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Lou Reed's Transformer (33 1/3, 131) Paperback – April 19, 2018

by Ezra Furman (Author)

4.6 73 ratings

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Transformer, Lou Reed's most enduringly popular album, is described with varying labels: it's often called a glam rock album, a proto-punk album, a commercial breakthrough for Lou Reed, and an album about being gay. And yet, it doesn't neatly fit into any of these descriptors. Buried underneath the radio-friendly exterior lie coded confessions of the subversive, wounded intelligence that gives this album its staying power as a work of art. Here Lou Reed managed to make a fun, accessible rock'n'roll record that is also a troubled meditation on the ambiguities-sexual, musical and otherwise-that defined his public persona and helped make him one of the most fascinating and influential figures in rock history. Through close listening and personal reflections, songwriter Ezra Furman explores Reed's and Transformer's unstable identities, and the secrets the songs challenge us to uncover.

Review

“What Furman has written serves as more than a mere essay on Lou Reed; it’s also a consideration of how the notion of queerness has evolved over time and what Reed meant both to queer culture and to Furman as a person. In its exploration of the nature of art and the artist in its portrayal of marginalized communities, Transformer is a welcome addition to the ever-growing 33 1/3 library.” - Spectrum Culture

“…an intimate analysis… Arriving as it did, around the time of Grant Hart’s death only serves to give the book deeper impact.” - Palette

“Rarely does longform music criticism get this personal, but Furman’s willingness to be vulnerable as he excavates Transformer makes his debut book an incisive and necessary read.” - Pitchfork

About the Author

Ezra Furman is a singer, songwriter and recording artist, former bandleader of Ezra Furman & the Harpoons and current bandleader of Ezra Furman & the Boy-Friends. She has released six albums to critical acclaim and has sold over one hundred records. She lives in Oakland, CA.

Print length

184 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date

April 19, 2018
Dimensions

4.7 x 0.35 x 6.4 inches
ISBN-10

1501323059
ISBN-13

978-1501323058
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Academic (April 19, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501323059
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501323058
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.7 x 0.35 x 6.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,562 in Music History & Criticism (Books)
- #3,030 in Rock Music (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 73 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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Mary D.

Compelling, Enthralling, Evocative Read

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021

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This book is the perfect blend of lyrical analysis, historical context, biographical information, personal relevance, and criticism, culminating in a really compelling and ultimately informative read. It is not stymied by textbook-style description or boring over-analysis, and is buoyed by the author's very real, very profound love for Lou Reed and this album in particular. Likewise, the intimacy the author provides gives the book a degree of depth that other 33 1/3 books tend to lack. The book is rigorous in its research and compositional detail. But it is also thoughtful and deep and doesn't hesitate to make the occasional leap, which I appreciate. It is my favorite book in this series. And it has seriously expanded my love for this album. Is there much more you can ask of a book?

2 people found this helpful

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KM

I'm a huge fan of Ezra Furman's music and have ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018

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I'm a huge fan of Ezra Furman's music and have been a long-time fan of the VU and Lou Reed. This is an absolutely fascinating and cleverly written read. Definitely listen to each song on the record when you're done reading about it.

5 people found this helpful

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Joseph the evilcyclist

The song would become another song like the Kinks' "Lola"

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2018

Lou Reed's Transformer (33 1/3 series #131) by Ezra Furman is another edition to Bloomsbury Academic's album series. Furman is an American musician and songwriter. He currently performs solo and tours with his band The Visions.

I remember hearing Lou Reed on AM radio shortly after Transformer was released. Of course, the song that got the airplay was "Walk on the Wild Side". At that young age, I didn't understand the lyrics but the song was catchy. The song would become another song like the Kinks' "Lola". Guys would sing along even after realizing the message. (To be fair, girls did the same thing with Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights or The Knack for that matter). The battle over a cool song and a gay message was won out by the song. In case anyone missed the message, Reed repeated it with "Make Up" on the B side. At a time when gay was still criminalized Reed hid two songs in plain sight.

Furman's interpretation of the album is interesting he manages to give it a Lou Reed review. It's not the best rock album or the best album of 1972, he explains, it was ordinary music and it was like Reed, true to his form, didn't give a f*ck. That is what makes this a great album according to Furman. Any serious look at the songs would find the same. "Andy's Chest," a tribute and olive branch to Warhol contains some of the most ridiculous lines:

Yesterday, Daisy Mae and Biff were grooving down the street
And just like in a movie, her hands became her feet
Her belly button was her mouth
Which meant she tasted what she'd speak
But the funny thing is what happened to her nose
It grew until it reached all of her toes
Now, when people say her feet smell, they mean her nose

and the bear lines that precede these makes one wonder what was Reed thinking? "Satellite of Love" also has interesting lyrics but more importantly it is playing along with his friend's "Starman". Bowie and Reed seemed to circle each other in music. Likewise "Perfect Day" in form with "Life on Mars." "Perfect Day" also is interesting in that it has no violence of "Vicious" or open hidden meanings. It is mundane -- a girl, the zoo, a movie, sangria. It's very unReed like. Perhaps it falls in line with the Reed attitude -- You want something more vicious or underground or counter culture? Well, you can have this instead.

