Transformer

I knew a couple songs off of this album, but it was great to listen to the whole thing. Just great and interesting tunes and musicality from beginning to end.

I thought I was someone else: someone good. This line wrecked me when I first heard it. It still does.

I love this album. This is the precursor of everything from Bowie's more minimalist post-Ziggy Stardust work to Patti Smith to Pavement.

Well played list. You’ve won me round on (non-Nico) Velvet Underground and now it seems a Lou Reed album. I always thought he was supposed to be a miserable bastard, but I found this quite light, happy and an interesting listen. Defo will listen again….

Didn’t really rate it, slow, uninspired. Old people like walk on the wild side

It's just totally fine. Didn't hate anything here, but didn't enjoy it either

Lou Reed is the shit! His ultra-cool, slick, streetwise, "I-could-give-a-fuck" detachment totally makes this album. Walk on the Wild Side, with that sublime, iconic bassline, is arguably the coolest track ever recorded. But every other song is a keeper, too....no skip tracks. Vicious is a great opener. Perfect Day's lyrics say it's a love song...but that foreboding sound says otherwise. You decide. Either way, you have to listen. Other faves are: Hangin' Round, Make Up, and Satellite of Love. All have a strong Bowie feel. And the caberet lounge tones of New York Telephone and, especially, Goodnight Ladies work well here and are the perfect way to close this masterpiece. I can't believe I'd never heard this album before...it has instantly become one of my all-time favorites.

Fucking amazing

One amazing song on an otherwise boring album

2/5 - again, I get why, but I do t like it

Começa extremamente bem com músicas excelentes, entre as quais, estão os maiores hits de Lou Reed - Vicious; Perfect Day; Walk on the Wild Side etc. Infelizmente, acho que o charme das primeiras músicas não se sustenta da mesma forma na segunda metade do álbum. As músicas não ficam ruins, mas definitivamente as primeiras são muito mais características e memoráveis. Resumindo: Os pontos altos do álbum são altíssimos, enquanto os baixos são, no pior dos cenários, medianos, ou seja, olhando para o conjunto, um álbum bem positivo, criativo e definitivamente influente.

Classic album that I have never listened too before in its entirety. Has a very good tracks vicious, perfect day, satellite of love but also has some mediocre ones for example make up and wagon wheel. Overall though enjoyed it.

5 stars for perfect day alone

This album calmed my infant right down and for that alone, 4/5 stars. Actually a nice album to listen to. Definitely putting this in my replay list

Highlights: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Make Up, Satellite of Love. In a nutshell: transformative. The singles are excellent. The rest of the album is a mixed bag. A little panto (New York Telephone Conversation), honky tonk piano forward (Hangin’ ‘Round) subtle sarcasm. Perfect Day is iconic. Makeup is an underrated ode to gender confidence and pride. A little front loaded. Still a good album. Overall: 7/10

several solid songs

Lyrically hilarious and weird at times. Like the sound and vibe overall. Was kinda on the cusp of a two but the back half of the album pushed it up for me. Also always cool to recognize a sample from older music.

Gretchen, stop trying to make Lou Reed/The velvet underground happen. It’s not gonna happen.

I generally thought the songwriting was good, the talk-singing just takes away from it so much though. We’ve had so many great songwriters on the list that seem to artificially limit themselves based on execution.

Ultimately it was an enjoyable album except for the talk-singing. A couple solid songs in Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day, but not much else stood out. I don’t know that I’d come back to it except for those two songs. Better than a good bit of what we’ve heard, so I’ll go with a three.

I've known this cover art for a long time, because "Walk on the Wild Side" is on my 'Parents Radio' playlist. This is the first time I've listened to the whole album though. I love it! Every song has me invested in the lyrics even with the talk singing style. The lyrics feel very progressive. Even the colored girls line seems to fit in appropriately rather than coming off as racist terminology. The album is short, catchy, deep, and meaningful. I was expecting a one hit wonder song, but was surprised with a really great album.

It was a nice chill listen, definitely recognized some of the tracks. Would I purposefully listen again? Out of all the music in the world? No. 3. LOL

The sound of NYC

Really enjoyed listening to this - better than I remembered it.

Still perks my interest

Walk on the Wild Side is such a great song, but incredibly (embarrassingly) dated. The rest of the album was forgettable.

Think this is one of the first albums I fell in love with

Transformer is Lou Reed's second solo album, and contains his biggest hit song, "Walk on the Wild Side." That track is transcendent, establishing Reed's career and driving the success of this album. This collection of songs shows the range of styles that he combined: he's a modern version of a jazz crooner, with band using elements from psychedelic music to make glam rock. Reed's lyrics tell stories of drug use and non-traditional sexuality, adding to the mystic around "Wild Side" and this album. While Reed never matched the success of the song and the album later in his career, Transformer is regarded as one of the most important, influential albums in popular music.

Pleasantly surprised

When I seen Lou Reed come up had very low expectations. Was pleasantly surprised. Quite modern sounding album.

I actively hated the lyrics of every song on this album. I wouldn't mind listening to instrumental versions, though.

i like lou, and sometimes i don't

Talking to music is NOT singing. Guitar playing requires talent but let someone else do vocals!

Sad trombone.

