David Fricke and Mick Rock discussing Rock’s photo of Lou Reed used as the cover of the ‘Transformer’ album.
Exactly forty-five years ago this past week, the late Lou Reed released his second solo album, Transformer, a work that solidified his stature as a great musician in his own right after leading the hugely influential Velvet Underground through the mid to late ‘60s. Produced by David Bowie, Transformer contained several of Reed's most famous songs, including “Vicious,” “Perfect Day,” “Satellite of Love,” and of course his signature hit “Walk on the Wild Side.” And like the famous Andy Warhol-designed banana on The Velvet Underground and Nico album, the cover art of Transformer is also indelibly recognizable thanks to a striking photo of Reed taken by photographer Mick Rock.
Both the album and Rock's cover photograph have become iconic alongside each other, so it's appropriate that Rock—who has photographed music royalty for decades, including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Queen, and the Ramones—would recently revisit his pictures of his friend Lou Reed. On the 45th anniversary of Transformer, the British publishing company Genesis Publications re-launched the lavish photo book of the same name that featured Rock’s photographs of the Godfather of Punk spanning the years 1972 to 1980. This latest edition of Transformer is accompanied by a new booklet of 50 previously unseen photos, an essay by Rock, and a facsimile of a handwritten lyric sheet by Reed. “When I saw the book, I was just overwhelmed by how beautiful it is,” Reed said prior to his passing. “It brought back all that energy and all that virility, captured over that period of time. The book is like an energy bomb. And it’s beautiful.”
A photo taken of Lou Reed by Mick Rock during a discussion of Reed and the ‘Transformer’ album between Rock and David Fricke at the NYPL.
Coinciding with the release of the book, Rock spoke at an event with esteemed Rolling Stone writer David Fricke at the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building last Thursday. In a very upbeat and animated conversation, the two men spoke of their experiences with Reed, as Rock entertainingly offered the backstories behind some of the photos from the book. Those images were projected on a big screen behind Rock and Fricke at the stage of the library’s Celeste Auditorium.
Naturally the first image that was discussed was the Transformer photo, showing Reed during a live performance with his face illuminated with his guitar front and center. “There he is,” Rock said proudly of his photo. “He was the perfect embodiment of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground.”
Numbered and limited to 2,000 copies signed by Rock and stamped by Reed's estate, the book captures Reed in both posed and candid moments. As shown on the screen, several of Rock's images of Reed were used on the singer’s records, including Coney Island Baby and Rock and Roll Heart; other images projected on the screen included Reed and Bowie together on stage and backstage; Reed in his shaven blond Rock ’N’ Roll Animal phase; and some off-stage moments such as him lying in bed with his dogs, and another of him and his former Velvets' cohort John Cale.
Rock also recalled his earlier impressions of the usually intimidating Reed around the time when they first met. “He was quite quiet,” said the photographer. “There was nothing threatening about him. He was quite withdrawn.”
Mick Rock’s photo of Lou Reed as used on the album ‘Coney Island Baby.’
Similar to his photographs of Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust era (which were later assembled a few years ago for his book The Rise of David Bowie), Rock had a chemistry when it came to collaborating with Reed; their photo shoots were very natural and spontaneous as opposed to doing something planned at the behest of the record company. “Lou would come into town and we did a session,” said Rock. “We wanted to do the pictures. If Lou wanted to do a session, I'm in!...It was more about attitude.”
During the event, Rock also spoke of Reed the person, which provided some of the evening’s touching moments, indicative of both and Reed’s longtime friendship. One of the last images shown on the screen were of Rock and Reed that appeared it was taken shortly before the latter’s death in 2013. Rock said that he was glad they were able to collaborate on the photo book together. “He was an infinitely curious man,” Rock said. “He gave me certain kinds of enlightenment.”
A photo of Mick Rock and Lou Reed shown at a celebration of Reed’s ‘Transformer’ album at the NYPL.
For more information on Transformer by Lou Reed and Mick Rock, visit www.transformerbook.com.