Reviews (page 6 of 13)
I liked it, it's a pretty laidback record that keeps a bit of an edge to it. Reed is a very good songwriter, his songs are catchy and fun, but don't feel shallow. Reed's singing is nice and unique, he's not an spectacular vocalist but nonetheless he sings good. The guitar lines are good, though nothing to write home about. The highlight is Reed's songwriting. It feels super personal, vulnerable but with an attitude. It's complex and he's great at it. The best songs are of course, the classics: "Perfect Day" and "Walk On The Wild Side". "Vicious", "Andy's Chest" and "Satellite Of Love" were pretty good too. I feel like this record was a 3.5 for me. I can see why it's so influential, and why a lot of people love it. I can't deny Reed's talent or the quality of the record. But being honest, I didn't click with it that much, and it lost me a couple of times when listening to it (and I listened to it like 5 times). I'll give it a 4, but that extra half star is just because it's Lou Reed.
Fell in love with this album end of college. Lou Reed's deadpan delivery as well as a number of the song subjects are rather quirky, but there are some undeniably beautiful songs and the whole album is nothing if not memorable. Vicious is a solid starting point for the album. Feels very in family with his other work with The Velvet Underground. Perfect Day is an all time favorite of mine -- love the simplicity of the sentiment "its such a perfect day; I'm glad I spent it with you." Hangin' 'Round is a solid straightforward jam. Walk On the Wild Side is the one that everyone knows Reed for. Simple ballad built around a loping bass line (later adapted into ATCQ's Can I Kick It) telling succinct stories about myriad people migrating to NYC. Make Up is among the better polka-infused rock songs ever produced. Once again touching on homosexuality -- this time in the context of a drag queen. Satellite of Love is just a beautiful song -- never realized that Bowie was on in the backing vocals, but certainly makes sense as this has his imprint on it. High 4 for me.
Such a whacky album this guy seems like a real nutcase. You could have given me 1001 guesses and I would have never known that Walk on the Wild Side was Lou Reed. Don't normally like that song as a stand alone but it worked very well with the album. Not my normal jaunt but I did actually really enjoy listening to this
Haven't really cared much for Lou Reed during this project. Perfect Day is such a beautiful song. I know Walk on the Wild Side is super popular but I just always think of Tribe Called Quest when I hear it. Great song though. Man I really loved this album actually until New York Telephone Conversation. Album is better without it. Had pretty high hopes for this one after the first half but I got kinda tuned out by the end. Still has some jams of songs on here. Low 4.
Fabulous album containing some of his best known songs. The album struck me on listening to have a similar sound to some of Bowie’s early work, no bad thing and evidence I suspect of Reeds influence
Great album, each song encompasses your thoughts into there story.
Before listening, I already know and love Satellite of Love and Walk On the Wild Side.
A classic with some excellent songs
31/1001 Lou Reed - Transformer Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I got a lot more from this than I did from the Velvet Underground outing last time around. There's a lot to really enjoy on this from the proto-punk styling on Vicious to the ballad of Perfect Day (which is elevated by the arrangements on here), to the gender/sexual politics on Walk on the Wild Side. My personal favourite is Satellite of Love, which is Glam Rock personified and you can see Bowie and Ronson's fingerprints all over it. For all of this, there's a lot, which just doesn't work for me from Goodnight Ladies to New York Telephone Conversation.
A great album, really sums up its genre
camp has never been trou lou, but this is a solid album by any measure and it bankrolled his career so i say god bless it. i too like to watch things on tv. take coney island baby, street hassle, new york, blue mask, animal serenade, take no prisoners, or junior dad instead. our man's at his most generous at his most demanding. the glory of love, give it to me now.
I missed another album due to time constraints. It looks like I'm on track now. The only song I heard from "Transformer" before listening to it was "Walk on the Wild Side". Most of the album was great. I thought "New York Telephone Conversation" would be a real telephone conversation from New York. 4 stars for "Transformer".
Bit of a gap in my knowledge this, fabulous constructions, particularly love the piano/keyboards.
Great album. Thought I had never heard this before but knew a few tracks that have seeped in along the way! Rest of the album spot on as well.
Wow - looking back on my other ratings are still too high. It’s not perfect but I had a Perfect Day listening to it (groan). Great record great songs. You are missed Mr Reed. 8
It was just so damn goofy. Lou Reed's really flat and out-of-tone vocal delivery fit much more to me on this album than something like The Velvet Underground & Nico. Also his lyricism ranged from goofy to neat and I liked both sides of it. Just an all round fun album for it's relatively short runtime.
Законный брак андеграунда и мейнстрима.
Always loved this album so chill and very powerful at the same time.
Perfect day perfect album there’s like 5 great jams on this record and some snoozers but we can’t have everything
Really liked this album. Just like with White Light/White Heat by Velvet Underground, I think Lou Reed is a very divisive artist. People either can't stand him or love him. I get it. I will say that sometimes it seems like he really doesn't care if he sings off key. But I love the artistry, and I feel like it comes through in his work. Plus this album has one of my favorite songs, Walk on the Wild Side. One of the things I appreciate most about this album which is what I look for and will rate an album higher for, is that the album is NOT one note. It has slower songs, and it has more up-beat songs, it has different types of songs, which keeps the album interesting. Love it. But still not a 5.
I never knew that DB was involved, but now It's so obvious.
First introduced to Walk on the Wild Side by a friend in Bilbao in the Basque Country. Was blown away. Perfect Day and Goodnight Ladies as my other stand-outs. Some songs in here that are not my style, but overall a decent listen.
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Viscious, Take a Walk On The Wild Side, Perfect Day, Make Up Added to Library: TRUE The Velvet Underground's eponymous album was 4th albums I listened to when I started the 1001 list. I found the music to be subdued and stylistically stripped down (been hearing that a lot lately with Violent Femmes, Bonnie ('Prince' Billy), and so I kind of expected this to be more of the same. This album is certainly not sonically dense like The Mars Volta album I just heard the other day, but it was richer than the The Velvet Underground and definitely more enjoyable. I quite liked a number of the songs; enjoyed the subversive themes in Take a Walk on the Wild Side and Make Up in particular. Perfect Day incorporated some classical string instruments and a piano at one point, which was a nice touch to an already great track. The album or rather the artist is described as Glam Rock... And while I understand the sentiment and relevance of the idea or concept as it relates to live shows and cult of personality and overall presentation of the artists, I find it weird to attribute what mostly amounts to visual and stylistic representation of artists (the "Glam") as a way to describe their music. How an artist dresses or presents themselves, in my (limited) opinion, has little bearing on how the music gets made and/or is sung. Taking your shirt off or wearing platform shoes or KISS makeup doesn't generally change how the music sounds. Genres should describe the qualities of the music, not the people singing or playing the instruments. /rant
Hard to not realise the greatness with Perfect Day on there. Probably around the 4 mark Will revisit
There’s a little fat. Not a ton. Most songs don’t grab me.
Lou Reed is a musician I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I haven't tried to discover. Of course I knew Perfect Day, which is also my favourite track. Lou Reed isn't the greatest singer, but goddamn did he make some killer music.
