Reviews (page 3 of 14)
I really like its rhythm and flow but it is not my cup of tea
Angst, cynicism, dark humour. It reminds me of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Reed’s stark figure on the cover evokes the image of the 1931 Frankenstein, a monster of a modern, post-war age.
Been listening to this one since I was a teenager, and my perception of it has changed a lot through the years. What hasn't changed is that 'Perfect Day' is a perfect song, and maybe the best one ever written.
Encore une fois assez plat, pas désagréable mais je ressens pas une originalité de fou ni une énergie particulière. Certains sons font même un peu contine pour enfant donc ouais honnêtement pas dingue. Meme les sons censé être les plus connus sont mid. Ça me semble beaucoup moins bien que du Beatles ou autre artiste du même style à la meme époque mais bon on verra.
It's easy to remember this album as being overrated, until you listen to it again.
#390/1001. Probably the best post Velvet Lou Reed album out there. I tried to listen to some of them but they were quite meh. Here we have 2 eternal classics, which is 2 more than most albums. His image and songs don't always match, but I guess that is part of the charm.
I thought I only knew Walk on the Wild Side but I actually know quite a few of these. Solid album.
Depresif ama neşeli. Melankolik ve sevimli. Neden klasik olduğunu anladım.
Not really a fan of this one
Still trying to catchup Today I had the pleasure of Lou Reed - Transformer (1972) Great album. The 3 singles ( perfect day, walk on the wild side, satellite of love) are the best tracks. Loved the sax and other wind instruments. Lou in great voice at this stage of life. Standout track: Satellite of Love ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A few strong songs (wild side, perfect day) dont really recover this album fully for me. I’m not the biggest fan of his voice, and the Velvet have never been a huge one for me. Overall it was a fine semi accounting simpler album with a few nice onesies
Perfect for a cozy rainy day
Lou Reed is one of those artists that I recognize is wildly influential, and I really enjoy some of his songs, but I also have a hard time listening to him for a long time. I did prefer this to some of his other works though.
um soft rockzinho legal
algumas músicas foram ok acho q é mais influente por conta das pessoas envolvidas no álbum mas n é pra mim
Booty
i know exactly where i can play this song in ny
I really enjoyed this album. Every song was good -great. A good mix some hard rock sounding songs and some fun, weird and out there ones. I think I'll revisit this one in the future. Best song was Perfect Day which I knew from Trainspotting, still love that song but I really enjoyed this album. I'll give it 3 stars 🌟🌟🌟
epicardovich nardo
I've always loved "Take a walk on the wild side" but first time listening to this in full. I dig it quite a bit! Usually I'm very turned off by singers that can't sing well but I don't know, his voice just works?
I feel similarly about Lou Reed as I do about Velvet Underground. I feel like I should really like him but just don't. I like a couple songs on this album but I think his talk-singing gets old to me. Not bad but not good.
8.5/10
First album I actually liked
Konnte ich leider nicht ganz fertig hőren, war aber ganz okay nir nicht so ganz mein fall
Here's where Lou found his voice, thanks to an assist from David Bowie and Mick Ronson, who seem to have tamed the wilder instincts Reed brought to his Velvet Underground efforts and helped him focus on telling timeless stories about people we might meet everyday ("New York Telephone Conversation") and people the likes of which we might never have the good fortune to run across ("Walk on the Wild Side"). An absolute top-tier, essential album.
I wasn’t big on it. There was some good songs on it, but I like his stuff with Velvet Underground much more. Overall, I would give it a 2.8/5!
I like Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground a lot, but it’s not always what I’m in the mood for. This is such a strong album, my first time listening to it all the way through. Love the production by Bowie.
klassiker ikoniske låter 70-talls lydbilde veldig fremoverrettet
As excellent as this is I’m still a tiny bit torn on it because it seems less like a Lou Reed record than a Lou Reed Wearing A David Bowie Suit record. Bowie produced it, and while I’m sure Lou definitely put his own stamp on the recording (I mean, the lyrics to “Walk on the Wild Side” prove that) it’s hard to tell where Lou ends and David begins. The same thing happened with Iggy Pop’s two ’77 records, although there Bowie had an even bigger role. Still, this is wonderful stuff, without a single weak track, it’s a classic, etc…but if you want pure-strain Lou, go somewhere else – there’s a reason why this is far and away Lou’s most popular record, because Lou’s music (aside from this album) was largely structured to avoid popularity by design. Best track: “Perfect Day”
What a funny and so eclectic album! I've loved every single track, and it's also been a very enjoyable one, with so many layers in which to dive and warm your ears. It's truly a masterpiece and, surely, a perfect album: every single song is great and a different sound within the album, which is a very glam record, with some very theatrical moments, other more jazz-inspired songs, some psychedelia... Such an amazing musical experience, for sure. Lou Reed is such a great composer with a very big talent, and this album is a manifestation of one of the many forms his music can turn into, being bewitching and extraordinary. And such a pleasure to listen too.
I groaned when I saw this album, but I enjoyed it more than I thought i would. Lou Reed's monotone voice was more calming than monotonous. I knew a couple of the songs, and have a cover on the tip of my tongue "you just keep me hanging on" but I can't place it.
6.5/10 It matched the vibe of the post dewy morning, and i'm suprised i actually enjoyed this genre
8 / 10
No sabía que conocía tantos temas de Lou Reed
Imagine what the cultural zietgiest would be if Make Up was the one that made it into the public conscious instead of Walk On The Wild Side. Also Lou Reed is kinda terrible at singing???
Good album. Terrible vocals. Recorded well
Same world as Bowie — theatrical, art-rock, voice-as-character rather than voice-as-instrument. Lou Reed also produced by Bowie, also from that early 70s New York scene. Also not someone I'd call a great singer. But something works better here. The vibe is warmer, less posed. "Walk on the Wild Side", "Perfect Day" — genuine hits that earn their place. The album doesn't try as hard to be interesting as it actually is. I apparently own this on vinyl, via my father. Still in the dragon's den. Might be worth retrieving one day. 3/5 — don't quite get it, but this one I can live with.
The A-side was really good. Especially "Perfect Day" is a great song, but also the upbeat rock numbers were very enjoyable. Then, the B-side. What happened here? Didn't dig the tuba. Weaker songs overall. It's a pity. Still, nice find. 3.0/5 - good
Excellent
-has 3+ killer hits -beautifully produced -culturally relevant -great song writing (mostly-I’m looking at you, Vicious) -fun to listen to
gostei bastante, nunca tinha dado atenção pro transformer, fui surpreendido pra caralho música boa pra trabalhar na varanda num dia extremamente frio e trabalhar sentindo frio e usando um fone bizarramente caro que vc comprou pra isolar o máximo possível o som dos aviões
bom demais esse, hein. lou reed mandava DEMAIS na guitarrinha e a sonoridade setentista desse aqui é delícia demais. levemente a frente do tempo, né. lembra um pouco um bowie, né, mas eh doideira pq o lou (e o velvet underground) que influenciaram ele. enfim. bacana e tem o potencial de se tornar um grande escutado por aqui fun fact: tava ouvindo can i kick it - a tribe called quest ONTEM e quando começou "walk on the wild side" eu fiquei UAI MAS EU NAO COLOQUEI A TRIBE DE NOVO... e foi assim que eu descobri qual era o sample. bão demais.
