MOG Editorial Review

With the help of David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Lou Reed’s second solo effort outshined his solo debut, which was comprised of material written during the Velvet Underground era, in every way. Under the thinly veiled guise of glam rock, there’s “Vicious,” featuring sexed up guitar riffs, and “Hangin’ ‘Round,” a polished and flashier sound for Reed that can be attributed to Ronson’s contributions. The same can be said for “Perfect Day,” with its swelling string arrangements, and “Walk on the Wild Side,” Reed’s best-known single, while piano-driven “Satellite of Love” fits right into the Ziggy Stardust era. While Lou Reed would experiment with his sound on later albums, it was Transformer that gave him the redefined sound and envisioned him as a viable solo performer instead of a rock 'n' roll also-ran.