Transformer

Unique

Has a voice of that 80’s kinda slick, kinda hungover but still singing vibes. Almost sounds like the Smiths. 3.2

Walk on the Wild Side - banger. The rest was very meh for me. I'd give it a shade under 3 stars, too.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Although this album contains three legendary tracks, many of the songs on this album are absolutely horrible, with hindsight.

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 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

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

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

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

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.

It was ok

ganz nett aber nit sooo memorable for me

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.

Groovy!

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

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.

This was a lot more fun than I remembered, really tuneful and light hearted.

Walk on the Wild Side was their one hit wonder.

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.

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

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.

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.

Never been my cup of tea but it does have a couple good tunes on it.

Love Take a Walk On The Wild side, but everything else was just okay.

Tribe called quest!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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)

Just okay--had higher (unreasonble?) expectations. Perhaps too ubiquitous in its influence.

Great album! Too bad Lou Reed turned out to be such a huge jerk.

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.

I wasn’t really paying attention so it’s a 5/10

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

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.

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

Ja op de paar nummers die ik ken na vond ik het mediun

Goofy ass album maar op zich wel lenker

Zitten wel paar leuke nummers tussen!

Alright album that mixes New York folk rock, cabaret, and glam. A couple of memorable tracks like Perfect Day, but not all that memorable.

Good

Honestly pretty good

Fun album. Sounds like a depressed clown smoked weed and got the whole circus to record this album

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

Decent. I liked Satellite of Love and a few of the rockier songs.

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 think this is popular now because of Bowie's influence, but I found this boring

the male version of joni

Iha jees. Paljo hittei löyty tästä.

Best Song: Walk On The Wild Side. Here I am learning that not only does "Can I Kick It?" sample a Lou Reed song, but that the original is actually pretty damn good. Worst Song: Satellite of Love. This felt like a failed Bowie impersonation. Overall: Better than I expected, but still not as good as the other "gruff male singer-songwriters" that I inevitably compare him too, like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Cave.

It has it’s ups and downs, but overall a nice melodies and great lyrics.

Surprised how little i liked this album. Sometimes Lou Reed/Velvet Underground really do it for me: perfect day, walk on the wild side, and rock & roll.

‘Vicious’ was a failed effort of a heavy-hitter… but the songs that were too relaxed just ended up being boring. His sweet spot seems to be somewhere in the middle. ‘Perfect Day’, ‘Satellite Of Love’, and ‘Wagon Wheel’ are good examples of the kind of energy that really seem to work for him. The album is a mixed bag but it had its moments and I can appreciate his effort for variety. Nothing I would add to a playlist but was somewhat impressed at the overall vibe despite the lackluster singing and bad first impression.

This album has its good tracks but most of them are just ok.

there are better vu records

The voice doesn't do it for me

Interesting listen with a few good tracks

fine but it sounds kinda basic

Pretty good with a couple stand out songs like Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side. The Tuba instead of the bass was kinda fun to hear but a little distracting at the same time.

A few classic tunes. Great album.

I was a little surprised by this, but in a good way. Knew Walk on the Wildside of course, but wasn't as familiar with what surrounded it. I didn't know the history with Bowie and Ronson either, and how it was considered "glam". Solid

I liked his voice, the songs were nice "Make up" stood out to me because at the moment Im talking to a girl 😢things aren't going as well though. I'm sure if I were born earlier I would've loved this album, but it's pretty solid to me. 1/1001

I like The VU, and I bought this album plus New York back in the day, but Lou's talking-singing bothers me more than it used to. Without "Walk on the Wild Side", this album would be 3 stars tops, maybe even 2. With that one song, it might could squeak into the 4 star vicinity, but it doesn't belong on par with a lot of other 4 star albums, so I'm keeping it at 3.

I actually knew a handful of the songs without realizing it was him. Also, a few lyrics sounded like some that others have sung or taken for their own renditions. Overall, would and should take a second listen.

Never really liked this album much and a couple of decades of not listening to it haven't really helped. There's one great song (Perfect Day), a couple of good ones (Walk on the Wild Side and Satellite of Love), then there's the rest of the album, which is a bit dull. I can hear Bowie's influence, which for me is a bad thing I'm afraid.

eh it was fine

It was fine. A few great tracks with a number of forgettable ones.

