Prolonging the Magic
| Prolonging the Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Cake | ||||
| Released | October 6, 1998 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 48:13 | |||
| Label | Capricorn | |||
| Producer | John McCrea | |||
| Cake chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Prolonging the Magic | ||||
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Prolonging the Magic is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on 6 October 1998 on Capricorn Records. The sole successful single was the lead "Never There". It was recorded after the departure of guitarist Greg Brown and features a rotating lineup of musicians to replace him. One of them, Xan McCurdy, became his full-time replacement. On its opening week, Prolonging the Magic sold about 44,000 copies, debuting at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 chart.[1] On 28 September 1999 the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies.[2]
The album was given a parental advisory sticker not because of profanity, but for sexual themes. Some copies do not feature a sticker, with the only difference being that the song "Satan Is My Motor" has been retitled "Motor".
The song 'Hem of Your Garment' was featured in the film Me, Myself & Irene.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by John McCrea, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Satan Is My Motor" | McCrea, Gabriel Nelson, and Tyler Pope | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Mexico" | 3:26 | |
| 3. | "Never There" | 2:44 | |
| 4. | "Guitar" | 3:40 | |
| 5. | "You Turn the Screws" | 4:13 | |
| 6. | "Walk on By" | 3:48 | |
| 7. | "Sheep Go to Heaven" | 4:44 | |
| 8. | "When You Sleep" | 3:58 | |
| 9. | "Hem of Your Garment" | 3:43 | |
| 10. | "Alpha Beta Parking Lot" | Vincent DiFiore and McCrea | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Let Me Go" | Jim Campilongo and McCrea | 3:29 |
| 12. | "Cool Blue Reason" | 3:27 | |
| 13. | "Where Would I Be?" | McCrea, Nelson, and Joe Snook | 3:52 |
| Japan bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 14. | "Satan Is My Motor (Karaoke Version)" | 3:14 |
| 15. | "Never There (Karaoke Version)" | 2:46 |
| 16. | "Sheep Go to Heaven (Karaoke Version)" | 4:49 |
| 17. | "When You Sleep (Karaoke Version)" | 3:59 |
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
Allmusic wrote, "Supposedly their attempt to make a smugness- and irony-free album, Cake's third release does hold back the barbs a bit more than usual. And the strain shows. In these guys' hands, love songs without smirks and pop tunes straight up come out forced."
Personnel
CAKE is:
- John McCrea – vocals, guitar, piano, organ, Moog, producing, arranging and design
- Vince DiFiore - trumpet, background vocals and arranging
- Gabe Nelson - bass, mandolin, guitar, piano and arranging
- Todd Roper - drums, percussion, background vocals and arranging
Additional Musicians:
- Xan McCurdy – electric guitar on track 9
- Rusty Miller – electric guitar on track 3
- Tyler Pope – arranging and electric guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10
- Chuck Prophet - arranging and electric guitar on tracks 4, 7 and 12
- Jim Campilongo - arranging and electric guitar on tracks 4, 6 and 11
- Ben Morss - arranging and piano on track 5
- David Palmer - keyboards on track 9
- Greg Vincent - pedal steel guitar on tracks 2, 6 and 9
- Mark Needham - additional percussion, engineering, and mixing
- Richard Lyman - musical saw on track 4
- Additional personnel
- Joe Johnston - engineering
- Jay Bowman - engineering
- Gabriel Shepard - engineering
- Justin Phelps - engineering
- Scott Reams - engineering
- Rafael Serrano - engineering
- Kirt Shearer - engineering and mixing
- Craig Long - engineering and mixing
- Greg Brown - arranging
- Keara Fallon - design
- Don C. Tyler - mastering
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Billboard 200 | 33 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Never There" | Adult Top 40 | 29 |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 1 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 78 | ||
| 1999 | "Let Me Go" | Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |
| "Never There" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 | |
| "Sheep Go to Heaven" | Modern Rock Tracks | 16 |
References
- ↑ Paul Grein (19 January 2011). "Week Ending Jan. 16, 2011: Albums: Even Lower". yahoo.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ↑ "Searchable Database". riaa.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ↑ Michael Gallucci. "Prolonging the Magic". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ↑ Matt Diehl (9 October 1998). "Prolonging the Magic Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ↑ Robert Christgau. "CG: Cake". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ↑ Tom Moon (29 October 1998). "Cake: Prolonging The Magic : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 November 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
External links
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