Mehh
Have
4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/lou-reed/transformer/ Little dip towards the end of the album, but my god what a level for the rest. Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Vicious; maannnnnnn so good. RIP legend.
qq bangers dessus
Mi primer pensamiento fue: suena como si bob dylan no fuera aburrido. Se recontra puede escuchar la influencia de bowie a lo largo de todo el album. completamente adelantado a su tiempo. Tengo el vago recuerdo de que algun profe de la facultad me lo haya recomendado o hablado de este album. tal vez es por eso que ya conocía algunas de las canciones. Estaba haciendo los coros de wagon wheel antes de que vengan sin saber que venían acaso soy una master de las armonías?
Inconsistent. This has some of the greatest songs ever recorded (Walk on the Wild Side, SoL, Vicious). Then there are the...silly songs? (Make Up, NY Telephone Conversation, Goodnight Ladies) that have tubas and sound like rejected carnival songs that just take me out of the album. I'm still tempted to give it a 4* rating because the highs are so high, but I just can't get there.
A lot of good in this album
I liked a lot of the songs but a lot of the lyrics brought me in and out of the songs. Specifically Walk On the Wild Side. Goodnight Ladies sucked - did not like that song at all. Easy to listen to, not too harsh on the brain. Lou was an interesting character.
This sounds so generic the 2nd track sounds like ahh It was so bad my spotify started not working to save my ears from this horrid creation. But sadly I had to finish it. Over all 1/5 Would much rather listen to whatever katseye is putting out.
Mostly good
Highlights where New York telephone conservation and I'm so free
Really liked this!
I love this album. Always loved Lou Reed. I remember I was on my way to pick up my friend Katie from her dorm room for a night of debauchery when she called to tell me that he’d moved on. October 27, 2013 was terrible for us Velvet Underground/Lou Reed fans. I cried and she cried also. I was gonna use the word “gritty” when I was going to write my thoughts about Transformer but then I read about the production of the album and the word was used several times in the various articles (Wikipedia) I found. I may not be original but at least I’m not wrong. I love this album. The theatricality and the intimacy of it. It’s perfect poetry and storytelling. It feels like a switchblade in between your fingers.
One I've heard plenty of times before in my youth. All very pleasant. If ever an album belonged on this list, it is this. Nice to hear Bowie backing in Satellite of Love.
Lou Reed is great and this was a pretty fun listen! I don't think it's quite five star level though.
Fairly laid back and inoffensive. Walk on the Wildside is that standout, but rest of the album is not overly exciting. 2 stars
The instrumentals are often a fun vibe, but his voice is atrocious. It works for some tracks but not all, and is a bit much for an entire album. 'Walk on the Wild Side', 'Satellite of Love', 'Wagon Wheel', and 'I’m So Free' are the standouts. 2.5 stars
6/10 - has a couple of classics but I cant remember anything else
I listened in a bad mood, true, but Lou Reed’s swagger didn’t work for me on this. His voice grated, the songs too simple and dreary. Two points for some style
Not bad; this has Walk on the Wild Side.
How interesting. Day 1 Log. This is very unique. Like he's talking. Scary cover More talking than anything. Good vibes, guitar, happiness, and just talking things. Not musical as much as talky? IDK but its really good. Shouldn't say that, it is really good. Feels nice and old. Actually its kind of eccentric idk Listen Again: 9.5/10 Stay Awake: 7/10 Hw: 10/10 there are words but feel meaningless or something? This is so trippy Walk on the wild side is really weird but also awesome
one of the albums that was received that good only bc a man wrote it. plus one star for ‘perfect day’ and ‘walk on the wild side’ upd minus one star for ‘ny telephone conversation’ and ‘goodnight ladies’
En lineas generales un embole. Buenos temas Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side y algún otro que rescato. Pero se me terminan mezclando con todo el resto por sus vocales desganadas y audio en general tan homogéneo.
Me ha gustado, entre 3 y 4
Reed is one of the best sorts of weirdo.
Geggjuð plata.
Glæsileg plata hjá honum
Þetta var gott. Held að ég splæsi í fjögur stirni.
Such a weird intriguing album, I do appreciate it for what it is. I’m between three and a four star, we’ll see you in the morning comes, I appreciate most of the album.
This is ok.
This is good. The Bowie influence is obvious.
it was great but not really something that stays inside my mind for long and it kinda made me sad which isnt so great for my mental health right now
Excellent album
Nonostante non corrisponda ai miei generi preferiti, quest'album contiene dei capolavori innegabili.
Ah, this was such a firm favourite for a long time. I know it inside out. I'm still loving the sardonic NY vibes, the classy sleazy sparseness, some real bangers here with Walk on the Wildside, Satelite of Love, I'm so Free. It's kind of an amazing historical artifact maybe. Idk. I could happily never hear Perfect Day again... and some of the lyrics grate in ways they didn't used to. I still feel love for it.
Thumbs up
I love perfect day.
I really like this album. Great songs: "Vicious", "Perfect Day", "Walk on The Wild Side", or "Satellite of Love" (really enjoyed the live number by U2). It's clearly at least 4 stars. I thunk the second half is a bit weaker.
Starting off with vicious! Very characteristic of the time this album was released, but I enjoyed it immensely. Lyrics were nothing special, but I liked them. Andy’s Chest wasn’t bad and I was grooving, until the lyric “hairy minded pink bare bear”. That was the worst lyric, but there were other bad ones in there too. Perfect day was actually really nice. I liked the instrumental. Hangin round was a ton of fun!! Walk on the wild side… apart from a few choice lyrics… was interesting to listen to. I do like a narrative track. Make up was alright. Had a vibe to it. Satellite of love was slightly cringe, but it wasn’t horrid. Wagon wheel was again quite basic. Not bad per se, just basic. I’m so free, again, nothing really to talk about here. Goodnight ladies was a slightly creepy closer, but um, yeah. This was a weird album because it didn’t suck, it just had some questionable lyrics and didn’t really have anything that made me go “ok, that was really great”. There were bits I liked for sure, especially at the start as I wrote, but again apart from a few tracks when the album was fresh nothing really wowed me. 3/5 ⭐️ 155/1089
"Vicious" was a great song and gave me hope for the rest of the album. "Walk On the Wild Side" is ubiquitous with Reed as well as NYC. If the lyrics do it for you, then great. But I need more than that. It all came down to 2-3 songs that, musically, were really good. The rest don't count because Lou can't sing for shit. He gets a third star for being true to himself.
Tämän levyn hitit on ennestään tuttuja, oma suosikkini on ”Satellite Of Love”. Ihan kelpo levy.
Lou is a true rock star. He sounds like he isn't trying but the songs are these great gritty experimental things. I think he maybe invents punk music on this one
- - Top 10
Excellent.
Favorite track: Walk On The Wild Side
ta cool, pero no soy mamacuca
Love this album, definitely awakened something in me when I first heard it at 17.
The singles are seminal and the album tracks are also amazing. Easily one of the best ever. Also, this listen through was the first time I heard distinctly Bowie’s vocals at the end of Satellite of Love. That’s him going awoooo
I really enjoyed this listen. I haven't listened to a lot of Lou Reed previously, but have always liked what I've heard. Another one that serves well as background noise, or as a focused listen.
Yo.
goodnight lou
8/10 - Phenomenal album. I figured I was going to like it, but having Bowie produce the album really escalated it. Great album.
I love this album. The end of the album doesn't quite hold up to the brilliance of the first half but nothing on here is bad. I love the VU so it makes sense that I would also enjoy his solo work. 8/10
11 songs, 36min Vicious: 3/5 Andys Chest: 3.5/5 Perfect Day: 4/5
Pretty good
he sings about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. pretty amazing.
great album, pretty fun!
