Reviews (page 11 of 14)
so unique
This reminds me of my mom - take a walk on the wild side.
Has a voice of that 80’s kinda slick, kinda hungover but still singing vibes. Almost sounds like the Smiths. 3.2
Fora do meu nicho musical
Lyrics are very tactile, simple - Production quality is amazing.
Walk on the Wild Side - banger. The rest was very meh for me. I'd give it a shade under 3 stars, too.
His most accessible album, which also means that this is the album where his horrible singing is most at full display. Four stars out of five, I will not elaborate further.
I just keep learning that I need to really listen to more Lou Reed. 4.5/5
Not for me
Just okay. I know Walk on the Wild Side was/is popular, but it really only registered for me because ATCQ sampled it.
Lou Reed is not a good singer but he has this atonal, stylistic quality that is kind of interesting. I wanted to give this album a 3 but multiple factors worked against it. Some of the song lyrics were stupid and pretty bad. Strings were a bad choice on one of the songs and they took me out of that listening experience. The jury's still out on the numbers using the tuba and the other horn, I don't know if they really fit the vibe of this album.
4.9/5
This was a good album. If your not familiar with Lou Reed than this is a great starting point. I’ve known about him for many years, but never really had a chance to digest his music. I want to say that I can hear the David Bowie influence, but I’m not to sure who really influenced who, but if you like early David Bowie, than this will be right up your alley.
One of the best albums of all time. Enjoyed listening to that. Been a long time.
Great varied album that is never boring. Lou Reed proves he can really write some great tunes, only a little bit odd at least compared to what he was doing previously. Really enjoyed this one
I loved this album, it was one of those albums full of great songs I didn’t know who wrote them. It is my also my music genre so I might be biased
Fun times I guess
How did this get made? Some of it is so amateurish and ridiculous. Not a good album but a fun time.
Transformative. 4.5
The only Lou Reed song I was familiar with before listening to this album was "Walk On The Wildside," which I was glad to see was on this album. I know this album is supposed to be very influential, and based on the reviews, it looked like it was going to be pretty good. Unfortunately though, this album didn't really land with me. Lou Reed isn't a name that I think of when I think of great vocalists in rock music, but his voice is incredibly recognizable, both in tone and cadence. Even though he's not a great vocalist, his style works well for his music on this album, especially when there are backing vocals to accompany him. Overall, I thought the arrangements on this album were okay. Some songs were definitely much stronger than others, and the songs that I didn't like stuck out like a sore thumb ("Make Up," "I'm So Free," and "Goodnight Ladies"). "Perfect Day" was absolutely fantastic though. The piano playing on it was great, and this was the song where Lou Reed's vocals worked the best ("Walk On The Wild Side" is a close second). "Walk On The Wild Side" is great too, and the saxophone playing, background vocals, and light percussion all blend together perfectly. I know this album is regarded as an important piece of glam rock, but to me, it felt like glam rock in the same way that La Croix is flavored. Sure, there are hints of glam rock on this album, but you really have to strain to find them. This album is distinct, but I think my biggest gripe with it is that other than a couple of stand out songs, the other songs range from 'okay' to 'I can't hit skip fast enough.' Hopefully I won't feel this way about The Velvet Underground when I get to review them.
Cool, with an almost elegant sleaze and immaculate production. A lot more to dig here than just the popular singles.
Een paar absolute uitblinkers, en de rest solide. Mooi geheel
Couple astounding songs, few good songs, several bad songs. With albums like this I wonder why, after writing something like Perfect Day or Walk on the Wild Side, they wouldn't wait to pen another 5-6 unbelievable tracks rather than just release them next to any old thing.
2/5. There are some good songs here but god damn, Lou Reed doesn’t even want be here singing it. It’s like lazy karaoke, just boring vocals and lyrics. There are just mostly songs by other artists that sound exactly like these songs but better: Bowie, Doors, etc. I would rather just listen to those other albums. I do like satellite and wild side but otherwise, mostly pretty bad, not wholly unlistenable.
Another secret Bowie album. This time with Lou Reed as a proxy. I honestly find the bright and layered production a great fit for Lou Reed. With love songs about heroin in the park and pop numbers about trans girls from the country giving head in the city, this album was a wilder ride than its polish suggests. 10/10
My first 5-star album. Perfectly moody, slightly dark and laid back. Make Up and Walk on the Wild Side - the queer themes are delicious
Love Lou Reed. And this is a very very Lou Reed kind of album.
Brilliant Album from the Iconoclast.
Liked it then, still like it now. There are a couple of songs the drop it to 4/5 but still a great listen.
Reminded me of dire straights
3 - I liked the two hits, and while the deeper cuts didn't grab me, I wouldn't call them bad. I'm just probably not gonna bother to seek them out again.
good album, fun to listen to for the first time, but i don't think i'd listen to it again.
I liked this a lot more than the Velvet Underground, weird in a fun way that kept me engaged all the way through.
Yes very Important album
Weirdly theatrical in a way I didn't expect. Lyrics remind me of trot music
A personal favourite of mine. Very laid back and stylish in a decadent sort of way. Takes the best out of Bowie and Velvet Underground. Timeless.
I’d love to love Lou Reed more than I do. So many great musicians and bands were born from the amazing aesthetic of The Velvet Underground. When I try to get into the source material though, I just feel dissatisfied. It lacks a fullness that I crave. Plus, Lou’s voice is too droll for me. Walk On The Wild Side is great though.
This one is a mixed bag for me. Perfect Day is a song I’ve loved since Trainspotting times. It’s so good. And Walk on the Wild Side is a classic. I enjoyed a few others too - Vicious, Hangin’ Round, and Goodnight Ladies - but the rest just kinda felt like not a lot of effort was put in. Definitely interesting music though.
Packed with classics
A classy album full of memorable tracks and a mesmerising sound. Reed manages to sound washed out and euphoric, despairing and hopeful.
Lou has a really dry songwriting style. He comes off sarcastic most of the time. Walk on the Wild Side is quite beautiful. Other than that song this record doesn't do anything for me.
