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 Very fun album. May 29, 2008
I bought this album on the strength and humor of the "Short Skirt Long Jacket" music video. Before that, I knew Cake only through sparse listenings of "Never There" on the radio, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. This was one of those CDs that I only listened to really one song at first, "Short Skirt Long Jacket", until I expanded slowly throughout the CD once I started driving. It's amazing how many CDs I finally listened to in full once I started driving as opposed to what I used to, and currently do now that I'm not driving in the city, when I just listen to the singles over and over again. Anyhow...
1. Opera Singer - Very cool opener. I immediately love the horns. The narcissistic topic is kind of neat, too; it creates a cool dichotomy between the monotony of his voice and the subject matter. Every album deserves to put a good foot foward and this one does. It sets a nice tone and establishes their music ideas for the album. However, it's only above average, which is still pretty good. Four out of five stars.
2. Meanwhile, Rick James... - While, this is not, in fact, something that happened to lead singer John McCrea, it is possible that the comical lyrics of the song, which involve Rick James putting the sex on an unsuspecting gentleman's lady, took place in some shape or form in the past few decades, especially in light of what we all learned from Charlie Murphy. As an aside, did you know Rick James' first band was with Neil Young and they were called the Mynah Birds? I didn't. Anyhow, this song is pretty fun. The tune goes from bleak verse to oddly cheery hook. That juxtaposition gives it enough for four. Four out of five stars.
3. Shadow Stabbing - A very light track with some good musicianship and fun lyrics. Four out of five stars.
4. Short Skirt - Long Jacket - When this track first came out, I used to blast it in my Creative Nomad 128 MB MP3 player in 2001 while I'd cut the grass. Now it's an 80 gig iPod, but if nothing else, it is a very good song to cut the grass to. This song musically builds upon all of the simplest ideas of a successful pop song and does it to perfection. It teeters between anticipation and satisfaction and just when you think you are satisfied, it adds a new layer to the song, such as in the third verse when the backing vocals and the castanet are added. There was a reason this one was the first single. Five out of five stars.
5. Commissioning a Symphony In C - This song is a neat little history lesson. The lyrics are about an Austrian nobleman who was commissioned to compose a symphony in C and that process. Surprisingly, it makes a very good alternative song. Four out of five stars.
6. Arco Arena - The guys from Cake are from Sacramento, so I suppose it would make sense that they would have an ode to their "home arena" at some point. It's a pretty cool, lyricless jam. Four out of five.
7. Comfort Eagle - You may know this one from the credits of Shallow Hal. Or not. Again, some nice twists on traditional pop music ideas. Four out of five stars.
8. Long Line of Cars - At this point, I must point out how talented the bassist is for Cake. He does some really cool stuff on this song, among other songs, but he really keeps this one going. However, the ending really drags out on this one. Three out of five stars.
9. Love You Madly - This is really bassist Gabe Nelson's song to lose. The stuff he does is simple, but done with extreme precision. I think this was a response to a Doors' song of a similar name "Love Her Madly", exhausting the point that McCrea wants to do what Morrison says. The song works very well. Five out of five stars.
10. Pretty Pink Ribbon - A very simple, formulaic pop number. However, with Cake, it is about their production and precision, knowning what is too much and when to go overboard a little bit. This song finds a tremendous balance in those areas. It is my favorite song on the album. Five out of five stars.
11. World of Two - A nice waltz takes us out of the album. The backing is executed very nicely, but the hook is a little too cliche for my tastes. The bridge works very nicely though. Four out of five stars.
Final grades:
1. Opera Singer - Four stars.
2. Meanwhile, Rick James... - Four stars.
3. Shadow Stabbing - Four stars.
4. Short Skirt - Long Jacket - Five stars.
5. Commissioning A Symphony In C - Four stars.
6. Arco Arena - Four stars.
7. Comfort Eagle - Four stars.
8. Long Line of Cars - Three stars.
9. Love You Madly - Five stars.
10. Pretty Pink Ribbon - Five stars.
11. World of Two - Four stars.
This album on the surface would appear great, with all of the four and five star ratings. But sadly, the songs do not come that well connected to each other to make a truly great album and rather come off as a collection of above average singles. So instead of being "highly recommended", I can only grant Comfort Eagle a "recommended".
Interesting new find Mar 28, 2008
I stumbled across this group when I overheard a catchy bass riff with lyrics about a short skirt and long jacket. I googled those words and it brought me to Cake. I bought the mp3's here on Amazon (got to love DRM-free mp3's) and this has become my new favorite band. I love the style and attitude of the singer with its clever lyrics. I was reacquainted with back-in-the-day memorable lyrics like "no phone, no phone" and "somebody left with the cup". The free samples accurately reflect the entire content of this album.
Meanwhile, Cake... Nov 19, 2007
This album is awesome, has some great hits "Love You Madly", "Short Skirt/Long Jacket", has some innovative sounds "Meanwhile, Rick James...", "Pretty Pink Ribbon", "Comfort Eagle", but it has also dull songs like "Long Line Of Cars", has some strange songs "Opera Singer", "Shadow Stabbing" and it has a greaaat really great song "Comissioning A Simphony In C".
In conclusion, this album is totally good, is cake's best and surely a must-buy
 Simply Amazing Aug 27, 2007
It's rare that I find a band so uique and so good that I simply must have everything they've done. Cake is one of those rare few that have impressed me so. Their ability to match lyrical and musical themes so perfectly is unparalelled. The word pictures created by the lyrics are so perfectly accompanied by the music- the perfect soundtrack for the story told. Own this album. Wow.
Cake is awesome Jul 09, 2007
Opera Singer should be required listening for anyone who writes songs just to see how five different rhythms can form a bed for a vocal of a completely different rhythm.
Short Skirt - Great story
Comfort Eagle - Just grabs you in every way
Long Line of Cars - Wow!
World of Two - Holy crap! It is wonderful in every way.
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