MoeFOH's Album of the Week... Week #28

[MoeFOH]

MoeFOH's Album of the Week 🎶

Same as the movie thread, each week we're going to spotlight an album... be it a classic, new release, hidden gem, or outright turd... and open it for discussion: i.e. post up your favourite tracks, clips, lyrics, experiences if you saw live, etc... or dive deeper and give us a critique on why you think it's great, overrated, or a complete train wreck... And finally score it for us...  

All contributors go into a monthly prize draw for a 3-cigar sampler! 

PM me with suggestions if there's an album you want to nominate for next week's discussion. 

 

Week #28: Transformer

Wiki says: Transformer is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lou Reed. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, the album was released in November 1972 by RCA Records. It is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side", which touched on then-controversial topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, prostitution, and drug use. Though Reed's self-titled debut solo album had been unsuccessful, Bowie had been an early fan of Reed's former band The Velvet Underground, and used his own fame to promote Reed, who had not yet achieved mainstream success.

As with its predecessor Lou Reed, Transformer contains songs Reed composed while in the Velvet Underground (here, four out of eleven). "Andy's Chest" was first recorded by the band in 1969 and "Satellite of Love" demoed in 1970; these versions were released on VU and Peel Slowly and See, respectively. For Transformer, the original up-tempo pace of these songs was slowed down.

"New York Telephone Conversation" and "Goodnight Ladies" were played live during the band's summer 1970 residency at Max's Kansas City; the latter takes its title refrain from the last line of the second section ("A Game of Chess") of T. S. Eliot's modernist poem, The Waste Land: "Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night", which is itself a quote from Ophelia in Hamlet.

As in Reed's Velvet Underground days, the connection to artist Andy Warhol remained strong. According to Reed, Warhol told him he should write a song about someone vicious. When Reed asked what he meant by vicious, Warhol replied, "Oh, you know, like I hit you with a flower", resulting in the song "Vicious"

Over to you...

How do you rate it? 🤔

Thoughts, experiences, memories... post em' up! 

Score it out of 10!  

[MoeFOH]

 

[KCCubano]

Walk on the Wild side is a timeless classic to me but never listened to much of his other songs on tbis album. 

[Doctorossi]

I guess I'd give this record an 8/10. Good feel and a lot of confidence on display.

[Akela3rd]

Over the years I've always liked Lou Reed but never went deep on his stuff. Then I realised he was actually one of my favourite artists, I'm slow on the uptake, and Transformer one of his best. It's just full of humanity and humour, real heart on the sleeve stuff.
8/10 but dig out any live sessions to find the real deal.

Sent by spooky action at a distance

[Chas.Alpha]

9 hours ago, Akela3rd said:

Over the years I've always liked Lou Reed but never went deep on his stuff. Then I realised he was actually one of my favourite artists, I'm slow on the uptake, and Transformer one of his best. It's just full of humanity and humour, real heart on the sleeve stuff.
8/10 but dig out any live sessions to find the real deal.

Sent by spooky action at a distance
 

Get "Rock and Roll Animal." One of the best live albums ever made. Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner really took the material to a whole different level. You hear the intro to "Sweet Jane" and you know what you're in for...

[JC67]

Great album.. so many good songs... great production by David Bowie and guitar work of Mick Ronson.

Perfect Day, Satellite of love, Vicious!!! and i never get tired of hearing walk on the wild side.

9/10

 

[bassistheplace]

Wow, you are picking some significant albums for me.

Lou is one of my favorite artists both the Velvet's and his solo. As stated above the combo of Bowie putting a sheen on Lou's gritty view of the underbelly of NYC created magic. I love this record. I listen to it regularly. 10/10++

[Lewberry]

Just listened to this album through while matching parts on a lathe, made my time rocking, but I also wasted two parts so.. 

A little light for my taste, but a few notable tracks I can get behind- Vicious, Walk On the Wild Side, I’m So Free.

Decently enjoyed, thanks.