It's vicious how you feel this music in your chest on a perfect day. Even when hangin' round or walking on the wild side one needs to make up his mind if he is more of a satellite or wagon wheel type. Afterward, when talking on the telephone you feel free. And it always ends by telling the ladies goodnight. A great album.
Tenía muchas ganas de escuchar este álbum Saber que Lou Reed fue un artista de mucha influencia en su momento, aportó mucho con The Velvet Underground y como solista también Perfect Day on repeat, demasiado buena Es un rock interesante, se siente fresco, no es glam rock, es algo más groovy Y a la vez hay algunas otras piezas donde puede suavizar aún más sus instrumentos gracias a ese enfoque musical que pone acá Entiendo que tienes coros de Bowie, eso no es poca cosa! Me gustó que sus letras son claras y sencillas, eso hace mucho más disfrutable la canción por permitir entender el mensaje Habrán algunas que no destacan tanto, pero me parece que tiene mucha calidad en términos generales 3.7
What an extrodinary album this was. I had no idea I knew so many songs off it when I pressed play! ‘Perfect day’ sounded amazing, ‘walk on the wild side’ too. ‘Make up’ so catchy and just drew me in just as ‘satellite of love’ and ‘wagon wheel’ did too. It wasn’t until the last track ‘goodnight ladies’ came around that I felt disappointment in a track. Absolutely solid album for me bar that ending but that doesn’t take the score down at all 10/10 from me. Fave track- ‘perfect day’ but if I had to go for one I hadn’t heard before then ‘makeup’ was right up there! Worst track goodnight ladies’ Once again… 10/10 🥰
Lou Reed - Transformer An album dripping in sex, menace and killer hooks. The production by Bowie and Ronson very much comes across with the results being that the collection sounds like a companion piece to Hunky Dory. The 'hits' are the stars of the show but the supporting tracks all have their qualities. And collectively the imagery of walking amongst the hustlers, druggies and bohemians of 70s New York city is laid bare. Pick for me is Walk on the Wild Side. Herbie Flowers basline is timeless, the high hanging strings pull everything towards the wonderful saxophone coda that closes the song but makes you wish it went on further. Worst track - Make Up. But just because something has to be. 10/10
This is a very warm and chill album with light, easy-going vibes that I really enjoyed. While listening I felt relaxed and engaged the whole way through. The rhythmic sounds are smooth and catchy without ever feeling forceful, giving the record a cool, laid-back groove. What stood out most to me is how interesting the themes are. Lou Reed tells little stories and character sketches throughout the album that keep you hooked. There’s a perfect balance between humor, sleaze, tenderness, and street-life observation that makes the whole thing feel alive and never boring. The production is excellent — it has that classic early 70s warmth while still sounding sharp. Overall, I liked Transformer very much. It’s one of Lou Reed’s most accessible and enjoyable records, and it holds up beautifully.
Pretty good
2.5. Two good ones, but the rest do nothing for me.
What a great record and just perfect encapsulation of New York City in the 1970's. What a great pro Trans album too almost every song is coded and is just great.
Jeg begynder vist endelig at kunne lide Lou Reed.
I am a 3.5 on this one. Great album from Lou, and I have Perfect Day going through my head on repeat now.
Lacks the musical edge of the Velvets (though there are moments where it is lurking in the background, threatening to come out) but there is a charming simplicity to some of the melodies (the reflected sliding notes in Walk on the Wild Side are so simple, yet highly memorable). The fact that he uses these simple melodies to continue his tales of drug addiction and encounters with various members of outré society also amuses me, particularly when the BBC used Perfect Day on face value as their signature tune for a massive ad campaign.
Firstly, a huge shout out to the production on this. David Bowie and Mick Ronson work wonders with what is generally an awful voice, often off kilter guitar playing, and mismatched percussion. That they manage to blend it together into something greater than the sum of its parts must have been a huge challenge. In doing so, Reed’s ascerbic lyrics and pseudo-spoken vocals carry the weight it needs against the arrangements behind it. Perfect Day is massively overplayed, but there is something about the coda that I still enjoy regardless of how many times I’ve heard it (even if it is Heather Small oversinging it…). I really get the sense of New York life here, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly; something that the Velvet Underground also did, and although John Cale adds a great deal there, this more stripped back outing also suits the vibe well.
I like the simplicity of the songs, it helps his message come across way better. Hadn't heard most of these, was nice.
I love Satellite of Love so much
A perfect mix of dark and light, earnest and ironic. Poignant pop, debauched glam, seedy rock. Loads of great lyrics, tender intimate arrangements, understated but deeply affecting vocals.
I’m not that familiar with Lou Reed’s stuff. Is this the only album of his you need?! It’s got all his best songs on it, right? “Vicious,” “Perfect Day,” “Walk On The Wild Side,” “Satellite of Love.” Amazing! And the other tracks are… amusing enough.
What an odd record. 200 albums ago, I think I would have hated this. But I’ve grown to appreciate weird, off the wall personalities and albums while working through this list. It’s still not my favorite, but I was entertained quite a bit.
Good album and enjoyed a few songs on the album. Can here some Bowie influence in some of the songs. Some good lyrics and great voice.
Lou’s voice is such a powerful thing. He’s a great writer when he wants to be, but even if he’s singing the most mundane pop lyrics his delivery can imbue them with layers of meaning — menace, detachment, ennui — that make them feel profound or affecting. Oft imitated never bested.
Excited about this because of my great love for White Light/White Heat. I love a contrast between form and content, I love a tonal clash, I love some violent imagery. I love his gay little voice (I’m allowed to say that). This is incredibly silly and lovely. Perfect Day does deserve the hype. I really really really like this. The bass! Some kind of horn! The piano! God it’s camp. What did Sontag think of Lou Reed? Were they both simply too cool to be friends? A respectable length too - I do not feel a second of my time has been wasted. I adore this completely. Goodnight Ladies.
Odd. - A unique sounding 'rock' album. Not my cup of tea personally. The project seemed to drag in a lot of spaces and any bits where the artists attempts to take an unorthodox approach you're left with a very 'wtf' feeling after hearing a lot of the tracks, it somehow falls very short of what I would personally consider rock. Not discrediting Lou Reed however this album was very very boring musically but holds weight and meaning behind the lyricism
This has some great songs and a few that really drag it down. I do generally like Lou Reed and this was still a good listen. 3.5/5
An album so good that I remember stealing it from my big sis..
Love Lou reed. Love his style. Can see me getting into this album more and more as time goes on. Love Vicious – perfect day – walk on the wild side – wagon wheel
what is this.......
I’m getting a lot of albums I like a lot. Some of my most favorites. I’m afraid this thing is front loaded and going to get a bunch of garbage at the end, but I know… I got a long way to go. Lou Reed is one of my most favorite songwriters of all time. I know he’s kind of divisive artist, but I’ve never let that be a deterrent. Most of my favorite artists are notorious grumps with unconventional singing voices, but isn’t that more interesting? It’s like getting the news from a grizzled, trustworthy old school journalist over some plastic, smiling talking head with perfectly coiffed hair. You just know they’re lying. Lou Reed ain’t lying. He’s giving it to you straight. The ugly truth. Street level. Lou Reed is the Edward R. Murrow of rock and roll. If he says “I thought I was someone else, someone good”, it cuts deep… Perfect Day, what an incredible song. This album is like the punch in the gut that you didn’t know you needed. 4.7^
Apparently I'm the outlier who prefers Lou Reed's solo albums to Velvet Underground. Punk card revoked? Whatever, but the solo stuff is just BETTER.
