The Cake Discography Thread
 

While I love Jack White and Tom Waits, neither the popular nor the critically acclaimed need defending on these boards. Conversely, bands that may be equal in artistic temperament but are unfairly bogged down with a reputation are generally in short supply of valid credit given to them. In this regard no song has misrepresented a band like Cake’s “The Distance” since Extreme released “More than words”, or The Looking Glass’s “Brandy.”

“The Distance” amongst other things was too clever, and fit with the times. Like lollapalooza’s singular rap-acts, The Distance seems to mildly acknowledge that this is a musical genre, but only with a tongue safely in the cheek. The video was trivializing; grown men running in giant animal suits which in all likely hood was marketed as a nice midpoint between Beck’s Loser and its nonsensical, non-sequiter thematic mash-up, and the Flaming Lips general animal attire. While the markings of the band were there; trumpets, three part harmonies backing a laconic staccato melody line, the random barks of the practice studio, the soul of the band was missing. And while Cake undoubtedly rode Fashion Nuggest’s success to indie stardom, it was clear from the outset they didn’t want that specter haunting them. They opened many shows with "The Distance" so that people who came only for that song could leave.

But I point out, in part what "The Distance" is because it defines what Cake is not. "Distance" was written by then Guitarist Greg Brown who left before the recording of the bands next album Prolonging the Magic (but close enough to get credits on some songs) to join the band Deathray.

A large bulk of the Cake catalogue has been written by front man John McCrea and stands in stark contrast to the sole hit from Fashion Nugget that drove them to become radio mainstays. McCrea’s style has been compared to that of Hank Williams and Willie Nelson for both its skeletal structure and its direct lyrics and accounts for the main character of the band’s sound. A staunch environmentalist, during a Fresh Air interview on NPR, he went as far as saying he felt many late-90’s bands were the aural equivalent of an SUV, and that in comparison, he’s always tried to be a small hybrid.

In this thread I fully intend to explore some of the hidden gems, the better craftsmanship, and the expanse of the Cake catalogue’s 5 disc set. (soon to be 6 it appears) While I’d enjoy an upsurge in new fans, as a pragmatist, I only hope you find a song or two that shows a band that’s much more than a clever hit, and some songs that have some personal interest for you.

Thanks for reading,
Big3

Motorcade of Generocity
 

Cake’s first album dips heavily into the Country roots with a strong supporting role from its mariachi influence. Jesus wrote a Blank Check and Pentagram utilize a frontier harmony that sounds like its been tuned to the tin sound of the harmonica; notes aren’t such much sung as they are landed on and syllables are hammered on like a car horn playing rhythm. Ain’t No Good for you, while starting as disheveled as its main character, locks itself into a trumpeted groove that sounds like it came direct from the festivals.

But to say it’s a country album would be misleading and if your impression of Cake was that they were too clever, they’re not letting that one go very easily. While aforementioned tracks might play well in the heartland, the “intellectual” openings of Rock & Roll Lifestyle and Mr. Mastodon’s Farm are more suited for the night clubs and poetry slams (respectively) of a major metropolitan area’s. The former, tackling the idea of American wastefulness sounds more Talking Heads than Wayland Jennings, The latter starts with a Virginia Wolfe stream-of-consciousness ramble that the band eventually picks up on and runs with.

But the bands true strength lies in its simplistic observation of life in the artistic doldrums of Sacramento. On tracks like Ruby Sees All, Jolene, and I Bombed Korea every night, McCrea objectively details the disaster and heartbreak that can be found on any barstool in America. Korea brings us a matter-of-fact lament from what could be a war veteran, or simply any aging man looking back on his youth and acknowledging that his actions were less than informed:

I bombed korea every night.
I bombed korea every night.
Red flowers bursting down below us.
Those people didnt even know us.
We didnt know if we would live or die.
We didnt know if it was wrong or right.
I bombed korea every night.

