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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite Reed albums--somber, disquieting, hopeful, March 2, 2000
On "Magic and Loss," Lou Reed once again digs inside himself with all the fatal fervor of a junky prodding a needle in his arm. He also shows that rock'n'roll is a fine vehicle for growing up, growing old, and dying. A melancholy, painful album, part regret, part sentiment, part loneliness and contemplation, this is a very personal statement during a period when Reed lost two friends to cancer. It's not an album you can put on to play in the background--few of Reed's albums are. Listen to it while you're in a reflective, downbeat mood--it draws you in, shows you sights of beauty and sadness, and leaves you with a ray of hard-won hope. Stand-out songs include "What's Good: The Thesis," "Magician: Internally," "Dreamin': Escape, "Cremation: Ashes to Ashes" and "Harry's Circumcision: Reverie Gone Astray." In one moment of honesty, a character says, "Doctor, you're no magician, and I am no believer... I need more than faith can give me now." Ouch. These are not the same old platitudes... Lou Reed explores not just the terminal illness of disease, but of life itself.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Contemplating both sides, June 30, 2002
In both his Velvet Underground and solo days, Lou Reed has explored dark themes: sex, S&M, drugs, mind trips, and the rough street life. His art has been about experiencing these things, not so much social commentary. One dark theme has not been that much of a preoccupation. In Magic and Loss, Lou switches gears and looks at life's experiences contemplatively, but focuses heavily on its end--death. This was inspired by the recent deaths by cancer of two friends and apparently also the AIDS epidemic.The majority of songs are mellow, with soft, sweet guitar riffs, allowing us to focus on Lou's very strong lyrics. There are also five strong rockers: the opener (effectively), "What's Good"; the acoustic "Sword of Damocles"; "Warrior King"; "Gassed and Stoked"; and "Power and Glory Part II." The first two are marked by crisp, pretty definition in the rhythm guitars, smooth strokes, in contrast to the guitars in the others, which have the edge, and a bit of the fuzziness and distortion, often seen in Lou's work. "What's Good" and "Warrior King," the CD's most potent tune, are the two best songs. The softer, mostly slower songs are good too. My only problem is that there are too many of them: six of seven between the opener and "Warrior King." There is a positive spin to Magic and Loss, witness the album title and the concluding title cut: "There's a bit of magic in everything and then some loss to even things out." Lou sees things both ways, focusing heavily on hardship and death, but also dignity.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best in Lou's long career, November 1, 1999
This is my personal choice for the best album Reed has ever released. I think its something one has to listen to in order to appreciate, not read a review about it. The level of emotional intensity reached hear is extremely rare in popular music.
This is not easy listening, especially for anyone who has experienced the untimely loss of a loved one. Every song on this - a true concept album if there ever was one - has a purpose, as Lou takes us through his personal experience of grieving. Most listeners will find much to relate to.
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