No question
Realised that David Bowie was involved in this album. Probably a reason why it is good. Never liked Lou Reeds voice but the music carries the voice.
Very enjoyable, would like to revisit again
Kind of a perfect storm of everything on this record. I feel like it's nearly perfect given all the circumstances surrounding it's context.
Njaaaaaaaa, texten var VÄLDIGT ifrågasättbar och jag blir alltid lika uttråkad när jag lyssnar på låtar som ”Walk on the wild side”. OCH då är det illa när den låten är min favorit låt på hela albumet. De förekom dock inte någon 100% musikalisk så de var iaf bra. Därför får albumet 2 stjärnor, och de ska sägas är väldigt generöst!
Great writing and great production. I looked this album up and apparently this was a major comeback record. Pretty cool.
Although this album contains three legendary tracks, many of the songs on this album are absolutely horrible, with hindsight.
perfect day is a perfect song
Casual poems An upbeat melancholy Beautifully life
Thoughts before listening: This is the Lou Reed album that gets the most praise from journalists. I was pleasantly surprised by Berlin when that came up on this list so I'm excited to listen to this one as well. Review: This is great. Reading up on this album I see that David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced it which makes sense cause this sounds like 70s era Bowie glam rock. There are some absolute classics on here in "Perfect Day", "Walk On the Wild Side", and "Satellite of Love", but I'm also enjoying "Vicious", "Hangin' Round", and "I'm So Free". Overall a very good album that presents a much more radio friendly take on Lou Reed's sound that stands out in a discography filled with tough listens. 4-stars.
I hadn’t properly listened to much of Lou Reed before this, but he’s a great songwriter with good tunes
i'm squarely between 3 and 4 on the rating for this one. the 3 reflects how much i actually like listening to it. 4 reflects what i think about the album's legacy on music i like. I'll round up this time.
The instrumentation is wonderful (because it’s largely Mick Ronson of David Bowie fame), but that’s about all I enjoyed
Honestly, not too bad! I enjoyed most of the songs, but I just really don't like his talk-y style of "singing". Also that last song was kind of hard to get through.
I'm gonna make my group mad and just say it: this album could use like three more songs!!!!
This guy sounded so done, always loved his vibe
Great album start to finish... 4.5 Stars
I wish I liked Lou Reed more!! Some stone cold classics here, I love the production by Bowie! I just, at the end of the day, plain don’t like about half the songs on this album! I find Lou Reed’s songwriting sometimes excessively cutesy with his rhymes and stuff! And his voice is nothing! Same, uninspired mumble on everything! Sometimes it works, but there’s a whole album of it! It gets boring! At least it’s not Korn!
I don't know what to say about this, not impressed
Crass
Kinda silly.
meh, its fine. I don't care for it and it's not particularly interesting. 3.0.
Yes, this sounds exactly like something that David Bowie would produce, given that it sounds exactly like his own albums from that era. It's not exactly bad, but it had been done already by Bowie, and the songs themselves are so-so at best. Walk On the Wild Side is highly overrated. Perfect Day is the only song I really like. 2.5/5
Some wonderful & unique songs and some filler. I will keep coming back to "Perfect Day," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "Satellite of Love." The other songs, not so much.
POV: Lou Reed has cast his spell on me. Admittedly it took dozens of listens to his solo projects, but Velvet Underground really opened my eyes and gave me a willing ear, but man these solo records really are their own beast. I can’t believe I didn’t realize until now.
IF BOB DYLAN CAN GET A 4 FOR HAVING BAD VOCALS AND GREAT MELODIES AND LYRICS I WILL LIVE AND DIE BY THE SWORD. HOWEVER, I will give this a 3.5 I regret giving THE CLASH A 4 SO BAD AHHHHHHHHHHH The 5 song Stretch from perfect day to Make Up is my favorite but Walk on the wild side having one of the best samples of all time automatically makes this album iconic! CAN I KICK IT YES YOU CAN
Interesting listen... the tubas harken back to an older time, but the definitely still has a foot in rock and punk.
sweet lou
I did not enjoy this album
When this is good it's transcendently good. But it sort of peters out at the end. I wished it finished with a bit more oomph. If it did, it'd be a clear 5 star. But it didn't get all the way there for me. Still loved this and hope to revisit in the future.
This was good, couple great songs, some "fun" lyrics. Nothing particularly stand out, but everything gels quite well as an album. I quite enjoyed listening to this.
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.
Some ok instrumentation but awful singing.
This was five stars up until that weird Telephone song. Nonetheless I loved this and have absolutely no idea why. Aw never mind, it’s a five in spite of that
a nice little jaunt through the wild side, even if a couple bits did feel a bit safe. overall a very good album that is extremely well produced, i would go back to this one.
Everything but Make Up was great. That one was real weird. The rest was just kind of weird. Just the one skip, but I wasn’t blown completely away.
Very Dylanesque. I love his poeticism because it especially contrasts his dead pan voice. This is definitely his most popular album, and I think for good reason (satellite of love, etc). In terms of the album structure I think he went for very Beatles inspo because all of the folk/alt/orchestral mixes on here. 8/10
amazing. the jazz and cabaret undertones in rock n roll, David Bowie production (so obviously its good), and Reed's slightly lazy delivery make the album a captivating listen. vicious is now in my playlists and I'm entering another velvet underground era thank you !! 8/10
Mid. Wasn't really a fan. -5/10
The singing style took some getting used to, and there are still some songs that were just not fun to listen to. Instrumentals were great, and some songs were good. Would give this a low 3
Was p good, don’t think I’ll revisit much tho 7.5/10
I didn’t dislike it, but nothing really stuck out to me as great 6.5/10
5/10 - Some of the songs were ok and some were interesting in a bad way, like New York Telephone Conversation. I liked Satellite of Love and I'm So Free. I liked the use of brass in some of the pieces but overall it was fine.
generally liked it, new york telephone call was a little odd though 7.5/10
Lou reed’s talk singing misses quite a bit, but there are some bangers on this album and the songs all have fantastic production. I don’t know how to rate it since a good number of the songs are ass but a few are incredible, 8/10 I guess
Classic Lou Reed. Not my favorite album of all time but I respect it. Has some great singles. Walk on the Wild Side, Vicious, Satellite of Love are standouts.
