My favourite track on the first album are "I Love You", "Wild Child" and "Love Makes Me Feel". Listening to the album again, I think the lousey closeted drumming lets the whole thing down.
Lou Reed v Lester Bangs: a classic interview from the vaults Lou Reed v Lester Bangs: a classic interview from the vaults
Lester’s writings are “novel” like. Compare that to “rock” journalism in the late 60’s, early 70’s where artists had to answer questions like “How would you describe your music” “What sort of message are you sending with your music” Ugh!
Next up.... Transformer wiki: Transformer is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lou Reed. The album is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side", which touched on then-controversial topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, prostitution, and drug use. Produced by David Bowie and arranged by Mick Ronson, the album was released in November 1972 by RCA Records. Though Reed's self-titled debut solo album had been unsuccessful, Bowie had been an early fan of Reed's former band The Velvet Underground, and used his own fame to promote Reed, who had not yet achieved mainstream success.[1][2] Side one "Vicious" – 2:55 "Andy's Chest" – 3:17 "Perfect Day" – 3:43 "Hangin' 'Round" – 3:39 "Walk on the Wild Side" – 4:12 Side two "Make Up" – 2:58 "Satellite of Love" – 3:40 "Wagon Wheel" – 3:19 "New York Telephone Conversation" – 1:31 "I'm So Free" – 3:07 "Goodnight Ladies" – 4:19 30th anniversary edition bonus tracks "Hangin' 'Round" (acoustic demo) – 3:58 "Perfect Day" (acoustic demo – includes a hidden track featuring an advert for the album) – 4:50 Personnel Lou Reed – lead vocals; rhythm guitar Mick Ronson – lead guitar; piano; recorder; string arrangements David Bowie – backing vocals; keyboards; acoustic guitar on "Wagon Wheel" and "Walk on the Wild Side" Herbie Flowers – bass guitar; double bass; tuba on "Goodnight Ladies" and "Make Up" John Halsey – drums Additional personnel Trevor Bolder – trumpet Ronnie Ross – soprano saxophone on "Goodnight Ladies" and baritone saxophone "Walk on the Wild Side" The Thunder Thighs – backing vocals Barry DeSouza – drums Ritchie Dharma – drums Klaus Voormann – bass guitar on "Perfect Day", "Goodnight Ladies", "Satellite of Love" and "Make Up" Production David Bowie – producer Mick Ronson – producer Ken Scott – engineer the album that made Lou's career...if this failed we could be looking at lou as this obscure figure only the old VU fans would know. David Bowie uses his newfound clout to fast track this album and Lou rises to the occasion. Walk on the Wild Side is still as great as it was in 1972, rhyming head with head, jackies speeeeeding away, he was a she, a sneak peak into the Warhol scene played on the radio! (was it edited at all?). Satellite of Love, Perfect Day, Vicious, all killer. Not a weak song, I'm so Free might be my sleeper from album. The sounds is the opposite of the debuts muffled - in your face, energetic, sparks. helped a lot by Bowie and Mick Ronson who did the string arrangement. one of the first lou reed albums I bought (the first was VU at Max's I think, then the Blue Mask then this) Opinions? favorite songs? least favorite? Memories?
I know you didn’t miss him out, but to quote Lou, “mustn't forget Ronno.” Guitars, piano, strings, recorder, vocals, arrangements. Three undeniable classics on this (Wild Side, Perfect Day and Satellite - which might be the only time he topped a Velvets original version, though I’d also posit the later “She’s My Best Friend”- some freewheeling Lou humor and wordplay, and a lot of enjoyable music. Maybe the last time Lou was actually fun for quite a while. I also especially dig “I’m So Free”. His New York conversation period. Christgau later admitted that the New York critics group “f*’d the album” because of Lou’s temerity in dropping Richard Robinson in favor of Bowie. The public didn’t care about the reviews.
this was the closing song for the ron and fez radio show for years.....I cant hear it without thinking of them
is that why? I was reading a luke warm review by rolling stone as well, the critics always seemed to be a step behind with lou, they'd really bring out the forks for berlin too also yeah I think mick ronson really was key to the album.
Yes, I always suspected one reason Lou brought Richard back for Street Hassle (besides possibly feeling guilty) is that it would ease the American critics’ animosity toward him. I believe it was also Henry Edwards, influential back then, who had turned on Lou. Nothing was like that ridiculous take down of Berlin in Rolling Stone though. “Goodbye Lou” indeed. Not hardly! Was that Marsh? Of course, it would always be hard for Lou’s solo work to stack up against the consistent brilliance of the Velvets albums, and by the 70’s he was a different artist in a different time.
LOOOUUU! I just found this thread. I'm going to try to keep up, but... The first record, which has already been thoroughly discussed, is wonderful. I just wonder what it might have sounded like with The Tots.
Transformer is an outlier in Lou's catalogue. While it's wonderful, I'm glad he didn't stick with the glammy edges in his future. Better stuff was on the way.
For me the Transformer album is a massive step up from s/t. It hit me big time back in the day and got me off and running Lou-wise. Rate it very highly still, a somewhat "lighter" listen than what was to come to put it mildly.
I tried to look it up but the Rolling Stone site keeps freezing lol, it was brutal, no wonder lou was depressed after that (found it; Stephen Davies)
