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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
After the breakup of the Velvet Underground, apparently Lou Reed wasn't altogether confident of what direction he wanted to pursue with his just beginning solo career. Well, maybe he never really had that figured out, considering his solo career would end up being a very diverse and prolific one, but the end result of this is more of a 'formative' effort, trying to find a voice for himself independent of his old band. But judging from the track listing of the album, he didn't quite have the confidence to totally break away from his old band - several songs on here were originally recorded by the Velvets and surfaced 13 years later on the outtakes album VU, and I prefer the originals in several ways (more on that later). It's also telling that one of the newer tracks here, "Berlin", was redone later for the album of the same name, and overall, I don't really think the songwriting is that interesting or melodic compared to the next album, though it's still decent.
The main problem here, though, is that I can't really think of more than a couple very good or great standout tracks throughout. "Love Makes You Feel" does come to mind for me immediately, with a great acoustic-based melody and a tumbling drum chorus that has as much of a great pop flow as anything he's written, and the aforementioned "Berlin", an interestingly unfolding loungey piano tale, has quite a captivating atmosphere as well. Otherwise, a lot of the other songs ride a just 'okay' pattern throughout, sometimes a rudimentary one - "I Love You" is just an okay unmemorable acoustic love ballad, "Going Down" is a just okay unmemorable laid-back tune that reminds me strongly of Bob Dylan circa 1970 (Self Portrait, especially), and as for the also just okay "Walk And Talk It", I liked it better when the Stones did it the previous year as "Brown Sugar". Jesus, did he really not notice that both riffs are just about identical? How lame.
When dealing with the songs originally done by the Velvets, yes, "I Can't Stand It" was a really great riff rocker before, but I just think it sounds a bit awkward with a fuller sound and backing vocalists (it should be more raw, damn it! that was part of its' charm!). "Lisa Says", meanwhile, also goes from having an underproduced charm to having an early 70's Dylan style to it, which may be a little of an improvement, though I never loved the song to begin with (though I like the hooks, especially the added 'why, am I, so shy...' groovy part). The closing track "Ocean" I'm also not convinced of its' improvement - the tinkling piano from Rick Wakeman in the chorus is a great touch (Steve Howe also plays on this record, thus eternally connecting Lou Reed to Yes), but damn it, the charm of the original isn't there, nor are the whispering vocals or the organ! Again, they're good songs, but I can't see how the better production touches actually improve them from before.
Again, this album is rather decent - there's only the aforementioned "Brown Sugar" ripoff as a song that could possibly be labeled as weak (definitely not vintage Lou Reed rock and roll there), but the serious lack of truly captivating material, inferior takes on VU songs, often unmemorable melodies (this aspect probably hurts "Ride Into The Sun" most - the guitar licks are nice while it's on, but I can't remember it at all for the life of me) and lazy atmosphere make me far prefer the following effort to this one. This album also seems to be a lot harder to find than Transformer anyway, making a decision to get that record first all the more easier.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
The fact that Lou Reed's sophomore album was produced by David Bowie and features a truly frightening back cover shot of him dressed as a transvestite kind of hints at a glam rock nature. There is a bit of truth to this, as the rockers are gritty and sleazy and uptempo with piano embellishments and backing vocals, but Transformer is an excellent pop album more than anything else, as its' biggest assets are the solid melodies, and also Reed's lyrical style first perfected on the innovative early Velvet Underground work, which, coupled with the backing of dirty guitar riffs, horns, pianos and whatnot, perfectly conveys the atmosphere of New York City, both its' celebratory side and its' darker side.
The opening "Vicious" offers a memorable melody, great riff and humor within the lyrics, boasting such simultaneously entertaining and dumb lines as 'you hit me with a flower, you do it every hour', while "Andy's Chest" is an improvement over the original Velvets' version on VU, working a more convincing sleazy groove and guitar line with more of the same, also featuring more lyrics dealing like 'her feet became her nose' and 'you know what they say about honeybears'. In contrast is the gorgeously orchestrated, even kinda schmaltzy in a way, ballad "A Perfect Day", which is also certainly beautiful melodically, and is probably the top highlight on the album for me. The rest of the first half is no slouch either, though, as another fine rousing rocker "Hangin' Round" and the hit "Walk On The Wild Side" are very successful, the latter having an undoubtedly NYC atmosphere, a seductive melody, awesome guitar/bass interplay, infectious backing vocals, interestingly featuring lyrics about transvestites giving head (how did that get on the radio?).
Unfortunately, the second half starts off weak with the dumb brass-laden "Make Up", which is just a little too dippy and sleazy for my liking, although thankfully it's short, and another highly melodic piano ballad "Satellite Of Love" makes up for it anyway as one of the album's deservedly more celebrated songs. "Wagon Wheel" continues the catchy and engaging tendencies, also featuring more fine backing vocals, and "New York City Telephone Conversation" is an interesting interlude piece that contains a melody and clever lyrical observations that's certainly no tossoff. "I'm So Free", meanwhile, is another catchy riff rocker in the tradition of "Vicious" and "Hangin' Round", and the album ends with another big-band style track in the intensely irritating "Goodnight Ladies". That song (along with "Make Up"), brings down the quality of the album a little, but in all, Transformer is still great glam/pop.
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