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After leaving The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed produced two albums -Transformer and Berlin – based around songs he'd worked on with VU.
Transformer showed Reed’s caustic wit and observation of the seamy culture around him. "Walk on the Wild Side", a huge hit in 1973, featured drugs, oral sex and transvestism, and yet often features in advertising? Don’t ad agency creatives listen to the words!?
Berlin, Reed’s response to the demands of success, is a grittier, darker album that didn't do well on first release. Reviewers called it “disappointing”, “too dark” and “a disaster”, but it has been consistently one of Reed’s most popular albums.
Mick and the Phatman don’t agree about Berlin. Mick says it's a masterpiece while the Phatman says it's a morbidly depressing pile of steaming chords.
Mick saw Reed in the 80’s and 90’s up to the Berlin live show in 2008, including the show where he introduced “Small Town” as “Here’s a song for you, Sydney”!
References in this program: Lou Reed, Kali Uchis, Deep Purple, Space Truckin', Bob Ezrin, Bowie, Berlin, Transformer, Slade, Gary Glitter, Transformer, Andy Warhol, Mick Ronson, Walk on the Wild Side, Songs for Drella, John Cale, David Bowie
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