 'nose' with 'toes'. 7/10

I was familiar with Lou Reed to an extent, but hadn't listened to this entire album before. I was really blown away by it. Perfect Day is a perfect example of what makes Lou Reed great. On the surface it's a nice, pleasant sounding song, but there is this dark, ominous feeling that pervades it. Lou Reed lets us take a walk on the wild side just by listening to his music. I wasn't expecting to going into it, but I'm going with 5 stars for this one.

Totally seductive. Somehow he makes living on the wild side feel glamorous. I thought I’d get tired of his delivery which almost sounds bored, but it fits the music and lyrics well

TransFOURmer

David Bowie has never been shy about acknowledging his influences, and since the boho decadence and sexual ambiguity of the Velvet Underground's music had a major impact on Bowie's work, it was only fitting that as Ziggy Stardust mania was reaching its peak, Bowie would offer Lou Reed some much needed help with his career, which was stuck in neutral after his first solo album came and went. Musically, Reed's work didn't have too much in common with the sonic bombast of the glam scene, but at least it was a place where his eccentricities could find a comfortable home, and on Transformer Bowie and his right-hand man, Mick Ronson, crafted a new sound for Reed that was better fitting (and more commercially astute) than the ambivalent tone of his first solo album. Ronson adds some guitar raunch to "Vicious" and "Hangin' Round" that's a lot flashier than what Reed cranked out with the Velvets, but still honors Lou's strengths in guitar-driven hard rock, while the imaginative arrangements Ronson cooked up for "Perfect Day," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "Goodnight Ladies" blend pop polish with musical thinking just as distinctive as Reed's lyrical conceits. And while Reed occasionally overplays his hand in writing stuff he figured the glam kids wanted ("Make Up" and "I'm So Free" being the most obvious examples), "Perfect Day," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "New York Telephone Conversation" proved he could still write about the demimonde with both perception and respect. The sound and style of Transformer would in many ways define Reed's career in the 1970s, and while it led him into a style that proved to be a dead end, you can't deny that Bowie and Ronson gave their hero a new lease on life -- and a solid album in the bargain.

Why don't men try gay sex? Because they're afraid they'll like it. Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. First time I've listened to this all the way through and I get why it's on so many all time lists. Ronson plays really great rock and roll guitar and it's the standout for me on an album full of standout moments.

I'd say this is actually a bad album. It's quite arch, and a lot of the songs are stupid. Two bangers though.

I dislike him so so much I have no idea why

Is this the most technically proficient album ever made? The most beautiful? Is it even that good musically? No, not really. But that doesn’t matter. I love this album for its unique NY charm and sense of detached cool, carried a lot by the awkward vocals. “Perfect Day” is the song that, for most people, rises above the rest of the tracks, but for me, it’s just part of the suite. Reed certainly had a knack for writing a melody, especially when it came to the chorus. If you haven’t yet, babe, take a walk on the wild side.

So many stunning tracks. I think I held off on Lou Teed because of the hype around how he was the start of indie… but it’s all there. The Strokes, Radiohead, Jack White… I can hear so many garage rack bands in this album. And hearing Perfect Day in its original environment (rather than the Trainspotting soundtrack) was fun. This was a LOT better than expected.

Lou Reed made better records before and after, but ‘Transformer’ has a hold of my heart. From the stellar glam rock production contributions of David Bowie and Mick Ronson to Lou’s subversive tales of the early 70s glam/gay scene, this album is a landmark in queer art.

Has anything aged worse than the cabaret and music hall inspired songs that rock bands liked to record in the late 60’s and early 70’s? Other than those two or three detours, this is a pretty great rock record.

It’s alright. Lou Reed is very lucky to have been famous cause he can’t sing and some of his lyrics are questionable. However the music is pretty good over all. I can see why people like it but don’t think it quite deserves the hype.

I expected to like this as I'm generally a fan of the Lou Reed-fronted Velvet Underground. But I didn't. Reed's performances here are utterly boring and uninspired, the lyrics are extremely repetitive, and there's a saxophone solo (automatic one-star deduction). And then a tuba solo (there goes another star). And then there are jazz flutes... it's just an unredeemable mess, to be honest. Which is a shame because I had such high hopes.