=klassik rock +perfect day ist gut -lowkey boring -stimme is mid

Perfect day, perfect song. Viscous is good. Love the raw early indie rock sound. Hangin’ round is fun. Tuba on makeup is good addition. I like satellite of love.

Added 3 songs to liked. Walk on the wild side is can you kick it?! So cool.

Interesting album, not my cup of tea but some good songs. Always loved Walk on the Wild Side

Pretty, pretty, pretty good

Great instrumentation, great production, even some interesting lyrics/subject matter, but Lou Reed just cannot sing.

Yes, some nice songs/classic. But I am not a fan of the style :(. 3,5 Stars

Walk on the Wild Side and perfect day are iconic but the rest of the album is dragging down my rating.

A couple standout tracks, but for the most part the vocals don't resonate with me.

The Bowie production really really comes through, half these songs sound like his anyway. Solid

Good album, I'm just not a Lou Reed fan.

The music and his voice convey the same feeling of cynicism with happy melodies slowed way down to a almost creepy uneasy tempo, and his sometimes happy or whimsical lyrics sand with his dark, behind the beat style of singing.

Not bad, I liked the instrumentation on the songs and the talky vocals. The bouncy feeling on New York Telephone Conversation and Goodnight Ladies is interesting, I'm not sure how I feel about them at the time of writing this. Overall not really my type of music or a genre I'm familiar with. Fave track(s): Vicious, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, I'm So Free Least fave track(s): N/A

The best he ever did solo-wise, but as with everything else he did, the final results are undercut by an excess of trying too hard. It's creative and interesting, sure and arty, but also more than a little pretentious and contrived and synthetic (especially the faux and feckless androgyny). 4 very good songs, several mediocre ones, and the just-awful, anti-earworm "NY Phone Conversation," of which one can only ask, why?

some delightful bangers in there

Täytyy sanoa, että tää on kestänyt aikaa ehkä vähän huonosti. Tosi kivoja biisejä, mutta joku veto tuntuu puuttuvan koko hommasta. Kyllä tästä silti nautti, mutta kolmoseen jää.

Couple of iconic songs, interesting 70s album but I doubt I’ll revisit it.

Honestly a mediocre album.

New to me apart from the famous singles. A banging start to the album with ‘Vicious’. The David Bowie influence is clear! Always loved the iconic ‘Perfect Day’, ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and ‘Satellite of Love’. I might have been tempted to dish out a 4 star rating, but ‘Make Up’ and ‘New York Conversation’ are just poor album fillers, and the album tails off.

This was a pretty good rock album, but not by any means my favourite. I don't know why, but something didn't quite click with me. The lyrics were well-written and funny, though sometimes they felt a little childish in their nature. I think I'll come back to this at some point though - I think I'm missing something, and maybe it'll jell with me better on a different day. Walk On the Wild Side is great though. Favourite: Walk On the Wild Side

Eh. It was a fun listen but not really up my alley. The lyrics were a little incoherent.

I love theVvelvet Underground and lots of other 70's "punk" but Lou Reed's solo projects don't hit the same satisfaction for me. Some of these songs just make me feel gross, "Make Up" especially. The Bowie collab/background vocals were cool. But overall

The beginning of the 1970s brought about a change in music. Audiences wanted a more lively concert experience, and glam rock was created as a response. David Bowie was probably the most prominent Glam artist from this time period. Bowie was very influenced by Lou Reed's Velvet Underground. However, the Velvet Underground were split up by the time Bowie achieved mainstream success, and Lou Reed was having a hard time finding success as a solo artist. The two struck a friendship, and Bowie decided to not only promote Reed's music, but also produce his sophomore effort "Transformer". This record is commonly classified as a "Glam Rock" record. I don't think it fits within that classification too well. I think it's more of an example of early indie rock. This record definitely inspired many 90s indie bands such as Pavement. Lou Reed's monotone, almost disinterested vocals and witty lyrics are the focal point of this record. Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. Hip Hop fans may recognize the bass line on the track "Walk on the Wild Side".

# 33 : Some good up beat stuff, and then some slow boring stuff I just wanted to skip, ultimately not a bad album - better then average perhaps? Walk On The Wild Side

I guess this is pretty good. I never understood the VU/Lou Reed thing very well. Cannot say it's bad, but also not spectacular.

I enjoy Reed's tendency to produce "minimalist" rock with lyrics that cover a variety of sometimes controversial topics. His vocal range is modest and his voice tends to be quiet, which adds to the appeal of the songs.