There’s a temptation with Transformer to talk about transgression, decadence and influence first, because the album arrives trailing fifty years of mythology behind it. But listening to it now, what strikes me most is how extraordinarily controlled it is. For a record with such a louche reputation, there’s remarkably little excess. No hippie drift. No endless jammed self-exploration. The songs are concise, sharply lit and structurally elegant. Lou Reed sketches entire lives in a handful of lines, then moves on before sentimentality can settle in. The effect is less “counterculture sprawl” than urban nocturne - fragments of people briefly illuminated in passing headlights. And that Bowie/Ronson/Reed triumvirate wrought an enormous amount culturally. Reed provides the characters, the moral ambiguity, the dry street-level observation. Bowie understands framing - how to turn damaged people and marginal lives into modern myth without flattening them into sociology. Ronson supplies architecture: strings, guitars, arrangement, sheer physical lift. Together they produce one of the key operating systems for post-sixties British culture. Not just glam, either. Vast stretches of British pop and adjacent culture seem to emerge from the emotional permission this album grants. Morrissey’s camp melancholy. Jarvis Cocker’s anthropological nightlife observations. Suede turning alienation into perfume. Blur understanding that character itself can become structure. The idea that style might carry emotional truth rather than conceal it. And for many listeners, this became the route by which ambiguity first arrived. Not through political discourse or theory, but aesthetically. Through atmosphere. Through glamour, wit, posture and theatricality. That matters. Because Transformer quietly teaches that pose is not necessarily dishonesty. Sometimes pose is how vulnerable people survive long enough to communicate at all. The album understands that performance and sincerity are not opposites. Human beings often require artifice before they can safely reveal anything genuine. For me, the route into this world actually came through Marc Almond and Soft Cell. That was the gateway. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret already contained many of the same emotional mechanics: urban melancholy dressed as glamour, damaged people bathed in sympathetic neon, loneliness disguised as style. By the time I reached Lou Reed properly, the emotional grammar already felt strangely familiar. Which perhaps explains why the album’s cultural legacy feels simultaneously liberating and slightly unresolved. Because while the record undeniably widened emotional and aesthetic possibilities, people absorbed its lessons unevenly. Some absorbed the empathy. Others mainly kept the eyeliner. That tension still echoes through British culture now. Entire generations became adept at signalling ambiguity, sensitivity and outsider awareness aesthetically, while sometimes remaining less comfortable with those realities once encountered directly in ordinary life. Glam made transgression inhabitable through style long before many people fully metabolised its social implications beyond the frame. Yet the remarkable thing is that Lou Reed himself never entirely loses sight of the human beings underneath all this. The songs don’t leer at their characters. They don’t sentimentalise them either. They simply allow them presence: funny, lonely, performative, exhausted, composed, ridiculous, tender. The album’s humanity survives because it refuses both moral panic and patronising uplift. And that may be why Transformer remains alive rather than merely influential. Beneath the posture, beneath the myth, beneath the eyeliner and the cigarette smoke and the cultural aftershocks, there are still actual people wandering around inside these songs. That’s the part that lasts.
Better than I was expecting and also more eclectic.
I was ready to snark on this because Lou’s talk-singing, “prophet of the lost city” can get pretty eye-rolling. But he surprised me with a sense of humor! I think his later work really dived into the misery pool, but the lyrics on Transformer are playful and witty. “Perfect Day” and ”Walk on the Wild Side” are unbeatably cool. “NY Telephone Conversation” is funny, “Vicious” and “I’m So Free” really bounce. I really underrated this album in my mind, because I’d never really listened to it. Maybe we both just needed some time to find each other.
3.5
By far the most coherent and musically successful of Lou Reed’s solo efforts.
Am I at a circus? Is the Romani woman distracting me so her cousin can steal my horse?
Very spoken word? Good beat though
Particularly love hearing Bowie in the background
not really my thing i think. there are a couple slower songs that i like a little more than the other, but i dont think i will ever have the desire to listen to this again. its overall boring, but i am not a fan of the genre. perfect day is probably my favorite song on the album.
not what I expected.
This is the most familiar with an album I've been so far in this project. I know everyone loves "Walk on the Wild Side," and it's great, but "Satellite of Love" has been one of my favorites for such a long time. I'm still more a fan of the Velvet Underground than solo Lou Reed, but this is a great album.
If Lou Reed ever did anything truly great, it’s probably on this album. He seems to me an artist who is heavily influenced by the company he keeps for better or worse. During this phase of his career, he was hanging out with the right dudes. Together they had or helped the genius to lift his sometimes juvenile two-chord excursions up to sublime textural masterpieces. Perhaps this is Lou Reed’s true genius and perhaps a bit of his folly. He one cool ass muthafucka. He’s so cool that fucking Bowie wanted to sing backup on his album. In the end though they can’t save him from himself. There are songs here that are just wrong. I don’t get why some songs were treated like circus music that make his droll delivery sorta laughable. Juxtaposed against cultural touchstones like Walk On The Wild Side makes for an uneven affair.
Easily Reed’s best solo work, and an important glam rock album. Produced by Bowie and Ronson (whose nasally guitar tone is heard throughout. This is peak glam. Perfect Day and Satellite of Love and my favorite tracks.
Interesting content, style, and lyrics, but Lou Reed’s vocal stylings continue to be a personal turn-off.
I'd never really given Lou Reed a chance before this but this is actually great. The production is on point. It's funny hearing Walk on the Wild Side after hearing Can I Kick it? My favourites have been Perfect Day and Hangin' Round. This album has had a massive impact and even though I'm not a Velvet Underground fan, this was a great album. All the songs bring something to the table and it doesn't overstay its welcome, for me it's a 4.
I don't really like velvet underground so i thought i wouldnt like this, I've already heard Vicious and Walk On The Wild Side and they're alright. I enjoyed Perfect Day. New York Telephone is kinda They Might Be Giants-y. Overall the worst songs were a little boring but not offensive. I liked the bridge/chorus in Satellite Of Love. More of a 3.5, but 4 because of cultural influence
The hits are classics but underneath them, everything else is really great.
Sleazy glam rock and art rock built from loose guitars, piano-driven arrangements, understated rhythms, and dry conversational vocals drifts like wandering through neon-lit alleyways at 3 a.m. with a poet who’s equal parts detached observer and provocateur—stylish, decadent, and unevenly fascinating. At its best, it feels effortlessly iconic.
sehr cool, viele starke Melodien. Würde es wieder hören. Einige Kacklieder aber auch dabei, gerade hinten raus. 7/10
3.9/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected. Though he drones on with the vocals at points, the instrumentation is great enough for the tone and overall mood. Though the album had many tracks that were just average for me, it was a very cohesive project. Overall score-Light 6
5 One of those albums that just flows together so well, absolutely more than the sum of its parts
so good :)
Pre Listen: Yet another band, album, and artist I have no knowledge of off the top of my head. No expectations going in on this one, absolutely blind. Notable Tracks: Viscous - The best song I heard on this album. I say best, but I wasn't really a fan of anything on here, it's just this was the only song that wasn't absolutely terrible. Satellite of Love - I quit listening to the album on this track. Trash. Post Listen: So I guess this an early example of Emo Rock? Half the time Lou Reed's vocals make him sound like he's about to fall asleep. He looks positively bored in the album cover. The music they've produced left me bored as well. They sound like a Walmart-brand amalgamation of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and a hint of the Kinks, but without any of the fun, creativity, or raw talent. Songs about sex, drugs, and other adult themes without any talent in the actual sound of the music or lyrics might've been unique in the 60's and earlier, but by the 70's it's so played out. I guess they could be applauded for some positive themes about queerness in a time when that kind of thing could get you exiled from your community, but their music sounds so terrible, it may have contributed to LGBTQ hatred unironically. This will be my first album I couldn't finish because of how grating it sounded. 1/5 Stars.
