Feb 05 2021
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5
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
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Nov 01 2021
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5
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.
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Jan 13 2021
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5
Such a wonderful, cozy album. Makes me want to stay inside with friends and kiss a boy and dance around.
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Dec 11 2021
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2
I'm guessing it's considered a great because of the lyrics and the people involved, but purely musically, it's an absolute borefest.
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Feb 05 2021
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4
Cool glam rock album. I liked it when he rhymed 'nose' with 'toes'. 7/10
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Sep 22 2021
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5
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.
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Aug 16 2021
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5
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
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Mar 04 2021
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4
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.
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Oct 29 2021
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4
TransFOURmer
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Jun 30 2021
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2
I'd say this is actually a bad album. It's quite arch, and a lot of the songs are stupid. Two bangers though.
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Jan 21 2021
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1
I dislike him so so much I have no idea why
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Sep 23 2020
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5
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.
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Dec 13 2021
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2
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.
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Feb 17 2022
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5
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.
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Dec 06 2021
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5
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.
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Jul 07 2021
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5
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
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Jun 17 2023
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4
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.
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May 27 2023
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4
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.
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Dec 13 2021
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5
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!
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Jun 24 2024
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5
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
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Jan 18 2024
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5
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
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Jul 18 2023
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5
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.
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May 26 2023
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5
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.
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Mar 31 2023
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5
Great snarky lyrics. Groovy.
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Mar 22 2023
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5
always appreciate lou reed's work. it's really hard to sound as ahead of your time as velvet/lou's solo career.
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Mar 18 2023
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5
Not enough time to write much. I love this album. :(
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Feb 18 2023
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5
Ooh come on. Surely everyone's got this one. Complete classic, absolutely 5 stars.
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Feb 14 2023
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5
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?
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Feb 02 2023
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5
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.
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Jan 19 2023
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5
What's this, are you allowed to include Greatest Hits albums?
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Dec 14 2022
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5
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.
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Dec 14 2022
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5
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.
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Dec 11 2022
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5
Classic Lou Reed. Quirky, odd, melodic, silly, brilliant
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Sep 13 2022
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5
I thought I wasn't cool enough to like Lou Reed. I was wrong.
This album is fantastic.
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Aug 30 2022
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5
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).
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Aug 02 2022
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5
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.
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Jul 30 2022
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5
Louche and prissy, it's still great.
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Jul 19 2022
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5
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
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Jul 11 2022
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5
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.
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Jun 19 2022
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5
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.
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Jun 11 2022
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5
Biased cos own it
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May 26 2022
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5
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.
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May 09 2022
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5
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.
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Apr 14 2022
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5
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.
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Apr 06 2022
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5
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.
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Feb 27 2022
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5
Yep, good one
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Feb 10 2022
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5
Wow just wow!!!!
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Jan 12 2022
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5
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.
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Jan 03 2022
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5
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".
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Nov 10 2021
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5
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.
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Nov 03 2021
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5
One of the best rock albums of all time. End of.
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Sep 12 2021
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5
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.
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Jul 15 2021
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5
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.
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Jun 25 2021
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5
Outstanding, still sounds as cool as you can imagine it did in 1972. Proper forward thinking lyrically as well.
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May 19 2021
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5
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
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Jan 15 2021
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5
Thought this was really good. I will listen to more of this chap.
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Feb 05 2021
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5
good vibes nice voice
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Sep 29 2024
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4
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.
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Sep 24 2024
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4
The nose line on Andy's Chest is generational.
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Sep 23 2024
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4
Distinct style, with Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side being the standout songs.
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Jun 24 2024
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4
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.
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Apr 04 2021
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4
This record is cool as sh!t! Only 2nd listen I believe but forgot how bad ass!
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Jun 18 2024
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3
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.
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Jun 17 2024
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3
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.
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May 21 2024
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3
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.
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May 17 2024
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3
Honestly "Perfect Day" brings this rating up by a full star all by itself.
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May 16 2024
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3
The production sounded interesting, the songs themselves were less so. I think overall it just about gets a 3.
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Apr 14 2024
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3
Great songs horrible voice. Perfect Day is by far the highlight.
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Mar 07 2024
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3
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.
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Jan 11 2024
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3
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.
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Jun 10 2024
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2
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.
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Apr 11 2024
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2
Rather boring and not particularily good
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Mar 29 2024
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2
Uninteresting
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Mar 27 2024
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2
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.
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Feb 04 2024
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2
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.
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Jan 07 2022
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2
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.
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May 12 2021
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2
Couple of good tunes but the pseudo poetry and nonsensical lyrics on the other tracks detracted from the overall album.
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Jun 17 2024
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1
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?).
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Dec 17 2024
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5
Great album. Lou Reed was better after the velvet underground.
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Dec 16 2024
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5
No need to listen to this as a well ploughed furrow
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Dec 16 2024
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5
Wow, yesterday velvet underground and today Lou reed. Nice combination! Besides this the album is awesome! Vicious, perfect day, walk on the wild side… just hits!
