Perfect from Now On

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. The line-up for the album was singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. 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, philosophical lyrics, and the incorporation of cello.

The album was essentially recorded three times. The first time, Martsch attempted to play all the instruments except drums. He and Phil Ek were dissatisfied with the results, so Martsch brought in Nelson and 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. Perfect from Now On was released to widespread critical acclaim on January 28, 1997. Pitchfork.com ranked this album at #22 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 90s" list. [1] It was re-released with a bonus track ("Easy Way") on vinyl in 2007.

In September 2008, the band embarked on a three-month tour to perform the album in its entirety.

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

Track listing

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

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

External links

• Interview about the making of Perfect from Now On

• Retro tour info [2]