If Cake sets a precedent with Motorcade, it’s no precedent at all. The album stood as a declaration of freedom, demanding to go in any direction it felt inclined. And just when its lo-fi acoustic description becomes familiar to you, their bound to throw a grand piano and some orchestral string-samples (You part the waters) in to throw you off. While radio play was scarce for this one, Corporate America was still looking for anything out there in the wake of Cobain’s death, and Cake’s opinionated but well defined character stood out, and stardom was just on the horizon.

I'm ashamed to admit I've never heard of Cake before. Judging by what you've just said about them though, they sound just like my kinda thing, so I'm pretty curious about them now.

Top review there. I think I'll put that first album on my 'keep-an-eye-out-for' list.

Well if you're looking for some stuff to try PM me with what you're into. Like most "first albums" its not the easiest to get into, or their best work, but this ones still an amazing body of work.

more reviews will be here shortly.

Good work, I'm looking forward to reading your opinion of Prolonging The Magic.

i've been meaning to get into some Cake for a while, i'll be looking forward to this thread

I never cared for these guys because of "The Distance." It was an ok song but I never actually liked it. I think I disliked it at some point. Anyway, I've heard the other singles and always thought "Never There" was a really good song but I never bothered to check out an album because I was always thinking stuff would be like "The Distance." I guess I was wrong in thinking that, based on your post. There's another song I've heard, something about "I want a girl..." this and that, don't know the name. Anyway, that one's nice too. So maybe I should check them out at some point.

the song you're thinking of is "Short Skirt Long Jacket"

I love cake. Jesus wrote a blank check is the best song on that first album ( in my opinion).
Cool thread.:)

The distance is probably the most boring song they've ever written (well, next to sheep go to heaven).

Well i'm glad you took something from it. Stick around and sound off. Unless work becomes a nightmare, Fashion Nuggest should be going up today.

Hey now, Sheep go to Heaven is a hell of a sing-a-long. Once I finish the proper albums, I'll be reviewing auxillery things like Live Shows and their Unlimited Sunshine Tour. My goal is to have a thread where in you can get any information about the band you might want.

And if theres anything people are looking to get a review on, anything from a singular song to the music scene in Sacramento at the time, PM me and let me know.

Ah, thanks.

I also realized looking at the track list for Fashion Nugget that I've heard "I Will Survive" and did not enjoy it. I will likely check out Prolonging the Magic and Comfort Eagle since those are the albums that contain the two songs I like.

Motorcade of Generosity was a musical game of 52 pick-up, cards everywhere, each completely separate from the pile. But for Fashion Nugget, Cake seemed to have swept everything into a nice and neat little pile, with a basic sound established, and their once schizophrenic sound, molded into a folk/indie model, and where once were personalities, now were neat flourishes of a style that complimented the sound, rather than muscled it out for domination.

While The Distance stands predominantly at #2 (suggesting shrewd marketing), the album opens with “Frank Sinatra” a song that has a haunting depressed overtone, despite its rather up-beat lyrics...

“An old man sits collecting stamps
In a room all filled with chinese lamps.
He saves what others throw away.
He says that hell be rich some day…
While frank sinatra sings stormy weather,
The flies and spiders get along together,
Cobwebs fall on an old skipping record.”

The song, and its simple organ-melody opening set the tone for an album that, regardless of its perceived positive strut, reveals a deep running wound that seems to surface in all lyrical content. The album is defined by “the distance” even if its not the title. Songs like “Stick Shifts and Safety belts,” in one of the more instrumentally happy tracks, laments bucket seats as yet another gap between he and his paramour and while that may seem like a stretch, its one of the few.

Daria and Friend is a Four-letter Word are direct shots at something or someone that’s suffered irreparable damage. In Daria, he recalls a woman who loved him, and his apathy for her, that now he sees only as a burned bridge.

“when you tried to tell me
of all the love you had,
i was cleaning oil from beaches
seeing only what was bad.
when you tried to feed me
i only shut my mouth.
food got on your apron
and you told me to get out”

But musically, Fashion Nugget soars, and whether its following the lyrics into a pit of despair or bouncing along with the “fake breasts” in Italian Leather Sofa, the instrumentation never misses a beat, which for a bunch of white boys from Sacramento is downright impressive. I’ll admit openly, I’m a bias and weak man for the trumpet, but the soundscapes that Vince DiFiore lays down on almost every track, including The Distance, is like the soundtrack to the sun setting on a California evening in a town where everyone’s getting theirs except for you.