Furman describes to the reader how this mix of music came to be such a great album despite what it is. He also details Reed's and Bowie's collaboration and explores Reed's sexuality. It is not only a look at the Godfather of Punk but a look at Furman himself and what he sees as important and influential in his work.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

MickeyMouseNYC

Insightful, excellent

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2018

I own and have read almost every book written on the VU and Lou Reed (30+), and this slender volume is one of the most satisfying I've ever read about his solo work.

It's not perfect, in part because the author's primary focus on Lou Reed's gender identification issues sometimes comes at the expense of other angles – Lou Reed was a complicated guy. Also, if you are a fan, you will likely already know most of the facts presented in this book.

Yet that bias on personal interpretation is also what makes the book so touching and fascinating, by offering a highly coherent personal understanding of the work, and Ezra Furman displays all the qualities needed to interpret a Lou Reed record: sensitive, insightful, knowledgeable, passionate, literate. Most important, he is that rare fan: obsessed, yet critical, biased yet honest.

This book gave me a new perspective and insights on songs I’ve known since 1975, delivering exactly what I look for in criticism but rarely find, a fresh assessment of a classic work.

Read this book – it’s really excellent. I finished this book yesterday and already plan to re-read it.
Note: I've read many books in the 33 1/3 series and am often disappointed. This one is by far the most successful.

9 people found this helpful

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Fin H

I'm a fan.

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2018

It's 4 am and too late to be witty but I liked the balance between really solidly fleshed out analysis and personal reflection. I feel like that is really the best way to address complicated queer narratives and I also really connect with the personal reflections and that can't hurt.
Like I too have obsessively listened to this album on repeat and loved parts of it but other parts have never comfortably settled in me and I flat out don't really like other parts. It's a wild ride of ups and downs that live in the same album. And I also get the interplay between being queer and existing in a society where heterosexuality and cisnormativity are pretty much compulsory. And one of the things I love about Lou Reed's apathy towards accommodating other people's assumptions about him is because it's the dream™.

4 people found this helpful

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REW

good for fans of lou reed or fans of ezra ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2018

good for fans of lou reed or fans of ezra furman. you needn't be both. arguably a biased review but it's all true.

One person found this helpful

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CL

Interesting Reed

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023

Verified Purchase

Uncle Lou's story.
Fun read about the ( surprising) life of Lou Reed and Transformer.

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Musicreads

Great read by a great artist about a great artist.

Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

Great read by a great artist about a great artist.

shelleyminder

Fascinating and charming.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

Fascinating little book. Well written and comprehensively researched, but also a deeply personal look at this flawed idol by a writer who feels a deep connection. Furman is clearly knowledgeable about Reed (admitting to an obsession) but clear sighted about the unsavoury parts of the record, calling out rascism, misogyny and internalized homophobia where ever he sees it. Furman also reveals a lot about his own life and the parallels he sees between himself and his hero.
I don't mean to make this book seem dull and worthy though. I chuckled over much of it, and found it full of amusing turns of phrase.

One person found this helpful

Brian

This is more like the authors' story of coming out. I thought it was about the Transformer LP

Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

I usually enjoy the 33 1/3 booklets...however this one is the authors struggle with his coming out. He shouldnt have used a book of its title to tell his own story. I tossed it in the recycle bin. Sorry. Do better.

Jamie S

A must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

A must read for all fans of Lou Reed, Ezra Furman and music in general. Ezra’s prose is as sharp as her lyrics.

One person found this helpful

Siriam

Interesting overview but sadly too much personal biography for my tastes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2022

Verified Purchase

I was a keen VU and then Lou Reed and John Cale fan in the 60s & 70s till each of them apart from the odd great record in later life (especially their joint effort on "Songs for Drella" about Andy Warhol) became less interesting both on record and in live performances. With Reed's recent death, this was one of the books I purchased to learn more about the man, who as the book makes clear was an individual with many personal demons across his life.

I know nothing about Ezra Furman and his music but it is clear throughout the book, that his key interest in writing about the best selling album by Lou Reed is driven by a strong personal interest from his own gay lifestyle and musical career. Endless reference points to the gayness of the album expanded by sections on his own life experiences left me feeling by the third or fourth example, this was as much Furman's personal biography as a music review and criticism of the Reed album, which was the reason I bought the book.

He has clearly done a lot of research on Reed's life and read widely (as the references throughout show) plus sadly proves the old adage "you should never meet your heroes" which in his own case was at a Texas music festival in 2008 honouring Reed and the VU. The book while well written and constructed (especially on the initial Bowie and Reed relationship) for me sadly fails to fully deliver and explain a number of things about the album and research on its songs.

He makes no reference in his chapter on "Perfect Day" (a song he clearly dislikes) to the unprecedented BBC charity hit record in 1997 with multiple performers involved or its re-recording for Reed's later 2003 album "The Raven", plus its use in many film soundtracks and others' doing covers of the song. Similarly the album cover which for its time was pretty provocative has little comment on either the Mick Rock front photo nor the erotic back photo.

So overall an interesting and informative read but for me too much of Furman's and not Reed's life and music is included.

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