Liked but didn't love

Some pretty meta songs. Some pretty meh songs. Was pretty excited for this one bc i am familiar with his popular songs. nothing else really stood out tho

Enjoyed this. Will listen again

Je trouve un peu drôle le fait que la pièce que j'ai le moins aimé de l'album était Take A Walk On The Wild Side, le reste j'ai bien apprécié. Sa voix reste toujours un goût acquis pour moi, mais j'ai trouvé ça a passé vraiment mieux que Berlin. 7/10

Genres: Glam rock, pop rock Formed: 1970 (Solo) Run time: 11 songs, 36 min, 51 sec This was his second album as a solo artist. He was formerly with the Velvet Underground. Lou Reed is another artist who’s voice is instantly recognisable. The album produced two singles: "Walk on the Wild Side"/"Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love". The least popular songs have 4.1M plays, whilst the most popular is track 5, “Walk On The Wild Side” with over 400M plays on Spotify. I like songs that tell a story and track 5, "Walk on the Wild Side" is amongst the best I’ve ever heard. The content of the song is not so shocking in 2023 when we are all aware of the LGBT community, but back then I imagine it must have been outrageous. Track 4, "New York Telephone Conversation" is not a rock song. It sounds like the sort of thing a comedian would sing as part of their set. Who thought it should be included on the album? Track 6, "Goodnight Ladies" is a jazz track. It isn’t anything profound but it seems like a good light-hearted way to finish the album. There are some phenomenal songs on this album, some good and most of the others are OK. Listen Again?: No, but I will listen to a Best Of… My Rating: ***

Al een stuk beter dat die eerdere Lou Reed-plaat. Muzikaal zakt het nergens in, en 'Perfect day' werd een evergreen. De onderwerpkeuze is niet helemaal de mijne, al kan ik 'Walk on the wild side' sinds de cover door Herman Havermout ('Hallo ik heeft een nieuwe aftersjeeft') niet meer al te serieus nemen.

Een bijzondere, wat droevige stem. Niet perse mijn smaak. Als hij wat anders met zijn stem probeert, lijkt het wat te verdraaien. Hij zit er aan vast...Hij lijkt het wat te compenseren in thema en muziek, zonder dat het echt te blij wordt. Daar redt hij voor mij de plaat mee.

Wat Lou Reed redelijk uniek maakt, is zijn manier van zingen. Hoe hard hij ook probeert om een vrolijk nummer te maken, zijn stemgeluid maakt het nummer bijna altijd somber. Als een soort Marcel van Roosmalen die zingt. Of een soort duistere David Bowie. En op een enkel nummer klinkt het helemaal idioot, als een duistere Kermit de Kikker (NY telephone conversation). Het heeft iets melancholisch en treurigs. Maar Perfect Day is een van de mooiste nummers ooit geschreven en ook met Satellite of Love herbergt het album een pareltje.

perfect day is a masterpiece and vicious is cool but there’s a lot of dreck and the degenerate vibe is just gross

Transformer by Lou Reed is a seminal album that showcases his artistic brilliance and boundary-pushing creativity. Released in 1972, it captures Reed's distinctive blend of gritty rock and poetic lyricism. Tracks like "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" are enduring classics, with their mesmerizing melodies and thought-provoking narratives. The album's production, courtesy of David Bowie and Mick Ronson, is polished and vibrant, enhancing Reed's unique vision. Transformer remains a testament to Reed's influence on alternative music, with its daring exploration of taboo subjects and its ability to captivate listeners with its raw honesty and musical innovation.

Good songs, middling album. I don't know...

The older I get the more I appreciate Lou Reed's music. This is by far the best stuff that I have heard of his. For his time period and the prog/glam rock artists that were popular around that time, Reed would have been a breath of fresh air. 2023 though, it is middle of the road stuff.

So belters in here, combined by some odd tracks.

De twee grote hits zijn super. De rest van het album verbleekt er wel een beetje bij. Vrijdag geluisterd en ik herinner me alleen de 2 hits. Een 3 is eigenlijk te laag, maar een 4 kan ik het niet geven.

Love the Velvets. Not too sure about this. The songs are a bit samey and... boring. That last song is one of the worst I've heard for a while. Saved by Perfect day and Satellite of Love.