While this was a far better composed album, some songs are still out of place and you can’t help but think “Race Car ya-ya’s” which has the strangest metaphor heard in a song to date, and the inclusion of Gloria ***nor’s “I will survive” and Willie Nelson’s “Sad songs and waltzes” seems to suggest either a leftover collection, or a leftover idea of how to create an album.

All in all, Fashion Nugget is one of the stronger releases, with a handful of songs that are still played live to date, but that are ultimately overshadowed by a great marketing team and a gimmick.

I have Fashion Nugget, Comfort Eagle and Pressure Thief. I have only had them for about 6 weeks as my man in Germany recommended them. Seemed OK from the blip-verts I did. This thread has shunted me more to listen to them more.

Shunted, eh?

/googles dictionary.com

edit: oh yes! shunted...

Well great let me know what ya think.

Awesome thread dude. Are you doing links? Motorcade and Fashion Nugget are the only two albums I don't have. I would love to have them if you have them up'd.

Yeah, I actually have planned to up a few, I just forget which site makes that hella easy. PM me and I'll get them to you.

And anyone else...

I have Fashion Nugget. I sort of ended up with it and never really gave it a good listen to. I may have to give them another chance.

Just giving this a listen now and I'm quite impressed. To me it's got this easygoing vibe which doesn't sacrifice the intricacies of a bunch of very well-written songs. It's early days, but my favourites would be Jolene, Jesus Wrote a Blank Check and Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle.

Very interesting album, and even more so if it doesn't really set a precedent to the rest of their discography as you say.

Well its not going to go from that to sounding like The Cure, or anything, but you're going to get a lot more "Ruby Sees All" and not a lot of Pentagram.

Prolonging the Magic should be up today, but again, thats barring work.

6 if you count B-Sides and Rarities. It has a few songs from the other albums but it also has some new stuff. And actually, I'm usually not too much into covers but this album contains the best live recording of War Pigs I've ever heard. The album starts with the studio version and ends with the live recording of War Pigs. :)

wel right, its one to three covers and a rehash. I actually have to get that one when the time comes, but I still not consider it a real album, though "Excuse Me (I think I have a heartache)" i've seen them perform live in Providence, RI and they blew the roof off the joint.

Juke Boogie is vastly underated.

Fair enough, it's still worth listening to. Ruby don't take your love to town and multiply the heartaches are two really good songs, but you're right mostly covers and rehash.
Oh and BTW, I'm pretty new to uploading music and sharing it with people on the forum. How does that work?

Thats what I'm not sure about. theres a good service out there everyone uses, theres also some regulatory information I've been trying to get out of the Mod team but their slow on the up take (or in bed).

As soon as I know I'll let you know, but to protect the site, we don't allow open sharing except for compilations.

Copywrite infringement could compramise MusicBanter, and we don't to get shut down.

Ya I thought there might be some restrictions. Cool, that would be great if you let me know when you find out. :)

hmm....it seems Big3 has forgotten about this thread

Prolonging the Magic
 

Every band has their album that plays second fiddle to a larger one. There are two schools of Cake fandom, and Prolonging the Magic consistently loses, and comes in second, to both. Given the nature of this thread, I would say if you haven’t checked this album out you should probably do so.

Magic is arguably the more consistent of the albums (which may have a little something to do with the line-up stabilization) with a streamlined sound that baked flavors of influence into the…pie that was to become…Cake. (I apologize for that)

If you’ve heard it on the radio you’re likely familiar with Never There and Sheep go to Heaven which has the best trumpet solo and chorus in the entirety of the Cake catalogue respectively. In fact, Sheep not only has the best choral sing-along (which is a huge part of their live show with overall audience participation) but its probably best described as the song Paul McCartney would have written had he moved to the Western Coast of the United States, got a drinking problem and wandered the inner city for weeks discovering ennui.

