Prolonging the Magic (1998)

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. On 28 September 1999 the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies.

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."

The song "Hem of Your Garment" was featured in the 2000 film Me, Myself & Irene.

Critical reception

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
• 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