Continuing my look at celebrated albums from my birth year of 1972, here’s Lou Reed’s Transformer.
This was Reed’s second solo album, and his second in 1972 — his self-titled solo debut came out in April of that year, while Transformer was released in November.
The album was produced by David Bowie and Bowie’s frequent collaborator Mick Ronson, both big Velvet Underground fans, and they gave Reed’s work a bit of a glam makeover.
You can definitely hear the influence of Bowie and Ronson on the album’s best-known tracks, ‘Perfect Day’ and ‘Satellite of Love,’ though less so on the biggest hit (and today’s SOTD), ‘Walk On the Wild Side.’
Hitchhiked her way across the U S A
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says “Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,”
Said “Hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.”
Candy came from out on the Island
In the backroom she was everybody’s darling
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She says “Hey baby, take a walk on the wild side”
She said “Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
And the colored girls go
Do da do da do da do do do
Do da do da do da do do do
Do da do da do da do do do
Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said
“Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
I said “Hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side”
Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go go go
They said “Hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side”
I said “Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
Alright
Huh
Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that dash
She said “Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
I said “Hey honey, take a walk on the wild side”
And the coloured girls say
Do da do da do da do do do
Do da do da do da do do do
Do da do da do da do do do
Meet Me In Montauk 
I had no idea Bowie was involved in this album, but, now that you say that, I hear his influence even on “Wild Side.”