Lou Reed Transformer (Vinyl LP) * * *

An American master and true rock & roller, Lou Reed transformed popular art, music and culture through a body of work that continues to affect the way fans hear and see the world. Reed, who cut his first single as a teenager in the late-50s, began his professional career working as a New York in-house assembly line songwriter in the early-60s while developing his pure artistic vision as frontman for the Velvet Underground and throughout his uncompromising solo career.

Released in 1972 just a few months removed from his somewhat underground self-titled solo debut, Transformer immediately distinguished itself with a new sound and chart success thanks to the famous production duo of David Bowie and Mick Ronson. Reed's signature guitar-driven rock is colored here with inventive arrangements and pop muscle, resulting in some of his best-known material such as "Walk on the Wild Side," "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love."

The aptly titled release literally transformed Reed into a certifiable solo artist and it greatly influenced the direction his career would take stylistically for the remainder of the '70s.