It's a perfect day to listen to Transformer. This was one of my more informative albums coming up. It taught me what glam rock could be, and what good songwriting actually looked like. I don't collect a ton of vinyl, only albums that I feel are going to be be consistently important to me in 10+ years...I bought this record in 2011. It's still important to me. Obviously the big tracks here are, well, perfect. Perfect Day and Walk On the Wild Side are pretty untouchable in rock history, but I'd challenge you to dig deeper into some of the lesser known tracks like Andy's Chest or I'm So Free.

5.0 + I love the reviews that are like, “Besides ‘Walk on the Wild Side’, ‘Vicious’, ‘Perfect Day’ and ‘Satelite of Love’, this album sucks!” Music critics are such bitches sometimes (myself included). In addition to the aforementioned songs, I’d also add “Goodnight Ladies” and “Andy’s Chest” to the list of standouts. So pretty much all of this is at least good and some of it is downright spectacular. One of the better examples of Lou Reed’s uncanny ability to blend sounds.

Circa 1974-5 every house I walked into to hang out had this album, the tracks are tattooed on my brain. Mick Ronson is the unsung hero of this record, he had a fine ear and knew how to get the best out of Lou. This record made in the US would have been ok, but in the hands of the English session crew bomb squad, Lou's basic tracks are, pardon the pun, transformed. I love the eclectic mix of players, Klaus with his signature Fender bass lines, Herbie scamming an additional studio fee and laying out the best double bass/electric bass lines ever transposed..Lou is in fine voice and Bowie has got him a beautiful sound. I love every part of this album, songs like Satellite of Love, Goodnight Ladies et al are great tunes, and then there is the classics. He never bettered it.

I was pursuing tertiary education in Newcastle but travelling to Sydney by train every Friday afternoon on the so-called Flyer. I still remember rushing from Central to the nearest record shop to buy Transformer, all because I’d heard Walk On The Wildside & just had to have it. I’d heard nothing else on the album & was thrilled when I first played it & realised it was so good. Vicious is one of the great opening tracks. Perfect Day & Satellite Of Love are among Lou’s best. There are only 2 of his albums that I ever play regularly - this and the live album that followed it - Rock & Roll Animal. And further proof of Bowie’s greatness that he brought out the best in Reed. A truly great record.

Another perfect album, with banger after banger. Lou Reed (alongside Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan and Leonard Cohen) have produced some of my favourite ever music. Like his Velvet Underground output - this is the epitome of sleaze New York cool, as a solo act a bit more intimate then the whirlwind of the band Lou Reed fronted. Among the gorgeous melodies, arrangements, horns and keys - there's a seedy underbelly while being lucidly open minded lyrically, which puts to shame many other artists for decades after this album was out.

One of my favourite albums. Pretty much anything Bowie produced was amazing. Love Lou Reed's dry sarcastic wit and lyric delivery. Some of the best glam rock has to offer.

Super stuff and a worthy addition to anyone's vinyl collection. So many classics on this one. Produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson you can really hear Bowies' influence on his own influencer. Without Lou and the Velvet's their would be no Ziggy, Punk or Grunge I believe. Where so I start with favourite tracks here? "Viscious", "Perfect Day" The Jaques Brel-like "Make Up" "Walk On the Wild Side" "Satellite of Love" and "New York Telephone Conversation" are highlights for me. Definitely worthy of this list and in the top 100 I think. Love it!

The high water mark for glam. clever tunes, smart lyrics dealing with the underbelly of society and Bowie on production duties. One of my favourite albums of all time

The unmistakable bass line that opens, "Walk On The Wild Side" is probably Lou Reed's most recognizable musical bit of his career and the song has been a mainstay in it's use in TV commercials, film soundtracks and classic rock radio. Lou Reed released a vast catalog of music from his early days with the Velvet Underground and solo albums that ranged from critically acclaimed to critically and commercially a disaster. His music transformed with the times, but at the same time, creatively worked against the grain of what mainstream music is suppose to be with exploration in avant-garde, electronic noise and bizarre choices. Reed's second solo record, "Transformer" is his masterpiece with a consistent range of songs crafted together with the help of David Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce a record that is both satisfying to listen to and accessible enough to share with friends. I feel on a lot of Reed's albums he has a chip on his shoulder and isn't entirely satisfied with the results, but on Transformer he seems comfortable with the songs and Bowie's direction. More recently, the song, "Perfect Day" has enjoyed a revival of sorts (Tik-Tok, soundtracks etc.) and on cue, it was a (near) perfect day listening to Transformer.