While those two songs drove sales, the albums deeper cuts drove its staying power. Mexico which has been the bigger deep track (in my experience) is a slow burner made in the spirit of back porch drinking with mariachi flair. Lamenting the various ways she was out of our league, Cake crafts an anthem that speaks to any may who managed to touch the sun for only a few brief months. Alphabeta parking lot seems to take on a similar vibe if only to address, not women, but a life that’s slipping away. (though its very viable that the life is leaving because she did.)

Electronics also slip their way into the album, more as an influence than a style shift. On Cool Blue Reason, McCrea throws on the voice synth bolder and more proudly than a thousand teen pop stars have ever dared, using the alien feel to drive the song to a Presence of Memory vibe; the auditable soundtrack to Dali watching the clocks melt over the branches. To a lesser extent, Hem or your Garment is the first time they explore using electronics to create a stronger percussion section – depending on what version you’re listening to.

While standouts define the album, there is a strong base to Magic, that while not strong enough to stand on its own, creates one of the most rock-solid albums of Cake’s late 90’s alt-class. Guitar, You turn the screws, Walk on By, and Let Me Go weave in Cake’s unlimited sunshine constantly, reinforcing the theme with changes to tempo, style, mood, and arrangement. If music were talking points, Prolonging the Magic would always be on message.

The album isn’t without its missteps. I’m not sure what to say about “when you sleep” or “Where would I be” but if 2 out of 13 are just off the mark, its hard to fault an album. I’ve bought discs with 10 songs and I’d be lucky to get 1.5 that weren’t trash.

What had happened was I tried writing this entry at home, and I spend most of my time on the site at work. So I was hesitant to write a new entry at work because i'd have been starting from scratch.

Also, I thought all the reviews were sounding the same and wanted to give the final two to three some distance to avoid one giant uni-review.

The following quote came from a deleted post, and a banned poster who was likely spamming. Only the mods can see the post but I thought this chap - whoever he was - made enough of a point that I wanted to address it. (jackhammer, you remember when he got the boot?)

To paint this album (Motorcade) as simply a cheese-eating liberal album is a little ridiculous. The lyrics of a few of the songs are less country than Wayland Jennings, sure, but I won't say Jennings defines country. And with the Buck Owens/Nashville split that happened forever ago, not to mention what changes the Texan country musicians bring to the table, I think its unfair to define country music with one artist, and its unfair to say Cake isn't.

Admittedly, the lyrics aren't as country as the music. but the simple observations of life, the Hemmingway directness, which is more Willie Nelson than Trace Adkins is certainly country. If you were still here I'd ask you to explain further, but if anyone else feels the same, feel free to do so.

Nice to see a new addition to this. You’re right on about the consistency. I personally have a soft spot for Prolonging the Magic, and it’s likely due to the ease of it…

Good work... and I’m curious about your thoughts on Pressure Chief… guess I’ll be on the lookout.

Be prepped for that review. I'm taking that album out behind the woodshed.

Noted. :)

If I may, I think I'll share my top 10 Cake songs and recommend them to any new listeners.

Motorcade of Generosity
Jolene - Such a great feel good song. I listen to this many early mornings when I'm going outside. Just a quality piece of work. Great lyrics as well.
Rock & Roll Lifestyle - Good humor, nice little jam.
Mr. Mastodon Farm - Such a random song with great little sounds. They really get into their percussion with this one. I've noticed that if you listen to this one in the car, it often makes people look around to see if something is rattling in the car, the song has little clicking sounds as if there's something amiss. Good stuff.

Fashion Nugget
Friend is a Four Letter Word - Still not sure what it is about this song. It's just a classic. I also had it stuck in my head all day once while snowboarding.
Stickshifts & Safetybelts - Such a great song. I think it takes me back to my farm town redneck roots.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - This one is just kind of a fun tune. Great trumpet work.

Prolonging the Magic
Guitar - This song is a work of art. It features the musical saw and plenty of vibraslap (that wood block and ball with a springy metal bar, sounds like a power rattle).
Cool Blue Reason - I love the change of sound. This has a nice slow pace groove to it.