Have not listened to much lou reed but this album was very welcoming and i enjoyed it very much!
I like it. Was not familiar with Lou Reed before this and tried to kept it that way for the initial listen. This might be one of my favorite voices that I've heard. He really shines in Perfect Day, which was easily my favorite track and probably one of my favorites from every album we've gone through so far. Unfortunately kind of an okay album altogether. The b-side was not good (I don’t know what New York Telephone Conversation was trying to do but I don’t care I didn’t like it at all). I’m So Free was probably the strongest track here but it didn’t stop the second-half of my listen from feeling like a slog. EDIT: Actually never mind this was some trash dude.
One of my all time favourite albums the soundtrack to many European Roadtrips in the 80s. Perfect from start to finish. And produced by David Bowie!
I like it well enough. Shit gets a little too weird for me at times, but it’s an overall interesting album.
4 stars for "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side" alone....also bonus points that this isn't that album he made that was all static. Wouldn't be surprised to see that one show up on this list. 🙄
Alltför tråkigt. Orkar inte lyssna klart. Instrumenten tråkiga, gillar inte sången eller låttext. 2/5
While I am not the biggest Lou Reed or Velvet Underground fan, I didn't find anything wrong with this album. I enjoyed the variety of style and for a Reed project the musicianship was high.
An underrated genius. His sound was unique and musically forward thinking!
Transformer was a good album, had catchy beats and the singing is pleasing, however it is unfortunately just a little boring compared to stuff I usually listen to. I would maybe put it on in the background if i was hanging with some friends, but I doubt I will actively again. Standout songs are Vicious, Perfect day, and Take a walk on the wild side, with Perfect day probably being my favorite.
Always liked VU - I probably listened to The Gift 500 times in college. Funny to me how Lou Reed becomes an icon with middling talent. Musically this is not a great album but he pulls it off. The songs I love I love, the test of the album is ok.
This was an interesting, low-energy album. Apple mentioned that Bowie produced it and in some ways I can see that. It was overall unremarkable and boring for me.
Transformer has some great songs, but also enough middling ones to bring its overall quality down. "Perfect Day" is beautifully insincere and detached, "Walk on the Wild Side" has tons of swagger, and "Satellite of Love" is a tender ballad with a jarring bridge. Much of the rest puts a glam rock spin on the choppy rock Reed made in the Velvet Underground, with sometimes confounding results. While Vicious recalls Bowie's best work, "Andy's Chest" is spoiled by distractingly nonsensical lyrics. Overall, the glam stuff never feels as loose as the rest of the genre. And while I typically like Reed's deadpan style, it gets annoying on "New York Telephone Conversation" (most of the second half of this is pretty inessential). There are some good elements here, but it doesn't quite come together.
Much more enjoyable musically than the Velvet Underground albums I have listened to. Always been a fan of Walk on the Wild Side so I was very curious what other songs would be on an album with a weird track like that one. Turns out its a bunch of weird songs with soft rock/ Bowie influenced style and that's great. I want to spend more time with the lyrics and let them simmer in my head but for now I'll stick with what stood out to me, Vicious, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, I'm So Free.
Very good
- Fun lyrics - Lou's delivery feels sarcastic at times and kinda deadpan - David Bowie helped produce it and does backing vocals on a few tracks I believe, as well as plays guitar. He adds a lot to the sound. A lot of good. - This album honestly feels like it could have came out yesterday. - Lou's style definitely influenced indie rock/alt rock and all that - It's a fun album I plan on revisiting. Grateful to have listened to it.
The first half of this album is a clear 5/5. Absolutely brilliant song-writing & an intriguing tone to the tracks result in hit after hit for the first 20 minutes. Vicious starts the album strong, but it’s Perfect Day & Walk On The Wild Side that are utterly phenomenal, timeless tracks. The rest of the album however is just okay for me. The quality of the music itself isn’t too bad, but the songs become less impactful and memorable for me. 8/10 feels like a fair score as a result.
“Hey, why don’t you swallow razor blades?” This is the shit that molded Gen X.
I'll just take a walk on the wild side
I like Lou Reed, and there are some good tracks, but overall too hit or miss for me.
I’ve always heard about this album but was not expecting how much I would enjoy it, all the songs fit and the length is perfect. Great songwriting too and I know a lot of people don’t like Reed’s voice but to me it’s very charming and works with the art he’s telling. Goodnight ladies is also such a perfect song to finish the album with, so much fun.
didn’t like. genau zwei sterne
'Perfect Day' is one of my all time favourite songs and Lou would really have to screw up for me to give this record a bad score. Thankfully this record is stacked. Reed sings about people he rubbed shoulders with at Andy Warhol's Factory and it makes for a colourful cast of characters to write songs around. Reed might not have the greatest vocal range, but his deadpan delivery makes his songs all feel uniquely his own. If you wished Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie had more snark and bite, then this glam rock masterpiece is the record for you.
I wouldn't say Im the biggest Velvet Underground fan, but I do enjoy the lyricism and soft nature of most of the tunes. This album was similar and I had a nice time. Interesting dude.
seems to be a chill-soft rock album pushing weird lyrics of the 70s. Definitely feels like I'm hopping into a stoners time capsule lol
Hm, spomnim se, da mi whatever the fuck je bil njegov album, k sm ga že dobila (Berlin), ni bil ful všeč. Let's see. S kle poznam vsaj 3 komade od prej & vse sm slišala absolutno prevečkrat. Ok, prvi, "Vicious", mi je dejansko kul. Reed še zmer ne zna pet, sicer. Ampak kle vsaj deluje? "Andy's Chest" je kinda funny? Pa kul? Po pa komad, k sm ga kot najstnica slišala miljonkrat, "Perfect Day". Tbh, še zmer a banger, ne smem gledat nanjga z najstniške perspektive. Besedilo od "Hangin' 'Round" mi je kinda butasto, k da bi ga napisal nek sveže pečen 20letnik, ne pa 30letni, odrasel Lou Reed. Ampak ok. Mogoč je bil pa mal a man child, who knows. Potem fakin "Walk On the Wild Side", banger. (Ta album mi je ful ljubši - to, da je Bowie producent tega in ne tud na Berlin je zihr naključje, an?) "Satellite of Love" je prou fin, pa še Bowie je na back vokalih. Zadnji štirje - so fajni? Zihr sm bla, da sm Berlinu dala dve, ampak očitno sm mu tri. Hm. I guess ni bil tok slab? Mi pa to vpliva na današnjo oceno.
Fantastic vocals and guitars/horns. One of my favorite singers … chill, creepy, catchy. Loved the whole album beyond “take a walk on the wild side” 4.5+
it’s such a perfect day, I’m glad i’ve spent it with you bowie ya lo sabía, lou reed <3
3,5
I don’t really care for Lou Reed’s talk singing or his voice. It was too grating and distracting from the rest of the music.
Soundtrack para tus 30s o algo así
Great album - almost transformative.
What can you say? Every track is brilliant. One of the most important albums for me as a teenager. Bowie and Ronsons contribution is huge.
Back to albums I haven't hear yet. This is a straight forward album, similar to his last album with the Velvet Underground. Really solid with a lot of great songs.
