Magic and Loss

Magic and Loss is a concept album by Lou Reed, released in 1992. It was his sixteenth album. It was inspired in part by the illnesses and eventual deaths of two close friends: songwriter Doc Pomus, who gave Reed his start in the music business some 25 years earlier, and 'Rita.' Some in the music community have assumed this to be Rotten Rita, who along with Reed was a familiar figure at Andy Warhol's Factory in the mid-to-late '60s. Photos of Pomus and a woman's face of who can be assumed again as 'Rita' can be seen at the center of the lyric booklet included with the CD release.

A live performance filmed on March 18, 1992 at Pinewood studios in London was released on VHS and LD.

The single "What's Good / The Room", released in March, was Reed's second #1 hit (after "Dirty Blvd.") on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, occupying the top spot for three weeks. (The 12" version contained Reed's reading of Harry's Circumcision and A Dream

Jazz singer Little Jimmy Scott performs the backing vocal on track 3, "Power and Glory".

Track listing

All lyrics and music by Lou Reed unless otherwise stated.

Side 1

1. "Dorita - The Spirit" – 1:07
2. "What's Good - The Thesis" – 3:22
3. "Power and Glory - The Situation" – 4:23 (Lou Reed, Mike Rathke)
4. "Magician - Internally" – 6:23
5. "Sword of Damocles - Externally" – 3:42
6. "Goodby Mass - In a Chapel Bodily Termination" – 4:25
7. "Cremation - Ashes to Ashes" – 2:54
8. "Dreamin' - Escape" – 5:07 (Reed, Rathke)

Side 2

1. "No Chance - Regret" – 3:15
2. "Warrior King - Revenge" – 4:27
3. "Harry's Circumcision - Reverie Gone Astray" – 5:28
4. "Gassed and Stoked - Loss" – 4:18 (Reed, Rathke)
5. "Power and Glory, Part II - Magic - Transformation" – 2:57 (Reed, Rathke)
6. "Magic and Loss - The Summation" – 6:39 (Reed, Rathke)

Personnel

• Lou Reed - vocals, acoustic & electric guitar
• Mike Rathke - guitar
• Rob Wasserman - bass
• Michael Blair - drums, percussion, background vocals
• Roger Moutenot - background vocals
• Little Jimmy Scott - background vocals

References