-vicious was a cool song -i don’t think i’ve listened to lou reed before? -but i definitely know of him -love that it sounds like he isn’t trying to sing -thats not a read i promise -favorites: vicious -i’ve heard walk on the wild side before -i like how chill all of these songs are

It was interesting to find out that Bowie was one of the producers on this album, to me there isn't too much of him in there. I believe it's too much of Reed trying to have that glam sound, with the overexposed image on the front cover along with the understated sound of each of the tracks - Bowie could never. Best: Walk On The Wild Side Worst: Goodnight Ladies

Conversational Bowie produced glam. Walk on the Wild Side was the highlight of this album. 2.8/5

I sometimes forget how strange Lou Reed can get, lyrically and instrumentally. It’s good, not crazy. 3/5.

A pretty good album start to finish. Leans rock but grabs influences from other genres to keep things varied and interesting.

Interesting album. I had only heard "Walk On the Wild Side" previously, and I did not expect him to vary so much stylistically. I also thought it was a pretty risky song lyrically for the time, so I was pretty surprised by the lyrics of "Vicious". I feel like in many ways, this album is predictive of 90s alternative music. The incorporation of horns, drastically varied styles within a single album, nonsensical and sometimes offensive lyrics, and especially Reed's vocal delivery. His style on many songs reminded me of John McCrea from Cake, both in timbre and in his deadpan delivery. I did not absolutely love the album, but it had its high points and it was worth listening to. Full marks for creativity and risk-taking, but only a moderately pleasant listening experience.

Transformer. Sometimes it's a nice, heartfelt rock. But sometimes, it transforms into a boring, generic noise.

Cool listening. Mirá vos, tres hitazos y yo ni idea que eran del mismo disco.

Love this but too bad there's one too many mid songs

I hate to rate everything 3*, because there were good songs on this album, but overall it was a bit too weird for me to rate it higher.

"Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" are the two I recognized the most on the album. Overall I thought it was just alright - never a huge fan of Lou Reed's music and this album is not absolved of having any clunkers... in fact there were a few. 5/10.

Not my artist, but a few very good songs!

David Bowie being a producer on this album is not surprising, I could hear the similarities from the first track. This album definitely had some dull tracks that I could have done without, but also quite a fair few good psychedelic, proto-glam songs. The good songs weren't particularly deep or thought-provoking for the most part, but they were fun listens, save for "Walk on the Wild Side"; this song was hitting on some interesting topics for 1972. All in all, everything here gives a very cabaret-esque vibe, and I am not mad about it.

Seemed like a love letter to New York

aight

Couple of classic tracks enjoyable

1 Vicious [8/10] 2 Andy's Chest [7/10] 3 Perfect Day [9/10] 4 Hangin' 'Round [7/10] 5 Walk on the Wild Side [7.5/10] 6 Make Up [7/10] 7 Satellite of Love [9/10] 8 Wagon Wheel [7/10] 9 New York Telephone Conversation [6.5/10] 10 I'm So Free [7/10] 11 Goodnight Ladies [7/10]

This was honestly rather enjoyable

Hell yeah been meaning to listen to this for ages. Executive produced by David Bowie and Andy Warhol. Madness. mane. I wanted to love this album but on first listen it just didn't click. I'll listen again in the good headphones before commenting anything. oh yeah this album sounds so much better in good headphones. thank god I decided to revisit. bass in track 2 sounds wonderful everything in perfect day sounds amazing to the core. perfect day is perhaps a perfect song. you're going to reap just what you sow. all in all there were quite a few songs I didn't care for after these couple listens but man im so glad I decided to revisit with good headphones. I was going to give this album a 2 stars and never listen to it or think about it again. some of these songs are genuinely incredible. enjoyed perfect day, walk on the wild side, make up, satellite of love, goodnight ladies

On tämä kyllä hyvä levy. Parempi kuin Bowie samoihin aikoihin. Välillä turhan musikaali.

En yksinkertaisesti jaksa Walk On the Wild Sidea. Muuten tämä levy toimii hienosti kokonaisuutena, ja, kamoon, sisältää Perfect Dayn, mikä antaa anteeksi Reedin ajoittaiset hairahdukset ja "luovuuden" hetket.

Couple notable tracks but typical lou reed.

Cet album de Lou Reed était absolument nul, n'en déplaise à robjachère et ses goûts musicaux de merde. La semaine ne pouvait pas plus mal commencer.