One of my favorites
disco foda de um dos maiores compositores da história
Can I kick it? Yes, you can! That homie just robbed my tribe, because they robbed him
perfect album to me #tbh
They don't make em like Lou Reed anymore. Great song writer. New York cool with Canal Street grit. Dude is a legend and this is his best solo album. All the hits plus Hangin' Round and Perfect Day back to back. What's not to love about this record.
jako dobro, jako zabavno, vau. pustio ponovo odmah nakon što sam preslušo. premda sam neke pjesme znao otprije, s radija i iz sličnih konteksta (»walk on the wild side«, »perfect day«), čitav album je podjednako dobar, jako dobar
Yeah this rules. Something I’ve learned from this list is that I’m a huge Lou Reed/VU fan…nearly all of it has gotten 5 stars. Same with Nick Cave. I’m a little uncomfortable with what that reveals about my personality tbh. But the heart wants what it wants I suppose. Anyway, this record, my favorite thing about it is that it’s this exuberant glam record but it has this constant undercurrent of gloom and melancholy. Also, I never realized that when my dad would sing “Walk on the Wild Side” when I was little he was referencing a trans anthem, that’s pretty cool. Must-listen #342.
It was alright. I don’t know that I would listen to it again but it had some interesting moments. Can’t say I’ve heard tuba played on a rock album before; I also enjoyed the jazz/ show tune influences throughout. Singing was fine but the delivery was lack luster, that’s probably the charm but I just didn’t care for it.
I like The Velvet Underground but I don't think I've ever listened to Lou Reed's solo stuff. Has a bit of a Leonard Cohen vibe to me. I dig it.
Some great songs some not
Have long listened to this album. Has been on many lists, a really fun record with caustic lyrics and great melodies.
Not my vibe
Produced by Bowie, Lou reed’s second solo album definitely shows the influence. The vocal production is very Bowie with the dreamy overdubbed delay sound, and the mixture of piano and rock is too. “Hangin around”, “perfect day”, and “satellite of love” also particularly sound like Bowie songs from both production and lyrical standpoints. Lou will show up again later I’m sure with the velvet underground, but this is a very accessible 70s pop cut that I hear lots of later influence in. Its funny, clever, weird, and sexual all at the same time, I get why it’s remembered fondly. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Glam rock really fit Lou. With Bowie's and Ronson's help, Reed created a freewheeling, diverse album that showed his range. There's the biggie, of course, "Walk on the Wild Side," but a ton of other really good songs: "Andy's Chest, ""Perfect Day," "Satellite of Love," "New York City Conversation," that incorporate many different styles. He left Velvet Underground behind and forged his own style and sound on this one.
Effortlessly cool, with some of the best lyrics and hooks Reed ever wrote. My favorite has to be Perfect Day, but tons of bangers on this one. A little too much filler for me for the five star mark, but still one that I should listen to more often
Good album, but never quite understood why it was considered so great.
I vacillate on this one - sometimes I think the oompah shit is annoying and sometimes I think it's great. Sometimes I love that it's got that Bowie vibe and sometimes I think that feels like it cuts some of the edginess. Ultimately though, it is an artifact, and a good one, and the hits are earworms, though it's never explained if he did manage to get his wallet back.
goodnight ladies me gusto mucho y bueno perfect day tmb pero es un clásico
fun!
Favourite track: Satellite of Love. David Bowie inclusion goes nuts
Sounds like an androgynous David Bowie album with a different guy singing
Favorite Track: Vicious
Como con los disco que hizo con The Velvet Underground, la verdad que no soy fan. Este no estuvo tan mal igual.
hmmmm…. no.
Album #143 Lou Reed: Transformer Ok, fine, I’ll listen to Transformer again if I must… You really don’t need to pull my leg, though, because this is one of the most fun and easy listens you will ever have. 36 minutes of pure glam rock bangers, oozing with charisma and charm. Lou Reed may not be the greatest lyricist of all time; however, he certainly has the most swagger of any singer. Nobody else would be able to pull off the line “you have a hairy-minded pink bare bear” without it sounding ridiculous. To be honest, anything that David Bowie touched in the 70s I’m partial to thinking is a masterpiece; and when you pair him up with an artistic collaborator on the level of Lou Reed, it really isn’t any wonder that they produced one of the greatest albums of all time. One thing about Reed, which I’ve always admired, is his versatility, the fact that he is able to make albums such as this and the Velvet Underground’s self-titled, in which he is incredibly vulnerable and soft, yet also capable of releasing a White Light/ White Heat and a Metal Machine Music, which are incredibly experimental and abrasive; is rare to find in an artist. This album is a litmus test to see whether or not someone has a soul, since the only reason you would ever dislike it is if you legitimately hated everything or were deeply homophobic. Best Songs: Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, Hangin’ Round Worst Song: None Score out of 10: 10
Walk On the Wild Side underlines the significance this album had on rock music. Unfortunately, the vocals were pretty much just talking instead of actual singing. I don't typically like rounding up purely based on its influence, but the album feels important enough and its best single feels successful enough to be nothing less than a 3.
I bounced between 4 and 5 on this one. I really enjoy Lou Reed, his sound, his wit. I loved the stripped down instrumentation but still using eclectic horns or wood winds, and the full dixie band in the last track. Amazing this came in 1972, so far ahead of stuff from it's time. So why isn't it a 5? I don't know. It just feels lower.
Some good stuff on here and covers a variety of genres. Not every song reaches the greatness of a 5/5 album, but it should definitely be on a list like this.
An exceptionally patchy album, but the highs are very high
I last listened to this about 25 years ago. It’s aged better than me. Upbeat but if you listen to the lyrics there is real depth. Lou has such a distinctive voice. A great album.
Not really my thing too slow and a bit boring. Like a few of the hits, some I didn’t know he sang 2/5
David Bowie had his hands in this and thusly, it's gorgeous. Not my favorite singing style or lyrics BUT I cannot deny it's beauty.
This album sounds like The Rocky Horror Show, but for straight people, which is ironic because the lyrics are actually quite gay. Reed's voice is very pleasant to the ear, and reminds me a little of Mick Jagger. There's actually a nice variation on this record, some glam rock, some lowkey rock and roll, even some jazzy elements.
I didn't really like it. Was just another alright rockish album.
Will I get canceled if I say this album is very average? Cancel me… 3.0
I’m having a really hard time distilling my thoughts about this album. I thought the flat vocals would get old, but they didn’t. The album goes all over the place, musically. In a good way! And it’s weirdly cozy? I don’t know. I enjoyed it. But at the same time, it’s not calling for a relisten. 7/10 Quite Likeable
Meh
Alright
Post-Velvets what can you do? Bring on Bowie and Ronson of course. I love the glam guitar chug of Vicious and Hanging Around, and the melodic minimal pop of Walk on the Wild Side or even Perfect Day, but some of this is too cute or not great. Still, post-Velvets, what can you do?
Snarky and cooler than cool. Lou Reed being himself and channeling early 70s New York.
9/10
My first listen through of this a month ago didn’t click. Another listen and I think I can definitely dig it. I’m not a huge Lou Reed vocals fan but this is an undeniably good album.
I was kind of a sucker for this one
Classic Lou Reed
Good
I feel like this is a hard record to rate and comment on without looking at the whole picture of all the parts involved. If you had never heard of Lou Reed or the Velvet Underground before, you may not really appreciate this album as much. This album in context of what else he had his hands in over the years makes it much better. Not that you'd need to be well versed in his music to enjoy it, but it helps for sure. I suppose that can be said for any artist though. But for this album - Lou Reed produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson? Sign me up. I've always loved this album, long before I knew Bowie produced it. In my mind, Bowie can really do no wrong, and that includes producing albums by other artists. This album doesn't seem like much of a stretch - it has a lot of Bowie in it and I wonder how much of that was Lou Reed and how much was Bowie/Ronson. All that aside, I love that this album is a completely different vibe from his first solo album and the Velvet Underground records before that, but that both of those can be seen in this one. It shows intentional growth and evolution. Lou Reed isn't exactly one that flew under the radar, but I still feel like he is wildly underrated and underappreciated in the opinion of the general populous. 5/5
Really nice album. Wasn't feeling it too much at first but really liked the vibe. Great instrumentation and variety of sounds.