It was ok
Good sound, great energy, and some of the songs I had heard before. Enjoyed the album. Would listen to it again.
From the first song you can tell this is gonna be a masterpiece. So many great tracks. I love Lou Reeds unique style
Lou Reed was one freaky dude, but I think his solo output is far superior to The Velvet Underground. While his music is still very psychedelic, I feel it's more streamlined and works better! Definitely one of his best works. Standout tracks: Vicious, Andy's Chest, Perfect Day, Walk On The Wild Side, Satellite Of Love, I'm So Free 8 out of 10
Amazing
Honestly don’t really get the hype, ok I guess
Amazing album, one of my all-time faves.
Goed album, maar had niet anders verwacht van m'n naamgenoot ;) Luistert lekker weg en heeft een aantal nummers die ik al kende maar niet mega bijzonder dus geen 5 sterren Would buy wel
Album no. 1/1001 Not my thing. Don't like the singing voice and some songs seem a bit low-effort. Listen for the shocking lyric "she had sex in the hall"!
ganz nett aber nit sooo memorable for me
Ahh, Lou Reed! This is an album I had already listened to in the past. A true classic, indeed! Great music, great lyrics, and Lou's distinctive voice. Definitely love this one!
I like Walk on the Wildside
Bowie + songwriting + Lou. Gold.
I dislike "Walk on the Wild Side" with extreme emotion! ... so I wasn't even going to listen the album ... but my wife said it was a great song. I listened to the album with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. I still dislike Lou Reed!
Enjoyed this album. Very relaxing
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting, but mostly because I was familiar with a few of the tracks that have been used in pop culture in the past 40-50 years. Lou Reed is an acquired taste, not unlike Tom Waits, just found down a different aisle.
This album was just 40 minutes of meh. I don't really enjoy Lou Reed's music or vocal stylings.
Groovy!
Reminded me of the band The Strokes he came first but I like to think he influenced them.
Tenía la sensación de que había escuchado este disco muchísimas veces. En realidad no lo había escuchado nunca entero, pero la portada y algunas de las canciones se han usado tanto para tantas cosas que me habían dejado esa idea. Un melocotonazo que huele a Nueva York, sin lugares comunes ni olor a cerrado. Las canciones, por más que las hayamos escuchado, siguen estando frescas. La voz y la interpretación de lou reed, los arreglos de viento, las letras... Es un disco hijo de una época pero que no envejece.
Bowie influence. Walk on the Wild Side is a classic
This is a shining example of how unfair it is to judge an album after listening to it one time. I have enjoyed Lou Reed in interviews and snippets. Walk on the Wild Side is a brilliant classic. Beyond that, the album is mid-pack for me. I know I would find it more enjoyable on second hearing, but with the list, it’s on the the next.
Nice little album It reminds me of LCD soundsystem or Bob Dylan-- a sort of narrative rock ...Take a walk on the wild side is gripping... the low bass notes, the story, the humming... me gusta, me gusta
Jag tror att detta faktiskt handlar om om man prioriterar det ambitiösa, svåra och utmanande framför det tillgängliga och kommersiella. Även om det alltid borde finnas en plats för den förra, föredrar jag de flesta dagar den senare, vilket är anledningen till att jag skulle välja Transformer. Berlin är en jäkla intensiv åktur och, mina reservationer över en del av Ezrins utsmyckade produktion förutom, ett album med stor genomslagskraft. Men Transformer är ett av de fantastiska feel good-albumen som omedelbart kan ta dig till en bekant, glad plats. Jag älskar svischa av låtarna och produktionen, men det har ett tillräckligt mörkt hjärta där för att förhindra att den blir för lätt.
Good album. Not much my thing but some great individual songs
A seminal alternative influence, Lou Reed isn't exactly my thing but he is am important player in rock hiatory and I was glad to have a prompt to listen to this album.
Some songs were more enjoyable than others, none were so bad that I couldn't listen to. 5/10
Première fois que j'écoute du Lou Reed, et je pense avoir apprécié cet album. Cette sonorité rock plus posée et la voix un peu traînante de Reed ont quelque chose d'intéressant.
One of the absolute best. Loved this album. I coincidentally just listened to this album last week. Hah it's in my rotation pretty heavily to begin with a long with all of Bowie's solo work.
do i really need to say anything?
masterpiece, one of my favorite albums of all time
This was a lot more fun than I remembered, really tuneful and light hearted.
4/5. Not quite a 5* album, but close. Lou Reed paved the way for alt and indie rock. Walk on the wild side is still excellent.
2.5
Lou reed is peak jazz rock. Walk on thr wild side is GOAT
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
I think many other people who are experts in this genre can explain this album’s greatness better, but listening to this album was an activity that I never thought I needed. I think this is my favorite album so far in this project. And that’s after having ‘Physical Graffiti’ and ‘Thriller’ and so many other amazing albums. This album doesn’t shout greatness, but his effortlessly comforting voice combined with many incredibly enjoyable songs is so good. There might be musically better albums than this(not much though), but this will probably be my favorite.(This review is written by a person who has not listened to any of his works or Velvet Underground’s albums.)
Very modern sounding in terms of the recording quality itself as well as the disaffected post punk sound. Very cohesive record too - sounds like it could have been put together in the studio in one single session.
Between the detached icy-cold cynicism of 'Perfect Day,' to the Rock and Roll animal in 'Vicious', from the ability to tell life stories in just a few sentences in 'Walk On The Wild Side' to the depressing lyrics but beautiful sounds of closer 'Goodnight Ladies,' this is an album that never bores. And when you prick through the thin veneer of glam, you feel the songs underneath. 5*
Bowie - good Mick Ronson - good Lou Reed - okay but with the other two, good He’s got a great voice for storytelling, but maybe not for signing. Great beats, great lyrics. Solid album that’s been imitated for decades.
