ALBUM REVIEW: Lou Reed - Transformer

    Lou Reed is a name that is all too familiar to the classic rock tradition - the primary songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist behind the boundary-breaking and revolutionary Velvet Underground group, which always lacked in sales but was largely made up for by its influence on punk, alternative, garage, shoegaze, and indie music. With Reed being the dominant songwriting force of the group, he also held a large amount of domineering power, and by 1969 The Velvet Underground had effectively become a delivery tool for Reed's songwriting growth. Even still, Lou must've grown tired with it, as he quit the band after their fourth album Loaded. His self-titled solo debut earlier in '72 flopped hard and was overlooked by critics. With his second album, Reed brought on production help from Mick Ronson and David Bowie, both of whom had been heavily influenced by Reed's work with The Velvet Underground - Transformer likewise took key notes from the emerging glam rock movement while still very much having hints of his Velvet Underground material. Transformer isn't as good as the best of his former band's material, but it is nonetheless a consistently very good endeavor that's catchy, varied, and in many ways boundary-pushing.

    As early as "Sunday Morning" on their landmark debut The Velvet Underground & Nico, Lou Reed was never too afraid to work some pop into his music, and he only continued that move into the sound by 1969 and 1970. With Transformer's glam rock leanings, this is only emphasized with a menagerie of great licks and pop hooks. It should come as little surprise that the album yielded Lou Reed's biggest hit in "Walk on the Wild Side", a catchy glam rock number that is far more than just a great bass line - with lyrics that touch on transgender people and open sexuality, it was a very groundbreaking song at a time when it was a genuine risk to someone's life if they were transgender, and Reed's openness and lack of fear when covering these ideas is truly commendable. That song was combined with "Perfect Day" as a double A-Side single, and in comparison to the low energy of "Walk on the Wild Side", "Perfect Day" is a soft and slow piano ballad that sees Lou Reed reflecting on a day with his fiancée in Central Park in what may be the album's emotional apex - Lou's cry of "you just keep me hanging on" is powerful and emotional, as is his quiet self-reflection with the line "I thought I was someone else; someone good." "Satellite of Love" became a popular concert staple for Lou Reed, and it's definitely one of the catchier songs on the album - listen to Bowie's backup singing on this song. Very laid-back, very fun.

    It's not all pop, though, and I'd argue that the album is at its best when it leans more into the sound of VU material. Exhibit A: album opener "Vicious" with its aggressive guitar playing, smooth bass, and Lou's distinct talk-singing vocal style. The low atmosphere of "Andy's Chest" also gives tinges of Velvet Underground, although not as strongly as the album opener. "Hangin' 'Round" is one of the album's best rockers, fittingly within Lou Reeds' cannon and a more-than-effective parody on the Warhol Superstars - ironically enough, it reminds me of Bowie's "Queen Bitch" from Hunky Dory, which was Bowie's attempt to make a Velvet Underground song. "Wagon Wheel" comes close to taking home the whole thing with its crunchy guitar and true-blue rock and roll mold. Perhaps the album's weakest moments lie in a peculiar influence from cabaret and vaudeville on songs like "New York Telephone Conversation" and closing track "Goodnight Ladies", although I admittedly found both of these to be somewhat charming, especially the latter. For me, the lowest moment was "I'm So Free", a generic rock number that doesn't have a good enough hook to justify itself when surrounded by "Satellite of Love" or "Wagon Wheel".

    Ultimately, I think that the more aggressive work of The Velvet Underground is more exciting, but Transformer probably holds far more polish than even the late stage VU albums like the '69 self-titled. Filled with some great pop hooks, well-written social commentary, and a diverse set of sounds that elevates what could've been a pretty amateur glam album to the status of a consistently enjoyable and galvanizing rock album. Lou Reed would go on to have a pretty varied solo career (few artists can stake claim to an album as infamous as Metal Machine Music), but Transformer establishes what exactly makes the enigmatic Lou Reed so appealing. His brand of rock and pop is certainly wild, and it never hurts to take a walk on the wild side.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Transformer.