Low 4, some really nice instrumentals
4/5. Great sound, great lyrics. You can see how he and Bowie collaborated so well. Funny, I wasn’t too keen on The Velvet Underground album from awhile back, but I really like this one.
I have mixed feelings on Reed’s music but this is one of the best, with a very talented supporting cast.
4.5 stars. Lou Reed of Velvet Underground with an edgy glam rock (a la David Bowie) record from the early 70's that feels way ahead of it's time. Standout is "Walk on the Wild Side".
trop bien !!
Honestly I liked this way better than I thought I would. Not every song but in general
Super
I liked this. There were a couple words one but overall this was good.
This album is supposed to be "seminal". Listening to it, I can hear echos of it in later works, and sense the hand of David Bowie in it's creation, but perhaps I'm too far removed from the before and after of this release to fully appreciate its impact. Obviously, Walk on the Wild Side has been considered gold my whole life and Perfect Day is legitimately world class, Satellite of Love has some strong moments but the songs between don't feel cohesive or impactful as I was hoping. I feel the same let down I felt with Never Mind the Bollocks, it was new\different and intentionally controversial but not as seriously good as things like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust or London Calling. Points to it for inclusion and openness about the lives of persecuted groups.
I think this loses 1.5 stars because of the back half because after satellite of love this just doesn't do anything for me
awesome
Classic underground
yeah i like this album
3 3/4 Good album with some excellent songs. Very close to 4 stars. I need to listen to it more.
Der er selvfølgelig tre af Reeds mest ikoniske solo-numre. Men resten af albummet er faktisk også rigtig fint. Der sker noget spændende i clashet mellem de groovy eller smukke melodier, og så Reeds tilbageholdte nærmest uperfekte måde at synge på.
Overall good album, kinda weird that this is rated higher than every velvet underground album though
01) Vicious - 9,0 02) Andy's Chest - 9,0 03) Perfect Day - 10,0 04) Hangin' 'Round - 8,0 05) Walk on the Wild Side - 10,0 06) Make Up - 8,0 07) Satellite of Love - 10,0 08) Wagon Wheel - 8,5 09) New York Telephone Conversation - 7,5 10) I'm So Free - 8,5 11) Goodnight Ladies - 7,5 TOTAL: 8,73 (87/100) Current ranking: 77/582
4.5
4.5
Many great songs, but I don't like "Perfect Day". 4.5 stars
Great album with some excellent tracks including "Walk on the Wild Side", "Perfect Day", "Vicious", and "Satellite of Love". A few weak spots prevent this from getting to 5 stars, but it's a strong 4.5.
4.5
Great songs from Lou, some more memorable than others
Fun!
Love this version of Lou Reed. Walk on the Wild Side is an all-timer but Satellite of Love may be my favorite song here.
I have come to learn that I like David Bowie less than I thought I did, but also that I like one-step-removed-from-Bowie stuff more than I thought I did. I’m also not a Velvet Underground hater anymore, I'm cool now, but I do think this is more up my alley than VU is, if only slightly.
I knew way more songs than I was expecting to, and wanted to hate it cos lou reed was a huge wanker, but actually really enjoyed a lot of it.
Poetry put to music
Baby, you're so vicious!
It’s ok
this turned out to be pretty decent. pleasantly surprised
Only ever heard the hits from this album so wasn’t too sure about what to expect I think this is a good album would listen to it again.
Eerste 7 nummers zijn een geweldige afwisseling van poprock & protopunk hitjes, laatste 4 nummers verliest het album wat stoom. Lou Reed blijft een fascinerend figuur en omdat het verhaal achter het album ook fascinerend is, heb ik toch wel een zwak voor dit album.
Enjoyed Side A>Side B. But overall great album Standout songs: Vicious Perfect Day Hangin' Round
First time listening to a Lou Reed album. It was good, with Perfect Day and Walk On the Wild Side being the standouts. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.
I love Lou Reed's dead pan vocals. The big hits are fantastic although there are some songs that dont do much for me. Great album.
Perfect day - perfect song
2 tijdloze bangers, verder redelijk wat fillers
Psyk rock, rolig vibe, nice lyrik, fed produktion
4.5
I’d only really listed to one song from this skill before. Enjoyable.
Un álbum legendario y genial. Glam rock de esencia punk, innovador y divertido. Comercial a la vez que rebelde. Incluso si dejamos de lado los temas clásicos "Perfect Day" y "Walk on the Wild Side" (los mejores del álbum), el resto tampoco están nada mal. Buena mezcla de estilos e instrumentos, y una producción excelente con el toque inequívoco de Bowie. Temas atemporales, líricamente ambivalentes, excéntricos, seductores y, simplemente, cool. Indie rock con 30 años de adelanto.
Have certainly heard many songs from this album in isolation, but have never felt the desire to listen to the entire thing the whole way through. Glad I was finally forced to. Excellent listen. Songwriting on par and beyond Loaded, which is my personal favourite VU record. Bowie + Ronson's touches elevate the end product for sure. 4/5
I've always liked this album. More than any Velvet Underground stuff. It retains the obscure vibes but just feels tighter and easier to drink. In my book, Lou is able to pull off the cool guy thing. Similar to Roxy Music. Like I believe him when he's weird. And I just love that he wrote a love song about tv, haha. Also Bowie's fingerprints only add value.
Chill, classic, some songs are fantastic
I liked this. I have always seen this album, but never really listened to it. It's what I expected it to be. It's not heavy, but it's still somehow a bit punk maybe? Not sure exactly how to classify it.
I have not listened to a lot of Lou Reed. Was a very good album with many good songs.
I always feel intimidated by Lou Reed. It always seems too cool for me. That being said, this is really good.
Pretty pretty pretty good. Solid 7 for this guy.
The lyrics and delivery are kinda corny but somehow it all works. I really enjoyed this album. Satellite of love was a standout for me!
My initial thought before realizing who Lou Reed actually was, was that this sounded quite a bit like Cake. Fun one.
I am familiar with Lou Reed, and of course have heard, "Walk on the Wild Side" but this is my first full listen of this album. I can definatly hear Bowie's hand in this. I will listen to this one again.
Transformer was delightful, not at all what I expected. It’s playful and even fun. The instrumentation and arrangements are creative, and Reed has a wry sensibility (and crystal clear enunciation) that somehow I didn’t know about. What a revelation!
4.5
Lou Reed has influenced a lot of artists I really like but I haven't heard of ton of his music other than the "hits." This album definitely has some strong moments, but drags on a few songs. I'd definitely give it another listen or three. 3.5/5 Album 67/1001
added two songs to my playlist
Overraskende gode melodier. Perfekt day virkelig stor klassiker, sammen med Walk on the wildside. Helt i grenseland mellom 4 og 5 for meg.
I get the appeal, especially for it's time. I like the vibe and I see why people like the talking-style of singing. The lyrics were kinda fun to listen to.
Really good, little weird, but in a good way
I got this album already, earlier through the generator. I rated it 3 stars are reviewed it "gotta be in the mood" a few weeks later I still think this is the case however, any album with "perfect day" on it should not receive lower than 4 stars...
