Title: Transformer
Artiste: Lou Reed
Year: 1972
Chronological position: Second solo album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Only through my brief foray into The Velvet Underground, and the album
Metal Machine Music. Other than that hit single of course.
Genre: Glam rock
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good
One track in --- Good
Halfway through --- Good
Finished --- Meh
Comments: Does that opener sound like “Dizzy” ripped it off? Similar melody. Good track though. Can't say the same for “Andy's chest”: just kind of passed me by. Naturally I know “Perfect day” thanks to its use as a charity single. Obviously I know “Walk on the wild side”, his most famous song though I don't really like “Make up” - gives me a kind of Divine Comedy feel (yeah I know it would be decades before Neil came on the scene but still). Maybe it's the tuba I don't like. Don't know, but it does nothing for me. “Satellite of love” is better, like the accordion (is it?) in the midsection and the brass too. “Wagon wheel” is ok but kind of straight rock and roll, a little simple I feel, and as for “New York telephone conversation”... leave it out, mate!
Is that Jack Bruce's .... no, that's “I
feel free” and this is “I'm
so free”. Does sound similar though, unless I'm misremembering it. Has a very Bowie feel to it. Oh crap! More tuba for the closer. Don't think a lot of this one. Meh.
Favourite track(s): “Vicious”, “Perfect day”, “Walk on the wild side” (duh!), “Satellite of love”, “I'm so free”
Least favourite track(s): “Make up”, “New York telephone conversation”, “Good night ladies”
Final impression Yeah it's a good album but I'm not exactly blown away by it. Probably doesn't help that I'm not a VU fan.
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it
I'd say this is an E