Walk on the Wild Side was their one hit wonder.
Might be my least favorite album ever.
David Bowie should sound good, but I hope it's not too slow, we'll seee. First song is quite upbeat, going well the best, also lyrics are quite fun to listen to, his voice isn't annoying, but it is quiet. His voice doesn't suit the vibe, but it's not bad so can't complain. Nothing unique. Second song has a non chorus vibe chorus, second verse started so good. Also smn said lyrics are supposed to be funny. It is too same, and not even upbeat nor slow, just plain permanent wave, low-key uninteresting. 3rd song is good to listen to, but it needs a nice beat drop, the one that would make it epic not sadder, but it is about drugs so I can't expect that. And there was it, a melancholic drop. Smn the song ain't about drugs. Love the piano and the violin. 4th song has a Chuck Berry vibe. Lou is apparently gay, it's going well, but it's too simple and gives off nothing special sadly. Even though 5th song is slow, the guitar in my right ear makes it a little faster. Creepy vibe from that "doo-doo-doo". I like his voice here the best for now. This has an unique sound, especially at the end the jazzyness. 6th song has a different sound with tha trumphet coming in after each line, but it's still permanent wave. Not bad this one. 7th song piano is Elton cored. The background voices are fun to hear. There was a mouth-organ somewhere. The end is quite different, love that. It has an epic ending, best song for now. 8th song's first line had "smoke, smoke" funn. There was a full beat drop and it got progressive now. This one has 7th song ending, little epicness, nothing's better than the original. 9th song sounds so fun, because of the way piano plays, like a child's song. I'm sorry but this is the best song as it's the most unique and it's the shortest, likeee they really don't know what actually sounds good. 10th song and album sounds a little better. It is painfully same, I feel like I'm listening to a song that will make me go crazy because it's so fucking same. The end tried to make it better, but nothing much. 11th song starts tromboney. It's quite slow with a jazzy vibe. His voice again sounds attractive (same goes with some songs before). Whole album was easy listening, which is good but it doesn't have what I search for in music. Soo basically it was not a bad one, much better than Bob Marley for example, so because of that it's a 3 star album, not sure if I'll ever listen to it, but the quality have me 3 star, and that's it.
7.7
I've always felt that Transformer was overrated and rather derivative. Considering that the creator of such earth -shaking songs as Sister Ray, Venus in Furs and Pale Blue Eyes went on to create songs as trivial as Wagon Wheel and Goodnight Ladies has always been a bit of a mystery to me, though I suppose that's why it's called Transformer! Having said that, there's no doubting the quality of the most well known tracks here. Walk on the Wild Side is a transgressive, jazzy masterpiece, Perfect Day is simply beautiful, with the sting in the tale of the final line, whilst Satellite of Love has an excellent Klaus Voorman bass line and backing vocals from Bowie and Ronson. Overall, a bit of a throwaway album in my opinion, but on the bright side, it was a precursor to the powerful and disturbing Berlin from the following year.
* Gay blade??? * "When I watch you come. I just want to run far away" It's on the tip of my tongue but the way Lou says that line reminds me of a different song but can't quite figure it out. Maybe it'll come to me eventually. * Just finished song 2, Andy's Chest, and I'm noting that Lou seems to have a very comedic lyrical style to his music. Wonder if that'll continue? * I've definitely heard Perfect Day before. Think I've heard Walk on the Wild Side before too but not positive. * Walk on the Wild Side sounds like A Boy Named Sue at points. * Noticing a theme in the lyrics. Insert name, describe them a bit, repeat. * I'm a fan of that "wake me (wake me), shake me (shake me)" back and forth in Wagon Wheel but the song itself was only okay. * New York Telephone Conversation; short and sweet. Has a similar cadence to that of, I think, it's 'No More' from Tick, Tick... BOOM! One of the songs anyway. * Very jazzy-like feel to Goodnight Ladies, which I'm actually digging a lot more than Miles Davis' numbers from a few days back. -- Album Rankings -- 1. Perfect Day 2. Hangin' 'Round 3. I'm So Free 4. Goodnight Ladies 5. Make Up 6. Walk on the Wild Side 7. Vicious 8. New York Telephone Conversation 9. Andy's Chest 10. Wagon Wheel 11. Satellite of Love
3/5
Definitely not a fan
A great, but inconsistent album. Very much a mash-up of Velvet Underground and Spiders From Mars.
Nothing special. No tracks particularly stood out.
The first of these I haven't listened to, and it's fine! It feels like a recursive, weird little thing - Lou Reed doing David Bowie doing Lou Reed - but the great songs still hold up, especially walk on the wild side.
Overall really enjoyed this. Had that weird mush mouth / acid vibe where dude was just talking about whatever.
This is the first album I’ve actually revised and rated and I’m glad I saved it for this one. 4.3/5. He is who the Beatles thought they were. I assume this album will be the biggest surprise for it least the next 300 albums we listen to on this journey.
Glam Rock is really great. Music is a lot better when you can be nasty and say what you want. It also helps to have David Bowie produce your sound.
It’s okay. Take a walk on the wild side is iconic, for sure, and there are certainly some good songs on this. That said, it just wasn’t for me.
Hadn't heard this one in a while. Brought back some good memories.
Never been my cup of tea but it does have a couple good tunes on it.
Some great old favourites on this album.
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.
It was kind of unpleasant to listen to
Love Take a Walk On The Wild side, but everything else was just okay.
Tribe called quest!
Love this record! Interesting how Bowie produced this and combined with Reed merged the sounds of Velvet Underground and Glam rock which seems a perfect place for Reed to land. Listening to the album it sounds free, effortless and cool. The gift of melody that is so well exhibited on Perfect Day and Satellite of Love is strikingly beautiful. Melody, stringed instruments, raw guitars combined with glam rock and interesting lyrics make this album a classic. Favorite Songs: Satellite of Love, Perfect Day, Vicious, Walk on the Wild Side.