Probably the most iconic Lou Reed album, really shows who he was as an artist at that time and his authenticity. You can really hear the Bowie sound in this album. A suiting collaboration. However, the minimalism in the sound in 2023 makes it hard to stand as a super strong album.

A album that carries a certain name and hype to it. Overall it wasn't necessarily that it couldn't fulfill it but it was just personally not really my cup of tea

Huh, I always thought Lou Reed was the name of a jazz musician. “Because you know what they say about honey bears, when you shave off all their baby hair, you have a hairy minded big bare bear”

3/5 this was a hard review because I genuinely liked a lot of the music but his voice is so obnoxious throughout most of it. Some lyrics were absolutely, WTF. Some were thoughtful or funny. There were a couple of songs I will listen to again so I almost wanted to give a 4 but I don't thing overall it's *that* good.

Not quite a 4 star album but seemed too good for a 3. I mildly enjoyed this although there was an irritating song (perhaps the last one) so can't say it was flawless in that respect. Not as bad as I expected so relieved, phew.

Oh Lordy Lou, you were a powerful influence over the music scene and I'm thankful for that. I just don't dine enthusiastically on your offerings.

I'm not a fan of the Velvet Underground, but when Reed got Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce this album its golden. Walk on the wild side is his best song (ever) of course, but you can hear Bowie's influence on Vicious and Satellite of love. The remainder of the album is just aight though. I would almost give this album 4 stars for Walk on the wild side alone, but my criteria for 4 stars is an album that I would put on repeat.. repeatedly, but alas this doesn't quite get there for me.

I only ever knew Lou Reed by name before, but after exploring this album (and some Googling), I know a lot more of him. So many hits on this album, and then some good deep tracks too. This will be in my rotation for chilling-out music.

Quite gentle quite nice

Disappointed to be honest

I liked the songs Walk on the Wild Side and Goodnight Ladies on this album. I enjoyed the album as I worked.

va

it was a nice album but for some reason it just didn't click completely, i might have to try it again at some point. favorite song was vicious, i liked that one a lot more than the rest of the album

Lou Reed just epitomizes art rock. Definitely worth a listen. Could grow on me with further listens Favorites: perfect day, satellite of love, I’m so free

I didn’t know Lou Reed was in Velvet Underground. I also didn’t know that Lou Reed knew David Bowie Also that He was gay

Great album

A better solo outing from Lou as opposed to ‘Berlin.’ Varied tempos and interesting ideas keep this LP moving right along, experimenting just a little bit less than I would still like from the Velvet Underground frontman but still coming together to form a mildly gripping listen.

sadece iki sarki begenmisim: perfect day ve make up ama fena degildi sanirim ders calisarak dinledigim icin akti

Did not hate that, but not a fan of Lou Reeds singing. Some songs were nice.

I like the fuzzy, sleazy sound, but the cabaret-esque poppy stuff doesn’t do it for me.

Quite enjoyable album but a walk on the wild side is a clear highlight for me so probably closer to 3.5 stars than 3 stars

Well I definitely enjoyed this more than Berlin. "Walk on the wild side" is the standout track, and I found even more to appreciate on a close listen. But none of the other tracks did it for me in the same way. So while I'd happily listen to the album again if someone put it on, I wouldn't reach for it myself. 3.5 stars.

legal, algumas bem lentas, outras boas. Vicious Andy's Chest Hagin Round Walk on the wild side

3.0

Good

Ok. I don't "get" Velvet Underground I guess because their music has never really grabbed me. Probably revolutionary as far as social commentary but the music itself? meh

Some great hits off this one

A collection of stories about people.

Ouderwetse rockmuziek of moderne rock'n'roll. Doet me een beetje aan de Rolling Stones denken. Klinkt prima maar niet heel bijzonder. ***

Not entirely my thing, but a great album nonetheless.

Don't remember my thoughts, but decent.

I’ve never been a big fan of Lou Reed’s voice but otherwise, I liked this. I probably need to devote some time listening to him and The Velvet Underground since both are so influential and I know basically nothing about them.

Cool album liked the arrangement with horns.

3,5, manche absoluter banger aber andere taugn mir ned sooo

I’d listen to it again.

A few bangers, but overall not my cup of tea. Those bangers are real bangers though.