When my son was born, I created a bedtime playlist filled with tracks and albums I loved. "Perfect Day" quickly became a staple, and as soon as he could express an opinion, it was the ONLY song he wanted to fall asleep to. To Lou Reed’s credit, even after some 200 plays, I’m still not sick of it. Transformer was Lou Reed's breakthrough solo album, both critically and commercially. Following his departure from The Velvet Underground, it marked a transition into a new phase of his career, blending glam rock with Reed’s signature storytelling—accessible yet provocative. David Bowie and Mick Ronson played a pivotal role in shaping the album. Together, they brought a glam rock sheen to Reed’s gritty songwriting, balancing lush arrangements and polished instrumentation with his urban, edgy themes. Ronson’s contributions, from the distinctive guitar work to the iconic string arrangements on "Perfect Day," added layers of sophistication that elevated the album’s sound. Lyrically, Transformer is full of instantly memorable characters, with songs referencing figures from Andy Warhol’s Factory, such as Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling, immortalizing them in popular culture. Despite its edgy themes, the album reached mainstream audiences, with "Walk on the Wild Side" becoming a radio hit—even with its explicit lyrics. Some tracks have become so iconic that they’re woven into the very fabric of rock music. Highlights include the biting opener, "Vicious," reportedly inspired by Warhol’s playful suggestion to write a song with the lyric, “Vicious, you hit me with a flower.” The previously mentioned "Perfect Day" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad, with lush string arrangements and lyrics interpreted as both a love song and a veiled reference to drug addiction. (It’s also, apparently, the perfect song to lull a toddler to sleep.) "Walk on the Wild Side," Reed’s ode to the lives of misfit characters, remains incredible. Its casual exploration of taboo topics and Herbie Flowers’ sliding bassline make it one of the standout tracks of the decade. Meanwhile, "Satellite of Love" is melancholic and spacey, elevated by Bowie’s backing vocals, with themes of jealousy and yearning that resonate deeply. Elsewhere, I’ve always had a soft spot for "New York Telephone Conversation," with its quirky theatricality capturing the gossip and chaos of New York’s bohemian lifestyle. Transformer is Reed’s most consistent and impactful solo album, cementing his status as a rock icon. Later albums like Berlin would take a darker, more experimental turn, while Coney Island Baby and Street Hassle explored personal themes. Still, no other release encapsulates Reed’s worldview so concisely. With its mix of accessible glam rock and provocative storytelling, Transformer offers a glimpse into Lou Reed’s unique artistic vision and enduring legacy. Whether viewed as a glam rock triumph or a reflection of New York’s subcultural vibrancy, it’s undoubtedly a must-listen. Did/Do I Own This Release? Yes, on CD. Does This Release Belong on the List? 100%. Would This Release Make My Personal List? 100%. Will I Be Listening to It Again? The tradition carries on with my second son, and I hear "Perfect Day" at least once a day. The rest of the album is one I frequently return to.

A while back I listened to TVU&N before I even started this project out of pure curiosity, and one thing that I found great about the album was the vocals, something about Nico and Lou's just clicked with me from how unique they were, It took me a little bit to link Lou Reed with Velvet Underground but when I did I was highly looking forward to listening to this album, and it definitely did not disappoint in the slightest. i can be very critical, but I genuinely do not have any issues with any of the songs here, I wouldn't skip a single one. Lou's vocals are great as I had hoped even if this albums sound is more mainstream it did not affect my enjoyment even slightly, lyrically it is very entertaining and to me that's what matters on an album like this. Rating: Fantastic (Decent ☆☆☆☆☆) Favorite Tracks: Walk On The Wild Side, Wagon Wheel, I'm So Free, Make Up, and Hangin' Around.

