Perfect from Now On
| Perfect from Now On | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 28, 1997 | |||
| Studio | AVAST! Recording Co. (Seattle, Washington) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 54:13 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Phil Ek | |||
| Built to Spill chronology | ||||
| ||||
Perfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label (Warner Bros.) release. It was recorded at the Avast! Recording Company in Seattle, Washington by Phil Ek. Stylistically, the album was marked by its experimentation with longer song structures and philosophical lyrics.
The album was essentially recorded three times. The first time, frontman Doug Martsch attempted to play all the instruments except drums. He and Ek were dissatisfied with the results, so Martsch brought in bassist Brett Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf and recorded the album again. However, these tapes were destroyed by heat when Ek was driving from Seattle to Boise to record additional overdubs. The band rehearsed some more, then recorded the album a third time.
In September 2008, the band embarked on a three-month tour to perform the album in its entirety.[3]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Alternative Press | [5] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[7] |
| NME | 8/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 9.2/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
| Spin | 8/10[12] |
| The Village Voice | B+[13] |
Perfect from Now On was released to widespread critical acclaim and is widely regarded as an indie rock masterpiece as well as Built to Spill's magnum opus. Pitchfork ranked this album at #22 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 90s" list. This album, along with 1999's Keep It Like a Secret and 1994's There's Nothing Wrong with Love, is frequently cited as one of the greatest indie rock albums of all time, and has come to influence many modern alternative, rock, and indie acts.[14]
Track listing
All songs written by Doug Martsch.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Randy Described Eternity" | 6:09 |
| 2. | "I Would Hurt a Fly" | 6:15 |
| 3. | "Stop the Show" | 6:26 |
| 4. | "Made-Up Dreams" | 4:52 |
| 5. | "Velvet Waltz" | 8:33 |
| 6. | "Out of Site" | 5:33 |
| 7. | "Kicked It in the Sun" | 7:32 |
| 8. | "Untrustable / Part 2 (About Someone Else)" | 8:53 |
| Total length: | 54:18 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Easy Way" | 6:45 |
| Total length: | 61:03 | |
Personnel
Musicians
- Doug Martsch - vocals, guitar, Moogs, bass on "Made-Up Dreams"
- Brett Nelson - bass, Moog on "Untrustable / Part 2 (About Someone Else)", Optigan on "Kicked In The Sun"
- Scott Plouf - drums, percussion, piano on "Randy Described Eternity", Moog on "Stop the Show" and "Kicked In The Sun"
Additional musicians
- Brett Netson - guitar on "Randy Described Eternity," "I Would Hurt a Fly," "Stop the Show," "Velvet Waltz," and "Out of Site"
- John McMahon - cello on "I Would Hurt a Fly," "Stop the Show," "Velvet Waltz," "Out of Site," and "Untrustable/Pt. 2 (About Someone Else)"
- Robert Roth - Mellotron on "Made-Up Dreams," "Velvet Waltz," and "Untrustable/Pt. 2 (About Someone Else)"
- Peter Lansdowne - drums on "Made-Up Dreams" and "Easy Way"
- Karena Youtz - "title and some words" on "Velvet Waltz", "Out Of Site", and "Kicked It In The Sun"; backing vocals on "Made-Up Dreams" and "Kicked It in the Sun"
Production
- Phil Ek - producer, recording, engineer
- Howie Weinberg - mastering
- Kip Beelman, Sam Hofstedt - engineer assistant
- Chris Takino - mixing assistant
- Tae Won Yu - design, art direction
Sampling
Rapper Cage's song "Ballad of Worms" sampled "I Would Hurt a Fly". The song appeared on Eastern Conference All-Stars, Vol. 3 and Purple Rain Mix CD Vol. 1.
References
- ^ Bort, Ryan; Schonfeld, Zach; Scott, H. Alan; Shaffer, Claire; Ziv, Stav (June 18, 2017). "'OK Computer' and Beyond: The 23 best albums of 1997". Newsweek. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Built to Spill | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Skruck, Jeff (May 20, 2008). "Built to Spill to Play Perfect from Now On This Fall on Tour | Prefix". prefixmag.com. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Perfect from Now On – Built to Spill". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "Built to Spill: Perfect from Now On". Alternative Press (105): 65. April 1997.
- ^ Knopper, Steve (January 31, 1997). "Built to Spill: Perfect From Now On (Warner)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Brunner, Rob (January 31, 1997). "Perfect From Now On". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Oldham, James (February 1, 1997). "Built To Spill – Perfect From Now On". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Kandell, Steve (April 28, 2018). "Built to Spill: Perfect From Now On". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ Kot, Greg (November 9, 1998). "Perfect From Now On". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Randall, Mac (2004). "Built to Spill". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 118–19. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric (February 1997). "Built to Spill: Perfect From Now On". Spin. 12 (11): 84. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (May 27, 1997). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Morris, William (November 17, 2003). "Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
