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Transformer

Lou Reed | Format: Audio CD
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Biography

by Richie Unterberger

The career of Lou Reed defies capsule summarization. Like David Bowie (whom Reed directly inspired in many ways), he has made over his image many times, mutating from theatrical glam rocker to scary-looking junkie to avant-garde noiseman to straight rock & roller to your average guy. A firmer grasp of rock's earthier qualities has ensured a more consistent ... Read more in Amazon's Lou Reed Store

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Product details

  • Audio CD (1 Jan 2009)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: RCA
  • ASIN: B000026F8S
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 20,030 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Product Description

CD Album

Customer Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars
11 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Transformer - Lou Reed 17 Sep 2003
By Phil Robb
Format:Audio CD
Probably Lou Reed's most popular recording, if not his best. Great songs introducing us to an alternative New York (drugs, sex, prostitution, transvestites to name but a few topics), and backed off with perfect production from David Bowie & Mick Ronson, as well as Bowie's distinctive backing vocals on Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel and others. Lou timed this album perfectly, taking full advantage of the new 'Glam Rock' sound sweeping the market at the time, whilst not committing himself whole-heartedly in this direction (I give you 'Berlin' the following year!). The Reed/Bowie vocal duet on 'New York Telephone Conversation' is perfectly camp for the time, and this helped introduce Lou to a whole new audience who might otherwise have remained in ignorance. Memorable also for the fact of the BBC not fully understanding certain 'Americanisms' in the lyrics, hence 'Walk On The Wildside' becoming a hit single here. Still stands the test of time today. A true classic album. 5 Stars for sure.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Reed's glamrock masterpiece 22 Sep 2002
By Pieter Uys HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
Over these eleven perfectly crafted tracks, Lou showed us various little panoramas of Andy Warhol and The Factory, transvestitism, New York's gay scene, urban decadence, drug use and more in a wonderful blend of humour and irony and in a brilliantly diverse musical setting. The guitar-driven hard rock of Hangin' Round and Vicious is balanced by the subdued power of the poetic Perfect Day and the imaginative arrangements of Walk On The Wild side and Goodnight Ladies. Transformer is a literate, intelligent and enduring statement of an era and is one of the few albums of the glam-rock movement that has survived with its artistic integrity intact and that still has something to say today. David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced it with all the expertise they lent to the Ziggy Stardust album. But its varied styles, broader subject matter and feel of personal experience make it a better album than Ziggy Stardust. Unlike on most of Reed's other albums, there is great melodic variety too, and classic pop like the poignant Satellite of Love which by the way, is beautifully covered by Eurythmics on their Sweet Dreams video. It ought to have been as great a hit as Walk On The Wide Side! This most accessible album of Reed's was a deserved commercial success and spawned a million dreams.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Fine Music 24 Mar 2002
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
No bad tracks on this album, which is a pretty rare thing. For me, it is Lou Reed through and through - simple cut down instrumental layers, thoughtful poetry and touches that really are the hallmark of someone in their prime (clarinet and other jazz instruments on Goodnight Ladies perfectly capture the mood and setting of the lyrics).

Yes, if you have 50+ CDs and rock music is in there, this should be too.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious music from 1972 6 July 2000
By John Peter O'connor VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
This album, of mellow laid back rock ballads really set the benchmark for this type of music. Without its influence, rock music in the seventies would have been much less adventurous.

The album has a delicate, light touch and it always rewards careful listening. If you look at the list of names on the credits, including David Bowie, Mick Ronson and Herbie Flowers, it is no surprise that it reaches such musical heights.

Of course, the highlights of this album are "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side" but "Vicious" is also worthy of special mention.

Lou Reed's mellow voice and the lyrics at once cynical, surreal and witty capture the attention first on this album but when you look further, there is just so much good music here. For example, the bass line on "Walk on the Wild Side" is wonderful and it really holds the whole song together.

If your music collection includes just one CD from the seventies, it should be this one.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Transformer uses lyricism and rhythm to create pure harmony 30 Nov 2000
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
After the flop of his debut album, Lou Reed came together with rising star David Bowie and the producer Mick Ronson to make his most acclaimed album. Such moving music had not been heard from the mouth of Lou Reed since White Light/White Heat with the Velvet Underground and his karmic precision in bringing beautiful clarity of lyrics with strong melodies and rhythm has only been equalled in recent years by Radiohead's OK Computer.

His lyricism puts him up with Shakespeare: a modern bard for a modern time. By saying this, I am sure I am making it clear that Lou Reed's Transformer has and will stand the test of time and will continue to influence generations as it had influenced the punk scene in the late 70's. All hail Reed the revolutionary rhetorician.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Brill 9 April 2013
By V. Doherty
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is too old for a review to have anything pertinent and new to say, your record collection requires it
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3.0 out of 5 stars Classic US glam rock 5 Jan 2013
By phatboi
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Though most of it is either lost on me or not to my liking, there is something quite challenging yet engaging about this album. Produced by Bowie and Ronson, these views of New York life juxtaposed with a British perspective on how it should be displayed make for an intriguingly-observed set of tracks.
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5.0 out of 5 stars great album 3 Oct 2012
By malmac
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was one of my favourite and overplayed records, well done amazon having it so now the cd travels with me. One everyone should have a copy of
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