Transformer

Transformer is Lou Reed’s breakthrough second solo album, released in December 1972. Unlike its predecessor Lou Reed, eight songs of which were leftovers from his Velvet Underground days, this album contains mainly new material. However, there are still a few songs that date from his VU days—Velvet Underground-recorded versions of “Andy’s Chest” and “Satellite of Love” surfaced in 1985 and 1995, respectively; and “New York Telephone Conversation” and “I’m So Free” are known to have been played during the Velvets’ run at Max’s Kansas City in the summer of 1970.

Transformer was produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, both of whom had been strongly influenced by Reed’s work with the Velvet Underground — Bowie had obliquely referenced the Velvet Underground in the cover notes for his Hunky Dory album, and he performed a cover version of “White Light/White Heat” at the final Ziggy Stardust concert in 1973, at which Reed also made a guest appearance.

Mick Ronson, who was at the time the lead guitarist with Bowie’s backing band, played a major role in the recording of the album, serving as the co-producer and primary session musician (contributing guitar, piano, recorder and backing vocals) and arranger, notably the lush string arrangement for “Perfect Day”. Reed lauded Ronson’s contribution in the Transformer episode of the documentary series Classic Albums, praising the beauty of his work and fading out the vocal to highlight the strings. The songs on the LP are now among Reed’s best-known works, including “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Perfect Day” and “Satellite of Love”, and the album’s commercial success elevated him from cult status to become an international star in his own right.