The album that helped Lou Reed revive his career after a post-Velvet Underground slump, produced by David Bowie. Some of Reed's greatest songs ("Walk on the Wild Side", "Perfect Day", "Satellite of Love"), fun little background vocals by Bowie, the sleazy vibe of the New York demimonde, but hampered by a few trifling tracks ("New York Telephone Conversation").
I knew a couple of the songs and I was raised on 70s rock so this was a comfortable listen. The lyrical themes of transgression were cutting edge and the story telling is fantastic. All set to a fuzzy glam rock. I really enjoyed this.
It's just great, isn't it.
I only got to hear the first five songs, but I can already see why this record was so influential. Indie rock and jangle pop owe a lot to this record. Hangin' Around was an underrated gem, for me.
There are probably 5-6 better Lou albums, and maybe 12 I'll throw on before this, including Sally Can't Dance.
Very enjoyable
honestly only three standout songs to me, other than that decent listening experience I don't have anything much too special to say about it other than being he seems to be a big flirt
so much fun! has a certain louisiana jazz sensibility. vicious is very good
Perfect Day is such a standout
Considering my previous experience with Lou Reed as the frontman of The Velvet Underground, I wasn’t very excited for this album. I think I greatly prefer his solo work though as I found myself actually really liking this album. I’m not sure exactly what it was but this was just genuinely good stuff for the most part (Satellite of Love sucks I’m sorry).
Pretty nice, 2nd half became a bit of a burden, maybe not the right moment in time to listen to. Will definitely go for a 2nd round
Lou, you ok?
Cloaca
I enjoy a fair amount of Lou Reed and Velvet Underground songs but I've only listened to a few full albums by either. I welcomed the opportunity to listen to "Transformer" which is an album cover and title I've been familiar with since I was a kid. Kicks off strong with "Vicious" and it's rollicking beat and screaming guitars. "Perfect Day" is often covered and still sounds fresh. "Walk On The Wild Side" is a mega hit (half a billion listens and counting) and still on the radio all the time. "Satellite Of Love", also often covered, is a classic song. That's some real firepower. Influential, hit songs, staying power, deservedly on this list. The only weak song I skipped over was "Make Up". Of all the albums I got this week, this is the only one that deserves a spot on this Top 1001 listens, it has so many good songs, even the glue songs are fun and enjoyable. I'd give this a solid 4 stars.
I mean, it's Lou Reed. If there was an underground rock frontman from the '60s who had no right getting as popular as they did (be it through late era VU or his solo stuff), it's Lou Reed. The absence of any vocal range, straight-faced delivery, and dry sense of humor with parts lovestruck, bitter, and raunchy lyrical topics never really made for great airplay material. But what can I say, this was a hit record. I guess his swaggy demeanor creates a cool dissonance when put up against the generally standard pop-rock music here, to mostly charming results. And you can argue his sort of awkward off-kilter delivery was a precursor to many like-minded vocalists to come. I always associated this album with the buzzing of the melodic bass chords of 'Walk on the Wild Side', and that exclusively, but there were some other genuinely great songs here, like the epic 'Perfect Day' and 'Satellite of Love', which, despite having maybe the clunkiest vocals on the entire album, was also the cutest song here.
Just strange enough to be interesting, but solid enough to not to be strange.
Surprisingly good!
Would listen again - was strangely charmed by thus! Faves: perfect day, walk on the wild side
Do you want to listen to some music that has some calming guitar? Well in Walk On The Wild Side you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has some calming piano? Well in Perfect day you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend this song.
The way the picture was taken makes the guy on the cover look strange. "Walk On The Wild Side" was interesting. The lyrics were extremely powerful in my opinion because they are bringing to attention people who are trans-gendered. I liked the music as well. "Perfect Day" is nice. The singing voice was really good. The strings paired perfectly with the singing. I liked "Satellite of Love" because the music and singing were really good. But the lyrics are a bit confusing. I would recommend this album.
Lou Reed is the epitome of "artistry" of the 1960s and 70s. I don't feel like he has a lot of natural talent, but he obviously loved making music and put his entire effort into making something unique. Transformer is no exception to the Lou Reed formula. Songs like Vicious and Perfect Day are just so fun. Walk On the Wild Side is just a classic and has had such an impact on all genres of music. Unfortunately, some songs on Transformer come off as plain corny. Some may say that these songs are "camp", but that doesn't mean I have to like them. Reed even decides that some of the songs need a random tuba feature, that in my opinion, makes some songs feel straight out of a circus. Best Songs: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk On the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Goodnight Ladies Worst Songs: Make Up, NY Telephone Conversation
I don't know what to say about this record right now.
shoutout to the gays!
Transformer opens with the iconic "Vicious," a snarling track that sets the tone for the rest of the record. The entire album is rebellious energy mixed with vulnerability. Bowie’s influence is undeniable. It has the flamboyance of glam rock, but with Reed’s voice & lyrics giving it a darker edge. Walk on the Wild Side & Perfect Day are both standout tracks.. and offer contrasting reflections of life through Reed's eyes. An iconic album, through & through...and one that makes you feel something different with each listen.
I thought it was funny this came up today because I listened to a podcast yesterday with a guy who wrote a Lou Reed biography. I like the Velvet Underground as well as his solo stuff. This was a melancholy album and good listen
Brilliant album. Always dug The VU and Reed has some great solo stuff, too.
It's a really good album. The best tracks to me are those that are full of energy, and have a bit of anarchic spirit to them (Vicious, Walk On the Wild Side). There's a bunch of weirder, meandering tracks that I'm less enthused with (New York Telephone Conversation), but overall it's very solid. I like his style and what he's about. Perfect Day is an absolute all-timer of a song, my god. So good, I love it.
Transformer is proof that Lou is better as a solo artist than he was with Velvet Underground, this is an amazing sophomore effort. Guitar work and lyrics unusual but very well crafted. Great threefer from Perfect Day, Hangin’ Round, and Walk On the Wild Side (which was a huge hit in junior high school.) Absolutely nothing like it at the time because of the subject matter and message it sent. Gay wasn’t talked about yet and ya could still call them “colored girls” (instead of cover girls.) All songs good, weak link is NY Tele Conv, but he even strikes a cord with this one poking fun at the sense of NY Jewish humor. Solid (4.4*s) Goodnight Ladies!
I've always been a fan of Lou Reed for some reason. There's something about his vocal style that resonates with me. I've known a handful of songs off Transformer but not sure I've ever listened to it in unison. I was glad to put this album on and very satisfied with what I got. Lou's casual loopy vocals and simple backing music are a treat to listen to. Side A is excellent and will start to get more regular play from me. Side B tapers off but is still a decent listen. Take A Walk On The Wild Side is undoubtedly the biggest hit but I've always had a soft spot for Perfect Day which is my favorite song on the album. All in all Transformer is fun entry that certainly belongs on the list. Glad to see another Gorillaz collaborator show up. Love that Lou gets some representation outside of Velvet Underground (who did little to impress me). 3.58 stars
"Transformer", the second solo album of the legend Lou Reed brings some of his biggest hits and in the other hand, have some fillers on his tracklist. All the musics here are good but some of them got lost on the concept of the album.
