Grand Prix (album)

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

Grand Prix
Studio album by Teenage Fanclub
Released	29 May 1995
Recorded	5 September–9 October 1994
Studio	The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell
Genre	Alternative rock power pop jangle pop
Length	42:09
Label	Creation Geffen
Producer	David Bianco Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub chronology
Deep Fried Fanclub (1995) Grand Prix (1995) Songs from Northern Britain (1997)
Singles from Grand Prix
"Mellow Doubt" Released: March 1995 "Sparky's Dream" Released: 22 May 1995 "Neil Jung" Released: August 1995

Album cover

The now-defunct Formula One racing team Simtek provided the car that appears on the front cover.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[3]
The Guardian	[4]
Mojo	[5]
NME	9/10[6]
Pitchfork	8.5/10[7]
Q	[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
Spin	4/10[10]
Uncut	8/10[11]

Upon release, Grand Prix received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Writing for The Independent, Andy Gill called it "winsome and reflective",[12] 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".[13] In 2000, Q placed Grand Prix at number 72 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever".[14] It was voted number 624 in the 3rd edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[15] In 2004, it made number 72 on The Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums list.[16]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(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"	Love	3:43
5.	"Verisimilitude"	McGinley	3:31
6.	"Neil Jung"	Blake	4:48
7.	"Tears"	Blake	2:43
8.	"Discolite"	Love	3:07
9.	"Say No"	McGinley	3:12
10.	"Going Places"	Love	4:28
11.	"I'll Make It Clear"	Blake	2:33
12.	"I Gotta Know"	McGinley	3:27
13.	"Hardcore/Ballad"	Blake	1:48

Personnel

Teenage Fanclub Norman Blake – vocals, guitar Gerard Love – vocals, bass Raymond McGinley – vocals, guitar Paul Quinn – drums

Additional musicians David Bianco – occasional guitar, piano, vocals Dinah Beamish – cello Jules Singleton – violin Sonia Slany – violin Jocelyn Pook – viola Nigel Hitchcock – alto saxophone Steve Sidwell – trumpet Jamie Talbot – tenor saxophone Chris White – baritone saxophone Dave Barker – Handclap Chas Banks – handclaps Jim Parsons – handclaps

Technical personnel Teenage Fanclub – co-producer, sleeve design David Bianco – co-producer Stephen Marcussen – mastering Sonia Slany – arrangement George Borowski – guitar maintenance Marcus Tomlinson – front cover photography John Andrews – cover shoot co-ordinator Robert Fisher – "Grand Prix" logo designer Toby Egeinick – sleeve layout

References

1. Grand Prix sleeve notes
2. Ankeny, Jason. "Grand Prix – Teenage Fanclub". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
3. Eddy, Chuck (14 July 1995). "Grand Prix". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
4. Sweeting, Adam (2 June 1995). "CD of the week: Teenage Fanclub". The Guardian.
5. Eccleston, Danny (September 2018). "Whatever you want". Mojo. No. 298. p. 100.
6. Cameron, Keith (27 May 1995). "Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix". NME. Archived from the original on 14 October 2000. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
7. Sodomsky, Sam (11 August 2018). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque / Thirteen / Grand Prix / Songs From Northern Britain / Howdy!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
8. Collins, Andrew (July 1996). "Teenage Fanclub: Grand Prix". Q. No. 118. p. 129.
9. Sisario, Ben (2004). "Teenage Fanclub". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 805. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
10. Cohen, Jason (July 1995). "Teenage Fanclub: Grand Prix". Spin. Vol. 11 no. 4. p. 76. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
11. Deusner, Stephen M. (September 2018). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque / Thirteen / Grand Prix / Songs from Northern Britain / Howdy!". Uncut. No. 256. p. 51.
12. Gill, Andy (26 May 1995). "Review: Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix". The Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
13. Lewis, Angela (2 June 1995). "Feature: Teenage Fanclub Preview". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
14. "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". Q. No. 165. June 2000. p. 64.
15. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 206. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
16. "Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums". The Observer. 20 June 2004. Retrieved 18 June 2009.