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Dec 14 2024
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5
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.
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Dec 13 2024
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5
Ein großartiges Album aus der Geschichte der Rockmusik!
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Dec 11 2024
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5
Transformer is zo'n plaat waar veel samen komt. Enerzijds weet je dat uit de verhalen, wikipedia en ongevraagde collega's van muziekvrienden. Anderszijds hoor je dat ook gewoon aan de muziek.
Want als je licht aangeschoten vader van 66 bekend dat hij Walk on the Wild Side van Lou Reed het beste nummer ook vind...
...een nummer over genderidentiteit en prostitutie in de jaren...
...dan moet er toch wel iets bijzonders gebeuren.
En dat vind ik ook zeker. Je hoort the VU, the roots van Lee. Je hoort de glam-invloed van Bowie (geïnspireerd door VU). Je hoort Lou zelfs, als uniek zanger/artiest. En je hoort de jaren 70. Ik voel zelf altijd een verbondenheid met Closing Time van TW. En Goodnight Ladies is toch zo een Waits song?
Anyway. Op Transformer gebeurd veel. En ook de kleinere tussenliedjes zijn mooi en lijm voor de hoogtepunten op de plaat. Transformer kan altijd aan en is al jarenlang tof.
8,5/10
Highlights
Andy's Chest
Perfect Day
Walk on the Wild Side
Goodnight Ladies
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Dec 10 2024
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5
An iconic rock album, with songs that have influenced all sorts of genres, is in the following ears. I can hear the production by David Bowie. Fantastic lyrics, and simple but effective instrumentation.
Favourite songs: Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel, Andy's Chest
Least favourites: New York Telephone Conversation
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Dec 08 2024
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5
Having not been around then, I can’t fully grasp all of the context that would lead to people calling Lou Reed a sellout for this album. History has been kinder and I think this album is just excellent, intelligent pop. Perfect Day and Satellite of Love are as good as it gets. I’ve loved this album from the first time I heard it.
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Dec 07 2024
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5
this album is a firm 4.5 for me, but i’m rounding up to a 5 because a 4 just feels wrong
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Dec 07 2024
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5
I turn 44 next week and Wild Side still creeps me out. This is not my favorite record but is a certified banger for sure. The stand out tracks stand out so much that people know them without knowing who write them or what album they are from.
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Dec 07 2024
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5
I really like it alot
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Dec 04 2024
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5
I liked this album a bit when I got it as a kid, I now think it is a great album. Maybe not perfect but up there as something that sounds great even now.
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Dec 03 2024
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5
Known widely as a glam-rock and protopunk masterpiece, I love this album, but I recognize that many who are hearing it now for the first time may not love it as much. On the strength of "Walk On The Wild Side" and its doubled bass lines alone, this is a worthwhile listen, but you get the pop hooks of "Vicious" and surrealism of "Andy's Chest" (Andy being Andy Warhol). Throw in a little cabaret with the line, "Yeah, we're coming out, out of our closets"--for 1972, this is about as "gay anthem" as you can ever hope to find--even the title give a nod to the trans community. Subversive and catchy and varied and still short enough not to lose the plot.
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Dec 02 2024
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5
Hey this was a weird album full of corny love songs and songs about presumably being off drugs. This was not what I was expecting but I actually kind of loved it!
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Dec 02 2024
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5
This is awesome and weird and not at all what I expected (in a good way). This is the exact kind of music that keeps me going. It’s not just “another 70s rock album.”
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Nov 30 2024
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5
AHHHHHHHHH MY BABY MY BABY TELL MY BABY THAT YOURE MY BABY
vicious- 8
andy's chest- i think its kinda sweet. his friend got shot and he wanted to cheer him up. 8
perfect day- 1,000,000,000.
hangin round- 8
walk on the wild side- a tad overplayed. 8
make up- 7 or 8
satellite of love- 8 or 9
wagon wheel- 7
new york telephone conversation- 10
goodnight ladies- 10 <3
<3<3<3 id be dead without this album
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Nov 16 2024
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5
Just brilliant
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Nov 16 2024
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5
I didn't know how to handle this album when I first heard it.
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Nov 15 2024
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5
Loved it.
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Nov 12 2024
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5
This is #day95 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and what a great way to kick off the week! I’ve known Lou Reed’s work both solo and with The Velvet Underground, but I’d never listened to this album in full until now. And wow—what an album! It’s packed with immediate classics like “Vicious”, “Perfect Day”, “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Satellite of Love“, and “I’m So Free”. Knowing it was partly produced by David Bowie, “Transformer“ feels like a precursor to Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane“ in many ways, especially with its glam rock influence and string/piano/jazz arrangements. Lou’s vocals are comforting yet sharp, and the entire album sounds as beautiful as it can. I’m giving it a 5 out of 5. I’m also excited to explore more of Reed’s solo work and VU’s catalog. So, random generator, bring it on! Looking forward to #day96.
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Nov 12 2024
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5
Great
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Nov 12 2024
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5
Lou Reed is a genius.
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