Editing Prolonging the Magic

{{Infobox album
| name       = Prolonging the Magic
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Cake (band)|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 Records|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 (Cake song)|Never There]]
 | single1date = September 27, 1998
 | single2     = [[Let Me Go (Cake song)|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 (band)|Cake]]. It was released on October 6, 1998, on [[Capricorn Records]]. The sole successful single was "[[Never There (Cake song)|Never There]]". The album was recorded after the departure of guitarist [[Greg Brown (rock musician)|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|''Billboard'' 200]] chart.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On 28 September 1999 the album was certified platinum by the [[RIAA]] for shipments of one million copies.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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}}<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3Score = C+<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating-Christgau|neither}}<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]]''
| rev5score = 6.8/10<ref>{{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 Media|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 }}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev7score = 6/10<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Spin]] |author-link=Chuck Eddy|page=18|language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC}}</ref>
}}

[[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 (musician)|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 (Cake song)|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 (Cake song)|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 (musician)|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
* [[Dave Palmer (American keyboardist)|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 magazine|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}}

[[Category:1998 albums]]
[[Category:Cake (band) albums]]
[[Category:Capricorn Records albums]]