Precursor of indie, bluesy and glam... not bad
Okay Vicious made me laugh a bit. Aside from that, Lou Reed definitely has a very unique voice and style. Despite Walk On the Wild Side being the only song of his I'd previously heard of, I knew it was his music which I love.
That rocked wow very good stuff.
This is the epitome of an underground album.
Perfect Day, Walk On The Wild Side and to a lesser extent Satellite of Love are all truly excellent, but the rest of the tracklist feels anemic by comparison, even not using his highly unorthodox past endeavours for comparison. I'm also not really getting what's that transgressive about the songwriting beyond Wild Side. Overall, I still enjoyed revisiting this album for this list, but I was disappointed with it.
Ha il Rock, ha il Glam. Mi ha preso alle prime due note. Bello carico, ma comunque vario. Ovviamente preferisco le canzoni un po' più rockeggianti. Promosso al primo ascolto, magari non da recuperare attivamente ma se capita lo si prende. Ovviamente in CD salvo occasioni.
I like him better solo. Not a fan of The Velvet Underground. I was presently surprised how upbeat this was. You can definitely hear the Bowie influence. Will re-listen.
Great songwriting. Loved this album with the exception of 2-3 songs that sounded outdated
Love Lou.
A lot of hits + I ike short albums
This album was co-produced by Bowie apparently. I guess Lou was trying to break away from The Velvet Underground, and had released a self titled solo debut album that sold poorly. Bowie was a fan of Velvet Underground, as well as Lou's solo work, so he helped produce this record, and used his influence to help promote it, and this album tracked much better! You can really hear Bowie's influence all through this album. And Walk on the Wild Side is a fantastic song!! Favorite songs: Hangin' 'Round, Walk on the Wild Side, I'm So Free, Wagon Wheel, Vicious Least favorite songs: Perfect Day 4/5
It's cozy, I'd like to love it, but I find it too slow and one-note. Still, I think it achieves what it wants to. Perfect Day is such a perfect little song. Wish the whole album had a stronger direction, but it's still far from terrible
I love this album. New York meets Berlin. The Bowie influence feels strong and it works.
Good variety throughout, all well written and interesting songs. Perfect Day? More like Perfect Song. What a banger.
enjoyable and chilled
Walk on the Wild Side und Perfect Day wirklich schöne Songs, sehr gutes Album
This shit slaps. Only knew Walk On The Wild Side and Perfect Day, but the others are great as well.
Let me get my one hang-up out of the way - I'm not a big fan of Lou Reed's talk-singing. This was the case with the Velvet Underground's debut album earlier on my journey, and now again with his second solo album Transformer. It might be hard to imagine some of these songs with a more conventional singer, but at the same time, his vocal style is an element I don't always find myself captivated by. That's just me. With that said man Lou was a fantastic song-crafter. He had this knack for writing songs as if they were poems taking on new life, expanded upon by catchy guitar hooks and a well-timed rhythm section. There are excellent riffs here on the likes of "Vicious", "Andy's Chest", "Hangin' 'Round", "Wagon Wheel", "I'm So Free" and especially "Walk on the Wild Side". At the same time, he mixed in a few well-done piano-driven ballads such as "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love", and ended on a quirky show tune with "Goodnight Ladies". It's apparent he was having fun putting these songs on tape, and David Bowie and Mick Ronson did a superb job on the production as a thank you to him. Even if I'm not into Lou's talk-singing, I can still recognize Transformer as a landmark album for art rock and glam rock, which you could say was transformative.
The most accessible Lou Reed album thanks to Bowie (and Mick Ronson) Full of memorable songs and hooks. 4
Great Lou Reed album, post-Velvet Underground. Stand-out cuts are "Perfect Day" and, of course, "Walk on the Wild Side"
Já havia escutado e tinha duas música favoritadas, sendo elas "perfect day" e "walk on the wild side". Estou reescutando "perfect day" e achei bem caricata. Desesperada, na verdade. A música é absurdamente melancólica e me faz questionar se ele está mesmo tendo um dia perfeito, ou se está desesperado se agarrando em qualquer faísca de uma possível felicidade. O piano nos minutos finais é bem bonito. A música é boa. Agora, "walk on the wild side" é icônica. Música maravilhosa. A música "make up" é boca de confusão, quebra tabus. A "satellite of love" tem vocais do Bowie <3 <3 Eita como é livre, leve e solto em 'i'm so free". A guitarra do último minuto é maravilhosa. Imagina alguém escrever "vicious" pra você...
Some really good songs. Some okay songs. Enjoyable listen overall.
ME HA ENCANTADO. Perfect Day es perfecta.Un álbum que me escucharé muchas veces más .Increíble. Que lo produjera David Bowie sólo lo hace mejor
I too like to watch things on tv, Lou. However, I have no idea what pancake factor one is. This album was great. I still can’t stand Perfect Day, I just don’t like it. Every other song on here I enjoyed. I knew a few and found some new ones that I’m adding to the rotation. So yeah if not for perfect day this would be a five star.
Würde ich mir nochmal anhören. Ist interessant. Perfect Day ist ein sehr schöner Song. Schwanke zwischen 3 und 4, ich runde einfach mal auf.
slightly better than average
There are some duds in there but overall you get a unique voice used in the best possible way on songs like Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side.
Lovely. Just when the opening tracks have taught you to expect guitar heavy backing and slightly rambly vocals, Perfect Day comes in to subvert everything. I will enjoy Lou Reeds solo albums more than I should, but this was just a great way to spend half an hour
Якщо чесно, не дивлячись на всебічне обожнювання The Velvet Underground, я ніколи не був їх палкім фанатом. Безумовно це був культовий гурт, що у свій час перегорнув музичний світ своїм відомим дебютним альбомом на якому красується банан, намальований Andy Warhol. Проте мене завжди трохи бісила його надмірна притензійність, та ніби притягнута за вуха, артистичніст. Адже окрім впливовості, зараз він не те щоб дуже гарно проходить випробування часом. І перший однойменний альбом Lou Reed, що вийшов в тому самому 72-у році, після того як він покинув The Velvet Underground, це лише підтверджує. Адже він складався, здебільшого, із старих чернеток, який Лу написав ще для минулого гурту. У висновку - альбом із тріском провалився, адже був майже ніяким. Що ж стосується Transformer, то це вже зовсім інша історія. Тут ми вже чуємо оригінальний матеріал, просочений поетичним талантом Ріда, та просто шикарними струнними аранжуваннями. Проте чи його це заслуга? Справа у тому, що альбом продюсував не аби хто, а давній шанувальник Лу - Девід Боуї, що якраз був на піку популярності після виходу шикарного The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972). Саме Боуї із гітаристом Spiders From Mars - Міком Ронсоном, будучи палкими фанатами The Velvet Underground, фактично «витягнули» Ріда із творчої кризи, та допомогли йому створити дуже крутий #glamrock альбом, що багато у чому наслідує Ziggy Stardust. Що казати, якщо найбільш відомі та захоплюючі аранжування для хітів Perfect Day та Walk On The Wild Side - написав саме Ронсон. Але все ж, варто віддати належно і самому Ріду. Адже без його яскравої персони та гарної лірики, тут і близько не вийшло би такої витонченої атмосфера міського декадансу, що немов привідкриває для нас завісу гучних богемних вечірок з великою кількістю наркоти. Ну а яскраві рок-н-рольні треки дадають всьому цьому додаткового драйву. Шикарна та дійсно унікальна робота, яку має почути кожен хто хоч трохи цікавиться музикою.