Walk On the Wild Side always freaks me out a bit for some reason, but within the album and with a little more context it makes more sense. Solid album from top to bottom, and really enjoyable.

Solid

Pretty okay

I found Reed's lyrics to be original and creative, which makes his music stand out from most songs you hear on the airwaves today. But the music itself just didn't hook me. Not a bad album, but not a standout to me either.

Couple good songs. Was expecting more.

It was nice. Im rly getting lazy with these :p nothing to complain thougj

Perfect Day best song. How has Walk on the Wild Side got more listens?

Good listening

I really like Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side is hard to judge because it's so familiar. I enjoy some of the other songs, especially the top half, but am more ambivalent about the rest. I don't hate any of it. 2.5 stars for being fine, rounding up for the Bowie vibes which I are most welcome.

Lou Reed writes songs like he’s trying to meet a word count.

Was alright. Not a fan of the sonic texture

Pretty interesting album by Lou Reed. The sound and impact of his music could be heard throughout this album. Some of the bass lines and instrumentals have been heard before. The songs themselves are very similar to reeds style and the velvet underground. Solid album with some songs worth revisiting. 6.8/10

Overall a Good album, with the most notable songs being: 1. Walk On the wild side 2. vicious with honorable mentions going to: 1. satellite of love 2. Goodnight Ladies Notes: Reminds me a lot of David Bowie at times also some Beatles vibes as well

Boring album

6/10 - Best Songs: Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Vicious

Mellow glamrock. ' Walk On the Wild Side' Album makes me think of Bowie with a cup of tea.

Enjoyed the album, however only a few songs really stood out. Should listen again soon.

Couple of excellent tracks on here. But some really odd lyrics on others. I will say that the production quality is excellent, Bowies hand showing.

Album was ok. Nothing that made me want to jump and listen to more. 1. Vicious 2. Andy's Chest 3. Hangin' Round

good

Some really good classics. A bit too show tuney towards the end for me.

Vicious, Walk on the Wild Side and Satellite of Love are really strong. The other pieces have a sparse Lou Reed flair and are interesting, but don't really do much for me. New York Telephone Conversation is annoying.

If Where the Wild Things Are was an album for adults. A brewing island of monsters that allows for our grumps and shadows.

Started with a bang but felt it dragged on a bit the further I got into it. Really wanted to like this more.

Ok - I can see why this is a classic and how radical it was for 1972, but the hits are the standouts and I already knew them

I have immense respect for the personnel of this album, so the listening experience was a little bit of a letdown. It's solid, doubtless, and the blend of tracks-that-would-become-hits and deep-but-good-cuts is nice. But it ends up sounding a bit thin; Perhaps I was expecting too much Iggy thanks to the Bowie involvement.

Mixed bag. Some twee weird stuff and some bangers. OK. Was expecting more as a fan of the velvet and the singles.

I felt the first half of this album was stronger, some well-known classic tracks, but it petered out a bit towards the end.

Interesting album, some well known tunes with Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side. Lou Reed has a unique vibe, some of the songs got a bit goofy but overall it was a fun listen.

There are some great songs on this album. But also some nonsense songs in between. Probably would be a 4 in a certain mood but I'll go for 3.

I think that Lou Reed in general is a talented musician and songwriter. I generally like his music, and there are covers of his songs that I enjoy. I think I heard U2's cover of "Satellite of Love” before I heard Reed's version off of this album. I have listened to this album at least once before, because I wanted to see what else came with the infectious hooks from "Walk on the Wild Side”. I'm a little nervous to listen closely to Reed's lyrics. The music is good, but I don't want to know what he's actually singing about.

The best of the album is on the first track.

Creative and interesting, arty and glam, but, like everything involving Lou Reed, there’s more than a little pretension involved. Plus, it’s a bit over-indexed on Weimar/Berlin Babylon cabaret songs (as well as being oversexed, generally). The record seems to do what it sets out to do, but it all feels very much like playacting, with LR being coy about how camp he wants to be and placing style over substance (maybe blame Bowie for that). This is maybe the best thing he ever did, but it doesn’t fully preclude my view that he’s a little too famous for being famous and rode the VU’s and Bowie’s coattails. 3.4 for 3.

Some very strong songs (Beautiful Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love), some okay ones, and a few slow tuba-driven strange songs. A solid piece of rock history.