Transformer still sounds fresh 50 years later, and is one of Lou's greatest records. This is around the time one of Lou Reed's greatest student, David Bowie, was taking off on his own and taking the Velvet Underground's sound in a glam rock direction. Everything from the production (Bowie and Ronson), to the catchy melodies, the seductive performances and the darker themes are all picture perfect here. Fav tracks: Vicious, Hangin' Round, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, I'm So Free, Walk on the Wild Side
I love this record. It deftly creates a very particular mood: glam rock refracted back through Lou Reed's unique personality and lyrical perspective. He evocatively summons and communes so many memorable NYC characters throughout the run-time. It's a compelling portrait. Enlisting Bowie and Mick Ronson in a sort of full circle moment injected Reed's career with some much-needed mojo here. "New York Telephone Conversation" is probably the lowest point, but it's an acceptable quirk that only lasts 90 seconds. Really enjoyed revisiting this one today. Favourite tracks: Satellite of Love, Walk on the Wild Side, Hangin' Round, Perfect Day, Vicious
Not a fan… couldn’t make it all the way through the album lol
Lou Reed's lyrics and delivery style were unique to me the first time I heard this album. There is a certain simplicity to the presentation of each song that works beautifully without needing to build to any kind of emotional crescendo. Lou Reed's lyrics are front and center in his songs--nothing getting buried behind a crescendo of sounds.
Perfect album with some of the best song of the history of rock.
bowie produziu bum explodiu
One song. Don't really care for Lou otherwise.
Quite tame compared to Velvet Underground. Big difference between the good tracks and weaker ones. *** Walk on the Wild Side
Liked this album overall but not one that I would listen to all the way through again! Favourite song: Perfect Day
Good for easy listening. Always fun when you recognize beats that have been resampled.
walk on the wild side
Wow wild side is one of the best recordings I’ve ever heard. Inspired by the floating narrative, each song is a world that floats, simple, clear, production each element is highlighted at its time, wow
Other than Perfect Day, it's just not for me. I think I need more "musicianship" for want of a better word.
Not so much a music album, more like talking style poetic lyrics. Songs out of tune really because it came across more like talking vs singing.
Its interesting for sure. The style starts to annoy me after a while though.
Opening track starts off with some crazy guitars. Reeds vocals takes a bit of getting used to. New York telephone conversation is a dumb track, kills the flow of the album and makes me want to skip
Song: Walk on the Wild Side This isn't what I expected from an album produced by David Bowie, but I quite liked it. I didn't know Lou Reed—although I have heard of the Velvet Underground before, I didn't know its members. This song has a really nice, chill, relaxed feeling—the instrumental feels so familiar, and I'm certain I've heard it sampled somewhere before. Also, I liked the lyrics— although he was mostly speaking rather singing than them, it made the song feel a little like slam poetry, which I liked. The saxophone solo was also unexpected and nice, capping off the song with a fadeout. I would definitely listen to it again—more like this, too.
oh my god this shit is so boring lmaoo
I really enjoyed this one quite a bit as a first album. It had a lot of tracks that I really liked, and it would definitely be something that I will listen to again just on my own. I don’t think I know a lot about music, yet I think I could have placed this one as being mid 70s rock and roll. The lyrics and the way that Reed sings it make the composition feel very casual for most of the album, as if he was simply jamming and wrote the songs as he was going. I liked too when more brass was being added to the tracks, especially the saxophone (wind) during ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. I have heard this song once before, somewhat recently because I didn’t know that ‘Can I kick It?’ was a sample. I hope that I will remember this track and album going forward. My favorite track was 'Goodnight Ladies'; It felt like waking up hungover in New Orleans. Close second was ‘Andy’s Chest’ particularly when Reed said, “Now, when people say her feet smell, they mean her nose.” As it is the first album, I want to add a quick goal for this project, and then hopefully not talk about it much more. I am hoping to expand my musical taste and enjoyment. I want to learn to like albums as a format and so, unless instructed otherwise, I will try to listen to the album in the order recoreded and in one sitting. I also am hoping that I can get more granular with my musical appreciation, and hear more when I listen, as well as discuss music better. I will try the best that I can to write a review for each album, but there will be no requirement for it to be clever. I don’t want to pretend, just listen to good music.
Alright, this album was mid, at best. The common theme I could not get passed was the spoken vocals. My favorite few songs off the album involved his vocals (Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel) The only saving graces of this album were the experimental instrumentals on each track. And, of course, I come to find out this album was produced by Bowie. Well no shit this album got attention if Bowie had a hand in it. Without Bowie's production, Reed's vocals probably would have been backed by yawn-worthy instrumentals, which in turn would have made this album dust in the wind.
Creative mix of styles. Definitely ahead of its time.
This was ok. Maybe it needs another listen but on the first listen, it wasn’t anything special.
I didn’t know so many songs I already know are his. Good listen.
Listened to “Walk on the Wild Side” bc that seemed to be most popular from reading reviews, thought I had never heard it but as soon as I played it I was like “Oh yep this.” One of those songs you don’t know where you’ve heard but I’ve heard many a time. Kind of hard to appreciate I think without having been around to see it be released into the context it was released in, but definitely a vibe and can see how it was totally transgressive.
Each song is a story and a complete banger. Awesome album.
Interesting timing, as I just recently got this album on vinyl for Christmas. Fantastic album.
favourite song: perfect day the velvet underground are my favourite band of all time (i wish i could change my review of their debut to give it 5 rather than 4) but ive never really touched any of lou reed’s solo work before this. went into this expecting to love it and absolutely did. feels like a very natural progression from loaded full of poppy and radio friendly moments, but without feeling limited to this style like VU were on that album. easily a 5/5 and incredibly difficult to pick a favourite song. couldve been any of them tbh but settled on perfect day (largely because i already loved it and i am a huge fan of trainspotting). unsurprisingly theres no least favourite here.
Listened incompletely about four times. Good individual tracks, the whole is a bit too variable to fully enjoy, dug Walk on the Wild Side.