While I certainly know Walk On the Wild Side, I had never heard any of these songs before. While I totally appreciate his artistry, Lou Reed is just not my jam. I also have to acknowledge how absolutely ahead of his time Reed was when singing about transgender issues and homosexuality in 1972. Bowie and his lead guitarists being the producers makes a lot of sense for the music scene at the time.

This was a fun listen! Great voice and such unique, yet acceptable lyrics!

It's amazing.

Lou Reed is a pioneer. I always felt he has a spoken word punk style. II think he is special, like in a special category that lies outside mainstream but is of critical importance to the entire music world. Artists who are hard to put in a box because they make their own. Many musicans over many years have broken molds and designed theiir own boxes, but few can claim their place at their own table right up next to the bigwigs. The only way to understand this review is to listen to this album. Then it will come clear that where else is he supposed to fit in?

this was an awesome album, I really enjoyed it!

Classic

first listen oh, Bowie's on this?

no this is really fun and good

Pretty fun album!

Interesting

The glam-rock style of this album makes it one of Lou Reed's most accessible. "Vicious," "Andy's Chest" and "Satellite of Love" all have a glam-rock-era Bowie flair to them (which makes sense because Bowie plays on the album and produced it -- I actually forgot about that until I heard his backup vocals!). I always liked "Satellite of Love" but the one I woke up singing this morning was "Hangin' 'Round." Of course the classic song here is "Walk on the Wild Side." There's no song quite like it. The production shines a spotlight on the bass line, complementing it with some gentle snare brushes. I'm just noticing now that there's some acoustic guitar strumming even lower in the mix than the drums! I think I've always felt the effect of those guitars without really paying attention to them. The song is paced beautifully, with the backup vocals fading in after Lou Reed introduces the "doo-doo-doo's" and the strings following shortly after that. And of course, the saxophone solo that comes in right at the end like a cherry on top. It creates a sweet, nostalgic tone, framing a picture of trans sex workers on the streets of New York City in a way I'm not sure anyone else has. Lou Reed is nonjudgmental about these women's lives. In fact, he's sentimental about it. "Make Up" is another song about gender queerness, taking the perspective of a man watching their lover get up in the morning and transform into a woman with make up and gowns. He seems to be charmed by the process and the song captures a flirtatious energy. The other song that stands out is "Perfect Day." The production, like "Walk on the Wild Side," puts the bass up front with some gentle piano alongside Lou Reed's vocals. Then, when the chorus kicks in, there's a wall of strings, the piano gets louder and Lou Reed's vocals jump up in the mix so much they sound blown out. A melancholy air hangs over the song like a cloud and makes you wonder, was this really such a perfect day? Maybe he's looking back on a perfect day with a conflicted feeling, like he wishes he could escape the present and go back to that perfect day? This time around, this line stood out to me: "Just a perfect day, you made me forget myself / I thought I was someone else, someone good." I know that feeling of having a dark feeling -- like guilt or anxiety -- momentarily recede when I'm suddenly caught up in the moment having fun with someone. But those feelings have a way of creeping back in like that ominous last line: "You're going to reap just what you sow." This is a complex and fascinating song. Excellent album. It's not one I turn to very often but it's got too many great songs to not award classic status. 4.5 pushing a 5.

I've never listened much to Lou Reed but giving this a good listen has got my ears perked up. I like these songs, I like this sound. I don't know what's stopped me in my tracks before; I think it may have been a blend of his vocal tone and performance that often teeters on apathetic and a little too flat. "Walk On the Wild Side" is the big track on this one for good reason. It's so effortlessly cool and immensely memorable. The arrangement might be my personal favorite element- I love the sliding and gliding standup bass and repetitive guitar that stays the course on top of everything. If it had one more song that was as great as that one, I think this would be a nice 4 for me. As it is now, there's a lot of good moments and ideas on it but a lot of the songs unfortunately sound pretty dated to me. There's a few rocking parts and fun ideas and concepts, like "New York Telephone Conversation", but I kind of feel like it will be a skip the next time I put this record on. Cool album cover. Ahead of its time.

a bit depressing for me

Decepticon.

a walk on the surprisingly mild side

I'm ashamed to say I only really know Lou Reed from Lulu, which means I only ever heard people speaking in a derogatory way about him. Incredible album, will definitely be listening to more.

When I started listening I thought this was going to be a mediocre album... But I was pleasantly surprised! I really really really enjoyed it! Favourite tracks: Perfect day Walk on the wild side New York Telephone Conversation I'm so free Goodnight Ladies

Not great. I was not a fan of his voice. A few recognisable songs but overall did not enjoy

Great album with some legendary songs overall. Some songs leave a little to be desired particularly vocally but some of these are very essential so still gets a very respectable rating.

The 3 big songs on here are fucking great and perfect, known that for years. The rest of the album never did much for me but on this listen it’s grown on me a bit! Fucked with vicious, I’m so free, and hangin round. Rest of it sounded better than I remembered for the most part too.

So many great songs on this album, produced by Bowie, a glam-rock classic

Early rock!

Seems strange to give an album with two such hugely popular classics only 3 stars, but that's where we are

Couple I recognised, didn't need a whole album

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.

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

walk on ...

This is ohhkaay, nice intro to the personality and sound of a rough poet, my favorite work of his is LULU. NO LIE. I'll give this 3 stars for his golden voice

This was surprisingly interesting. I found myself vibing with it all the way through, it just grew on me track after track.

