7. Lou ReedTransformer
After my awakening into the Velvets, I managed to get hold of this remarkable album. It was the early 90’s, and I already knew the beautiful ballad ‘Perfect Day’. Before Black Box Recorder was formed, I sang with John Moore on some of his solo songs, which sounded as if they had a Lou Reed influence. It turned out we had the Velvets and Lou in common, along with the New York Dolls and the Ramones. John gave me Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics Of Lou Reed in 2000, and I pored over the pages, hoping to absorb some of this lyrical talent.
Transformer is such an extraordinary piece of art; the songs feel as if they have always existed. Read the studio credits, and you’ll see a list of incredible musicians who worked on this album, with Bowie and Mick Ronson as producers. Mick was a huge talent, and Lou acknowledged his influence on the album’s production. I met Mick’s sister, Maggi, a couple of times a few years ago, and we chatted about his life and how extraordinary he was. Since then, I saw Lou play his album Berlin in its entirety at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2007. I love that album too, and the concert was sensational. I think I caught a glimpse of Lou even smiling at the end.
