{"product_id":"lou-reed-transformer-vinyl-lp-black-white-splatter","title":"Lou Reed – Transformer [Vinyl LP Black \u0026 White Splatter]","description":"\u003ch3\u003eLou Reed – Transformer [Vinyl LP Black \u0026amp; White Splatter]\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vinyl LP, Album, Reissue, Limited Edition, Stereo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 19802971961\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBarcode:\u003c\/strong\u003e 198029719611\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Glam Rock \/ Art Rock \/ Pop Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLabel:\u003c\/strong\u003e RCA \/ Sony Music\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginally Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 1972\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReissue Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Black \u0026amp; White Splatter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New \u0026amp; Sealed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTransformer\u003c\/em\u003e is Lou Reed's second solo album and, by most measures, his definitive statement — the record that took the intellectual and sexual subversiveness of his work with The Velvet Underground and packaged it in something immediately accessible, sonically polished, and enduringly strange. Released in November 1972 on RCA Records and co-produced by \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Bowie\u003c\/strong\u003e and his guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eMick Ronson\u003c\/strong\u003e, it was recorded in just four days at Trident Studios in London. Bowie — then at the height of his Ziggy Stardust period — brought a glamour and commercial acuity that Reed's solo debut had lacked, while Ronson's orchestral arrangements and guitar work gave the album a lush, theatrical backdrop against which Reed's deadpan New York narratives could unfold with full effect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was an immediate commercial success, reaching \u003cstrong\u003enumber 13 on the UK Albums Chart\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003enumber 29 in the US\u003c\/strong\u003e, and generating Reed's only top-ten single in \u003cstrong\u003e\"Walk on the Wild Side\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — a song that, remarkably, passed BBC censors despite its frank references to transgender identities, sex work and drug use among Andy Warhol's Factory circle. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Perfect Day\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — a deceptively tender ballad that has been reinterpreted as everything from a love song to a meditation on heroin — became one of the most covered songs of the following decades, most famously in the 1997 BBC charity recording that reached number one in 16 countries. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Satellite of Love\"\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003e\"Vicious\"\u003c\/strong\u003e complete an opening run that stands among the strongest in 1970s rock. \u003cem\u003eTransformer\u003c\/em\u003e is ranked \u003cstrong\u003enumber 55 in NME's list of the Greatest Albums of All Time\u003c\/strong\u003e and appears on \u003cem\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/em\u003e's 500 Greatest Albums list; it has been in near-continuous print for over fifty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was recorded with a remarkable cast of session musicians: \u003cstrong\u003eKlaus Voormann\u003c\/strong\u003e — the bassist who designed the cover of the Beatles' \u003cem\u003eRevolver\u003c\/em\u003e and played on John Lennon's and George Harrison's solo records — plays bass throughout; \u003cstrong\u003eHerbie Flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e plays the iconic double bass and tuba line on \"Walk on the Wild Side\"; \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Halsey\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eRitchie Dharma\u003c\/strong\u003e share drumming duties; and \u003cstrong\u003eThunderthighs\u003c\/strong\u003e — the three-piece backing vocal group of Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou and Casey Synge — provide the famous \"coloured girls\" chorus. The remastering, carried out under Reed's direct personal supervision, preserves the intimacy of the original Trident Sessions recordings while bringing new clarity to the mix.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003elimited edition National Album Day 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e pressing is issued on \u003cstrong\u003eblack and white splatter vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e by Sony\/RCA — a visually striking variant that will appeal to both long-term collectors and new listeners discovering the album for the first time. Housed in the original sleeve artwork with a hype sticker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTracklist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide One\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVicious\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAndy's Chest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerfect Day\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHangin' Round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalk on the Wild Side\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide Two\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake Up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSatellite of Love\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWagon Wheel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew York Telephone Conversation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI'm So Free\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoodnight Ladies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCredits\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLou Reed – Vocals, Guitar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDavid Bowie – Producer, Backing Vocals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMick Ronson – Producer, Guitar, Piano, Orchestral Arrangements\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKlaus Voormann – Bass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHerbie Flowers – Bass, Tuba\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJohn Halsey – Drums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRitchie Dharma – Drums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThunderthighs – Backing Vocals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKen Scott – Engineer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLabel – RCA \/ Sony Music\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lou Reed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57560182555011,"sku":"19802971961","price":30.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/9757\/4275\/files\/2000x2000bb_c0afb3c7-c032-438d-8924-dddb8d137b9c.webp?v=1773225893","url":"https:\/\/vikingrecords.co.uk\/products\/lou-reed-transformer-vinyl-lp-black-white-splatter","provider":"Viking Records Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}