Viele bekannte alte Songs Schön zu hören aber wirkt doch etwas angestaubt

Solid

good

OHHH WALK ON THE WILD SIDE IS SAMPLED BY A TRIBE CALLED QUEST still don't like it

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.

Enjoyable and a few bangers

Some classics on this album. Perfect day is perfection!

meh

Day163 - don’t do drugs kids but if you do, try and be as cool as lou reed

Absolute classic

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.

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?).

Beyond Perfect Day, Wildside, and Good Night Ladies a very forgettable album for me but those songs are good...

It took a minute, but I realized Transformer tickes all the right boxes for me. Representing several things I find appealing with the art-rock and singer-songwriter elements and then coated with a good dose of Glam Rock. The latter genre I'm growing an appreciation for. I really enjoy how this album is not afraid to double down on the odd and still maintains it's strong pop sensibilities.

Enjoyed the album

Muito bom! Deu pra ver claras inspirações de músicas que eu gosto em cima desse artista. Progressão de notas, tonalidade vocal, ou simplesmente ritmo. Fácil de entender porque alguém se inspiraria nele também.

Great album with iconic tracks!

Fantastic album, not listened to it in a long time so good to revisit it

I actually really enjoyed this album. His story telling in his songs is awesome. Highlights include: Vicious, Perfect Day, Good Night Ladies, Satellite of Love

man idk like idk man it was good but also why is he singing like that

Nice album, pretty obvious David Bowie was involved in this :)

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.

Good album

Lou Reed exudes cool and this album shows it. He almost sounds bored of his own music, but not in a bad way. I had no idea Bowie was involved with this, but as I was listening, his influence comes in clear.

Boring, tedious, kinda creepy too. Mercifully short. I feel like most of the New York scene was just a big old circle jerk back then. Velvet Underground might have started something big but this isn't exactly my favorite evolution of it.

i literally hate his style of talking singing

Some good

So many of these songs I could not decide if I did or did not like. One I definitely loved was Perfect Day. I somehow escaped ever hearing the entirety of Walk on the Wild Side until now (only bits and pieces) and went down an entire wiki walk afterwards. Overall, I think the vocal delivery and strange jangly feel of production really works on some songs and doesn’t on others. Some definite keepers here, but not an album I’d listen to start to finish going forward.

Definitely deserves the mantle of a classic album. A few fillers, but some of Reed's greatest songs like Perfect Day, Satellite of Love and Walk on the wild side. 4/5

One of my favorites. Melodic, catchy, punkish/glammy/alternative in its lyrical content. Well produced (thanks, Bowie). All around great album.

A great album. I really enjoyed listening to it in its entirety and not just the best-known "Walk on the Wild Side". Apart from that, I'm not that familiar with Lou Reed. I'll do something about that. 5/5

Perfect Day.

the album was actually produced by david bowie, who was a big fan of the velvet underground and produced Lou's 2nd solo album - Perfect Day & Walk on the Wild Side are 2 of Lou's biggest solo songs. the glam rock influences of the album are contrasted with his matter of fact coolness and laid back delivery of vocals.

Such an amazing album. Over 50 years since it's release some of the concepts on here are still ground breaking. Even now the idea of singing along to an anthem to burn out, transvestites and the find art of fellatio would send segments of "society" into a tither.

this album is decent but its not three stars

i liked a couple songs, tempted to find a few more in his discog

Pretty good, full of bops.

Not terribly interested in the first couple of tracks, but the album grew on me as it continued. Haven't listened to much Velvet Underground so I'm sure with time I'll be better able to place my thoughts on this as a piece in relation to the band. Standing alone though it was enjoyable, I think the deadpan vocal delivery can be a bit much for an entire album, but he mixed up the rest of the instrumentation as the album progressed that it kept me engaged.

Awesome and chill. 4.5

the most interesting thing about this album was ATCQ sampling walk on the wild side and i think that says enough

A good album, I liked Walk On The Wild Side and Perfect Day.

✅ could see this growing on me a lil, a more grown up Lou Reed than Velvet Underground and Nico, without Cale to push him into weird shit and with Bowie around to push him towards pop.

It’s giving willy wonka and the chocolate factory but make it drug addicts teehee 🏭

The vocals throughout… ugh. Only on some emotional songs - Perfect Day; Walk on the Wildside - do they sound anything substantially more than amateurish and awkward; otherwisw they just sound perfunctory. And then from just glancing at the lyrics the writing is hardly a strength. Some fun instrumentation throughout, and outside of the two aforementioned songs Satellite of Love is pretty good, and Vicious grew on me a bit (even though it is exemplary of my issues with his vocals), but otherwise this isn’t quite it. (Though New York Telephone Conversation is some childish and stupid fun.)

Pretty sure I have heard this album before, just recently. Lou Reed is a legendary artist. This style of music not really my style. Everyone loves on the wild side.

Hell yeah what an album.

Now if Bowie sounded like this, maybe I’d actually like him. An extremely New York City record, and that makes me really like it. Definitely has a few kitschy low points, but while they’re not the songs I’d listen to on their own, I’m more than fine with them in the context of a full listen. Especially when the highlights are so high. Even at its worst, I still enjoy it a lot, in its queerness, in its eccentricities, in its alternative spirit.

Really enjoyed this whole album!

I like it, but I can't tell if this album is really cool, or incredibly boring. I think it's his voice.

a little too boring at times but he manages some really good stuff in here

Its such a Perfect Day !!!!!!