Perfect Day // Walk On the Wild Side // Satellite of Love // 4.5/5
Enjoyed this influenced a lot
Interesting sound. Some tracks stood out.
What great songwriting! Artfully constructed lyrics and delightful melodies.
A milestone in pop rock music, matching dark lyrics with soft tones
I dont know what more to say about this. Everything has been said. Its lou reed. Its got perfect day and walk on the wild side. All timers of all timers. The rest of it is great too. Vicious and satellite of love are highlights. And you might even know those "b" sides. Its just great music from a guy who wrote alot of great music. He defines this era in alot of ways. Its great. Im slightly more partial to the velvet underground but not by much. Just good classic shit
good album was very different what i expected but very enjoyable
5 de 5 Pilar importante de el Glam Rock que cuenta con un sonido sofisticado y variable, combinado con letras crudas y realistas sobre un bajo mundo neoyorquino en el cual podemos encontrar diversas historias, las cuales, lograron llamar la atención de el público, dándole reconocimiento a Reed y el arte que lo lanzó a la fama internacional.
well. We know how I feel about vaguely monotoned funny talky vibes. Andy’s mfin Chest? Sir. By her feet smelling they mean her NOSE! Which grew down to her toes. Also he loves singing about toes yes?
Man, this is a tough one. This album has one of the finest songs ever written (Perfect Day), but for me, has some pretty filler songs too. The Bowie and Robson effect clearly elevate it and stamp it's place in history. But it still feels a bit over rated in general. A good album, that is touched by greatness perhaps?
Nico was the best thing that ever happened to The Velvet Underground. What a shame that Lou Reed et al. were terrible people. I will never be a fan.
283/1089 getting the idea pretty quickly that this is fine/good but just not for me Walk on the Wild Side is one i’ve heard in some part before and it’s still really good, the bass is just so warm and welcoming. i can hear Life is Strange and Haim in here so clearly just realised i had it on shuffle somehow, well… that’s annoying but easily sorted it’s a decent album, i think it existing led to similar music that i prefer so i’m grateful for it even if i don’t love a lot of it faves: Walk on the Wild Side is GREAT, Satellite of Love is also v good 54/100
Початок був прикольний, а потім таке собі. Все занадто подібне.
Iha kiva 3/5
Pretty solid album but some of it just feels like hes ranting about nothing
que álbum gostoso <3
All Lou Reed did was write great little songs and exude pure coolness. More than half of the songs on here live on the very top shelf, and the few that don't are still perfectly fine. Nothing bad on here. A great album!
album que cura
Album was nice, no song was anything amazing, but they all sound good
it's kind of gung-ho in a heroin way honestly find it mildly disgusting ? not in a bad way but i don't particularly enjoy it - reminds me of a coffee with 5 sugars (enjoyed best when stoned, in withdrawal, or 13 years old)
Płyta kompletna. Tekstowo, wokalnie, konceptualnie. I co najważniejsze, nie jest przegadana, nie wlecze się, nie trwa 6382 godzin. 9/10
This album is whimsical genius.
más bien maluco, pa mi tenia cara de que iba a estar mejor pero x, un álbum muy x
initially, i didn't fully resonate with this, but after listening to "perfect day", "hangin' round" and "walk on the wild side" i was able to fully grasp how good this music is. i really like the overall atmosphere of this album which was very layered yet specific - i don't really know how to describe it other than just thoroughly crafted. i didn't know much about reed's individual career prior to this record but i think i can now grasp why he is considered one of the greats
ok ladny ten typ
I just really don't like Lou Reed. He cannot sing, he's not for me, and even though "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" is a pretty cool song, I just can't with the rest of this drivel.
A few of the songs were pretty good. A lot of them are just a little outdated for me. I understand it’s the times that the album was written in, but it bothered me.
6/10 This is the Lou Reed album that people always cite as his best solo work, so it’s an intriguing prospect. Glancing at the track list, there are a couple of obvious classics in there, but plenty that I’m unfamiliar with to get my teeth into. One of the most obvious standouts here is the guitar work of Mick Ronson who, within months of recording Ziggy Stardust, had seemingly carried his entire recording chain more or less as-was, straight into the studio with Lou Reed and carried on working. The guitar work is fantastic, but the fact that there are a bunch of tracks on here that sound like outtakes from the Ziggy Stardust sessions does make it sound a little derivative. And when you’re replacing the enigmatic, charismatic delivery of David Bowie with the everyman, folksy vocals of Lou Reed, it does sort of pale in comparison. While the glam rock stuff on here is decent enough, but hardly spectacular, the highlights are really the areas where he dips into a more stripped back style, with Perfect Day, Walk On The Wild Side and Satellite Of Love. It’s here that his folksy delivery, ear for a melody and approach to both every day life and counter-culture collide into some really special pieces of music. But that’s the strange thing about this album for me. While there are moments of excellence, there are also moments that are incredibly odd. Not odd in a “breaking the boundaries of sound” way like Velvet Underground, but odd in a “why are you recording music hall songs on your glam rock album?” way. It’s a really strange set of choices, almost like he’d had the ideas for three albums, written 3-4 tracks for each, run out of steam and then just lumped them together onto one record. Every single bit of it is competently delivered, the playing is all excellent, the production is great, with some interesting and quirky choices that help elevate the work in places and get out of the way to let the music do the talking in others. But it just feels slightly weird and unbalanced. Lou Reed has always been regarded as a pioneer and innovator, so it seems very strange to me that this, his most lauded album, contains such derivative, if well executed, work. The outsider folk anthems are absolutely fantastic, but aside from that, it’s all just a bit meh. Which is a massive shame. Vicious - There’s something quite endearing about this, despite the fact that it’s quite rhythmically flat. And by that, I mean that one of the key parts of the drum beat sounds exactly like a metronome that ticks its way through the whole song. It also doesn’t really offer much structural range or development. Some of the more experimental sonic edges to it add extra depth and I quite like his laissez faire vocal delivery, but it’s not necessarily the most interesting of tracks. Andy's Chest - I quite like the groove to this. It has a bit more development and interest to its structure and blends swagger well with the folksy delivery that Reed sings with. I noticed it a little in the opener, but Mick Ronson’s guitar is so obviously him here that it sounds like he’s literally just finished tracking for Ziggy Stardust and then recorded this through the same recording setup. There are some great moments in the production, like the “rock, rock” vocal in the outro. Nice to hear Bowie on backing vocals too. I enjoyed this one and it was pretty good, but it’s also put me in the mood to listen to Ziggy Stardust now. Perfect Day - This is a really beautiful and subtle pop song. The use of a minor key set against the lyrical content gives it a really wistful air of nostalgia, with the brief lift into major tonality during the choruses giving that edge of hope. It’s very simple, but that’s part of why it works so well. His everyman vocal delivery helps to give this more power too, I think. It has been over-covered and overplayed, but it’s a great song. Hangin' Round - More incredibly obvious Mick Ronson guitar here. Tonally, this is really cool and definitely leans heavily into Bowie’s glam rock sound of the time. Unfortunately, that is somewhat to it’s detriment, because this sounds so Ziggy-era Bowie that it sounds almost like it could have been a track that wasn’t quite good enough for Bowie, sung by someone who, while his voice works for some things, doesn’t have the musical control and charisma to really connect with this like the man himself. But it’s still a good song. Walk On The Wild Side - The dual bass lines in this are iconic. It’s a brilliant counter-culture anthem, discussing characters that even today are on the fringes of society. The production choices, particularly the backing vocals gradually pushing forward in the mix and having the reverb removed as it happens are really cool. Again, it’s a pretty simple track, but it packs in a lot of feeling and power and is a classic for a reason. Make Up - This is a bit more plodding and almost has an edge of music hall about it. It’s a little quirky and fun, but it feels a bit lacking in musical substance, almost feeling a bit like a novelty song, with the tuba bass line really not helping. I don’t dislike it, but it it’s also just too throwaway for me. Satellite Of Love - The piano playing and production here are lovely, and I think the pre-chorus is excellent. It’s got a delightful edge of quirkiness to it and the messing around with instrumentation and production styles in places gives it extra depth and quality. The lazy swagger to the groove is great too. Another solid track. Wagon Wheel - Now we’re leaning into a bit of a T-Rex sound for the guitar. There are some really cool moments in this, but it feels a tad disorganised and rambling, getting a little bit lost when it goes off piste. It’s weird, because it’s not bad, but it feels both unfocused and, at its core, musically underdeveloped at the same time. Strange. Again, it’s still decent, but not a highlight either. New York Telephone Conversation - Similarly to Make Up, this is almost music hall in sound and just feels a bit weird, but not in a good way. I'm So Free - Here come’s Ronson’s Ziggy guitar work again. There’s a great groove to this and it’s a solid glam track, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not entirely convinced that Reed’s vocal style works with this type of clean and harmonically tight material and it feels like it could have been a better track done by Bowie or Bolan. The actual track itself is pretty decent, if unspectacular compared to the very best of glam. Goodnight Ladies - To close out the album we get a reprise of sorts to Make Up. It’s quite meandering and, even though the jazzy bits are quite cool, it feels a very odd stylistic choice. I don’t really understand these tracks as they fell like a pastiche of variety music from 60 odd years prior. Very strange and a little bit pointless.
