Lou Reed: Transformer (black & white splatter vinyl) [LEGACY]

Why you'll love it

This National Album Day 2025 edition comes on black & white splatter vinyl, remastered under Lou Reed's own supervision. Transformer turned Reed from cult hero into an international star, with "Walk on the Wild Side" his most successful single.

This edition

• Black & white splatter vinyl
• Remastered under Lou Reed's supervision
• National Album Day 2025 edition
• Stereo mix

About the album

David Bowie was a Velvet Underground fan long before most people had heard of them, so when he got famous he did the decent thing and produced Lou Reed's second solo album. Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson brought Reed to Trident Studios in London, and the glam polish they added made Reed's sharp, funny New York portraits sparkle.

"Walk on the Wild Side" rolls along on a famous double bassline and a cool sax solo, "Perfect Day" floats on Ronson's lovely string arrangement, "Satellite of Love" builds to Bowie's soaring backing vocals, and "Vicious" came from a suggestion by Andy Warhol, who told Reed to write a song about someone vicious. Four of the 11 songs date from Reed's Velvet Underground days.

Mick Rock's cover photo came out over-exposed in the darkroom and became iconic anyway. Reed's career had its share of happy accidents, and this album is the happiest of the lot.

Also at Kops: more Lou Reed on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On RCA / Legacy (cat# 19802971961), a reissue of the 1972 album.