Some good some, couple of absolute classics, you can really hear Bowies influence in the production. I struggled with his voice over the course of the full album though.

Good music, can listen to it no problem and even a couple hooks, but overall it does not grab me.

Sounds a lot like the Ziggy Stardust album, Hangin' Around reminds me a lot of Sufragette City. Sounds great, really strange in parts but with very special moments too. Walk in the wild side is probably the album's best song, no shock it's as huge as it is. Definitely one of the best songs of all time. And Satellite of Love is a personal favourite. :) Solid 4!

love lou’s voice. reading about bowie’s involvement in this record explains so much. this is a weird album shifting between excellent and weird-bad. you’re a what little what now??

Ohhh ittsss such a perfect day

i do not like it :/

Very solid album

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.

never listened to this album before. only his more known songs. loved it.

Really interesting album. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Hits, gems and a full musical spectrum. 4.5

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this album but I loved it! Some classics and the others were easy to listen to. Recommended!

Absolutely one of my favorite albums of all time.

"Walk on the Wild Side," "Andy's Chest," and "Perfect Day" are excellent songs. Not a great vocalist, but Loud Reed is a great songwriter.

Lou will always be one of the most important people in rock music for what he did with the Velvets, but also he had some fantastic solo stuff too. This is one of them, some stone cold classics singles on here, whole album flows by in no time with just great songwriting throughout. Man was a legend.

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.

I haven’t spent much time listening to Lou Reed in the past, but enjoyed this one on the first listen. Almost feels like beat poetry put to music at times, which sounds terrible but it works with Reed’s voice and lyrics (Reed’s storytelling is excellent) and the spare production. The album sounds like it could’ve been produced by Rick Rubin in a different generation. I feel like an easy marker lately but a 3.8 for me.

4.3 Album sounds great, bass playing stood out as a highlight. We know that walk on the wild side has an iconic bass line but the rest of the album has really interesting lines and sounds awesome in the mix. Mick Ronsons lead guitar is great too. And Reeds lyrics are while we are all here. side note coney island baby is my favorite Lou Reed song, just thought it needed to be said

I've been wanting to listen to this album for quite a while but constantly forgot to do so. Now I have finally listened to it all I can is just wow this is probably one of the best albums I have ever listened to

Sometimes okay, mostly boring and weird.

Mehhhhhhhhh

very good album. Will add it to my collection of essentials

(pt-br) achei gostosinho de ouvir, mas não é algo que tenha vontade de escutar de novo e de novo também.

Stone cold classic for a stone cold dude.

Loved this. I only knew Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side but added 5 more tracks to my 1001 albums faves playlist. I adore Lou Reed’s voice and thought many of the songs were super catchy.

Thought starting out today this would be a solid 5 based on its release right before my senior year of high school and how much we listened to it while playing cards. Lou really wanted to be a Brill Building pop radio songwriter (like Carole King-Gerry Goffin) and some great songs here reflect that. Side 1 is solidly great and includes an achingly lovely song that is in Elizabeth’s top ten of all time, Perfect Day. Also in her top 10, the lead track from The Velvet Underground’s debut album, Sunday Morning. And imagine what it was like to hear Walk on the Wild Side on Top 40 radio several times a day. Side 2 isn’t nearly as good as side 1, save for Satellite of Love, so the drop to a 4. The only other Lou album in the 1,001 is Berlin, my fave of his, a drugged out dirge song cycle that is kinda depressing subject matter-wise, but is all very lovely in its own way.

Loue Reed dejó la Velvet, un grupo de pirados neoyorquinos que estaban en los márgenes del rock ajenos por completo al estrellato (luego fueron una de las bandas más influeyentes de todos los tiempos con esos mismos discos que nadie había comprado). Lo dejó y su último disco con él empezó a tener éxito y reconocimiento (Incluye Sweet Jave y Rock´n Roll entre otras gemas). Publicó este mismo año 72 un álbum de debut algo más normalito y después se tiñó el pelo, se pintó ojos y uñas y empezó su segundo disco cantándole al vicio, por recomendación de Andy Warhol. En los coros (de todo el disco) David Bowie, y a la guitarra nada menos que Mick Ronson. Ambos produjeron esta maravilla, a la par que estaban metidos de lleno en Ziggy Stardust. El disco es excelente de principio a fin, con canciones eternas como Perfect Day, Walk on the wild side o Satellite of love. El resto oscila entre glam rock como Hangin´round, I´m so free y Wagon Wheel y temas más teatrales o cabareteros como Goodnight ladies, Make up o New York telephone conversation. En definitiva un gustazo. Otros discos de 1972 fueron: Debuts de Roxy Music, Paul Simon, Big Star, Neu¡, ¿Fela Kuti? Discos expecionales como los de David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Todd Rundgren - Something/ Anything?, Stevie Wonder – Talking Book y Music of my mind, Elton John-Honky Château, Nick Drake – Pink Moon, Yes – Close to the Edge, Miles Davis – On the Corner, Neil Young – Harvest, The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St, Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly, Raspberries- Fresh, Genesis – Foxtrot, Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview, Deep Purple- Machine Head y Made in Japan, Joni MIttchell- For the roses, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, T Rex- The slider, Kevin Ayers- Whatevershebringswesing, la banda sonora The harder they come... una cosecha excelente en la que Transformer brilla con luz propia.

