Transformer

Simon Doonan’s memoir pays homage to Lou Reed’s groundbreaking glam rock album Transformer, recalling its influence on his coming of age and coming out.

In November 1972, Lou Reed released Transformer because it was “dreary for gay people to have to listen to straight people’s love songs.” That same year, Sweden was the first country to legalize gender-affirming surgery, and San Francisco struck down employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Sometimes an artistic creation perfectly aligns with a broader social and political history, and Transformer—with the songs “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Perfect Day,” and “Vicious”—perfectly captured its time. “Walk on the Wild Side” was banned on radio but became a massive hit when young people threatened to boycott stations that would not play it. The album’s cover depcited Lou in high-contrast, flaunting a new mascara’d glam rock incarnation, shot by legend Mick Rock, underscoring his intention to create “a gay album.”

This is the story of how Lou Reed came to make Transformer with the help of David Bowie, placing its creation within the course of Reed’s life. Offering first-hand testimony of the album’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, Simon Doonan shares how it transformed his own life as a 20-year-old working class kid from Reading, England, who had just discovered the joys of London Glam Rock and was sparked by the artistic freedom of Warhol’s The Factory. Transformer was a revelation—hearing Reed’s songs, Doonan understood how the world was changing for him and his friends.

A poignant, personal addition to modern music and LGBTQ+ history, Transformer captures a pivotal moment when those long silenced were finally given a voice.