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.

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