First album I’ve gotten that has been one I already know well and love!!! I had a perfect time listening to it again!

this album is fun. i love this sorta... theatrical kind of sound in rock music during this time. i can see why a lot of people who like bowie also like this album, the eccentric songwriting and artistic ambition is off the charts. i definitely like the sound of this album more compared to the likes of bowie. originally it didn't do too much for me, but eventually i ended up loving it.

Ein großartiges Album aus der Geschichte der Rockmusik!

Drags itself over the 5* line, as half of the songs are fabulous and Bowie has never produced a clunker. Hangin' Round is my favorite, somehow, and the whole thing is kinda the evil twin of Hunky Dory

Produced by David Bowie, Mick Ronson and performed by Lou Reed this album is good witouth even the need to listen to it. This the breaktrough album by former Velvet underground: Lou Reed, the album was more mainstream, sound a lot like Ziggy Stardust (with still his own originalities) but still managed to keep the streetwise attitude of the velvet. The album is clearly one of the bets Glam rock album ever made, with an iconic cover, iconic songs and trangressive lyrics. The songs are all pretty good they are: Vicious wich is the openner, with a cool riff, not very complicated lyrics, (not sure what this is about) and one of my favorite on the album Andy's chest is a reference to an assasination attempt on his mentor Andy Warhol wich produced the first Velvet Underground album and its globaly a tribute to him. Its a more pop oriented song Then... Perfect Day, wich is simply a Perfect song, a soft, smooth piano driven song, with violins and all, talking about a beautifull day in central park with his fiancé and then one of the most stunning, wonderfull and beautifull chorus of all time, a truly magic love song. But the lyrics "you keep me hagning on" mighty be an allusion to what a perfect day for Lou Reed look like, an day where he shhoting up heroin, wich he was addicted at the time. But this might not be true, because he was always very straighforwarrd when he was talking about drugs in his songs (Heroin, White Light, Run Run Run ect) but i guess we could interpreting it as that if we want. Hangin' round is also a vry good song, i consired it to be a great exemple of how glam rock influenced punk rock, a fats tempo riff, i'm not sure what this is about, apparently its a way to mock or make fun of people at the Warhol's factory. Walk on The Wild Side is by far the best known Lou Reed songs, and the main reason why this album is so legendary, every aspects of this songs explain it. The lyrics are the best part of this song, straightforward, provocative, trangressive, avant-garde, the song is a description of several real individuals who were hangin' round at the factoty. They were the Warhol's superstars, he mentioned 3 transgenders actress Jackie, Holly and Candy, describeing a bit where they were from and what they do now (doing drugs, travestite themself, giving heads ect.) the song also refer to Joe Dallesanderoa bi sexual actor, discover at the factory and a sex symbol for the gay community. Also another actror Joe Campbell (sugar plum Fairy) Anyway the song is about those people, and the wild side of New York underground scene, with drugs, various sexual expression (Lou Reed was himself Queer), prostituion ect. The music is so recognisable with the chorus (referencing to motown 60's girl bands) and the saxophone outro. This song was a commercial sucess, but has such a rich history and legacy, so a head of its time, such a brilliant look on the vibrant city of New York. Make Up also have lyrics about trasvestite and gay experiences, its about a gay man having sex with a drag queen and about comming out as a gay all with a tuba driven beat. Its about enjoying his gay/queer lifestyle that was so repressed and marginalise at the time. Satelite of Love is an cool little paino love song, with Bowie backing vocals, the referenc to Mars, and space might be an allusion to David Bowie Ziggy Stardust persona. Lou Reed said the song is about the worst kind of jealousy and the moon landing. Wagon Wheel have a real cool musicality, almost like a T.rex song, also dont know what this is about but i like it New York Telephone conversation is strange, look like a kid song, i dont really undertand so i don't know what to think about it. I'm so Free is cool too, and its proably about drugs, so the song might be inronic like i'm so free i could what ever i want, but he hook on heroin and he cannot free himself but he did not see it. The guitar work on the song is very cool, great job by Ronson. Goodnight Ladies is another tuba driven song, a bit silly i guess not sure what to think about it. Anyway this album have a lot to offer, but mainly we can all agree that this album is a love letter to his city of New York, the downsides, the drugs, the vices, the underground scene, the burgeoning gay community ect. A true portaial of the city, kinda like the New York Dolls but with a softer music, but with way more provocative lyrics. A mix between the velvet steetwise attitude and the english glam rock make this album a perfect journey.