There are three and half really good songs on here. It should have been an LP, because the rest of it is super dumb. Like, really, really dumb. Best track: Satellite of Love

I like Lou Reed a lot actually, but I found this album as a whole detracts from the merit of the few really great songs on it. There’s rambling chords, goofy lyrics, low-effort tracks that take away from the big pictures presented in “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Perfect Day” that are actually really beautiful and well-thought-out. I like this depiction of beauty in the gritty underbelly of night life, like Tom Waits expertly pinpoints. However, I wish that the tracks surrounding these gems appropriately supported them musically, unfortunately I think as a whole this album earns a 3.

Hard to judge this album. I don't think there is a single song on here that I liked at first listen. Most of them I still don't like after several listens, but there are a few that grew on me. I have to give the benefit of the doubt and assume that that is on purpose, but I still find this mostly hard to listen to.

Nem terminei de ouvir

Something about Lou Reed and the Andy Warhol crew that I don't like is the jaded cooler-than-everyone attitude. Neither of them were really doing anything so groundbreaking that it should warrant that, in my opinion. That's on one hand, on the other hand I love when people have something to say and find a way to say it using whatever skills they have. Whether that's screen-printing a tomato soup can or telling a story while clumsily playing the guitar. There are some good stories being told and some good melodies on this record.

Not super impressed by the vocals...a bit too "talk singing"...but, despite some songs being way stranger than others, I can't deny that I really enjoy the style and the vibe of his music

Turns out I know some Lout Reed songs. This was a really good album all around.

I liked vicious, perfect day, and wild side. But dang is this guy creepy. Definitely has a foot fetish and keeps rhyming toes with nose.

'I wanna be your dog and eigenlijk nog meer No fun zijn echt top, de rest waren meer opvullers.

Prima album!

Staan een paar mooie nummers op!

Prefer him in a band

Aside from the racism, it wasn't terrible.

De repente, esporádicamente, me recuerdan a los strokes

Lou is truly something else. Not a perfect album, couple fun tracks.

A pioneer for sure - Walk on the Wild Side is an absolute staple of the early rock scene and has been influential to so many future artists. One thing worth noting is the insane variety on this album - the dissonance between the tracks is challenging and yet very entertaining. Imagine being at a live show and going from the iconic hits to the downright Sesame Street "New York Telephone Conversation." A cheery reminder that Lou Reed is all at once thoroughly rock-and-roll and also quite embracing of his Rabinowitz self. It's always fascinating to me when artists have more success as solo performers. Lou Reed's #1s will always be bigger than The Velvet Undergrounds, even if both are important to the history of rock.

Standouts - Hangin' Round; Goodnight Ladies Some nice instrumental sections including strings and tuba Lyrics are kinda funny sometimes, but I don't know if that was intentional or not

Fine, but really all the songs sound the same. The first song Vicious was very dancy, but they all really blended together.

Estilo rock-suave. Buena voz y tranquilo de escuchar. Le falta algo de fuerza

6/10

I always forget how many hook-ish songs Lou Reed wrote. Perfect Day is one of those songs. So are Wild Side and Satellite of Love. I never think I'm going to really like a Lou Reed record, but then I listen to it and I do.

This is such a weird album. The songs that made it to the radio (perfect day, wild side, satellite) are classics and stand up today. The others are cringey are best and just flat out bad in some cases. Lou Reed is definitely a unique experience and I think you have to have a specific mindset to fully grasp it. Maybe I don’t have that. 3/5 mostly pulled by those three songs.

Nice

I actually low key loved this. Reminded me of The Strokes in 2002 (don’t @ me). Sometimes dark, very bouncy, but thoroughly fun and enjoyable. Solid as hell.

Mix of fun and cool. The joy of tubas.

Some songs better than others

Pretty good for a whiney old punk.

Nice, fairly chill, easy listening. Nothing standout though. Perfect Day and Wagon Wheel best songs on the album.

Some classics interspersed with some average but far far more enjoyable than I expected and will definitely revisit some of this

Pretty good, he has a nice voice. 1RS

This is an album I admire than I love. Plus I remember listening when I was 15 or so which makes me feel old. It was a tape I found in a drawer and listened to on a Walkman. Really like I m so free. Bit over exposed to many of the others

Loved Walk on the wild side -that’s it!!

