After seeing Lou Reed on television the other night, I instantly had the primal need to hear one thing: Magic and Loss. This album from 1992 was Reed’s meditation on life, death, and loss in the wake of two close friends of his suffering from cancer, and eventually passing away. Coming three years after his other highly acclaimed album New York, this album is a classic Reed style, in that it holds pretty tight to the “2 guitars, bass, and drums” model of classic rock n’ roll, but also contains some of his finest lyrics. The single “What’s Good” was actually a hit record for Reed – he hasn’t had many – and it opens the record with one of my favorite verses of all-time:
“Life’s like a mayonnaise soda / And life’s like space without room / And life’s like bacon and ice cream / That’s what life’s like without you.
This album is filled with treasures, though it’s certainly a heavy and thought provoking CD. The song “Cremation” is astounding, and every track is worth multiple listenings. I’ll be honest and say that I’m not that versed in Reed’s entire career, but I’ve listened to New York and Magic and Loss dozens of times. So take a listen to the magic… and the loss.