Despite this album having one of my most favorite songs of all time, Perfect Day, and also having a couple of other bangers (Vicious, Walk On the Wild Side and Satellite of Love), I currently do not possess the adequate amounts of opioids to truly appreciate this album. Yes, I understand that this album is perfect for many on just about every level, and I recognize its incredible production and just about how much talent was involved, but some of the songs just didn't click for me. Maybe it'll grow on me. Giving it a 3/5.
The first time I really remember hearing a Lou Reed song was during the 1993 leg of the U2 Zoo TV tour, Bono would start singing "Satellite of Love" and a pre-recorded video of Lou would duet with him and it was cool. Then came the "Perfect Day" scene in Trainspotting at it was harrowing. And "Walk on the Wild Side" has always been around, I just never knew it as a Lou Reed song. So imagine my delight when all three are on this album. Just a wonderful listen from start to finish.
What a bi-polar record. Amazing highs and desperate lows. I feel the artistry still shows thru even on tracks that remain barely liste able
An amazing album. You can hear the influences of many artists of the time (including Bowie as producer) and also see how Lou Reed influenced numerous future artists. Reed's style of delivery can be off-putting to some but it conveys the angst and attitude of the times.
A different twist on the songs. Not favorable of the lyrics. Then again that’s Lou Reed. Musically well arranged. Good glam rock but you had to be in that era to enjoy it.
Smooth, great for doing dishes
Not a fan. Lyrics in "Walk on the Wild Side" turned raunchy.
Whew. Not a fan. I'm not a fan of his voice, which made getting into the lyrics difficult. But even at that, I wasn't very into the lyrics either :). Instrumentation was ok, but not necessarily in my wheelhouse. 1 down, only 1000 more to go!
Lou Reed has always been a tough nut to crack for me, but this has to be his most accessible album. I really liked it. Will stay in my rotation
Amazing laid back vocals from Lou reed paired with distorted and garage guitars make for a fantastic glam rock record. Lou reed also has great ballads like perfect day which is one of my favourite songs of all time. 4/5
Love this album! I always felt the album had a Bowie style until I realized Bowie produced this gem.
Very interesting. Similar to Sugar Man
Classic
Very hit or miss. The highs are all time classics and the lows are hard to listen to. How do you even rate an album like that?
lite besviken ändå. utöver de två låtarna jag hört var det inget som fäste. om jag orkar ska jag ge denna skiva en ny chans.
Hann bara lyssna en gång. Men uppskattade skivan för det mesta. Inget som stack ut, förutom hitlåten som är väldigt bra. Perfect day och im so free var bra.
Bra texter och hög högstanivå, men lite för ojämnt totalt sett. Skulle nog kunna växa med fler lyssningar.
Just one of the best albums ever written! Beautiful!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sweet nursery rhymes, cabaret ballads and glam pop stomps about junkies, queers, and general New York degradation, dissipation and despair. Sung by a bad-tempered, flat-pitched weirdo. Probably should be toe-curlingly strange and bad but it's the complete opposite of that. Astonishing
Now I’ve heard one of his albums.
Interesting. Very New York
Vicious: another song about an evil girl. "I step on your hand and I mangle your feet?" I like the guitar solo at the end very wacky. Andy's Chest: what's an ocelot? i don't understand anything. Perfect Day: Why does this sound so sad? I've heard this before. Also, this sounds like a bill withers song. His voice sounds amazing here. damn this is depressing. really hard to place this genre wise so far. Hangin' 'Round: a nice song about terrible friends. don't get the 4th verse. Walk On the Wild Side: I think I've heard this one too. Colored girls? I don't understand. is he calling out how background singers are always black? nice little mixing trick there. a sax solo, nice. Make Up: little girl? out of our closets? is this an anti-makeup song? because fuck that shit. you're just jealous. we're coming out? Satellite of Love: ironic right? Wagon Wheel: kick her in the head and rearrange her? I like the fade-out in the middle. It's cool. Production is pretty inventive at certain parts. New York Telephone Conversation: damn intense. maybe a bit of a lack of coherency in the record I'm so free: I can't tell if this is ironic or not. if not then this hasn't aged very well. Good Night Ladies: the bass sound is hilarious. clarinet solo is nice. I love his vocal delivery. it's really descriptive. weird early jazz impression but okay. this might actually be the best song on the album. this is an old album and unfortunately for this album i am too young to understand many of these references. it's not bad, but it's very much of its time, not musically but definitely lyrically.
(моё любимое) не так плохо как я думала, хоть и не очень большой любитель нот Лу Рид. знаю сателайт ов лав, возможно от него также потепление к альбому) норм! но стоять в очереди я за такой музыкой конечно не буду)
An in my view over rated Lou Reed glam rock document with nonetheless amazing peaks and lazy valleys.
Love Lou but Nah
Just okay--had higher (unreasonble?) expectations. Perhaps too ubiquitous in its influence.
This album was okay. I liked only a couple of the songs and the rest were uninteresting. Favorite Song(s): "Vicious", "Walk On the Wild Side"
Neat tunes and lyricism. Good easy listening as well when I need ti calm down. Pretty good! I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would have.
Great album! Too bad Lou Reed turned out to be such a huge jerk.
Really fantastic. Loved this
Just odd....the tunes were somewhat catchy....but the lyrics were dark. Nothing really got me excited. Sorry.
El mejor álbum solista de Lou Reed, en mi opinión. La colaboración con David Bowie y Mick Ronson no solo funciona a favor de la propuesta artística del exlíder de The Velvet Underground, sino que genera un vínculo que potenció la carrera de todos los involucrados. Sin duda, un indispensable de la música alternativa.