I had thought this was gonna be just another velvet underground kinda sludgy mess - but I actually loved it - Satellite of Love is still crap thouhh

Great snarky lyrics. Groovy.

always appreciate lou reed's work. it's really hard to sound as ahead of your time as velvet/lou's solo career.

Not enough time to write much. I love this album. :(

Ooh come on. Surely everyone's got this one. Complete classic, absolutely 5 stars.

Fivety five stars. Take away (deep breath) Vicious, Perfect Day, Wild Side, Satellite, NY Telephone and play the other six tracks and they are all uniformly amazing. For an artist whose vast solo output can mainly be described with the word patchy, this is an incredibly consistent album. That Bowie, he was quite on it in the seventies wasn't he?

There are two examples on this album where, rather than finding words that rhyme, Lou just uses the same word twice. The first everyone knows: “But she never lost her head even when she was giving head” and the other from Vicious: “Hey, why don't you swallow razor blades? You must think that I'm some kind of gay blade I understand he would write lyrics very quickly and not go back to make any changes. This is consistent with his persona of not taking himself too seriously. Why not use the same words? They rhyme with each other - lol. Anyway, both are excellent songs from this excellent album and the title is fitting since it transformed Lou.

What's this, are you allowed to include Greatest Hits albums?

Classic Lou Reed. Quirky, odd, melodic, silly, brilliant

I thought I wasn't cool enough to like Lou Reed. I was wrong. This album is fantastic.

Classic rock is classic but goddamn Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side are such exquisitely-presented moods. I really enjoyed some of the other lesser-known songs on the album as well, but the real reason that this is a 5 star album for me is the gutsy and healthy gender diversity portrayal (even if grimy).

One of the all-time classics. And Reed’s best. Bowie’s involvement in this is probably no coincidence. A distillation of his best late Velvets sound with some superbly crafted rock n roll songs.The fact he also sidesteps this with songs like Perfect Day and Walk On The Wid Side make this album far from a one-trick pony. I love the different moods and tempos, but it all hangs together beautifully to evoke New York life and style at the time. And Satellite Of Love is one of those recordings that can’t fail to make you feel better, no matter your mood when it starts. A 10/5 for me.

Louche and prissy, it's still great.

I'm going 5 stars on this one. Some of the best NYC rock to come out of the early 70s. 3 of my top 50 songs of all time too

A brilliant solo offering from Lou Reed. I fucking love this record. There’s no denying the amazing Bowie influence and production here, but it still has the dank New York stink of Lou’s piss all over it. It’s spectacular. The clever and biting lyricism meshes beautifully with the vulnerable moments of introspective poetry sprinkled throughout. The musicality steers further into the rock n roll vein but retains elements of the avant-garde Velvet Underground style, and that fusion begets Lou’s acquaintance with early glam rock in a truly glorious way. Oh, it’s such a perfect album! It just keeps me hanging onnnnnnn.

Biased cos own it

Man, there's just something about this album that made me fall in love with Lou Reed. So many great songs that are just catchy and meaningful and... comforting? His voice sounds totally disassociated from what he's singing, but he makes it work. The instrumentals are nice and varied and used perfectly. Just one of those albums that comes together in its entirety and clicks on every level.

Never have heard this album before, but obviously knew a few of the hits. Apparently all of the Lou Reed songs I know are on this album. When is the last time you've heard a tuba as a bassline? I loved this album.

Transformer is a huge departure from Lou Reed’s work with the Velvet Underground. While it still focuses on the transgressive elements of New York City, this album is driven by a very camp aesthetic that reminds me of the Kinks more experimental work. Perhaps this can be explained by its British production and recording. David Bowie’s production lends a glam rock feel, but there are jazzy American elements here as well that ground it as definable Lou Reed.

Yep, good one

Wow just wow!!!!

One of the greatest albums of all time, whimsical, fun and whilst on the surface seeming like a well packaged pop-album it takes on a range of sounds to create a unique sonic texture with masterful production from Ronson and Bowie.