Ehhh whatever. I liked one song in this album and it wasn't walk on the wild side . otherwise boring. I mean i get it. I guess these albums are iconic style origin artists or something but they're all shit. I would not send most of these into space and I'm kinda offended that they would be chosen on my behalf

Vicious? Maybe, but there's a lot of soft shoeing and camp too. This album didn't make sense to me for many years, but I get it now, and it's excellent.

Great chill album

Didn’t finish but liked what I heard - all I could think of was that one Lana lyric

Top banans

Worth it for 'perfect day' alone, but it's an interesting album from start to finish. Still, not something I'll probably go back to much - musically it's just not hugely interesting to me.

Pretty great overall. Walk on the wild side a notable single. Falls off a bit towards the end.

One of the best glam rock albums ever and one of my favorites of the 70's

great album

Alright album, sounds like 3*. Enjoyed the ride but it came and went. Highlights: walk on the wild side

Sounds like an American Bowie prototype almost. Cool record!

Me

Cute. 4/5

Definitely a lot better than anything Velvet Underground did, wonder why that is?

decent 7 had some rough spots (cough cough MAKE UP cough cough) but solid record nonetheless

Vicious 3.8 Andy's Chest 3.6 Perfect Day 4.2 Hangin' Round 3.8 Walk on the Wild Side 4 Make Up 3.1 Satelite of Love 3.4 Wagon Wheel 3.2 New York Telephone Conversation 3 I'm So Free 3.3 Goodnight Ladies 2.8 Score: 3.472727273

Honestly? Way better than I thought it was going to be. Way better than velvet underground. Must be a sweet spot in drug addiction I guess.

I don't think this album is for me but I can definitely here the Bowie influences and production all over this album. There are a tonne of tracks that sound exactly like Bowie!

I love David Bowie so I loved the production on this album. It is actually quite whimsical I thought. Some songs were meh especially the slower ones but I loved Wagon Wheel, Hangin' Around and New York Phone Conversations. New York Phone Conversations sounds so much like it belongs in a musical.

Enjoyable when in the right mood

Meh

Another one I want to give a 4.5. Not feeling this atm but on I plough

First time listening to the album. I am a fan of Velvet Underground. I have heard some of these songs on various soundtracks but not as intended on album set form. Very much liked it. Favorite Tracks: Satellite of Love, Goodnight Ladies, Wagon Wheel

I've never listened to this album before but had heard 'Perfect Day', 'Walk on the Wild Side' & 'Satellite of Love'. Those 3 are great and by far the standout tracks. Of the others I also liked 'Vicious'. The rest not so much. The music is decent on them but some of the lyrics are really bad. I only tend to pick up on lyrics after quite a few listens but here they do jump out & not in a good way. Overall it's a solid 3 stars.

Great album! I know a lot of these songs already, but have honestly never listened to an entire Lou Reed album. Glad I did, and I will for sure listen to this again as well as seek out more.

Really enjoyed this listen. I listened to it before, but was feeling it a lot this time. Not amazing, but very solid. Could see it creeping up the ratings over time. 3.75/5

An undeniable classic that I mostly vibe with, but could go the rest of my life without hearing “Perfect Day” again. B

new york telephone conversation may just be the worst song i’ve ever heard. decent album. not a huge fan of reed’s flat vocal delivery on some of these tracks. definitely some gems on here tho

pretty much on par with velvet projects

All the songs have a very similar sound. Not super exciting for me.

The lyrics are pretty nonsensical, but not Ina fun or provacative way. Music is good, but not fun enough to spin again. The wild side song is alright, but even that was boring. Just boring.

Three stars

One of the most thoughtful and mysterious albums from the early 70's. Lou Reed planted one of the alt-rock bases with this work. Great production, lovely instrumentation, interesting lyrics. Highly recommended

Decent. Heard of Perfect day and Walk on the wild side which were definitely my favourite and then the rest was pretty easy listening

Slow talking music, but with a bit more melody. Feel like the guy is bored as he's singing. I don't like this very much. 1/2** Lyrics are kinda meaningful or something, but also just idk I don't like them. Favorite song was "satellite of love"

Some good songs, i liked 'Walk on the Wild Side' as reminded me of Tribe Called Quest 'Can I Kick It'

Smooth album. Good music when you just hang around :-)

I've loved this album since my early-mid 20s. Lou Reed smashes it out of the park as a solo artist, with some of the best material to come out of the 1970s, let alone out of Lou Reed. I didn't know until today, though, of David Bowie's involvement. I like him better as a producer than a performer, I think.

Boring album held up by a few legendary tracks. If it was released today, it would be considered loser indie trash; does this make it ahead of its time?

Personligt ikke fan. Sangene ligner hinanden, ikke specielt fede sange, med dårlig instrumentation og kedelige melodier. 5/10

Excellent album! A real snorter full of great tunes!

A perfect cloudy Friday album. Love Lou. Wasn’t familiar with all of this album, though. Some fun deep tracks. Songs added to Spotify: 2

Glam/pop rock. I am kind of at a loss for words for this album. Not because it's so good or so bad, but it's just so different. At least from what I was expecting. A very artsy, poetic album, Lou Reed fills each song with his deadpan delivery. I really thought I would get tired of it but I definitely found the charm in it. I won't pretend to know what each song was about, it was hard to pay attention and the lyrics were sometimes just a little too odd. I found each song to be very catchy, especially choruses. Nothing about the instrumentals really stood out in terms of like, certain instruments being written or performed well. I just overall liked the variety in instruments and song genres. A very artsy album in that way. Love some of the vocal "ba ba bas" and "do do doos" and stuff like that, always a big fan. Overall a very fun oddball of an album with very strong songwriting. Might revisit the whole thing but otherwise only select songs. 4/5

Punk and poetry. Perfect!