BL: an album I have listened to before. The first time I listened it I must admit I didn’t massively get it. Reed’s overly simplistic melodies and lyricism did not massively come off as charming or unique. Despite the fact I love “Satellite of Love”, nothing else particularly stood out on the album AL: I’ve done a complete radical 180° on this record. I absolutely loved this. For some reason it just clicked into place, this is absolutely genius, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. FT: “Andy’s Chest”, “Perfect Day”, “Satellite of Love”, “Goodnight Ladies” 5/5
Fantastic, I had heard some of the hits before but this was a treat. Every song brings something new - his breadth as a songwriter takes us in all kinds of directions from pop (Perfect Day) to glam (Hangin Round). The lyrics are great as well - easy 5*
1972. рок-н-ролл? Или как этот жанр называется... Может, хватит уже писать жанры, если ты так в них не шаришь? Википедия вон пишет что он родоначальник глэм-рока. Видишь какие дела? А ещё он потом ушёл в the velvet underground. А ещё этот альбом Боуи продюссировал Весь альбом создаёт жесточайшее ощущение гомосексуального подполья. То есть да, это квир песни, они наполнены бунтом, отчаянием, "мы не такие как вы, вы нас не понимаете". Мы, говорит, делаем каминг аут. Но при этом песни лёгкие, задорные, воздушные. Чувствуется влияние Боуи, особенно когда фортепиано вступает. За этот гимн гомосексуального подполья ставлю три.
161223 14:30 4
I wasn’t really paying attention so it’s a 5/10
Pretty good album for the 70s. 7/10
Super conflicted on this album. I really liked the last minute of most songs but idk why the full songs can't be as good. Also this dude comes across super rapey on some of these songs it makes me I'll. Also he said colored girls. 5/10
He sing talks and it works most of the time. The background music was nice at times and then really forgettable some other times. “Walk on the wild side” is great, didn’t realize that it was the sample for “Can I Kick it?”. “Make up” made me uncomfortable, the clown music, saying little girl, and describing what turns him on, ew. I can hear a bunch of different singers in the songs so I guess he was pretty influential. Heavy Violent femmes vibes but less unhinged. Minus the clown songs I rather enjoyed it. 7/10
Not to everyone's taste I know, but a groundbreaking album. The iconic "Walk on the Wild Side", plus the original version of "Perfect Day"; also worth a mention are "Vicious" and "Satellite of Love".
A few solid songs. Lyrics way ahead of their time. Would be happy to give it a few more spins over time.
Kinda pales a little bit listening right after Alladin Sane ironically.
I don't think I've ever listened start to finish but I knew pretty much all of it.
the subject matter on this album is scary.
2/5
Banger
Perfect day strikes a nerve every time I hear it. Genius
Powerhouse and folky and weird at the same time
It's fine. Not my cup of tea.
Perfect Day.
I do love the first half of this album it feels like such a stretch and a brave personal vision. Much more of a ground level exploration of identity and personal viewpoint than Bowie or glam rock. It starts to fdade some as the album closes.
To begin: I understand the cultural significance of this album. However, this album is proof that everyone was on acid in the 70's. It is an objectively not great album. Listen to 'New York Telephone Conversation' again, look me in the eyes and tell me this album is 5 stars. It does have it's moments. Bowie makes it shine. But that is also the problem for me; without Bowie this album would be objectively awful and not worth listening to. This album was a product of it's time I seem. I don't feel it aged well. Production is not great (but forgiven since it is the 70s), songwriting is okay, but a lot of songs sound like poetry a depressed 11th grade dropout would make. While that may resonate with those that like this album, it's like listening to emo done poorly before emo existed.
fun
Really good!
Minimal with some bangers.
Really entertaining album, I loved it. I knew Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side, but was otherwise unfamiliar with Lou Reed and really enjoyed the edginess/sarcasm/humour. Listens: 2 Fave Tracks: Perfect Day, Hangin' Round Rating: 5
7/10. My guy was stoned as hell, but I liked it.
7/10
I like it. I think T.Rex does glam rock better than Lou, but if I listened to music regularly, I’d probably include this album in a rotation. Walk on the Wild Side, c’mon! 4.2
Not big into Lou Reed, but this isn't bad. Kind of a poppier version of Iggy Pop, or at least equally offkey. Decent. 3.5
Some absolute classics here - only a couple of not so great tracks, but overall pretty fantastic.
Ja op de paar nummers die ik ken na vond ik het mediun
Heel Chill, zonder wat te zeggen uit een raam staren muziek
Goofy ass album maar op zich wel lenker
Zitten wel paar leuke nummers tussen!
The first stone cold classic so far.
Alright album that mixes New York folk rock, cabaret, and glam. A couple of memorable tracks like Perfect Day, but not all that memorable.
Pretty ood
Fave track absolutely Goodnight Ladies
The list has redeemed itself. This was great.
A few stellar tracks, a few plodding ones. I listened to this and Iggy Pop back to back, wondering if the slightly creepy vibes towards young women on both albums made me a bit less excited about this one.
Good
Honestly pretty good
master storytelling ability and succinct songwriting
Fun album. Sounds like a depressed clown smoked weed and got the whole circus to record this album
Some classics on here.
Extremely sexual, extremely moody, and extremely New York. Add in a touch of Bowie as producer, and you have a classic record cementing Lou Reed as an incredible songwriter and lyricist. 'Vicious', 'Perfect Day', 'Hangin' Around', 'Walk on the Wild Side', 'Satellite of Love' all on the same record? Wild indeed.
This is simply Lou Reed firmly proving that he would do just fine without The Velvet Underground.
General thoughts: Classic Rock vibe. First half was catchy, second half plumetted. His voice isn't amazing, it's really deadpan but blended well with the music. Several songs were kinda minimalistic which was interesting. Outstanding song(s): Vicious, Perfect Day Weakest song(s): New York Telephone Conversation, Goodnight Ladies Cover: Liked the colors, the fonts and the punkness of his image, its missing something else though. Real rating: 2.68 *Revisited 16/05, original net rating: 2/5
Perfect day je заиста прелепа песма. Цео албум је леп и квалитетан 9/10
It was ok
Sommeraftener det blev til sommernætter. Sommernætter der blev til lyse morgener. Rødvin og hof. Samtaler om livet, om musikken. Fugle der vågner og hjerter der vokser. Tiden står stille og vi bliver voksne.
Decent. I liked Satellite of Love and a few of the rockier songs.
Lou Reed had such an amazing voice and cadence on this album. It feels like he was in tune with the scene and really expressed his view in a powerful way without the loudness and the big show that many other musicians were doing at the time. This album is a classic and has such a unique sound that it is recognizable almost instantly. Such a fun listen.
