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 andTransformer's unstable identities, and the secrets the songs challenge us to uncover.IntroductionLou the Queer Lou the Failure Lou and BowieSide One"Vicious" - Lou & Hate "Andy's Chest" - Lou & Warhol "Perfect Day" - Lou & Bettye "Hangin' Round" - Lou & Coolness "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou & the Underworld Side Break: Lou in the Closet / Transformer in CodeSide Two"Make Up" - Lou & Gender "Satellite of Love" - Lou & Pop "Wagon Wheel" - Lou & Laziness "New York Telephone Conversation" - Lou & New York "I'm So Free" - Lou & Freedom "Goodnight Ladies" - Lou & Lonliness Outro: The Man Himself Enormous ThanksEzra Furmanis a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She has released seven albums to critical acclaim. She lives in Berkeley, CA.