Just Perfect

Last updated
"Just Perfect"
All - Just Perfect cover.jpg
Left to right on the cover: Stephen Egerton, Dave Smalley, Karl Alvarez, and Bill Stevenson having sand poured on them by a loader.
Single by All
from the album Allroy Sez
B-side "Wishing Well"
Released1988 (1988)
RecordedNovember–December 1987 at Third Wave Recording, Torrance, California
Genre Punk rock
Length5:58
Label Cruz (CRZ-003)
Songwriter(s) Bill Stevenson
Producer(s) Bill Stevenson, Richard Andrews
All singles chronology
"Just Perfect"
(1988)
"She's My Ex"
(1989)
Audio sample

"Just Perfect" is a song by the American punk rock band All, released as a single from their 1988 debut album Allroy Sez . Written by drummer Bill Stevenson, "Just Perfect" was remixed from the original album version for release as a single. [1] The B-side track "Wishing Well", written by singer Dave Smalley, is from the Allroy Sez recording sessions but was not included on the album. [1] Both tracks were later included on the compact disc release of All's following EP, Allroy for Prez (1988).

Contents

Recording

Both songs on the single were recorded during the Allroy Sez sessions in November and December 1987 at Third Wave Recording in Torrance, California, with Stevenson and Richard Andrews acting as record producers. [1] Smalley later recalled that Stevenson was demanding and meticulous in the recording of "Just Perfect":

I had to sing "Just Perfect" for like four hours in the studio until he got the take he wanted. I said "Dude, I’m really hungry. Let’s take a little break and I’ll come back to it." He comes back with this big Snickers bar, tapes it to the other side of the glass and says "When you’re done you can have it!" I’m like "Oh my god, are you fucking kidding me? Alright, fucking push play." [2]

A live recording of "Just Perfect" was later released on All's 1990 live album Trailblazer , sung by Smalley's successor Scott Reynolds. [3] [4] The studio version of "Just Perfect" was later remixed by Stevenson, Egerton, and Jason Livermore for All's best-of compilation album All (1999). [5] [6]

Reception

Reviewing the single, critic Jack Rabid called "Just Perfect" the best song from Allroy Sez and compared it to the band's previous work as the Descendents (the Descendents had changed their name to All when singer Milo Aukerman left the band in 1987): "Even without Milo, they seem legit if they can keep pouring out tunes as special as this one that compare favorably with their older incarnation/name's terrific body of work going back almost a decade." [7]

Track listing

Side A [1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Just Perfect" (remix) Bill Stevenson 2:58
Side B [1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wishing Well" Dave Smalley 3:00
Total length:5:58

Personnel

Band [1]
Production [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Stevenson (musician)</span> American musician

John William Stevenson is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the drummer, main songwriter, and the only constant member of the California punk rock group Descendents since its inception. In late December 1981, he played a few concerts with the hardcore punk band Black Flag because their drummer ROBO was detained in England after a tour there. He went on to record with Black Flag on several of their albums until 1985, including the highly influential My War. After this, he focused his attention on Descendents and played with the band until lead singer Milo Aukerman left in 1987. After Milo's departure, Bill and the other members of Descendents, Karl Alvarez and Stephen Egerton, recruited singer Dave Smalley of Dag Nasty, moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, and formed All. All went on to have two more singers, Scott Reynolds (1989–1993) and Chad Price (1993–present). Aukerman came back for the 1996 album Everything Sucks, the 2004 album Cool to Be You, 2016's Hypercaffium Spazzinate and the newest album 9th and Walnut. All and Descendents continue to tour between Stevenson's and Aukerman's respective careers as a recording engineer and a biochemist. Stevenson was born in Torrance, California and attended Mira Costa High School, with fellow members of the Descendents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendents</span> American punk rock band

Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson as a power-pop/surf punk band. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a singer, and reappeared as a melodic hardcore punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. They have released eight studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, and four EPs. Since 1986, the band's lineup has consisted of singer Milo Aukerman, guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist Karl Alvarez, and drummer Bill Stevenson.

