At first, this was hard to listen to because it seemed so mellow and soft and not particularly catchy. The only song I knew of was "Take a Walk on the Wild Side", which was so beautiful like many of the few Velvet Underground songs I had heard.

It was a week after that I went back to the CD and it has become a disc that I cannot get enough of. I finally recognize the aural loveliness, but more amazing is the songwriting. Transformer was produced by David Bowie and some other dude in the early 70's, and as Lou Reed has always been a bit of an explorer himself, it was not surprising to find many of the songs about topics like transvestites or crossdressing.

Sexual 'deviances' have never really bothered me, but since I myself am mostly heterosexual, I never really connected with homo/bi-sexual themes. Certainly, I had seen ambiguous sexuality as a kind of silly sexual fetish that was more of a recreation than a lifestyle, like fans of whipped cream.

Oh, but not with the way Reed presents them. With this collection, I felt a real understanding of what he was saying. Lines like "shaved his legs, and then he was a she" did not cause me to raise an amused eyebrow, but struck a warm chord in me. Of "coming out of the closet", I felt happy and proud, as if I was watching my little sister receive an award.

Lou Reed is a true genius.

Essentials: "Perfect Day", "Walk on the Wild Side", "Satellite of Love"