Pressure Chief
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Pressure Chief
| type = studio
| artist = Cake
| cover = Cake Pressure Chief.jpg
| alt =
| released = October 5, 2004
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 36:16
| label = Columbia
| producer = Cake
| prev_title = Comfort Eagle
| prev_year = 2001
| next_title = B-Sides and Rarities
| next_year = 2007
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Pressure Chief
| type = studio
| single1 = No Phone
| single1date = August 24, 2004
| single2 = Carbon Monoxide
| single2date = 2004
}}
}}
Pressure Chief is the fifth studio album by American band Cake. It was released on October 5, 2004, pushed back from its original August release date. It was produced by the band and recorded in a converted house in Sacramento. The lead single, "No Phone" peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.{{cite magazine|title=Cake chart search|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?page=11&f[0]=ts_chart_artistname%3ACake&f[1]=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=Cake|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=6 August 2016}} The second single "Carbon Monoxide" garnered some airplay but failed to crack the Modern Rock Tracks top 40. The album was the band's second and last record under Columbia Records.
Release
The songs "She'll Hang the Baskets" and "Tougher Than It Is" were both originally written for Cake's 1998 record Prolonging the Magic. A bonus disc, Extra Value, was included in limited pre-orders of Pressure Chief.
On its opening week, Pressure Chief sold about 46,000 copies, debuting and peaking at number 17 on the Billboard 200.{{cite web | last = Grein | first = Paul | title = Week Ending Jan. 16, 2011: Albums: Even Lower | publisher = Yahoo! News | date = January 19, 2011 | url = http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/73781/week-ending-jan-16-2011-albums-even-lower/ | accessdate = January 19, 2011 }} However, it fell to No. 55 the following week. By the next month, the album had only sold 91,478 copies.{{Cite web|date=2014-09-05|title=Sludge Scans for November 2004 {{!}} Metal Sludge|url=http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=30376|access-date=2022-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905073858/http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=30376 |archive-date=2014-09-05 }}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 52/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/pressure-chief/cake/critic-reviews|title=Critic Reviews for Pressure Chief|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=April 10, 2021}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Loftus |first=Johnny |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pressure-chief-mw0000307017 |title=Pressure Chief – Cake |publisher=AllMusic |date=2004-10-05 |access-date=April 10, 2021}}
| rev2 = Blender
| rev3 = musicOMH
| rev3Score = favorable{{cite web|last=Welsh|first=David|url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/cake.htm |title=Cake – Pressure Chief | album reviews |publisher=musicOMH |access-date=2012-03-05}}
| rev4 = Mojo
| rev5 = Paste
| rev5Score = favorable{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/10/cake-pressure-chief.html |title=Cake – Pressure Chief :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste |work=Paste |date=2004-10-01 |access-date=2012-03-05}}
| rev6 = Rolling Stone
| rev6Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Hoard|first=Christian|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cake/albums/album/6514034/review/6537317/pressure_chief|title=Cake: Pressure Chief : Music Reviews|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=2004-10-28|access-date=2012-07-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819144959/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cake/albums/album/6514034/review/6537317/pressure_chief|archive-date=2006-08-19|url-status=dead}}
| rev7 = Sputnikmusic
| rev7score={{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/3820/Cake-Pressure-Chief/|title=Sputnikmusic Review|website=Sputnikmusic|date=October 3, 2005|access-date=April 10, 2021}}
| rev8 = Stylus Magazine
| rev9 = Tiny Mix Tapes
| rev9Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Weir|first=Matt|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/cake-pressure-chief|title=Cake – Pressure Chief |publisher=Tiny Mix Tapes |access-date=2012-07-29}}
}}
Pressure Chief was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 52 based on 8 reviews.
