Personnel: Lou Reed (vocals, guitar); Mick Ronson (guitar, recorder, piano, background vocals); Ronnie Ross (baritone saxophone); Herbie Flowers (tuba, bass instrument); Klaus Voormann (bass instrument); John Halsey, Barry DeSouza, Ritchie Dharma (drums); David Bowie, The Thunder Thighs (background vocals). Recording information: Trident Studios, London, England. After a tepid solo debut, Lou Reed's post-Velvet Underground standing looked dicey. Fortunately, David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson stepped in to help Reed craft one of the best albums of his career. TRANSFORMER built on the stripped-down, quirky pop of LOADED-era VU, infusing it with the androgynous, cheeky glitz of the glam era (the bleached-out black-and-white cover photo of Reed in eye makeup is a giveaway), not to mention a fair bit of Ronson's guitar muscle. Much to everyone's credit, however, the album's stylish flair never eclipses Reed's excellent songcraft or acerbic wit. [paragraph here] TRANSFORMER's sense of chic fun is infectious, and is heightened by Reed's character sketches of Andy Warhol's entourage and the glitterati of New York. "New York Telephone Conversation" demonstrates his biting satire, as do "Hangin' Round," a Ronson-assisted rocker, and "Goodnight Ladies," a music hall send-up. But TRANSFORMER's highlights are some of Reed's best-ever songs: the soaring ditty "Satellite of Love," for instance, the cutting "Vicious," the romantic, yet chillingly melancholic "Perfect Day," and the slice of pop perfection that is "Walk On The Wild Side," complete with shuffling groove, sliding bass, instantly memorable vocal back-ups, and Reed's deadpan talk-singing. Ever the experimentalist, Reed would have difficulty matching the magic formula of this album again. As a result, TRANSFORMER remains one of the infallible standouts in his discography.
Disc 1: Vicious Andy's Chest Perfect Day Hangin' Round Walk On The Wild Side Make Up Satellite Of Love Wagon Wheel New York Telephone Conversation I'm So Free Goodnight Ladies Hangin' Round - (Previously Unreleased, Acoustic Demo, Bonus Track) Perfect Day - (Previously Unreleased, Acoustic Demo, Bonus Track)