Some incoming personal bias here... I've long been a fan of "Transformer", which sees Lou Reed getting his act together for the first time since leaving Velvet Underground and channelling Bowie's Ziggy-era glam rock (with Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson handling production duties). Bowie and Ronson's production is married perfectly to Reed's laconic delivery, to the point where I find myself singing along to a string, piano or guitar part just as often as Reed's vocal. Listen to the acoustic demos (Perfect Day and Hanging Round) and you can hear the impact Bowie and Ronson had on Reed's songs. Without the full production, the songs lack finesse, accentuation- but fully arranged, they are exquisite and often beautiful. The end result is Lou Reed at his most accessible, whether through the out-and-out glam rock of "Hangin' Round", "I'm So Free" and "Wagon Wheel", the effortlessly cool "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Andy's Chest", or the heart-aching ballads of "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love". The latter, one of the most plaintive and sweet songs Reed ever wrote, is my highlight on this record: its outro is sheer magic. "Make Up" and "New York Telephone Conversation" are the experiments that don't quite land, but I can't fault Reed for trying something different: at least they stretch the album's sonic mould in an unexpected way with tuba and music-hall piano. "Goodnight Ladies" is a delicious ending track, using the above to full effect for a lounging curtain call off-Broadway. The songs zip by and the whole ride is so enjoyable, so effortless, that it's hard for me to put this anywhere below "classic".

Great way to jump things off. I have forgotten how much I enjoyed this. This album has created echos in almost everything I have listened to since.

One of the best rock albums of all time. End of.

Lou Reed just had a way of writing a great song. I don't want to get too pretentious about it, but I really like Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. Highlights: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11.

How am I only hearing this album now? I've heard the hits, but this is fantastic. I expected VU kinda stuff. But this really good.

Outstanding, still sounds as cool as you can imagine it did in 1972. Proper forward thinking lyrically as well.

Znany album artysty niezbyt znanego ze swojego samodzielnego dorobku artystycznego, bo jednak najwiekszym komercyjnym suksesem muzycznym pana Reeda byl velvet undergound, zwlaszcza z niko, po rozpadze bandy Reed musial jakos zrestartowac kariere, debiutancki solowy albmers nie przyjal sie zbyt dobrze, tym bardziej sprzedal, ale jak czesto w takich sytuacjach pojawia sie aniol stroz w postaci bowiego, ktory postanowil wykerowac Reeda jako fan velvetow, tak w wielkim skrocie wyglada orgin story transformera, nazwa calkowicie na miejscu, bo pod dowodctwem bowiego zostal stworzony kolejny album bedacy ikona rokowosci, w tym wypadku jest to dosc glamowe brzmienie, mocno nawiazujace do stylu boweigo, a czas nagraniowy pokryl sie z ziggowa faza, wiec jak dla mnie zloty okres jego tworczosci, slychac to nie tylko na produkcji i typowych zabiegach, jak zabawy tonami, uciekajacy przy napychjacymi na twarz dzwiekami, ale nawet w samych instrumentalach, czy wokalach, bo samego boweigo mozna uslyszec na niejednym chorku jak na Im so free, ale pajaki z ksiezyca rowniez sie tu pojawiaja, a nawet sam ronson uzyczyl gitarki i skilsow pianinowych, tak bardzo spiderowych, kontent liryczny mozna interpretowac jako punkt zwrotny w karierze i ucieczke przed velvetowym famem czy niefamem, o wiele mniej perwersyjne i kontrowersyjne tektsty, kilka bezposrednich aluzji do warhola i jego wplywu na wczesniejsza tworczosc, dodatkowo wspolnym mianownikiem bedzie kobieta, bo jakas zawsze sie pojawia posrednio lub bezposrednio jako adresat liryki badz glowna postac balladowania, jak na traku walk on the wild side, gdzie przejawia sie kilka portretow roznych ludzi w roznych sytuacjach, dziwnym uczuciem jest to ze ta produkcja bowiego o wiele lepiej sie zestarzala, niz niektorego jego wlasne albumy, mniej skomplikowane aranzacje, nieraz na dwa instrumenty i spokojny baryton Reeda z instynktem studyjnym boweigo stworzylo cos unikalnego jak na album lat 70, polowe albumu juz mam na plejce, wiec dodam tylko Im so free, cala plyta ma tylko 36 minut, wiec i tak po pierwszym traku ciezko wylaczyc przed koncem