All is an American punk rock band originally from Los Angeles, currently based in Fort Collins, Colorado. The group was formed by three members of Descendents.

<i>Enjoy!</i> (Descendents album) 1986 studio album by the Descendents

Enjoy! is the third studio album by American punk rock band Descendents, released in 1986 through New Alliance Records and Restless Records. It was the band's final album with guitarist Ray Cooper and only album with bassist Doug Carrion, both of whom left the group after the album's first supporting tour. Enjoy! was marked by the use of toilet humor, with references to defecation and flatulence in its artwork, the title track, and "Orgofart". It also displayed a darker, more heavy metal-influenced sound in the songs "Hürtin' Crüe", "Days Are Blood", and "Orgo 51". Reviewers were critical of both the scatological humor and the heavier songs on the album. Enjoy! features a cover version of The Beach Boys' "Wendy".

<i>All</i> (Descendents album) 1987 studio album by the Descendents

All is the fourth album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It was the band's first album with bassist Karl Alvarez and guitarist Stephen Egerton, who brought new songwriting ideas to the group. The album is titled after the concept of "All" invented by drummer Bill Stevenson and friend Pat McCuistion in 1980. Based on the goals of achieving "the total extent" and "to not settle for some, to always go for All", the philosophy was the subject of the one-second title track, the two-second "No, All!", and "All-O-Gistics".

<i>Everything Sucks</i> (Descendents album) 1996 studio album by the Descendents

Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band the Descendents, released on September 24, 1996, through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry. The remaining members had changed the band's name to All and released eight albums between 1988 and 1995 with singers Dave Smalley, Scott Reynolds, and Chad Price. When Aukerman decided to return to music the group chose to operate as two acts simultaneously, playing with Aukerman as the Descendents and with Price as All. It is considered a return to the band's angrier hardcore punk such as the Fat EP and Milo Goes to College.

<i>Somery</i> 1991 compilation album by the Descendents

Somery is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1991 through SST Records. It compiles songs from their Fat EP (1981) and the albums Milo Goes to College (1982), I Don't Want to Grow Up (1985), Enjoy! (1986), and All (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Reynolds (singer)</span> Musical artist

Scott Reynolds is an American punk rock vocalist from Fredonia, New York, known mainly for his work with the band ALL from 1989 to 1993. He has also performed with such bands as The Pavers and Goodbye Harry.

<i>Hallraker: Live!</i> 1989 live album by the Descendents

Hallraker: Live! is a live album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1989 through SST Records. It was their second live album and served as a companion to 1987's Liveage!; both albums were recorded on the band's spring and summer 1987 tours but feature completely different sets of songs. The recordings for Hallraker: Live! came from an April 9 show at Berkeley Square, Berkeley, California and a July 13 show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Singer Milo Aukerman left the band after these tours to pursue a career in biochemistry, and the band relaunched itself under the name All.

<i>Allroy Sez</i> 1988 studio album by All

Allroy Sez is the debut album by the American punk rock band All, released in March 1988 through Cruz Records. Following the departure of singer Milo Aukerman from the Descendents, the remaining members—bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and drummer Bill Stevenson—recruited singer Dave Smalley and changed the name of the band to All, which was both the title of the Descendents' 1987 album and a philosophical concept invented by Stevenson and friend Pat McCuistion in 1980. Allroy Sez introduced the character of Allroy, who would serve as a mascot for the band and be featured on many of their subsequent album covers.

<i>Allroys Revenge</i> 1989 studio album by All

Allroy's Revenge is the second studio album by the American punk rock band All, released in 1989 through Cruz Records. It was the band's first release with singer Scott Reynolds, replacing Dave Smalley who had left in late 1988. The album includes two songs written by Tony Lombardo, the original bassist for All's precursor band the Descendents. It also includes a cover version of "Hot Rod Lincoln", a 1955 song by Charlie Ryan that was a hit for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1971. "She's My Ex" was released as the album's single.

