Prolonging the Magic
1998 studio album by Cake
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Prolonging the Magic is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on October 6, 1998, on Capricorn Records. The sole successful single was "Never There". The album 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]
| Prolonging the Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 6, 1998 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, experimental rock, alternative country | |||
| Length | 48:13 | |||
| Label | Capricorn | |||
| Producer | John McCrea | |||
| Cake chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Prolonging the Magic | ||||
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The album was given a parental advisory sticker not because of profanity but for Satanic-themed lyrics. Some copies do not feature a sticker, with the only difference being that the song "Satan Is My Motor" has been retitled "Motor".
When asked in 1999 if the song "You Turn the Screws" was directed at recently-departed band members Greg Brown and Victor Damiani, the band responded "Not really. It is a song about power dynamics."[3]
The song "Hem of Your Garment" was featured in the 2000 film Me, Myself & Irene.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [4] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[6] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Spin | 6/10[10] |
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."
Track listing
All tracks are written by John McCrea, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Satan Is My Motor" | McCrea, Gabriel Nelson, 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" | Vince DiFiore, McCrea | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Let Me Go" | Jim Campilongo, McCrea | 3:29 |
| 12. | "Cool Blue Reason" | 3:27 | |
| 13. | "Where Would I Be?" | McCrea, Nelson, Joe Snook | 3:52 |
| 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 |
Personnel
- Cake
- Vince DiFiore - trumpet, keyboards, percussion, background vocals and arranging
- John McCrea – vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, piano, organ, Moog, producing, arranging and design
- Gabe Nelson - bass, mandolin, electric 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 (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Billboard 200 | 33 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| 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 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||