4.2
Solid album with just some great tracks. I know some people don’t like his voice but it is perfect for these songs
"Transformer" von Lou Reed ist toll, um einfach mal Musik zu hören. Schon fast kindlich springt er von Song zu Song und vermittelt eine breite Variation an Gefühlen. Mal ist er glücklick, mal nicht und manchmal möchte er einfach nur Spaß haben. Unbeschwert ohne inhaltslos zu wirken.
A really good album up until and including Satelite of Love. Then it takes a nosedive and only I’m So Free is listenable among the last four. 7/10
4 stars. I may not like his voice but I really enjoyed the instruments, the backing vocals, and the lyrics.
Track listing : 1 - Vicious 8/10 2 - Andy’s Chest 6/10 3 - Perfect Day 10/10 4 - Hangin’ Round 7/10 5 - Walk On The Wild Side 9/10 6 - Make Up 7/10 7 - Satellite Of Love 9/10 8 - Wagon Wheel 8/10 9 - New York Telephone Conversation 4/10 10 - I’m So Free 8/10 11 - Goodnight Ladies 6/10
It was not my first listen, but I wasn't that familiar with it either. The vibes alone were enough to coast on, but from a songwriting perspective, there is also a lot to appreciate. I enjoy the sometimes diverse arrangements, whilst it also sits very firmly in its own style and genre.
It's such a feeling to walk through the streets of the city on such a gloomy morning: the sky above you is gray, the asphalt under your feet is gray, and the air that fills the space between is largely gray, and while a cold northerly wind freezes your eyelids, Perfect Day is playing from your headphones. By the way, this is perhaps Lou Reed's most commercial album and the first with which he experienced mainstream popularity after Velvet Underground, and I liked it. I read on Wikipedia that this is also characterized as glam rock, although it didn't sound that way to me. There are songs that are cheesy and more pop-oriented, but overall - a short and sweet album that I listened to with enjoyment.
With its mix of accessible glam rock and provocative storytelling, Transformer offers a glimpse into Lou Reed’s unique artistic vision and enduring legacy. Whether viewed as a glam rock triumph or a reflection of New York’s subcultural vibrancy, it’s undoubtedly a must-listen.
Classic album, Perfect Day, walk on the wild side, Andy's chest all standouts.
Very good
I generally find Lou Reed quite irritating. There’s definitely been some exceptions, but usually I find his voice far too boring and annoying at the same time (which feels like an impossible feat). That made me have low expectations of this album. However, and very thankfully, I was quite wrong about this. Yes, his voice is still his voice, but the music is so cosy and pleasant (even if the themes are a little dark). Satellite of Love is such a nice song, and who can deny Perfect day being one of the most haunting ear worms around? Yeah, this was a surprisingly really good album.
I love it.
Good album. All the hits. Perfect Day is brilliant.
Good rock and roll! +1 voor master/mix
An interesting sophmore solo effort for Lou Reed. Of course most are familiar with "Walk on the Wild Side" but for me "Perfect Day" is the standout song of the album.
7.5/10 This album has a load of excellent, excellent songs on it. Production from Bowie is obviously on point. Vocal style is great. But it is far from perfect - the more straight-up glam rock hasn’t aged so well & there are a couple of silly throwaway tracks. Best: Perfect Day
A true classic! Take a walk on the wild side
It's the greatest Lou Reed solo album and maybe the 3rd best David Bowie album
I have a kind of love/hate relationship with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground in general. I like some of their songs a lot, and some I absolutely think are garbage. This album is really good overall. Obviously "Walk on the Wild Side" is the most popular song from here, but there are other gems too. Check out: Vicious, Andy's Chest, Wagon Wheel. Definitely a must listen before you die. 4/5 because a few of these songs sound like Bowie rejects.
If you accept that his singing isn't good, there is a silly charm to this, and there are a couple of good rockin' numbers next to the whimsical ones. And then there is Walk on the Wild Side, which is the deservedly iconic one on this album. I'll go back to this one day.
Actually really good, all the good uns
One of the best glam rock albums of all time, and of course, where there’s glam rock, there’s David Bowie. His production on the album is excellent, and he, along with Mick Ronson, didn’t miss on the production. Lou Reed’s writing and singing are also great, adding to the album’s charm. Overall, a fantastic album that’s definitely worth a listen, both iconic and highly enjoyable.
Perfect Day is a perfect song. The rest of the album is excellent. That said, it's a little disappointing to hear the start of Walk on the Wild Side and not hear the snare jump in with Q-tip, but I suppose that's just a testament as to how influential this album was.
had a lot of bangers, i didn’t enjoy the end as much as the start but a great album
"Vicious" is a bop. "Andy's Chest" has funny lyrics! "Perfect Day" is a really nice song. I've heard the opening of "Walk On The Wild Side" hundreds of times as a sample on Tribe's "Can I Kick It", it's really weird to hear it and not Q-Tip immediately after. Great song though. This album was great. I enjoyed it the whole way through. 8/10
In realtà quest'album non riesco a farmelo piacere totalmente, anche se Vicious è una delle mie canzoni preferite di sempre. Meglio la roba con i Velvet
For me, that was just a walk on the normal side… 😎
Way more relaxed than I expected and definitely enjoyed it. My favorites were “Perfect Day” and “Walk On the Wild Side.”
I already knew and liked "Walk On the Wild Side" before listening to the whole album, and I'm surprised by how much I wound up liking this one.
4- great album fav songs: walk on the wild side and love satellite
Fun one, some bangers here for sure. Needs more listens, but I'm feeling a 4 for now.
He’s not happy
- Preferred this to the Velvet Underground, which might be a hit take. - Notably dark but never taking itself too seriously. Reed knows how to bring in some unusual topics for the time, such as the gender-bending, without seeming to be either edgy for edgy's sake or pretentious. - "Vicious," "Andy's Chest, "Hangin' Around," and obviously "Walk On the Wild Side" are all fantastic. - "Perfect Day" is a bit incongruous and feels more dated. Almost did not like "Goodnight Ladies," but the clarinet does a lot.
Liked perfect day nice rocky mix
I was torn between 3 and 4 but the peaks of this album definitely send it to the 4 territory.
4.25 classic.
This was weird and I loved it.
Well. I’m so typical. Perfect Day is lovely. Feel like I’ve never really heard it until now. Satellite of Love is now my fav.
