Album Reviews
Movie reviews
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

Phantom Tollbooth visitors: Help yourself to a free mp3 copy of the title song from the "soundtrack" to this review: 
(C'mon Over to the Palace and) Have Some Cake with Me: 
words and music by Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen, aka Dr. BLT, (c) 2005 
 http://drblt.com/music/cake10.mp3

In keeping with tradition, country legend Buck Owens rarely invites anyone but bona fide country stars to the Crystal Palace.  So what makes the band Cake so special?  Well, for starters, in terms of his musical heritage, John McCrae stands on the shoulders of statues----the giant, noble statues parked at the Crystal Palace, representing country music's greatest legends.  John McCrae is a giant and a legend-in-the-making.    Who knows?  One day, they make a statue out of John McCrae and plant it smack, dab, in the middle of the others.  Here's why I think my prediction may not be so far-fetched: 
. 
Download Statue for free here: 
Statue: words and music by Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen, aka Dr. BLT (c)2005 
http://www.tollbooth.org/2005/features/idol.html 

Merle is his mentor.   Cash is his king.   Buck is his buddy.   George Jones is his Joshua---he helped the walls that once separated country music from neighboring genres come crumbling down.   In doing so, Jones helped make it possible for a man like John McCrae to be welcome at the Palace-the man who makes an art out of flouting traditional genre boundaries, and that man's brazenly genre-bustin' band, Cake. 

It wasn't as hot as the 2005 CMT's mid-summer filming of a performance of Streets of Bakersfield, featuring Buck and his band of Bakersfield residents.

Download your free copy of Backin' Up Buck Here: 
Backin' Up Buck: words and music by Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen, aka Dr. BLT (c) 
http://www.drblt.com/music/BackBuck.mp3

It didn't quite flow like their Crystal Palace debut-the September 20. 2003 performance with Buck Owens:
http://www.tollbooth.org/2003/creviews/cake.html  

The reason?  This was not only a performance, but the performance was being recorded for a live Cake CD.  Therefore, apparently because the band wanted to get the intro's to flow, there were a number of false starts.  It was kind of like the waitress setting a delicious dessert before a customer as his/her eyes water, removing it, and then putting it back, as if the goal were to tease rather than please.   Perhaps the tease was intended to please the powers that be at Columbia Records.  As John said to the audience, with tongue-in-cheek half way through the show, "You don't matter."  Knowing John McCrae, this may have been shorthand for "Look what the record company is making us do just for the sake of the CD."  You see, I have to find something to complain about, otherwise folks will think that I am playing the role of sycophant as a way of ingratiating myself to the band for incorporating me into their 2002 music video for "Short Skirt/Long Jacket." 
 

Nevertheless, in the final analysis, Cake went "The Distance."  Ultimately, I forgot all about the teasing and allowed myself to be pleased. 

Notwithstanding the false starts, the show was remarkable, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  The first night of the live CD recording was a four-layer Cake: The band played selections from at least four of their five CD releases.  Cake's stellar 1996 release, Fashion Nugget was well represented with songs like "The Distance," a bittersweet anthem of passion and perseverance; the dark, hard-driving "tribute" to post-breakup-obsessive-compulsive-rumination, "Daria" (one of my all-time Cake favorites); the playful "Stick Shifts and Safety Belts;" and their animus-altered cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (proof of the fact that, at least in this case, a man can play the victim every bit as good, if not better, than a woman, dubious though such an "honor" may be). 

The 1998 release, Prolonging the Magic, was represented in passionately-delivered renderings of "Mexico;" "Never There;" and, always a crowd-pleaser, "Sheep Go to Heaven." I was never able to draw any conclusions as to the band's theological underpinnings as reflected in that bizarre number, but since I was once a lost lamb and have since found a shepherd to lead me, namely, Jesus Christ of Nazareth (and by Nazareth, I'm not referring to the70s  rock group), I guess I fall into the sheep category. 

On night one of the live CD recording, the band played only a couple of numbers from Comfort Eagle, the 2001 CD, the one that was released just a couple months prior to 9/11.  Those numbers were the vibrant instrumental, an all-time favorite of Sacramento residents, "Arco Arena;" and the catchy, hypnotic Love You Madly.  In 2004, Cake released Pressure Chief, a glorious collection of future Cake classics that I'm still kicking myself for not reviewing.  From that layer, Cake offered savory slices such as "Wheels," the environmental-friendly "Carbon Monoxide," and their heart-felt re-make (or should I say re-bake?) Bread classic, The Guitar Man. All it takes to transform a Bread recipe into Cake is a little sugar, and Cake provided just enough of the sweet stuff to make the recipe their own. 

Speaking of sugar (pardon the pun), what really took the cake (pardon the pun) was when John McCrea invited his dog Sugar on stage.  The dog acted like an overgrown, exuberant, slobbery, affectionate puppy.  I did take advantage of the situation by going up to pet the dog.  After touching the dog of a big star like John McCrae, I doubt if I'll ever wash my flea-bitten right hand again. 

If you've never been to the Crystal Palace, it's a great place to feel a part of history.  It's a quaint, country-music-star-studded, historically enhanced, rustic restaurant/bar with plenty of dazzling Buck Owens memorabilia to decorate the place. The food is great too-not to mention the dessert.  In this case, the dessert was Cake, and it was great! So, if the band ever comes around here again (and I have a feeling they will), I hope you accept my invitation to "Come on down to the Palace and have some Cake with Me!"