After a half-hearted solo debut, Lou R already threatened to look bad years after the Velvet Underground. Fortunately, David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson came to the rescue and made one of Reed's best albums of his career. Transformer (1972) built on the stripped-down, whimsical pop sound of the VU album Loaded (1970), to be provided with the androgynous and brutal glitter of the glam period,
… not to mention a hefty portion of Ron's robust guitar work. It is to everyone's credit that already excellent, caustic lyrics and sharpness are preserved in this. The sense of stylish fun on Transformer is contagious, heightened by Reed's character sketches of Andy Warhol's entourage and New York's beau monde. The highlights of the album are some of Reed's best songs: Satellite Of Love, Vicious, Perfect Day and the almost perfect pop song Walk On The Wild Side. Already a passion for experimentation made it difficult for him to match the magical formula of the album, which means that Transformer has always remained untouchable in his discography.more