Comfort Eagle
Opera Singer - Little claps and short guitar riffs and of course trumpet make this a fun song.
Arco Arena - This song is just a short instrumental piece. It's a short example of what I'd love to hear more of; Cake jamming on their instruments. If I remember right, they opened with this the one time I saw them live.

Pressure Chief - Haven't quite got as into this album yet, and didn't want to make the list go past 10. Perhaps this is the week I'll give it more of a chance.

Great thread TheBig3KilledMyRainDog! Thanks!

That is excellent! And completely true.

awesome thread

Satan Is My Motor is one of my Top 25 all time favorite songs and along with "Shot Down In Flames" (ac/dc) and "Purple Haze" (hendrix) one of my three personal theme songs in life.



big ups to all Cake fans

I love CAKE alot, but aside from a few stand out tracks, I get burnt out on them easily.

Regardless, great reviews, makes me want to go back and listen to all the albums in order now.

Oh Cake…what the hell happened?

I understand there’s been some line-up changes but you’ve survived them before right? So why not replace the drummer. I know, I know – a drum machine never takes creative license and I’m sure you guys are tight-knit now and set in your ways but can we please stop the decent into iRockband?

If Cake’s discography is polarizing, then Pressure Chief is the embodiment of that idea. Looking still for new frontiers, the days of Beck’s apathetic droll are long dead and Cake moves away from emotion (in terribly emotive songs) by assimilating the singularity and making themselves androids.

To say the album is hit or miss is an understatement and its almost impossible to classify. It either Robotron 3000 or as backwoods as it gets, and one wonders (or googles) if some of these tracks weren’t hauled up from the vault by the resident studio bar-back to complete an album who could only achieve perfect apathy by literally not giving a **** and mailing half of it in.

But to disparage it this much is only half fair and certain tracks on this album are Cake at their best. “Wheels” and “No Phone” are paced, and robotic but incorporate some ultimately human elements as if to show the dichotomy. Wheels, which almost sounds like it was written for the live show, finishes up with a three part harmonized round with three parts - a decidedly non-robotic venture – despite singing songs about national stereotypes:

“and the muscular, German, cyborg-dudes dance with sexy French Canadians, while the overweight American’s wear their Patriotic jumpsuits” (it was 2004, hatin’ was the rage)

And No Phone is a robotic lament about the encroaching world of technology that is making us constantly connected and dehumanized. It also has the unique designation of likely being the last song to ever reference a “subway token” as I can’t imagine those are still in use in any major metropolitan area.

But when Cake’s Mech-zilla songs of an apocalyptic Matrix-dom aren’t scaring the piss out of the elderly, their playing songs like “end of the movie” which is McCrea, a guitar, and what sounds like a concertina at some point in the song. What makes him pull away to such a stark contrast can only be a slapped together album with quantity over quality to produce a contract fulfilling obligatory album made for the record industry. Cake is viciously outspoken about the industry and its commercialized form of indentured servitude and I wouldn’t think my assessment here is too off the mark.

In fact one of the albums better tracks “She’ll hang the baskets” is in fact a track from a previous album (Prolonging…I recall it being) and any time a reused track is one of the best you know it was a rough 3 months in the studio.

Once has to imagine from concert tour rhetoric that the next album is going to be a far more relaxed Cake, one which will either rise or fall based on its unbounded creative license. It’s going to be an “In Rainbows” sale option, I just hope its equal in quality. Whatever it is, its gotta be better than the piecemeal that is Pressure Chief.

Quite a while back I lost about 2000 songs in the process of moving them all to my external hard drive and, unfortunately, all the contents of Motorcade Of Generosity were among them. That was about 4 or 5 months ago, and I kinda forgot about them 'til recently. I do remember being impressed with it though (I seem to remember mentioning that somewhere in this thread as well). I've got quite a bit of new music on my plate at the minute, but seeing this updated's reminded me I need to dig around Cake's back-catalogue a bit more, so cheers for that.

