IT IS unlikely that there are many people out there who have never in their lives owned, or at the very least listened to, Transformer, Lou Reed's 1972 solo album produced by David Bowie. This documentary takes everyone that little bit further, and shows us the creative life of the man from his (in his own words) terrible college bands, through to the creation of the Velvet Underground and the immersion in everything new and hip that was happening in New York in the 60's, up to his present day music, which continues to change and develop, even though he is still seen performing "Heroin" in 1996. Commissioned for a US public service channel as part of the American Masters series, Rock and Roll Heart breaks new ground for them by introducing to a broader stream someone a little less respectable, a little more ambiguous, and placing him up there with the great names of American music.

Andy Warhol used to give people screen tests when they came to his Factory in New York: placed for one minute in front of a camera, his subjects lost their ability to pose. The same technique is used in the up-to-date interviews, and where possible the past and present test are synched in to great effect. The interviews are with people who have worked with Reed over the years, or who, like members of Sonic Youth, have found his work inspirational. They are cut with footage of old and recent concerts, stills from the Velvet gigs, scenes from Warhol's Factory and films, and people who have been sources of inspiration to Reed himself, such as Delmore Schwartz, the poet who taught him at college. New York, past and present, is seen crossed with lines of Reed's lyrics or stills filmed to look like motion. There is a lot of rough sound and scratchy image; Reed playing "Kicks", for instance, is shown on a blue screen with lines going up and down. The overall effect is wonderful.

Lou Reed himself comes across as a really nice guy, quite private despite the contents of his songs, and with a very pleasing line in self-deprecating humour. However, presumably because the film was for a family values channel, everything comes across as a little too nice and wholesome, which kind of contradicts the image I'm sure most people have in their minds. Lou Reed is many things, but wholesome is not at the top of the list.