Thought this was really good. I will listen to more of this chap.

good vibes nice voice

Track 1: Vicious (7/10) Great album opener with a very proto-punk style riff. Not sure how I feel about his vocals yet, it's almost like spoken poetry. Track 2: Andy's Chest (8/10) Loved the guitar in the intro, but the drums and backing vocals kicked it up a notch! Loving these lyrics, very creative and fun. Track 3: Perfect Day (5/10) I've heard this song with better vocals before. The strings are nice, though. Track 4: Hangin' Round (6/10) Pretty good rock track. Feels like it came out of the mid-60s. Track 5: Walk on the Wild Side (10/10) That opening bass slide is so iconic. Lou's lyrics and vocal delivery make this song, it's the first one where I think his voice matches the song perfectly. Absolute classic in my books. Track 6: Make Up (6/10) The tuba is kind of hilarious but adds a lot to the song, I feel like there wouldn't be much here without it. Track 7: Satellite of Love (4/10) Not for me. Sounds like the worst kind of song Paul McCartney would write with terrible vocals. Sorry y'all. Track 8: Wagon Wheel (7/10) Another punky song. I enjoy how upbeat this one is and the drums are on point. Track 9: New York Telephone Conversation (7/10) This is a fun little track that tells a funny story. I feel like Lou thrived writing these type of nonsense songs. Track 10: I'm So Free (7/10) A nice rock song about feeling great! Had my head bobbing along the whole time, really fun! Track 11: Goodnight Ladies (7/10) Imagine this song sung by Frank Sinatra. I like the jazzy feel of this track, one of the better ones on the album. Overall: 7/10 I was hoping to love this due to it's reputation but I'm not a big fan of Lou's vocals for the most part, which brings it down a point. It may grow on me, but for now it's an enjoyable album with some glaring flaws in the middle.

The nose line on Andy's Chest is generational.

Distinct style, with Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side being the standout songs.

Having never listened to "Transformer" before, this was a peculiar one for me as I'd heard most of the songs either in their earlier VU forms, or as the playlist-beloved bangers Vicious, Perfect Day, and Walk on the Wild Side. Taking those for granted left me with the rest: overall, solid, only New York Telephone Conversation and Goodnight Ladies failing for me. Hearing this in the context of the list, Perfect Day now sounds to me like Reed's go at a Brel song, a creditable one. Haven't decided whether Make Up is lovely or annoying - it has more than a brush of a show tunes side to Reed that rivals Macca's music hall tendencies, which I find mostly horrible. I had a double-take when I recognised Bowie's backing vocals. How many records can boast that? This is a great album and a flawed one.

This record is cool as sh!t! Only 2nd listen I believe but forgot how bad ass!

Lou Reed is proof that you don't need a great voice or a heap of talent to make it. You just need to be one of the first on the bandwagon so everyone thinks that you're a visionary. Luckily Bowie's touch on this record elevates it up from complete garbage.

I know Lou Reed from Velvet Underground. His influence on music cannot be denied—his music is a precursor to punk and his lyricism pushed boundaries for all genres. Nevertheless, his music is not my taste. It is an example of knowing something is important without myself being drawn to it. This was my first time listening to Transformer, and I have to say, it is my favorite of his with a few songs that clicked with me especially Perfect Day. I am glad to have heard this album, though I wouldn’t revisit it often.

It’s alright. A couple of classics and a few dogs pencil it out as average. Considered unhip to not worship him. I can live with that.

I love the positive trans messages (how I’m reading the lyrics) in songs like Walk On the Wild Side especially considering that this album is from 1972. Overall it’s a solid album although some of the songs are a little more melancholy than I usually gravitate towards.

No. 180/1001 Vicious 3/5 Andy's Chest 3/5 Perfect Day 4/5 Hangin' Round 3/5 Walk On the Wild Side 5/5 Make Up 3/5 Sattelite of Love 3/5 Wagon Wheel 3/5 New York Telephone Conversation 3/5 I'm So Free 3/5 Goodnight Ladies 2/5 Average: 3,18 Reed is a way better songwriter than he is a vocalist. Still I enjoyed this album.