I have a friend who thinks Perfect Day is a song about drugs. He’s wrong of course It’s a song about love - it’s just that Lou’s love was a very unhealthy one That this album contains two of the greatest songs ever written (Perfect Day and WOTWS) would be enough That the rest of the album is right up there too is testament to its greatness
One of my favorite records of all time. Not a missed moment in this. When David Bowie comes in at the end Satellite of Love is 🤌.
I found it very hit and miss. Some quite excellent tracks, others that were a steaming pile of horseshit. I think it's the most perfect example of 3 stars that I've come across so far.
I'm really not sure why this album made the list. It honestly sounds like it was made by a local band in a small town. Unrefined. Singing and lyrics are cringy. Not a fan.
fucking love this album. I think David Bowie produced and the backing band is The Spiders from Mars. Reed's real first solo album, but his second overall after self titled debut. The first album was written while he was in VO. First song - "vicious" comes from Warhol. Warhol: write a song called "vicious" Reed: andy, vicious can mean a lot of things, what do you mean? Warhol: you know, "vicious" I hit you with a flower. such a dope album!
C’est comme Bob Dylan mais sur la distortion. Très chill et énervé en même temps
Listening to Walk on the Wildside and Perfect Day as a part of the album was a different experience. Can see why Lou Reed is considered such an influential artiste. WotW was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest on their song Can I Kick It. It’s rumoured that Reed allowed them to use the bass line one one condition - that he gets 100% credit and royalties from the song.
Sleep inducing
Easy 5 long term fan of Lou Reed
Loved jt
Great album
This album is folksy, weird, and, at times, humorous. I found myself laughing out loud at New York Telephone Conversation. A few of the tracks have a bit of a creepy element to them but overall this was a fun listen.
Album 231 of 1001 Lou Reed - Transformer Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Tracks: Wagon Wheel / Walk on the Wild Side / Perfect Day Always a great listen. Awesome tunes. Lou at his best. With a production assist from David Bowie.
Love. Familiar and unfamiliar. All great.
Un album tout en ambiances, avec des chansons classiques et des textes solides. Je ne me lasse pas
Perfect day, walk on the wild side, make up, goodnight ladies are all amazing. Not a fan of the more strident songs in the first third.
I've listened to some Velvet Underground and thought this would be a Beatles scenario (I don't really like the independent Beatles work). But I really enjoyed this, I love this sound and had a fun time listening.
The late 60s/early 70s truly loved to put a tuba somewhere prominently in the mix hahaha. Lou Reed is such a gifted songwriter, but like Bob Dylan I wish I enjoyed the timbre of his singing voice more, or at least was less distracted by it. That being said, that's really the only criticism I've got for this record, which I don't even think is a fair one to take off any stars for, and is in fact arguably the secret sauce to the success of Walk on the Wild Side, which I could have easily listened to for several minutes longer; that speak singing delivery works perfectly in context. Perfect Day and WOTWS aside, the rest of the tracks have much more variety to them than McCartney's eponymous record yesterday, and I enjoy Lou's solo sound generally more than I do the Velvet Underground. The sequencing was spot on. Are we finally getting a solid week of worthwhile listens?
I think I might prefer New York to this one but it’s still great. The sound is influential, the lyrics are taboo-breaking. Walk on the Wild Side is so popular there’s not much new to say about it, but damn that song is good. So cozy. Vicious, Perfect Day, and Satellite are other standouts but this is an excellent record to listen to front to back. High 4.
Grew up listening to Take A Walk On the Wild Side. Always loved Lou Reed’s envelope pushing lyrics. I hadn’t heard most, if not any of the other songs, but it was fun musically and tonally. Great listen.
This is a good transition from Velvet Underground Lou Reed to solo artist Lou Reed. Maybe that's where the title came from? He did go on to re-record some songs originally written for VU, but I feel like this is a step away from that band. Having David Bowie and Mick Ronson produce (plus having Ronson provide lead guitars) gives this a different feel that is definitely (for lack of a better term) Bowie-esque and even a bit more commercial sounding.
Feeling very vindicated after thinking this sounded like David Bowie and then reading he produced it. My guess is that in 1972 this was wayyy ahead of its time, so it should get credit for that. I don’t think I’d listen to most of these songs again though. “Take a walk on the wild side” is just a fascinating piece and “perfect day”is haunting once I read more about it.
I really enjoyed this album. I think the songs feel very timeless, not stuck in a certain era of song production/sound. There were some parts that were a little goofy for me and Lou Reed’s voice sounds a tad weak in parts (which, I prefer bored-sounding Lou Reed over that) but I still think I’d like to listen to this album again.
I think this is popular now because of Bowie's influence, but I found this boring
SWEET LOU
Beste album van Lou, wist niet dat Bowie het heeft geproduceerd maar zodra je het weet hoor je het ook. Satellite of love een van de beste outro’s ooit gemaakt.
the male version of joni
33/1001 - another classic, transformative album in rock history. For novice listeners, a few chestnuts you will enjoy and have heard before. Admittedly, first time of rme to hear album all the way through but a good listen. Lou always had an instantly recognized voice! Don't ignore lyrics. Thanks!
A classic ass good album :D may be a little biased but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Czech Republic revolution
Amazing, insanely influential that I personally really enjoyed. Ofc Iggy Pop and Velvet Underground type style characteristic of that era that I am quite fond of. Certainly will listen again and I'm quite surprised that I didn't properly know/listen to it before. 9/10 for this genre. You just can't go wrong.
Oooh, Lou Reed. I love that this album came up, cause i feel like I should've listened to it already. Feels like a lovely mix of The Velvet Underground (What a shocker that is!), David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Also reminds me of my mom. Great album, would listen again.
Iha jees. Paljo hittei löyty tästä.
Melkee vitonen.
bleh
up there with 1 of the best albums of all time, just awesome
Big fan of Lou Reed. This album rides. Classic tracks “Perfect Day” and “Walk on the wild side” still banging 50 yrs later