Here's a genuine classic. I've heard it before, there are some undeniable jams on here. Vicious especially, that was my big takeaway the last time I heard this. Of course, you've got Shed a Light on Love, Perfect Day from Trainspotting, and Walk on the Wild Side, infamously sampled by ATCQ on "Can I Kick It." I was really hoping I'd love this today, but the lows on here are pretty low. Songs like NY Telephone Conversation, Make Up, and Goodnight Ladies are all pretty unlistenable. Lou Reed has such a strange voice; I can look past it when the music is engaging, but when the music is weak his voice sounds even weaker. I respect this album, I think it deserves its place on here, but I can't quite bring myself to give it four stars. I just wasn't feeling it overall. Favorite tracks: Vicious, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Perfect Day. Album art: Absolutely iconic. I've always loved this one. So bold, such a strong cover. I really wish I enjoyed the music more because I'd love to have an album looking like THIS on vinyl. 3.5/5

listening to it right now. i expected it to be a lot more similar to Walk On the Wild Side which is his one song i know off this album, and it is definitely not anything like these songs. not complaining though

Wel aardig maar niet waar ik zelf graag naar luister

Clearly ahead of its time with the subject matter. Although Walk on the Wild Side is by far the most widely known track, I think it also fits Reeds voice the best.

Nice

With the monumental Velvet Underground behind him, Lou Reed has moved on to do his own thing. A lot of these are perfectly good songs but Walk on the Wild Side is a bonafide classic. Overall though, I'm not all that impressed with the music. Around this time Bowie was doing Ziggy Stardust and that blows Transformer out the water imo. Side B is a bit more theatrical and fun than side A, but the whole product still stands on it's own.

perfect day está guapa el resto meh

May not have aged the best, nor is Lou Reeds voice my favorite thing on the planet. But the writing and vocals are weird, which I did enjoy quite a bit. Listened to it twice back to back. I liked it more so the second time around, especially once I got used to it.

J'aurai pensé plus aimé, dommage Je connais 2 singles, sinon je me fais plutôt chier. Mais bon il y a de jolis instruments des fois. Apparemment les paroles sont poétiques, m'enfin moi ça m'intéresse pas trop. Fav : les 2 singles + goodnight ladies un peu, on dirait un pixar.

I enjoyed it! Some fun ideas in the songs and that, I like 'perfect day' it reminds me of being in choir with chole and singing it in primary school

Enjoyed it

Some classics interspersed with some average but far far more enjoyable than I expected and will definitely revisit some of this

Some of it I really liked, and some not so much

Saved Prior: Walk On the Wild Side Off Rip: Andy's Chest, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love Cutting Edge: Goodnight Ladies Overall Notes: About what I expected knowing Walk On the Wild Side. Songs I liked, songs I didn't, wide-reaching influence.

Je voulais mettre 3,5 mais bon... ^^

Bit of a hit and miss album but on the whole, I enjoyed it.

Musiquita del lejano oeste xD

It was ok.

Musically transformer is interesting. It's a bit like someone with a bit of musical skill rambling. Lou's Perfect Day made me feel sad. Walk On the Wild Side is a classic that I don't have in my library, and now I know which album it's from. He sounds like a musical version of Quagmire from Family Guy. "slick little girl" and "goodnight ladies" are some of the lyrics that gave me that feeling. In the end, the music was good, but the singing was a bit lazy.

This album has Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side on it, both of which are stone cold classics. The former is a particular favourite (thanks BBC). Otherwise, this album is fine, but nowhere near that standard. I like Lou Reed's voice and can hear the Bowie influence in the production. 3/5

Its cool. Walk On The Wild Side is a generational tune. The Bowie connection on this album is strong. Its a good album that has that late 70's new york city metro sexual vibe.

nadie ha hecho mas con 3 notas

Underwhelming from reputation but soulful. 6/10

That one song I hear so often on TV or commercials was pretty fun

Ok

not that even of an album but great overall with a couple of great hits

He looks like Frankenstein’s monster on the cover. Besides “Perfect Day” and “Walk On The Wild Side” (which are both fantastic) and to a lesser extent “Satellite of Love” and maybe “Goodnight Ladies” (for its weirdness), this album kind of sucks. Like quickly scrawled high school lyrics mangled and shoehorned to fit over basic power chord guitar music.

Weird album - half the songs are twee naffness, and the other half are incredible!? Fave track - "Perfect Day"

Liked only 3 tracks