Few nice melodies and interesting instrumentation, with a memorable brass section, but the vocal and lyrics make it almost unbearable to listen at times. I'm not a fan of Lou Reed and probably (most likely) I will never be. Very average album.

I dig Lou Reed

This album is amazing! Love the grooves and it’s obvious how much he influenced current artists like Kevin Morby, one of my favorites.

Excellent album and almost anything David Bowie has worked on is great with this not being an exception. Some of Lou Reed's most famous songs are on this album.

Tre ting jeg er spesielt imponert over med dette albumet: 1. Hvordan Lou Reed blander gamle sjangeruttrykk med moderne tekster. 2. I hvilken grad Lou Reed greier å lage melodilinjer som høres tidløse ut, og produsere sanger som de fleste bare kan drømme om. 3. Hvordan Reed fugnerer som bindeleddet mellom tidligere rock og nyere punk. Ikke helt min kopp te, men jeg må ta av meg hatten for nivået på plata.

Cool sound. Great voice and worth another listen.

It makes me want to dance and laugh and cry!!!

It took me most of my life to fully appreciate and get into Lou Reed. Even now, I wouldn't say I am a huge fan of his music. His work is sometimes too aloof for me, which is probably why a lot of people like him so much. "Transformer" not only has two of Reed's biggest hits but it also has "Vicious," "I'm So Free," "Satellite of Love" and "Wagon Wheel" which are some of his best tracks. This is an excellent album to start with in an effort to determine if Reed's version of glam rock is favorable to you and your ears. Excellent album and "Perfect Day" is a perfect song.

All good except for the horn heavy songs.

Yeah, pretty okay. I didn't realize that Can I Kick It sampled Take A Walk On The Wild Side, it's been a while since I heard that song! Otherwise, kind of a talk-singing album backed up by pleasant but simple music.

I like the bass. "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" are the most listened to songs here by far. They're pretty famous - "Perfect day" has even been on Rick and Morty. I like the music. Feels like really good music for what sounds like a pretty small band. He kinda sounds like what I think David Bowie sounds like (but maybe he just sounds like Lou Reed lol). I don't really like that. It's kinda a weird album, all different sorts of songs here. It's fine, don't love it, definitely don't dislike it.

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.

3.5

And another 70s rock album. What the hack! I like the simple positive lines over a more tense, complex instrumental on ‘Perfect Day’. It creates perfect tension and makes me feel like there is a deeper message. Other than that I’m not too big of a fan of this album.

great vicious perfect day hangin' round walk on the wild side make up satellite of love wagon wheel i'm so free goodnight ladies

So glad to be listening to this album. Opening track is good. Andy’s chest is my kind of jam. Perfect day is such a great track. Hanging round is another great track. What a record this is. This album is just great. So glad I finally listened to it.

If not his best solo album, it's certainly his most recognizable. It set the pace for his post-VU trajectory. Sometimes challenging, sometimes breathtaking but always an artist.

Great album - you can hear the Bowie influence on production from the get-go. Reed particularly at this time tells tales not otherwise heard and does so with a frankness that is unique. The mix of musical styles including what feels like Broadway musical on New York Telephone Conversation is neat, although includes a couple of misses. The inconsistency is the only thing that keeps this from a 5 star in my opinion.

Cool!

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

Mad good.

Lou Reed is such a a weird combination of brilliance and mediocrity. Walk on the Wild Side is hilarious and catchy and weirdly poignant, and a lot of the other songwriting is charming. Lou Reed is at times an objectively terrible singer, but there are times when he delivers something great.

Rather boring and not particularily good

lúlli reed, maður þekkir þessi lög

Hmm, not sure what I think of this one. My first notes were “weird, in more of an annoying way than a cool way” and “I can appreciate that this exists, but I don’t really like it.” At the same time, it’s charmingly handmade-feeling. There were moments that reminded me of Bowie, so it made sense when I saw he was involved with the album. I’ll give it a middle rating for now, but I think this is one where my opinion would change with repeated listens.

Andy's Chest is great This a weird album in the way that I don't think I've heard anything like it yet feels so familiar

You had me at Perfect Day. Five stars.

I could easily rate this highly just because of its ‘classic’ status, but I am rating it highly because, aside from its impact and the argument that it did many things ‘first’, it is a fantastic album. It isn’t just heralded ‘classics’ like Perfect Day and Walk On the Wild Side that make this album great, although these may indeed be my two favourites. The majority of the remaining tracks pack almost the same glam rock punch.

Classique, indémodable. Impossible de s'ennuyer à l'écoute de ce pilier du glam rock. Preuve ultime : les années passent et seules les préférences de chansons évoluent au gré du temps (et des humeurs). Transformer ne prend aucune ride, c'est nous qui vieillissons à ses côtés !

Love it! very mellow and not boring and doesnt sound like everything else that was happening in this era and much love to the velvet undergound 3.5-4.0 for me

Lot of the music that I listen to is around this time period but why oh why haven't I given enough recognition to Lou. Well it was about time

One GREAT song. Rest of the album isn’t bad but that one hit outshines them all.