Unsure why I've never listened to this album before today, especially given Bowie was involved. And I've always liked "Perfect Day" and "Walk On the Wild Side", both of which are on here. So what was I waiting for? No idea. It's as good as I've always heard, and I prefer it over Lou Reed's work with Velvet Underground. Guess now I'll have to finally dig into his other solo albums.
Banger after banger in the 1st half of this album. Unfortunately it all goes steeply downhill after Satellite of love, otherwise it might've gotten a perfect score from me! I had to skip the New York Telephone Conversation as it just was too awful to keep listening to.
I've known who Lou Reed was but never really ever listened to him. This album was pretty good. The lyrics were really interesting to me, especially since some of the lyrics seemed to tackle gender identity and sexuality which is something I wasn't expecting. I think if I had heard this album when I was in high school/college it would be one of my favs but it's not necessarily my kind of thing these days. That's not to say that won't change in the future
Pretty good, but kind of uneven. High highs and low lows. And thus concludes my career-spanning biography of Lou Reed’s artistic output.
It’s a good album. Not perfect. Some of these lyrics don’t quite do it for me.
Cool album, never listened to Lou Reed or VU before. Basis for a lot of popular contemporary music.
ок
I really wanted to hate this. The 6music genesis album, the New York celebrity culture that it tries to sneer at but is so clearly a part of, and I cannot stand Perfect Day. And yet, the album kept me interested. The singles are all strong and well saved out between largely good album tracks. I'll be back.
A couple of tracks hold it back from being a true all-timer, but I still do love it so. Lou sounds confident, his writing is excellent, and Bowie and Ronson put their best production efforts forward. Great shit. 4.5/5
4 out of 5. Never being a big Velvet Underground fan I went into this with low expectations and left liking it more than I thought I would.
Not the best voice but the songs are very good
One of the all-time classics. And Reed’s best. Bowie’s involvement in this is probably no coincidence. A distillation of his best late Velvets sound with some superbly crafted rock songs.The fact he also sidesteps this with songs like Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side make this album far from a one-trick pony. I love the different moods and tempos, but it all hangs together beautifully to evoke New York life and style at the time. And Satellite Of Love is one of those recordings that can’t fail to make you feel better, no matter your mood when it starts. 5⭐️
Really enjoyed this. Love Lou’s deadpan delivery and the songs are interesting and well written. Couple of tracks I’m not keen on make this not quite a 5/5 for me. Will definitely listen again.
Very camp. I knew most of these songs anyway, but it was nice to finally hear the whole thing. I still think the best stuff Lou Reed did was with The Velvet Underground, rather than solo stuff. eg, Satellite of Love was originally recorded as a VU demo. But this is proper good, regardless.
Great
Was a little disappointed with the Velvet Underground, but this one is really good. You can hear the Bowie influence and Lou really figured out a better vision for his music.
Not what I expected. This is a stripped down album with a variety of moods. Some songs that are actually pretty tender and old school which I didn’t associate with Lou Reed. Very good find!!
The songs on here that are good are really good, but then every know and then there’s like a showtune that kinda sucks. Lou is much better away from the Velvet Underground
learned after listenin to the full album that david bowie was one if the producers and it totally makes sense loved a few of the songs, it's a cozy and chill record overall been into 70s rock lately, it was fun to discover another artist from that era
just one of those endlessly relistenable albums. i think i would eventually upgrade this to a perfect score but right now it's just one of those albums that's packed full of great tunes
Nice album
Nice
Lou Reed fronted The Velvet Underground, which represented "the counterculture to the counterculture." With VU, he gave birth to all things later called "punk," "new wave," or "alternative." In other words, SO MUCH GREAT STUFF. Transformer is his second album after he left VU, and I think I'd say it's an extension of that band's varied vibe in some ways. Yet for me it's not as consistently engaging. The best tracks for me are "Vicious," "Andy's Chest," and "Hangin' 'Round." "Walk on the Wild Side." Meh. But, OK. Still, I'll do all I can to round up to 4 stars, since Lou Reed was doing his inconsistent best to bring the stories of the streets to us... and sometimes it sounds so good.
The aesthetic of Lou Reed probably is better than the songs but it’s still an amazing hang
Very pleasant listen. Liked it better than I did before. Would probably give it a 3.5 but you can't do that, so
When you think of Lou Reed as a Glam rock musician, this is largely where that reputation comes from. The usual themes of drug use and sexual deviance are there, but now with Bowie and Mick Ronson in control of the overall atmosphere.
Great album. Knew several songs off of it but never heard the whole album together. Very glad I did.
Fuckin great
His delivery is interesting, almost a bit jaded and spoken, very cool effect. Perfect Day. Take a walk on the wild side. Produced by Bowie, which you can hear. Glam rock. Reed was in Velvet Underground. A bit silly and playful at times. Really like the 'who gives a fuck' attitude.
This was produced, in part, by David Bowie, and it shows. It’s such an interesting mix of two genres that would really take off after this album - glam rock and punk. Of course not all tracks fall into either or both of those genres, but there’s enough here to call it a forerunner to both. I’d honestly always thought of Lou Reed as being far less interesting than this. I think I always confused him with other artists from this era from completely different genres. I’m glad my prior expectations were completely blown away. This is an easy four stars. I’d be curious to see what he did after this and if he ever was this good again. Oh and I kept waiting for “Can I Kick It?” to hit during “Walk on the Wild Side,” despite the fact that I’ve heard both songs before. Funny how that works. Standout Tracks: Vicious, Hangin’ Round, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel, Goodnight Ladies
I'm not a particular Lou Reed fan but this album might've changed my mind. Tonally it seems different than what I usually get from him, maybe thats why. Good lyricism, its got a more rock n' roll vibe that suits him well.
Lovely sound
4.5
Cooles Album
Lagið Perfect Day með Lou Reed er eitt af uppáhaldslögunum mínum og hefur verið í langan tíma. Það er þess vegna nokkuð skammarlegt að ég hafi aldrei hlustað á plötu með honum fyrr en nú. Platan var mjög góð. Daðrar við fimm stjörnurnar en ég held hún sé nær fjarkanum. Allaveganna í bili
演唱的方式很像講話，有種說書人的氛圍，很有趣。
To whoever said they were taking away a star for the tuba solo, I'm giving it back.
Gritty. Just like the author
Lot's of fun interesting songs that are pretty experimental. Really respect what Lou Reed was going for.
Very good. Almost proto-pavement on a lot of the songs. I can tell exactly how influential this album was.
Приятный classic rock альбом. Послушал фоном, и не смотря на то, что ни одна песня не зацепила, общее впечатление положительное
excellent
Quirky and interesting album. I really enjoy Lou Reed's voice and style and this album was no exception. I listened through twice. 4.5!