<i>Breaking Things</i> 1993 studio album by All

Breaking Things is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band All, released August 16, 1993 through Cruz Records. It was the band's first album with singer Chad Price and their last released through Cruz. The songs "Shreen" and "Guilty" were both released as singles from the album, the former supported by a music video.

<i>Allroy Saves</i> 1990 studio album by All

Allroy Saves is the third studio album by the American punk rock band All, released in 1990 through Cruz Records. It was the first album that the band members recorded, mixed, and produced entirely on their own. A music video, the band's first, was released for the song "Simple Things".

<i>Live Plus One</i> 2001 live album by All and the Descendents

Live Plus One is a live album by the American punk rock bands All and the Descendents, released in 2001 through Epitaph Records. A double album, it includes one disc by All recorded in 2001 on their Problematic tour, and a second disc by the Descendents recorded in 1996 on their Everything Sucks tour. The two bands are composed of the same musicians—bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and drummer Bill Stevenson—but have different lead singers: Chad Price for All and Milo Aukerman for the Descendents. Live Plus One reached #45 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart, making it the only All release and the second Descendents release ever to chart.

<i>Allroy for Prez</i> 1988 EP by All

Allroy for Prez is an EP by the American punk rock band All, released in 1988 through Cruz Records. Released the same year as the band's debut album, Allroy Sez, the EP was All's final release with their original singer Dave Smalley.

<i>Liveage!</i> 1987 live album by the Descendents

Liveage! is a live album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It is the band's first live album, it was recorded July 13, 1987 at First Avenue in Minneapolis during their summer 1987 "FinALL" tour, so-called because singer Milo Aukerman was leaving the Descendents to pursue a career in biochemistry, after which the band was relaunching itself under the name All. Liveage! was followed by a second live album, Hallraker: Live! (1989), which was partly recorded at the same show but featured a completely different set of songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's My Ex</span> 1989 single by All

"She's My Ex" is a song by the American punk rock band All, released as a single from their 1989 album Allroy's Revenge. Written by drummer Bill Stevenson, the song describes an ex-girlfriend with whom he had a tumultuous romance. The B-side track "Crazy?", written by bassist Karl Alvarez, is from the Allroy's Revenge recording sessions but was not included on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shreen</span> 1993 single by All

"Shreen" is a song by the American punk rock band All, written by drummer Bill Stevenson and released as the first single from the band's 1993 album Breaking Things. Released in advance of the album, the single also includes two more songs from Breaking Things: "Original Me", written by singer Chad Price, and "Crucified", written by Price and guitarist Stephen Egerton. A music video was also released for "Shreen".

<i>New Girl, Old Story</i> 1991 studio album by All with Tony Lombardo

New Girl, Old Story is collaborative album between the American punk rock band All and Tony Lombardo, the original bassist of All's precursor band the Descendents. Credited to "TonyAll", it consists of twelve songs written by Lombardo between 1979 and 1989. Lombardo played bass guitar on the entire album, with the members of All playing the rest of the instrumentation. Vocals were split between Lombardo and All singer Scott Reynolds, with All bassist Karl Alvarez also singing one song. Along with their 1990 album Allroy Saves, recorded at the same time, New Girl, Old Story was the last album recorded by All before their relocation from Los Angeles to Brookfield, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All discography</span>

The discography of All, an American punk rock band, consists of nine studio albums, one compilation album, two live albums, one EP, six singles, and five music videos.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Just Perfect (album sleeve). All. Long Beach, California: Cruz Records. 1988. CRZ-003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. LaCour, Deedle (Director); Riggle, Matt (Director) (2013). Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All (DVD). Manchester: Rogue Elephant Pictures. Event occurs at 42:00.
  3. "Trailblazer". Allmusic . Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  4. Salmon, Jeremy. "Live Plus One". Allmusic . Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  5. "All". Allmusic . Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  6. All (CD liner). All. Fort Collins, Colorado: Owned & Operated Recordings. 1999. CO&O-007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Rabid, Jack. "Review: "Just Perfect"". Allmusic . Retrieved 2015-02-18.