By the summer of 1999 we had left SUBPOP and had no real plan who would be releasing our next album. Though that question lingered, we were definitely in a creative peak. We had a nice little house to live in with an 8 track studio in the basement and enough money from a recent publishing deal to pay the rent for another year or so. I figured we should just focus on making a really good next album and see where it leads us.

Now i realize that we get referred to as a "druggy" band quite often, but we really weren't that bad. We mainly just smoked a lot of hash. We did like to explore with psychedelics once in a while and I only bring this all up because when it comes to the "Taste of Complete Perspective" sessions in particular, this did play a big role. One night on tour in autumn 98, we came upon a nice connection for super clean liquid LSD, and this started a new level of exploration that would vividly colour 1999. The whole process of creating and making recordings now felt extra profound and magical, and as we went deeper, it all started pouring out in abundance.

I was writing and recording everyday, twice a week Mark would come by and we would run through the new songs i had demoed. We'd play them together a few times and then record some takes the same night. Everything was always miked up and ready to record at our rehearsals. Between Mark's visits i would add tracks and get the best mix i could. I'd play the results to him and Tara at his next visit, we would discuss them, then sometimes record another version or move on to the next song. We did this for nearly a year, and by recording this way, we came up with a lot of finished band recordings. By the time we compiled the album in spring 2000 we had 30+ different songs, and in some cases 7 different complete versions of each song. It was the most time and work we ever put into an album and it could have easily been a double, but we snipped it down just enough to fit on a long single LP.

Which brings us to this collection of out-takes 20 years later. Here's the best of what didn't make it onto the original "A Taste of Complete Perspective" LP, all newly remastered from the original DAT stereo master tapes. Below is a bit of a description for each tune.
Hope you dig the extra taste.
Rick


CURIOUS LAND - This song came closer to being on the album than any other here. The mix even has a bit of "Remember me serenity" fade in at the end which reminds me that it was actually in the album sequence at one point. That's Mark throwing a steel toolbox around while i did the vocal track.

GUNNINGSVILLE DRAWBRIDGE - A fantasy tune about the old bridge near our house that crossed the river between Moncton and Riverview. I liked to imagine we were the only house on our side and the bridge was our drawbridge. I think it was cut just because it seemed a bit too silly for the album.

EVIL EYE - Only recorded once, this song was abandoned early as we replaced this idea with the song "Two Peoples". Though a simple song, it's quite a heavy and dramatic performance captured here.

THIS PROCESS IS A LOOKING GLASS - A short little tune recorded one night with me on acoustic guitar, Tara on synth and Mark on echoey percussion.

THE CURRENT - We were pretty happy with this tune but after recording "Flying", the two songs seemed a bit too similar feeling to me so i had to cut one from the LP. This one lost but i think i like the lyrics better.

DETAILED ATTENTION - A fetish inspired bassy rock tune we only recorded once. I re-recorded tracks over the drums and remixed it several times but it still got left off. I think it just didn't fit well into the album's theme.

A CERTAIN FEELING - Guitar, bass and drums recorded rough on first attempt. I added the vocals and wacky keyboard after but we never tried it again. Still like the words and melody though.

WITHOUT ALL THE PEOPLE - Another tune that didn't seem to fit in at the time but i like the flow. Bit of Easter Everywhere influence i think. I remember we tried to play this as loose and liquidy as possible, a technique that we were learning to use more effectively around then.

BESIDES US - Not sure why we left this one but it was a fave at the time. Really pushing the compressor here for an extra heavy feel that we would explore more over the next couple albums. I always meant to use the song for a different album one day but we never did.

INTO THE FAR AND WIDE - Only finished version of this tune as well, a little sloppy and loose but still quite an interesting piece. Tara and I saw the SunRa movie the night before and were trying some of the repeated vocals between us. The fast drum build up at the start was later used on the album as the intro to "Balance", as was the repeated vocal idea.

BYE BYE BYE BYE - Another little acoustic tune that got cut as a whole but the last verse remained on the album as a short fade in at the end of "I'm a Radio station".

DRIFTWOOD - This one's an LSD adventure caught on tape. I wrote this song with a casio one night, played it for Mark and Tara the next, then we went into our studio and recorded this version. I played the casio rhythm through our P.A. and Mark played drums along with it. Tara's on bass and I'm improvising most of the lyrics, playing echo guitar bits, fading in radio signals, and tripping. I hear a couple guitar overdubs too but it's mostly all live. Over the next month we went on to make about 7 different versions of this tune before getting to the final album take, but do enjoy this melting 1st take trip.

NOT IN THE MOOD - Bonus track to end this compilation, here's a live tune from our studio one evening in the midst of the Taste recordings. A bit of funny banter before we kick into a blazing version of a song written by a mid-80's Moncton hardcore band we're friends with named Burnt Offerings. I think we were rehearsing it for playing at a show maybe. Anyhow, thanks for listening.

MARK GAUDET - drums + percussion
TARA WHITE - bass + keys + synth + voice
RICK WHITE - guitars + keys + synth + percussion + radio + voice

Recorded in the basement of 109 Rivercrest ave, Riverview N.B.
Cover pic taken moments after original LP cover pic by Steve Hickox.