Transformer : a story of glitter, glam rock, & loving Lou Reed
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references.

"In newly accessible archives, Lou Reed explains that he made Transformer because he thought it was "dreary for gay people to have to listen to straight people's love songs." That groundbreaking idea echoed with the times, as the early '70s were milestone years for LGBTQ+ rights. In this poignant, honest, laugh-out-loud exploration, Simon Doonan places the album's creation within Reed's astonishingly creative life. He tracks him from co-creator of the revolutionary band the Velvet Underground through to his torrid collaboration with David Bowie at the height of his sequined Ziggy Stardust incarnation - a collaboration that would encourage a whole era of amazing disruptiveness. Transformer: A Story of Glitter, Glam Rock & Loving Lou Reed is also Simon's very personal memoir of coming of age and coming out. With his signature wit, he tells firsthand the album's impact on the LGBTQ+ community, including on him, a working-class kid from Reading England. As transgender icon and Warhol Factory star Candy Darling told Reed about her place in his lyrics a half century ago: "It's so nice to hear ourselves." --,Book jacket.

Paying homage to Lou Reed's groundbreaking album Transformer on its fiftieth anniversary, this first-hand account of the album's impact on the LGBTQIA+ community captures a pivotal moment when those long silenced were finally given a voice.