Perfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label 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, 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 Brett Nelson and 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.
Reception
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 indierock albums of all time, and has come to influence many modern alternative, rock, and indie acts.
Doug Martsch - vocals, guitar, Moogs, bass on "Made-Up Dreams"
Brett Nelson - bass, Moog on "Untrustable / Part 2 ", 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 "
Robert Roth - Mellotron on "Made-Up Dreams," "Velvet Waltz," and "Untrustable/Pt. 2 "
Peter Lansdowne - drums on "Made-Up Dreams
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"
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 RainMix CD Vol. 1