Good job with the thread as well - some great reads in here.

the one and only song i've heard from them was "short skirt/long jacket". i heard it from the movie "waitress" soundtrack. i fell in love with the song, looked it up on the internet and added it on my ipod. any other good tracks from them that you'd like to recommend?

Just found this thread, thank you for the reviews big3. Cake played a big part in getting me into alternative rock back in elementary/middle school, they've been with me or a while. I cannot believe how many people on here haven't heard of Cake, I thought they were more popular. They're one of a pretty small group of alternative bands that I listen to that at least get some radio play. I never saw this thread before though and I enjoyed your reviews.

I came in here to write up Showroom of Compassion and realized I never did a review for Comfort Eagle (which seems odd. Was it deleted?). Anywho, here goes.

If you've never heard CAKE before, this is the album to come in on. While "The Distance" still stands as the most identifiable single, and "Sheep go to Heaven" still seems to be the one everyone can sing along with (even if they've never heard it before), Comfort Eagle as an album is the most wildly accessible.

If you own Jesus Lizard albums, that sounds like a bad thing, but CAKE, while not a pop-band, has never been afraid to write a melody. The most identifiable song on the album is easily "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" who's opening trumpet blast and breakdown drum-bookends have wound up in commercials, television shows, and anywhere else corporate america could have shoved it. If nothing else, the single is absolutely indicative of CAKE's mash-up sound: funky bassline, glory-of-the-day trumpeting, and a deadpan vocal line so flat its vegas cool.

But the albums strength is largely due to its strong support cast. Many songs could have functioned as the lead single had SS,LJ not been on the album. Long Line of Cars, Love you Madly, and Pretty Pink Ribbon are some of the most pop-friendly material in the entirety of the CAKE Discograpy. Even "Meanwhile, Rick James..." and "Shadow Stabbing" both ended up on the soundtrack to the film "Orange County."

One of the more "experimental" tracks (as experimental as a CAKE song can be when compared to the other songs) is the song "Comfort Eagle." CAKE brings into the mix, for what appears to be the first time, Indian-influences and creates one of the more odd-ball songs on the album, foreshadowing the mind-set that would come to dominate Pressure Chief.

A great deal of symphonic acrobatics went into the production here. Not strings and horns, but layers and layers (as is a staple of CAKE's more sparse tracks) of vocal harmonies, claps, layered trumpet and piano. If the track is a little left-of-center, it doesn't disappoint the fan base in the slightest. The Track was almost made for the live show (and CAKE should be seen as a band who's stronger on the Stage than the Album), with enough call-and-response portions, iconic shout-points ("you can dress up like a sultan in your onion-head hat" & "the wacky morning DJ said democracies a joke"), and groove to keep everyone in the crowd in the moment.

Comfort Eagle may not be the strongest album for older fans. Theres no notable country influence on this album which appears, at least once, on every other album. It also introduced more strongly than other albums a synthesizer and drum machine. I no longer have my CD sleeve but I recall no consistent drummer being featured on the album. This doesn't necessarily mean it was all drum machine, McCrea himself plays drums as well as one other member (if I recall correctly).

If Comfort Eagle is anything, its the "band album." The introspective songs from McCrea seem to be noteably absent from this album, and it strikes one as a decidedly pop album. CAKE, who've never been pro-record industry in 2001 are moving toward the end of their contractual obligation, and this might be the one, final push of appeasement (again, not a bad thing) before they do whatever the hell they want (On PC, the final album with Columbia).

Recommendations:

1. Comfort Eagle
2. Long Line of Cars
3. Love you Madly

1. "Opera Singer" (McCrea, Mark Kornweibel) – 4:06
2. "Meanwhile, Rick James..." – 3:57
3. "Shadow Stabbing" (McCrea, George Kane) – 3:07
4. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" – 3:24
5. "Commissioning a Symphony in C" – 2:59
6. "Arco Arena" – 1:31
7. "Comfort Eagle" – 3:40
8. "Long Line of Cars" – 3:24
9. "Love You Madly" – 3:58
10. "Pretty Pink Ribbon" – 3:08
11. "World of Two" – 3:41