Magic and Loss was released on January 14, 1992. Despite its difficult subject matter it became one of Lou Reed’s most successful albums. The single What’s Good topped the Modern Rock Tracks Billboard chart and the album reached a new high for Reed, No. 6 on the UK LP chart. Asked if he was surprised by the unlikely popularity of the album, Reed responded: “Astonished would cover it. It’s very strange. In a sense it’s my dream album, because everything finally came together to where the album is finally fully realized. I got it to do what I wanted it to do, but commercial thoughts never entered into it, so I’m just stunned.” Reviews were mostly favorable spare an idiotic one by Robert Christgau calling it the dullest Reed album since Mistrial and not worth of repeated listening. Oh well.
Source: The Story Behind The Album: Magic and Loss, by Lou Reed