I think I am genetically predisposed to like this - it’s my mum‘s favorite.
perfect day is beautiful. love the strings and piano on that one. walk on the wild side iconic. like 4/5
Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side and Satellite of Love (my favourite of the three) is a pretty impressive trio of classics to have on one album. I think they have an edge over the best Velvet Underground tracks because they maintain TVU's out-there-for-the-time lyrical themes and avant garde musicality (WotWS remains a pretty unique sounding record to this day), but melodically they're just a level above. Maybe Bowie is partially to thank? I toyed with a 5 but I think many of the other tracks are a bit lacking in the aforementioned musical intrigue. They do however all fall back on the aforementioned solid sense of melody, meaning the album is never less than listenable. 4 / 4.5
Hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side. Gold.
November 6, 2024 HL: “Perfect Day”, “Satellite of Love”, “Walk on the Wild Side”, “New York Telephone Conversation”, “Make Up” 2nd and a half Lou Reed, after Berlin and half of Metal Machine Music :/ The big band flourishes are fun, and contrast well with the straightforward rockers. Recognized “Satellite of Love” right away, and “Wild Side” and “Perfect Day” are pretty inescapable as 70’s classics. Of course, the references to gender and sexual fluidity are far too liberal for today’s climate. What’s next, actual gay people releasing music? /s (I look forward to Frankie Goes To Hollywood, which I skipped to get to this one faster)
I might be grading on a curve because I’ve had some clunkers, but this was refreshing and chill
Nice one. Ik kende een paar liedjes maar nog nooit actief geluisterd
Lou Reed + David Bowie = gud album
If I could sum this album up in one word it would be this — serendipitous. It’s serendipitous that the first time I ever heard “Walk on the Wild Side” was when I was around 12, riding in my older sister’s first car, driving past the house I now live in, some 16 years later. It is serendipitous in fact that I probably wouldn’t have cared for the album at that age, but now it has reached me at an age that I can appreciate it fully. But I still remember that day, and I remember the exact moment of thinking/blurting, “what…is this?” So much beauty in that song that I became sick of myself for not wanting my sister to think I liked something she liked. How could I not love this? It was the first time I’d ever let her in on knowing that I loved what she loved. And that song is still one of my favorite songs. But to listen to the whole album now, and to know why I am doing this project; It is for moments like these. I know I won’t forget cleaning my bathroom listening to this on repeat, laughing every time about the bit he does about the honeybears. This album is funny, clever, light, lively, honest, unaffected, and heartfelt.
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Perfect Day was great!
could i write poetry to this? y
This was a good album. If your not familiar with Lou Reed than this is a great starting point. I’ve known about him for many years, but never really had a chance to digest his music. I want to say that I can hear the David Bowie influence, but I’m not to sure who really influenced who, but if you like early David Bowie, than this will be right up your alley.
Lou Reeds best album for me.
It's not perfect - I think it comes higher up "greatest album lists" than it deserves. But it's still a very good album.
So good.
Ranges from amazing timeless classics like Walk on the Wild Side to insane garbage like New York Telephone Conversation.
Maybe this is an album David Bowie had missed to record by his own. There is the great "Walk on the Wild Side". And I like "Satellite of Love" since the U2 Zoo TV live performance. Not a single weak track. But I´m not 100% into his vocals. 3,5
big fan of this album
It's actually fun
Great glam rock album by former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed with strong songwriting and excellent production by Bowie and Ronson - Reed influenced Bowie a lot in the 60s, and then, at the height of glam rock, Bowie helped out Reed and influenced his album with his production work. I love Perfect Day, and Walk On the Wild Side the most. His voice and singing is not my favourite, though.
Listened to some Velvet Underground before but not really much of Lou Reed’s music. Was aware of a few songs (Perfect Day, Walk on the wild side, Satellite of love) but wasn’t really aware of what the rest of the album might be like. Turns out I really liked a lot of it. Will be seeking out more if Lou Reed’s work.
Walk On The Wild Side is enough to earn this a 4, but nothing else on the album struck me as great
Enjoyed this album, even though there were a few songs I wasn't massively keen on. Overall would listen to more.
I really enjoyed this; it had a very relaxed vibe. There are some solid songs on this album.
Perfect Day is a perfect song for me, I just love it. Everything up to Wagon Wheel was perfect (maybe not Make Up but it was weird in a way I liked) I really didn't like New York Telephone Conversation but the rest was really solid. Maybe it should be a 5 but I can't bring myself to for some reason, even if it has 2 perfect songs on the album.
Virkelig fed plade, kan godt lide det helt klassiske glam men kan endnu bedre lide at det er diverst og at Reed prøver alt muligt skørt
I really dig Lou Reeds voice. It's pretty obvious that some of the songs on this album were written for Velvet Underground, but they are really good!
Sweet Lou doing Sweet Lou things. Difficult to comprehend that this album wasn't as appreciated as it should have been before Bowie got involved. I mean, the hits are there. So is the cynicism and the indulgence. A really good rock and roll record with a couple of swings and misses. But a great listen just the same. Unexpected bangers: Hangin' 'Round, Wagon Wheel -- along with the usual timeless cuts of awesomeness.
Low 4. Very enjoyable album
Didn’t realize he was the original singer of wild side. Fun album in the Beatles era type music
I’ve always been a Lou Reed fan. I haven’t gone total hardcore but have heard my fair share of his stuff and this classic album is no exception. This is Probably considered his most commercially successful and gets highest praise (with some Velvet Underground) “Satellite Of Love” is my favourite track on here. Even Though I am not the biggest Bowie fan , his backing vocals at the tail end of the song is so infectious. 6/5 SONG Other stand out tracks Vicious Perfect Day Hangin ‘Round (chorus such a sing along) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE New York Telephone Conversation GOOD NIGHT LADIES closes the album on a Lounge singer vibe in Lou Reed style. Leaving a Neon bar in New York City 4.5/5
Strong 7
Satellite of Love is a favorite
Important, brave, forward-looking, the only thing that holds this back from being 5* is needing to be a little more musically engaging when listening front-to-back.
what a brilliant album!
Again, there was a period in time where because of the atrocity of an album that Lou Reed collaborated with Metallica to create, I would never consider to listen to any album Reed had a hand in as a result. Turns out, a lot of his work really is great and falls under my interests. At this point after listening to and enjoying multiple of Reed's work during this project, I'll have to hand it to him that "Lulu" was just an experimental misstep in the careers of 2 iconic artists. "Transformer" (particularly in the front half of the album) was terrific and it's an album I'd gladly revisit. Notable Tracks: - Vicious - Perfect Day - Hangin' 'Round - Walk On the Wild Side 7/10
I forgot what a great album this is. Certainly appreciate it much more now that many years ago.
I feel like Perfect Day sums up this album for me - genius songwriting which could be better covered by others. (Reed's Perfect Day is a really good track, but Kirsty MacColl's version with Evan Dando is definitive.) It feels unbaked in places - the weird oompah-band horns, half-hearted use of background vocals, inexplicable Dixieland band on the last track - and yet I kept thinking about other bands I'd love to hear cover the lesser-known songs. Certainly good as an album, with multiple standout tracks, but absolutely full of potential as a songbook.
Simple, classic storytelling
****a good album, very versatile
Yes! This was fantastic and I can’t wait to dive into Lou Reed’s discography and related acts. I didn’t know about the Bowie connection, but I can definitely hear Reed’s influence on Bowie now. Highlights: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, I’m So Free.