Aware of Lou Reed but never listened to any of his albums until now. This was great

Good shit, Lou Reed.

Fine. Perfect day is nice. I am sure it was revolutionary in its tim.

First one back for a while, actually pretty good. A few bangers I already knew on there, but a swell album all round.

#3 Perfect Day, ein wahnsinns Hit. Filmmusik. #5 genauso.

Two of the album's songs are timeless and appealing.

I feel torn. Some of the tracks were very good, but others seemed out of place. Overall I'd give it a 7.5/10

Important for indie

I always liked "Walk on the Wild Side". Interesting that there's actually a second track on the album, also about crossdressing - Makeup. Pretty good too. The third, of three, top tracks on this album is naturally "Perfect Day" Apart from those tracks, everything else is a little too Avant Garde / over theatrical for me. Nevertheless, those three good tracks catapult it to 4 stars

It might have gotten a higher rating if it weren't as vaguely creepy as it was.

Great stuff with a couple stinkers. 3.36

Walk on the Wild Side is one of my all time favorites and Andy’s Chest is great as well. Overall the album didn’t fully hold my attention, but there are some great songs

Uninteresting

Every odd numbered track is a classic, and every even numbered track is pretty good too. Better than most of the Velvets. An alt-pop classic.

I was a little underwhelmed the first time through. On the second pass, I liked a couple other than Walk on the Wild Side. “I’m so free” and “Perfect day” are solid songs and the one super hit is a classic for sure, but I found most of the rest largely forgettable. Some of the melodies are catchy. The last track is kind of comical. 3/5

Outside of Velvet Underground, I never paid much attention to Lou Reed solo. But this was a very cool listen. Perfect Day and Satellite of Love were nice re-visits and the Bowie/Ronson production is very apparent given some similar sonic styles appearing here just like the Bowie albums themselves during this same time period. An easy 4 for its uniqueness, influence and staying power.

In this era of excess, I can appreciate the restraint of Lou’s records. But for me a little bit goes a long way with him. Some classic songs on this album, and a well placed Lou song in the right movie or something can be great, but I don’t really enjoy 11 tracks straight. At what point does atonal just equate to “not a great singer”?

Interesting that the album was produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson. The talk singing gets old after a while but I enjoyed it. Perfect Day is such a great song and of course Walk on the Wild Side is fun. Lou, I just don’t think we call our backup singers that any more. 😬

Bowie keeps popping up! He produced this album, too! I do like it quite a bit. Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day, and Satellite of Love (my fave) are enough to get this 4 stars from me. But once again I’m gummied-up and don’t have anything insightful to say. 4/5

4+/5

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.

Was it really 1972? Even today songs like „Perfect day“ or Walking on the wild side“ are outstanding!

Classic.

Musically and lyrically interesting… he must have been a hell of a performer, bc he certainly was not hooking people with his voice.

Uncomfortable to listen to

Mostly pretty sweet! I definitely lean more towards the VU sounding tracks over those that are what I'd say are more Bowie sounding. The quirky, awkward, deanpan vocals really do just work well for Lou and makes that album a really interesting listen. 7/10

Rockin, goofy, sublime, catchy, and matter of fact - Lou’s NYC comes out in screaming black and gold. Mick Ronson tears it up all over to top it off.

"Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love" were the tops for me though I liked a bunch of the tracks. Overall I thought it was a pretty fun album

I must be averaging a Velvet Underground, or Velvet Adjacent, album at about 1 in 6. It’s also amazing how many times - when you do a bit of reading up - how often Bowie is in the background. This has both, and it works. Some genuinely great tracks, mixed with some other solid bit and pieces of various genres.

Ok album. Not a big fan of the vocals, but the music wasn't bad. 2.5/5

I like the combo of styles, but his voice could use some work ;)

Perfect Day - это одна из величайших песен в истории музыки. Изначально про героин, в абсолютно нереальном постмодернистском повороте событий ставшая гимном вот этой спокойной жизни и радости мелочам (см. отличный Perfect Days). И, собственно, почему бы и нет? Песня, в которой, на самом деле, можно найти самые разные смыслы, к которой можно относиться по-своему и быть в этом правым. Этот альбом чувствуется как альбом Дэвида Боуи-не-только-продюссера, особенно в суперской Satellite of Love. Не идеальный, но очень хороший альбом. Лучшая песня - Perfect Day.

Everything feels alright when listening to this album

The roller-coaster ride that was Lou Reed's career had to have a snapshot that would last forever and Transformer was that snapshot. It would come to define Lou, for better or worse as he would set out to subvert and distort the perceptions people had of him based on this. But, man, what a perception. At times reflective, bombastic, revelatory, problematic and rollicking, it comes as no surprise that those who flocked to this would want to come back for more. For the first time, and what would end up being not for the last time, Lou Reed had struck a poignant note to the masses; funny how, in a fell swoop, he would tear it all down. Favorites: Vicious, Andy's Chest, Perfect Day, Hangin' Round, Walk on the Wild Side, Make Up, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel.

Great album with the classic songs "Perfect Day" and "Take a Walk on the Wild Side". I'd never heard any of the other songs off this album before, but they were all pretty good. Great bluesy sound. Overall a good album

Nicht meine Art von Gesang

That was a fun album!