In a review for AllMusic, Johnny Loftus wrote: "Pressure Chief marks Cake's tenth year with a set of sardonic, engaging alternative pop that shows the Sacramento band's economical sound unwilted after all these years." Matt Weir of Tiny Mix Tapes gave a three-and-a-half stars out of five, calling the release the "weakest effort" by the band. According to AllMusic, the song "No Phone" declaims "the encroachment of technology". {{cite web|last1=Loftus|first1=Johnny|title=Pressure Chief - Cake|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pressure-chief-mw0000307017|website=Allmusic|publisher=RhythmOne|accessdate=6 August 2016}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Wheels
| writer1 = John McCrea, Carlos Forster
| length1 = 3:18
| title2 = No Phone
| writer2 = McCrea, Xan McCurdy
| length2 = 3:52
| title3 = Take It All Away
| writer3 = McCrea, Forster, Garth Klippert
| length3 = 3:58
| title4 = Dime
| writer4 = McCrea
| length4 = 3:37
| title5 = Carbon Monoxide
| writer5 = McCrea
| length5 = 3:10
| title6 = The Guitar Man
| writer6 = David Gates
| length6 = 3:54
| title7 = Waiting
| writer7 = McCrea, Vince DiFiore
| length7 = 3:56
| title8 = She'll Hang the Baskets
| writer8 = McCrea
| length8 = 2:43
| title9 = End of the Movie
| writer9 = McCrea
| length9 = 1:50
| title10 = Palm of Your Hand
| writer10 = McCrea
| length10 = 2:57
| title11 = Tougher Than It Is
| writer11 = McCrea, Gabriel Nelson
| length11 = 3:00
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japan bonus tracks
| title12 = Carbon Monoxide|note12=Karaoke Version
| length12 = 3:10
| title13 = No Phone|note13=Karaoke Version
| length13 = 3:10
| title14 = Wheels|note14=Karaoke Version
| length14 = 3:17
| title15 = Take It All Away|note15=Karaoke Version
| length15 = 3:57
}}
Personnel
;Cake
- John McCrea – acoustic guitar, keyboard, percussion, lead vocals, cover design
- Vince DiFiore – trumpet, melodica, keyboard, percussion, background vocals
- Xan McCurdy – electric and acoustic guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, background vocals
- Gabe Nelson – bass, keyboard, drums, electric and acoustic guitar, background vocals
;Additional musicians
- Tyler Pope – additional keyboard, percussion and guitar (on "No Phone", "Dime", "The Guitar Man", and "Palm Of Your Hand")
- Chuck Prophet – electric guitar (on "She'll Hang The Baskets")
- Paulo Baldi – drums (on "No Phone", and "Carbon Monoxide")
- Matt McCord – drums (on "The Guitar Man")
- Todd Roper – drums on (on "She'll Hang The Baskets", and "Tougher Than It Is")
- Greg Vincent – pedal steel guitar (on "She'll Hang The Baskets", and "Palm Of Your Hand")
;Additional personnel
- Cake – Arranger, Producer, Engineer, Mixing
- Craig Long – Engineer, Mixing
- Mark Needham – Engineer, Mixing
- Patrick Olguin – Engineer, Mixing
- Kirt Shearer – Engineer, Mixing
- Don C. Tyler – Mastering
Charts
class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Chart performance for Pressure Chief |
Chart (2004)
! Peak |
---|
{{album chart|France|79|artist=Cake|album=Pressure Chief|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Germany4|95|id=5198|artist=Cake|album=Pressure Chief|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Switzerland|44|artist=Cake|album=Pressure Chief|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Billboard200|17|artist=Cake|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2021}} |
{{album chart|BillboardAlbumSales|17|artist=Cake|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2021}} |
Singles – Billboard (United States)
class="wikitable" |
Year
!Single !Chart !Position |
---|
2004
|"No Phone" |Modern Rock Tracks | style="text-align:center;"|13 |
Television performances
- "No Phone" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday, October 4, 2004
- "Wheels" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- "No Phone" on The Late Late Show (with guest host Tom Arnold) on Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Appearances in other media
- The song "Wheels" is featured in the soundtrack of the film I Love You, Man.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{allMusic|class=album|id=r713232|label=Pressure Chief}}
- [http://last.fm/music/CAKE/Pressure+Chief Pressure Chief] on Last.fm
- {{Metacritic album}}
{{Cake}}
{{Authority control}}