Grand Prix (album)

Last updated

Grand Prix
Grandprixfanclubalbum.jpg
Studio album by
Released29 May 1995 (1995-05-29) [1]
Recorded5 September–9 October 1994
Studio The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell
Genre
Length42:09
Label
Producer
Teenage Fanclub chronology
Deep Fried Fanclub
(1995)
Grand Prix
(1995)
Songs from Northern Britain
(1997)
Singles from Grand Prix
  1. "Mellow Doubt"
    Released: 27 March 1995
  2. "Sparky's Dream"
    Released: 22 May 1995
  3. "Neil Jung"
    Released: 21 August 1995 [9]
  4. "About You"
    Released: 1995

Grand Prix is the fifth album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in May 1995 via Creation Records.

Contents

Album cover

The now-defunct Formula One racing team Simtek provided the car that appears on the front cover. [10]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [12]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [13]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
NME 9/10 [15]
Pitchfork 8.5/10 [16]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [17]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Spin 4/10 [19]
Uncut 8/10 [20]

Upon release, Grand Prix received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Writing for The Independent , Andy Gill called it "winsome and reflective", [21] while Angela Lewis of the same publication described Grand Prix as a "breathtakingly superb (album) with finely honed dynamics, nagging harmonies and deceptively simple lyrics". [22] In 2018, Q placed Grand Prix at number 72 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". [23] It was voted number 624 in the 3rd edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2018). [24] In 2022, it made number 72 on The Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums list. [25] In 2013, NME ranked it at number 282 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [26]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."About You" Raymond McGinley 2:41
2."Sparky's Dream" Gerard Love 3:17
3."Mellow Doubt" Norman Blake 2:42
4."Don't Look Back"Love3:43
5."Verisimilitude"McGinley3:31
6."Neil Jung"Blake4:48
7."Tears"Blake2:43
8."Discolite"Love3:07
9."Say No"McGinley3:12
10."Going Places"Love4:28
11."I'll Make It Clear"Blake2:33
12."I Gotta Know"McGinley3:27
13."Hardcore/Ballad"Blake1:48
Total length:42:09
Australian bonus disc: Bonus B-Sides
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."About You" (acoustic version) (B-side of "Mellow Doubt")McGinley2:49
2."Between Us" (B-side of "Mellow Doubt") Neil Innes 2:03
3."For You" (B-side of "Sparky's Dream")McGinley3:26
4."Try and Stop Me" (B-side of "Sparky's Dream") Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett 2:27
5."Who Loves the Sun" (B-side of "Sparky's Dream") Lou Reed 2:41
Total length:13:18
Notes
Grand Prix bonus 7" single
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Discolite" (demo)Love3:29
2."Voicemail from Rodney Bingenheimer" 0:37
3."I Gotta Know" (demo)McGinley4:14
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Coffee Morning" (instrumental)2:55
2."Norman's Answering Machine Message"0:23
3."Untitled" (instrumental)3:22
Total length:15:00
Note

Personnel

Teenage Fanclub
Additional musicians
Technical personnel
  • David Bianco – producer, engineer, mixing (at Larrabee North, Los Angeles)
  • Teenage Fanclub – producer, sleeve design
  • Julie Gardner – assistant engineer (at The Manor)
  • Jamie Seyberth – assistant engineer (at Larrabee North)
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering (at Precision Mastering, Los Angeles)
  • Marcus Tomlinson – front cover photography
  • John Andrews – cover shoot co-ordinator
  • Robert Fisher – "Grand Prix" logo designer
  • Toby Egeinick – sleeve layout

Charts

Chart performance for Grand Prix
Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [27] 57
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [28] 33
UK Albums (OCC) [29] 7

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References

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