Cake "Fashion Nugget"

Cake

Fashion Nugget

scums stats: recent 180-gram black vinyl version...but I would happily trade something of appropriate worth for an original '96 pressing

Man, isn't it crazy what was allowed to become a hit back in the mid-Nineties? I've got the framework of an essay percolating in my head about the insanities of true, top of the chart hits from the era. It's all mind blowing. "The Distance" is such a weird song from a weird band that should have NEVER had a chance in the record business world as I understand it. So obviously, I relish in its existence. 

But it's so damn good. Freshman year of high school me bought the CD stat. And honestly, I've probably grown to the point that "The Distance" is pretty forgettable for me now. I mean, it's alright...but have you listened to "Frank Sinatra"?

Damn. For at least 12 years after this came out I would scribble teenaged sounding "poetry" or "lyrics" that was entirely cribbed from the meter and scheme of "Frank Sinatra." To this day, every time I hear it, I still smile and perk up. The muted, understated organ intro...just stellar in every way. 

Beyond that, my teenaged guitar/drums duo recorded a version of "I Will Survive" in the attic at 1203 Ferdinand back in '97 and just flipping through all these songs, they are all just so solid, timeless really...I mean, is there any other album out there that has covers of Gloria Gaynor and Willie Nelson on it? I don't think so.

Whirlwind Heat told me that they decided to record their "Types of Wood" album at Paradise Studios because that's where Cake recorded Fashion Nugget and is claimed to have the best drum sound in all of the studios in America. On top of that, Greg Brown's guitar tone and playing here just stands alone in regards to what was available and accessible to a young kid like me at the time. It sounded...like a guitar should sound. 

I've never bought any other Cake records (never even seen any of the 7"s culled from this LP...so all have just been added to my Discogs wantlist) and despite the 8xLP boxset going for A THOUSAND DOLLARS on the secondhand market, I think I'm perfectly content just spending my time with this one. Fashion Nugget has yet to bore me or do me wrong.