Honestly "Perfect Day" brings this rating up by a full star all by itself.

The production sounded interesting, the songs themselves were less so. I think overall it just about gets a 3.

Great songs horrible voice. Perfect Day is by far the highlight.

I guess he was decades ahead of his time. If he came along today people would probably be “Ho hum”, and maybe even notice he can barely sing a note. I mean, seriously if you remove the sound tracks from his recordings you’d realize he’s not singing just talking through the songs. Personally I’m not sure he ever becomes what he did without Bowie’s patronage, and even then only because of his relative shock value for the times.

This was fine. I liked the production and the extra instrumentation, and I like Reed's voice, but the song writing didn't really grab me.

I was only vaguely familiar with Lou Reed beforehand. Looked him up and Wikipedia said he was known for his experimental guitar playing and poetic lyrics. I waited 36 minutes for either of those to appear on this album and finished it disappointed that I had heard neither.

This is just not good. I do not understand all the 5 star reviews. If Wild Side wasn't on this album it would be a 1 star album. The whole thing sounded low effort. Lou Reed's singing is awful. He really just sounds like he's talking through it.

Rather boring and not particularily good

Uninteresting

Pretty good. Have heard some of these tracks before, and I know the name Lou Reed, but I wouldn't have been able to put them together before.

Honestly I’m not a fan of this. While I don’t think it’s unlistenable or one of the worst things I’ve ever heard, it’s still sounds dry to me. Nothing really stuck out all that much.

Not a big Lou Reed fan. Don't like his talking style of singing

I've never liked Lou Reed. I don't like this early 70s glam rock stuff in general. This album is no exception to either of those things. 2/5.

Couple of good tunes but the pseudo poetry and nonsensical lyrics on the other tracks detracted from the overall album.

Frank Black may like Lou Reed, but I don’t. Even the “hit” singles didn’t really grab me. I don’t love Lou’s voice or delivery. I’ve tried over the years with the velvets and Lou solo but it just never clicks. At least A Tribe Called Quest got a great sample out of it (Mr Dinkins will you please be my mayor?).

uhhhhh. ew. gross. literally the first song made me want to rip my ears out. then i heard the rest of the album and wanted to pull a van gogh. literally i hate this so much. the only somewhat redeeming thing was the music SOME times.

"Walk On The Wild Side" is one of the best gay anthems of all time. And "Perfect Day" is one of the best songs of all time. 5/5

Great tracks, great stories, great music.

Amazing album - I’ve listened to this a million times, and never get tired of it

Great album. The Reed, Bowie, Ronson collab makes the production, engineering, mixing top-notch. Lou Reed’s best solo album by quite a bit. Love this record.

great tunes from the Great Tunesmith of countercultural weirdos. the vague skeleton of 50s rock and pop that pop up in songs on VU&N like im waiting for my man rly feels like it comes back in technicolor for the full bowie/ronson production. aside from the catchiness, lou can also be disarmingly emotionally readable when he wants to...he seems like such an obvious pop master (albeit left of the dial) on this record that it makes me wonder if i actually even have a grasp on his avant garde instincts...ig id need to hear more of his solo stuff, see if i can trace any of the most out-there velvets moments to someone other than the obvious john cale? unless he just decided to make lulu out of nowhere in a few decades. anyway, front to back great songs, only a relative lack of my ability to conceptualize the record beyond the coherent sound of its production sessions holds it back if at all

Amazing album, doesn't unnecessarily prolong it's stay, it just arrives and goes "here's my music" and flies off justbas quick. Love his lyrical style and love the overall Bowie production

One of the greatest, I really enjoy it every time

Fantastic

I'm a sucker for Lou Reed. His time with the Velvet Underground was groundbreaking and mind-expanding for everyone who heard the music. For this album, Perfect Day is one of my favourite songs of all time. It stops me in my tracks no matter where I am when I hear it. Of course, Walk on the Wild Side is a monumental work of art. So simple with its bass line and brushed snare and the fact that a song about a transvestite prostitute giving head can be played on the radio just blows my mind. Satellite of Love is also a beautiful song that I could listen to over and over again.