Iconic, but boring at times

Perfect Day is 5 stars on its own

Not grea

Not for me

Ehhh too pop for me. But fun to find out “Perfect Day” is a Lou Reed song, I didn’t know that

Absolute essential

This album is delightful. Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side themselves make it great. There's something about his skewed take on things and slightly off key voice that I love.

I wasn't looking forward going into this one as I'm not really a Lou Reed fan. I will say after listening to this that it was not as bad as I thought it would be and will likely run through it again sometime soon. It began to grow on me starting after "Walk On the Wild Side". Especially the quirkiness of the songs on the 2nd half of the album.

听时有些迷幻，每一首的心情都不同，但总有一些幽郁，听起来没什么后劲

Transformer I remember buying this at Uni and quite liking it, although I haven’t listened in a long time. I must have known at the time that Bowie and Ronson produced it but that felt like news to me today. 
And listening to it their fingerprints are all over it. The guitar on Vicious (and throughout), the strings on Perfect Day, the bass and drums on Hangin’ Around, the tuba on Make Up. LOVE Bowie on backing vocals on the coda of Satellite of Love. Also didn’t realise Klaus Voormann played bass on some of the tracks . Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side are more examples of those overfamiliar songs that really are superb when you properly listen to them. Iv’e always loved Vicious and Satellite of Love is a stone cold classic. Listening through today, aside from the biggies, Andy’s Chest, Hangin’ Around, Wagon Wheel (GREAT guitar on this) and I’m so Free stood out. I wasn’t as keen on Make Up, New York Telephone Conversation and Goodnight Ladies - a bit underwhelming and feel more like exercises in production and arrangement rather than actual songs. I do like Lou Reed and his style of songwriting and really like his vocals, but I’m not sure there are quite enough good songs on here, and without Ronson I think it would be more of a struggle to get through those weaker tracks.

I don’t know his solo work that well, but I do love the Velvet Underground and listening to this it feels like he does need some interesting collaborators to help elevate some of his more mundane moments or pick up some song writing slack.

 One of those funny ones to rate - the highs are exceptional and although the lows aren’t terrible or too numerous they are a bit deflating, so it’s between a 3 and a 4.
Just because of Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love and Wagon Wheel I’ll say 4. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every song's a banger, love it

Vicious 3 Andy’s Chest 2 Perfect day 4 Hangin’ ’round 3 Walk on the wild side 4 Make up 2 Satellite of love 3 Wagon wheel 3 New York telephone conversation 2 I’m so free 3 Goodnight ladies 3

Pretty boring, but not actively bad

Good Album

Amazing album. Unique and fun listen

Couple of real classics on here. Perfect Day is my favorite. I like these and can listen to most of them if they came up in my playlist.

Great,lots of different styles

A good album overall but I've never been a huge fan of Lou Reed. This one has some memorable songs so if you want to test the Lou Reed waters, this is a good one to do it.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. Lyrics we're kinda weird and not really my thing. But overall I'd check out another Lou Reed album.

Doesn’t do anything for me

Owned this one for a while and probably never gave it enough love beyond Perfect Day and Walk On the Wild Side. It’s much more than that, really consistent and enjoyable listen. Tails off a bit at the end or it could even be a 5.

Good album- great music and well written

Masterful lyricist, but Jesus Christ he sounds like he is going to fall asleep on every song.

A phenomenal album & one of his best work that Lou has ever released

Not my thing

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.

Not my cup of tea, but better than Dylan... So 3 stars for that alone. Lol

I always enjoy his music. Such an interesting artist. Very good album.

Yeah there are some bangers on here. Lou Reed is a wacky character and I'm all there for it. The end of Satellite of Love is dope. Fav songs: - Vicious - Perfect Day - Hangin Round - Walk on the Wild Side - Satellite of Love

Retains the robust rock and roll elements of the Velvet Underground and the subtle charm of Reed's simple yet effective lyricism and vocal melodies. This album is a certified classic for all generations to enjoy.

3.5

Kinda oddball, not really my thing, but also kinda fun sometimes.

Great album. First time I’ve heard a variety of his music.

Interesting but really annoying

magico

não me pegou... parado, chato, vocal que não combina com a obra. sou sem cultura por não apreciar Lou Reed? maybe! prendam-me!

Amazing!! Vários destaques. Os backing vocals do Bowie... Golden. As músicas com queers!! A voz do Lou... LOVED IT.

"Transformer" von Lou Reed ist natürlich ein absoluter Klassiker. "Perfect day" und "Walk in the wild Side" die tollen Songs, die in der ewigen Bestenliste auftauchen. Und die Stimme von Lou ist einfach sowas von einzigartig. Sehr schön.

Unique

New York, Andy Worhol and the wildlife on the wildlife.

I've never understood the appeal of Lou Reed's campy lyrics. Transformer has never struck me as being the seminal albums many people bill it as. The songwriting is basic, lyrics are amateurish, the recording quality is mediocre, and there was much better music being produced at the time. How this ever made it to release is beyond me.

Uma festa completa! Que disco, que obra de arte!

top half is all bangers. all weird and uniquely voiced.

Exceptional album. I enjoyed this thoroughly. I didn’t realize Lou Reed had so many recognizable songs from his solo career, I thought most would be tied to Velvet Underground music. But yeah, this feels like an album I will listen to repeatedly.

Fun, emotional, lively but slow, old school (good and bad)