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Lou Reed's Transformer

By Ezra Furman
Series: 33 1/3
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Transformer, Lou Reed's most iconic album, transcends simple categorisation. Often labelled glam rock, proto-punk, or a landmark in queer music, it ultimately defies such straightforward definitions. Beneath its catchy, radio-friendly surface lie complex, coded confessions revealing a troubled intelligence grappling with identity, sexuality, and artistry. Ezra Furman delves deeply into these layers, offering a personal and analytical exploration of Reed's public persona and the album’s enduring influence in rock history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in music history, rock culture, queer studies, and fans of Lou Reed and Ezra Furman. It offers insight for those who appreciate intimate music criticism and cultural analysis.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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.

Series: 33 1/3

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Transformer is praised for blending personal reflection with rigorous criticism, offering a profound look at Reed's influence on queer culture and the nature of art. Spectrum Culture regards it as a timely and important addition to music literature. Pitchfork highlights Furman’s vulnerability, calling the book incisive and necessary. Palette appreciates the intimacy of the analysis, noting its enhanced poignancy following the passing of Grant Hart.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781501323058

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 April 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 120.0mm

Height: 164.0mm

Weight: 123g

Pages: 184

Collections

Arts & Culture Ezra Furman Non-Fiction Series: 33 1/3

About the Author

Ezra Furman is a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She has released seven albums to critical acclaim. She lives in Berkeley, CA.

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