Lou always captures the NYC spirit. This one transports me right there.
Lou Reed seems like a shithead but this album is pretty good.
There’s something about Reed’s voice that sounds unpracticed, unpolished, and often flat, and yet ultra cool. Or maybe that’s why he sounds so cool. This is an album for multiple repeat listens.
Great album. Perfect Day is an absolute masterpiece 4/5
I used to absolutely love this album when I was younger. It felt dangerous, cool, and a bit untouchable. Listening back now, I don’t quite hold it in the same reverence — and I can’t help wondering if Lou Reed is slightly overrated. That said, there’s no denying how strong this record is. The songwriting is sharp, the attitude effortless, and the atmosphere unmistakable. The “Perfect Day” demo is beautiful — stripped back and genuinely moving, showing the tenderness behind the bravado. Favourite tracks: It’s almost impossible to choose. “Vicious” is brilliantly biting, and “Walk on the Wild Side” is iconic for a reason — laid-back, stylish, and completely of its time. Least favourite: If I’m being picky, “Goodnight Ladies” — but even that has its charm. Album artwork: A perfect cover. Stark, cool, and effortlessly stylish Even if it doesn’t hit me quite the way it once did, it’s still a hugely important and influential album — and one I’ll always have some affection for.
LSD:n katkuinen helmi. Olin kuin limbossa kun tidal soitti Beatlesia tämän levyn jälkeen. Goodnight ladies, ladies goodnight!
Perfect Day to listen to this one. Goodnight Ladies.
9/9/24. Lou Reed is weird but one of my favorites! Great artistry, controversial lyrics, but memorable and interesting songs.
This is great work by Lou, so much more cohesive than White Light and maybe the best thing he did outside of the VU. Docking a point for his always weird misogyny--could've been a 5.
Man, have not listened to this for ages!! Always loved it though, particularly Bowie’s influence Satellite Of Love, yes!!
So cool
Way better than his other album. This has a couple of famous and more enjoyable songs!
It was a good album. Apart from some strange lyrics, I enjoyed listening to it
Almost like he put the good songs in an album and the bad one in the other.. just 2 years apart
I can't put my finger on why, but I kind of liked this. Maybe it was because it was morning and I was susceptible to some calmer stuff. I usually don't enjoy monotone singing that sounds like talking, but for some reason Lou worked just fine this time. He has some unorthodox timings that makes it interesting. The lyrics feels quite unfiltered as well, and somehow Lou sometimes gives off a bit of creep vibes, which I haven't experienced with many singers before. Overall I thought most songs brought something new and were interesting and fun to listen to. Probably not something I will put on that much, but really appreciated it this time. Going out on a limb with a weak 4.
A weird little album. The hits alone warrants a 4 with "Perfect Day", "Walk on the Wildside" and "Satellite of Love". The rest of the songs were quirky and different. The lyrics were quite funny as a plus. I think if it was a longer album maybe the quirkiness would get tiresome but as it stands it was a fun album. The tracks outside the hits, however, weren't really that memorable even if they were ok. Weak 4.
David Bowie and Mick Ronson's fingerprints are definitely all over this album, which is not a bad thing.
A classic Lou Reed album; I'm glad we got this one (and I had no idea it was released so long ago). I'd heard so many of these songs in other contexts (I'm guessing quite a number from "Trainspotting", I'm a bit embarrassed to admit), and I'm impressed that so many came from this album. And while it may say more about me than anything else, I doubt I'll ever get tired of listening to "Walk on the wild side" (although I definitely don't binge on it). "Vicious" is a great way to start the album, "Satellite of Love" an iconic classic, and I'm not sure why "Perfect day" works for me so well, but it does. And despite some remarkably campy songs interspersed throughout, I also enjoyed several of the songs I wasn't familiar with, particularly "Andy's chest" (apparently a different version of a Velvet Underground tune, and also apparently a tribute to Andy Warhol and his near death shooting), "Goodnight Ladies" (mainly because of the reference to TS Eliot's Wasteland), and parts of "Wagon Wheel". Interesting that a veritable constellation of luminaries assisted in the production and conception--David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Andy Warhol. And funny that the man on the back album photo packed a banana in his pants for the shot.
Solid album, though I still much prefer Berlin. Songs like Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, and Satellite of Love are great of course, but several of the other songs are just a little too silly for me.
Really enjoyed this one. Particularly liked Make Up which was one I hadn't heard before
Estamos ante uno de los cantautores más importantes e influyentes del rock, considerado más un artista de culto más que una estrella. Seguramente influyó mucho su forma literaria de componer y su libertad y sensiblidad a la hora de afrontar temas en su momento poco convencionales, como las drogas y el sexo. Se le sitúa, de hecho, como un precursor sustancial para la revolución punk de los 70. Este fue su segundo trabajo en solitario, y digamos que tuvo la suerte de encontrarse con un David Bowie recién llegado al estrellato y fan declarado de la Velvet Underground. Con su producción (y la de su guitarrista, Mick Ronson) y apoyo Reed aplicó a Transformer los sonidos del glam rock. En el disco sobresalen el gran éxito internacional, "Walk on the Wild Side", homenaje a un grupo de travestis y drag queens reales que coincidieron con él junto a Warhol; y la maravillosa "Perfect Day" (inspiración de la reciente película de Wim Wenders de casi igual título), sobre la adicción y su efecto anestesiante de las emociones. Pero también me gustan canciones como "Vicious" y "Hangin' Round", donde la guitarra mantiene un punto 'hard' muy llamativo, y el cierre del disco, "Goodnight Ladies", con su mirada compasiva al protagonista de la historia que, después del desenfreno, se encuentra y siente totalmente solo en casa viendo la televisión.
Not the biggest fan of Lou. Liked this one better than expected
I knew a surprising amount of these songs, mostly through covers I think. It was a nice chill album, I don't think improved by listening on the tube - this needed to be a Sunday morning coffee album.
Pretty good actually Didn’t really understand the kinda nursery rhyme melody in a few of the songs Will have to look up some of the lyrics
eclectic
"Walk on the wild side" ist ja ein Klassiker, der Rest fällt ein wenig ab ...
Lou op zijn best...
Laid back and more subdued glam rock, but that's to be expected for those familiar with Lou Reed and his previous work. "Walk on the Wild Side" is the most notable track here (hip-hop heads will recognize that bassline sample...) as it sounds simultaneously seedy yet cool, indicative of the subject matter. I hadn't heard any of the other tracks prior to getting this album, so other ones that stood out to me were the sarcastic "Vicious", the softer "Perfect Day", and the more traditional glam rock-y "Satellite of Love". You can certainly hear Bowie's influence on this album. Yet Lou Reed is distinctively different from Bowie in many ways with his performance. "Transformer" is a fun jaunt and over quick enough to warrant another listen, so take a walk on the wild side one more time why don't ya?
4.5/5. Perfect Day is the last song I wanna hear before I overdose on heroin.
yaya
Good stuff, not quite a 5 though
i love dark alleyways now