Lou Reed's Transformer Features an All-Star Lineup

The most notable thing about Lou Reed's album, Transformer, released in 1972, is the cast of notables who had a hand in its production. The people involved and their roles are as follows:

David Bowie and Mick Ronson, producers
Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Mick Ronson, song arrangements
Mick Ronson, string and bass arrangements
David Bowie, Mick Ronson and The Thunderthighs, backing vocals
Lou Reed and Mick Ronson, guitars
Klaus Voorman and Herbie Flowers, bass guitars
Herbie Flowers, string bass
John Halzey, Barry Desouza, and Ritchie Dharma, drums
Herbie Flowers, tuba
Ronnie Ross, baritone sax
Mick Ronson, piano and recorders

With such outstanding musicians, you would expect a great album, and that's exactly what you get. The musical arrangements are not overdone in the "glam" fashion, as you might expect when considering the moving forces behind the album. Instead, the arrangements are simple and effective, and Lou Reed's voice is the centerpiece of every song.

Many themes are explored in the album, but the most overiding subject is sexual identity--thus the name of the album, Transformer.

A list of the tracks, and my observations about each, are as follows:

1. Vicious--A dirty guitar moves this song along, supported by a thudding bass line. The lyrics are at odds--"Vicious, you hit me with a flower"... and "why don't you swallow razor blades, you must think that I'm some kinda gay blade".... this could be a song about a spat between homosexual lovers, I really don't know. Mick Ronson throws in a searing guitar solo that seems to bring out the underlying venom in this song. The Thunderthighs provide some cool background vocals.

2. Andy's Chest--Lyrically, this is Reed's best effort on the album. I'm sure that the title is some kind of reference to Andy Warhol, but I honestly can't say what it's all about. The verse about Daisy May and Biff is interesting, describing the various anatomical changes that Daisy May underwent. Could Reed be cryptically referring to a sex change operation? Don't know, but it's certainly food for thought. The Thunderthighs again sound off in the background to ornament the melody.

3. Perfect Day--A very haunting, pretty melody, with a very simple arrangement, led by a beautiful piano part played by Mick Ronson. The strings add to the haunting effect, and Lou Reed takes the edge off his voice to deliver a strong balladic vocal performance.

4. Hangin' 'Round--Reed sort of airs it out with this number, which is some of his best rock n' roll. Again, his lyrics are visceral--"she smoked mentholated cigarettes and she had sex in the hall". Ronson contributes some neat guitar licks and gets involved with the piano too.

5. Walk On The Wild Side--This is Lou Reed's signature number--it's probably the only song that he ever did that got significant air play on the radio. That's a shame, too, because this guy had, and to this day, has some very good music. A subdued acoustic guitar and a fine bass line are the foundation of this song. Lyrically, the song is blatantly sexual, commenting on transvestites--"Plucked his eyebrows on the way, shaved his legs and the he was a she", and making numerous references to oral sex. It's a montage about sex, drugs and life in New York City. The Thunderthighs shine with background vocals and the bluesy sax solo at the end is world class. This was Lou Reed's public commentary on sexual deviance, and how it got air play in the 70's is a mystery to me. Maybe people were just too obtuse to understand the overt message.

6. Make Up--A playful little tune that describes the steps that a transvestite goes through in applying his/her makeup. The tuba adds an oomp-pah theme which makes the song a humorous, campy sendup. The lyric that is most revealing--"Yeah, we're comin' out...out of our closets" makes no bones about the message being published here.

7. Satellite Of Love--This is one of my favorite Lou Reed tunes, and it comes as close to being pop as anything that he would ever do. The piano part is gorgeous, and Lou Reed's conversational vocal style works well here. The Thunderthighs again show up to decorate the song with tasteful backup vocals, and they sound particularly good as the song ends and the piano begins to push the tempo.

8. Wagon Wheel--This is another tune that can be classified as good ole rock n' roll. An acoustic guitar and a grungy-sounding electric guitar move this one. The brief reflective pause in the song has religious overtones, but I don't quite know how it all fits in with Lou Reed.

9. New York Telephone Conversation--This is a bouncy, piano song--I've never known quite what to make of it, and it's probably my least favorite song on the album.

10. I'm So Free--A good hard electric guitar pushes this song, and again, it's just rock n' roll. Ronson has some cool electric guitar licks, and the lyrics are interesting--"Do you remember the shape I was in?, I had horns and fins".

11. Goodnight Ladies--This is a pretty unique way to close an album--it has the feel of a "bar-closer"--the evening is over, last call has been given, and it's time to clear out. The tune gives you the feeling that the set is over, and the bar is getting ready to close. The piano and tuba make a delightful combination, and the saxaphone lends a honky-tonk effect, assisted by the recorders.

Lou Reed's strength is his songwriting skills and his distinctive vocal style. He's not a great singer, but his voice is like no other in the world. This album had great personnel, and it's really a fine piece of work. It's a vintage Lou Reed piece and you can gain a lot of insight into his music catalogue and his influences by listening to this album.