Album has two all-timers that can go unnamed. Simultaneously loved and hated his voice. Great lyrics and was just the right vibe for the moment. A STRONG 4
Bit random in places, but that sort of makes it better, couple well known tracks on there, might listen again...
Walk on the wild side Satellite of love Vicious
Not only was this annoying to listen to but he was also kinda a terrible person and it bleeds though here Playlist add: "Perfect Day" because I had to put something there
Great performance and production compared to other LR or VU stuff I've heard. Amazing songs bump it up from a strong 4 to a definite 5.
gay batman
That might have been interesting from a music-theoretical perspective back then. But I don’t understand why anyone would listen to it today unless they’re a music historian. I had to struggle my way through most of it.
Great Bowie-helmed Glam. Probably Reed’s best overall solo album.
Muy americano
fun, captivating album. Feels like cigarettes in the morning in the new city, when you're stressed about the job, but don't have your laptop with you so there's nothing to do about it other than chill.
One of my all time problems with Lou is that I just don’t believe him. We’re listening to a guy who hates himself while styling himself as the coolest guy alive, but tripping all over it because he hates himself and definitely hates you, too. But, fantastic songwriter and had Bowie handled more than production, etc, and made this his own record and used Lou as a co-songwriter off and on for the next 30 years, we could’ve had quite a run. Great ATCQ sample.
I liked this one a lot. Walk on the wild side probably isn’t a go-to for me, but the album was consistently solid and a great listen.
Glam Rock is unique and not really my favorite. The sultry talk singing can work with rhythmic rock behind it, but I dont think this style translates well to modern day. I hear how this is foundational for the continued push of music forward through the 70s and 80s
New York counter culture at its finest. This album fills me with artists hanging out in New York lofts and putting the world to rights whilst being completely out of their heads. I really enjoy the laid back guitar and bass sound of this album. Big hits from this album are "Walk on the wild side", "Satalite of love" and "Perfect day". It still makes me smile, how many people have "Perfect day" at their wedding without knowing it is Lou Reed's description of taking heroin. Also one final observation. I feel like Iggy Pop is a speeded up Lou Reed. Or Lou Reed is a slowed down Iggy Pop. (3.800)
Stuff of legends. Hadn’t heard the whole thing before. Some better than the others but I enjoyed it
he can’t sing and some of his lyrics are dodgy but this album is great overall. Proof that he was wasted in the velvet underground.
I was dreading this album, and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The Velvet Underground has to be the least popular "important" band of all time. In other words, everyone who was in a band after 1970 owned their album - and literally no one else. But Lou is a standout on his own. His voice was designed for musical storytelling. While I like The Wild Side, I thought he was something of a one-hit wonder (yeah, I know something like 20 albums; name another song of his. I'll wait.) but there are several good tunes here. Influence 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 5. Hits 5. Not my bag, but not bad at all 3.
Lindo ritmo . No mi favorito pero esta chill
I haven’t heard much Lou Reed but I enjoyed his album Berlin. I think this is the one before and I imagine it’s alot more accessible. 3.6/5.0
Chill ass album to play golf too. Nothing crazy or special and pretty forgettable but it was a nice listen Fav Song: Walk On The Wild Side 6.5/10
A couple of GOATs on here. Never been the biggest fan. Enjoyable.
His second album. Rock / Arthur Rock. The production on this is fantastic, especially on Perfect Day, which is an obvious classic. The album as a whole is tight and concise. I can imagine Reed and Bowie had a lot of...ummm..fun making this album. Walk On The Wild Side is my favourite track.
Perfect mix of songs with a couple being a different style which makes it better. 5/5
Love Lou Reed!
Es un album muy particular...una joya
5 star A side star but a couple of filler tracks on side B means i can only give this 4 instead of 5 stars. Can hear the Bowie input all over this.
Fantastic album, such great lyrics, just a great sound
Another great Lou Reed banger. Also one of the more progressive albums for its time. All-time classic
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I heard Lou Reed before only in passing. This album brings people to NYC at a very specific place and time. Walk on the Wild Side would be subversive now; crazy it was recorded in 1972. Perfect Day is an absolute bang
Wish this did more for me.
Tha best. A very special music figure for me. And for a lot of people I guess. But suffice to say this wavelength is kinda my favorite stuff ever.
amazing album, almost all great songs
Not Lous best but an undeniably good record with a lot of smash hits on it. Big fan.
perfect
musically one of the best albums oat but sometimes his voice is so fucking jarring
Not a fan of Lou Reed. I get how influential he is and Walk on the Wild Side is iconic. Can't forgive him for taking all of the royalties for Can I Kick it.
Franchement il y a une musique qui le sauve mais a part ça j'ai pas aimé
Didnt know i would like Lou that much. Knew the banger songs. But the rest of the material ist strong as well.
Bit bored lad Nothing made it to the playlist yet One song was a bit fun i suppose THIS IS DRAGGING I'm done now this is boring
La verdad es que este álbum me gustó muchísimo. No conocía al artista, así que fue mi primera experiencia con su música, y sinceramente me sorprendió para bien. Se nota bastante la influencia de David Bowie como productor, algo que claramente sumó mucho. En general, todas las canciones me parecieron muy lindas. Me encanta la presencia del piano en varios temas, y también hay algunos ritmos pegadizos que destacan mucho. Tengo varias favoritas, pero la que más me gustó fue "Perfect Day" (incluso me hizo acordar bastante a los Beatles). En conclusión, le doy un 9/10.
war okay. aber für mich nix weltbewegendes.