Prolonging the Magic
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Prolonging the Magic
| type = studio
| artist = Cake
| cover = Prolonging the Magic Cake album.jpg
| alt =
| released = October 6, 1998
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Alternative rock, experimental rock, alternative country
| length = 48:13
| label = Capricorn
| producer = John McCrea
| prev_title = Fashion Nugget
| prev_year = 1996
| next_title = Comfort Eagle
| next_year = 2001
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Prolonging the Magic
| type = album
| single1 = Never There
| single1date = September 27, 1998
| single2 = Let Me Go
| single2date = June 16, 1999
| single3 = You Turn The Screws
| single3date = 1999
| single4 = Sheep Go to Heaven
| single4date = 2000
}}
}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-jan-16-2011-albums-even-lower.html |title=Week Ending Jan. 16, 2011: Albums: Even Lower|author=Paul Grein |date=19 January 2011 |work=yahoo.com |access-date=3 January 2012}} On 28 September 1999 the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies.{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Cake&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25|title=Searchable Database|work=riaa.com|access-date=3 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213131808/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Cake&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25|archive-date=13 December 2015}}
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".
The song "Hem of Your Garment" was featured in the film Me, Myself & Irene.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r378082|pure_url=yes}} |title=Prolonging the Magic |author=Michael Gallucci |work=Allmusic |access-date=3 January 2012}}
| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev3Score = C+{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285175,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526042838/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285175,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2007 |title=Prolonging the Magic Review |author=Matt Diehl |work=Entertainment Weekly |date=9 October 1998 |access-date=29 July 2012}}
| rev2 = Christgau's Consumer Guide
| rev2Score = {{Rating-Christgau|neither}}{{Cite book |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |chapter=Cake |chapter-url=http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=cake |date=2000-10-15 |publisher=Macmillan Publishing |isbn=9780312245603 |language=en |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/christgausconsum00chri_0 }}
| rev4 = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac |url-access=registration |chapter=Cake|author=Harris, Keith|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor-last1=Brackett |editor-first=Nathan |editor-last2=Hoard |editor-first2=Christian David |date=2004 |publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780743201698 |language=en |editor-link1=Nathan Brackett |editor-link2=Christian Hoard}}
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev5score = 6.8/10{{Cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/c/cake/prolonging-the-magic.shtml |title=Cake: Prolonging the Magic |last=Mirov |first=Nick |website=Pitchfork |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816164318/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/c/cake/prolonging-the-magic.shtml |archive-date=2000-08-16 |access-date=2018-03-30 |url-status=dead }}
| rev6 = Rolling Stone
| rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cake/albums/album/111237/review/6210058/prolonging_the_magic |title=Cake: Prolonging The Magic : Music Reviews |author=Tom Moon |author-link=Tom Moon |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=29 October 1998 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112183135/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cake/albums/album/111237/review/6210058/prolonging_the_magic |archive-date=12 November 2007 |url-status=dead}}
| rev7 = Spin
| rev7score = 6/10{{Cite magazine |last=Eddy |first=Chuck |date=November 1998 |title=Cake: Prolonging the Magic/Soul Coughing: El Oso |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lgxVa5s7idEC |magazine=Spin |author-link=Chuck Eddy|page=18|language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC}}
}}
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
{{Track listing
| all_writing = John McCrea, except where noted
| title1 = Satan Is My Motor
| writer1 = McCrea, Gabriel Nelson, Tyler Pope
| length1 = 3:12
| title2 = Mexico
| length2 = 3:26
| title3 = Never There
| length3 = 2:44
| title4 = Guitar
| length4 = 3:40
| title5 = You Turn the Screws
| length5 = 4:13
| title6 = Walk on By
| length6 = 3:48
| title7 = Sheep Go to Heaven
| length7 = 4:44
| title8 = When You Sleep
| length8 = 3:58
| title9 = Hem of Your Garment
| length9 = 3:43
| title10 = Alpha Beta Parking Lot
| writer10 = Vincent DiFiore, McCrea
| length10 = 3:30
| title11 = Let Me Go
| writer11 = Jim Campilongo, McCrea
| length11 = 3:29
| title12 = Cool Blue Reason
| length12 = 3:27
| title13 = Where Would I Be?
| writer13 = McCrea, Nelson, Joe Snook
| length13 = 3:52
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japan bonus tracks
| title14 = Satan Is My Motor
|note14=Karaoke Version
| length14 = 3:14
| title15 = Never There
|note15=Karaoke Version
| length15 = 2:46
| title16 = Sheep Go to Heaven
|note16=Karaoke Version
| length16 = 4:49
| title17 = When You Sleep
|note17=Karaoke Version
| length17 = 3:59
}}
Personnel
;Cake
- 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 (United States)
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Chart !Position |
| 1998
| The Billboard 200 | align="center"|33 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Single !Chart !Position |
| rowspan="3"|1998
| rowspan="3"|"Never There" | Adult Top 40 | align="center"|29 |
| Modern Rock Tracks
| align="center"|1 |
| The Billboard Hot 100
| align="center"|78 |
| rowspan="3"|1999
| "Let Me Go" | Modern Rock Tracks | align="center"|28 |
| "Never There"
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | align="center"|40 |
| "Sheep Go to Heaven"
| Modern Rock Tracks | align="center"|16 |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title=Prolonging the Magic|artist=Cake|type=album|relyear=1998|certyear=1999|region=United States|award=Platinum|access-date=August 11, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic |class=album |id=r378082 |label=Prolonging the Magic}}
{{Cake}}
{{Authority control}}