LOU REED - Transformer

LOU REED - Transformer ( SPC4807 )

Speakers Corner - LP AUDIOPHILE PRESSING 180g

"Transformer" - Lou Reed (vocals, G, arr), Mick Ronson (vocals, G, p, arr); David Bowie (vocals, arr); Ronnie Ross (saxophone); Klaus Voorman (b), Herbie Flowers (tu, b); John Halzey, Barry Desouza; Ritchie Dharma (drama); ao

It's well known that comparisons rarely get to the root of the problem, but in the case of Lou Reed, for example, they certainly reveal the insecurity of those who make them. Is he or isn't he the Chuck Berry or Sergeant Pepper of the 1970s, or is he deliberately constructing an image of himself as a hypersensitive Frankenstein, who lived out his neuroses and drug trips amidst a hideous sound? "Some records are so incredibly repulsive," Rolling Stone magazine lamented, "that one might want to take physical revenge on the artists who commit such crimes."
The album "Transformer," however, can hardly be classified as a case of "acoustic damage." It was released just a few months after the rather unsuccessful release of Lou Reed's first, rather underground, album and shot straight into the charts. This production had two British guardian angels to help it along the way: David Bowie and Mick Ronson, both clearly capable of steering Reed's songwriting skills toward safe waters, without watering down his biting sarcasm and provocative humor.
And that's why the jangly guitar rock ("Vicious") sits alongside a bittersweet and tender ballad ("Perfect Day") and even a leaden-sung parody of old-time jazz ("Goodnight Ladies"). Why then compare this highly original musical mix to others, when it's much easier to listen to this album for what it is: a true cult classic?

This Speakers Corner LP has been remastered using only analog components, from the masters to the cutting head ( https://pure-analogue.com )

Recorded: 1972 by Arun Chakranerty
Production: David Bowie and Mick Ronson

• RCA LSP 4807
• Format: 1LP 180g 33rpm / standard sleeve
• Original label: RCA
• Barcode: 4260019712240
• Release Date: 2004-10-18