Grand Prix (album)

Grand Prix
Studio album by Teenage Fanclub
Released	May 29, 1995
Recorded	5 September–9 October 1994 at 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)

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

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
BBC Music	(Positive)[2]
Q	[3]
Rolling Stone	(Positive)[4]
Sputnikmusic	[5]
The Independent	(Positive)[6]

Upon release, Grand Prix received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Writing for The Independent in June 1995, Angela Lewis described Grand Prix as a "breathtakingly superb (album) with finely honed dynamics, nagging harmonies and deceptively simple lyrics".^[7] In 2000, Q placed Grand Prix at number 72 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever, and in 2004 it made #72 on The Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums list.^[8]

Album cover

The now-defunct Formula One racing team Simtek provided the car that appears on the front cover.^[9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"About You"	McGinley	2:41
2.	"Sparky's Dream"	Love	3:17
3.	"Mellow Doubt"	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. Ankeny, Jason. "Review: Grand Prix". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
2. Collinson, Rowan (February 1, 2001). "Review: Teenage Fanclub Grand Prix Review". BBC. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
3. Collins, Andrew. "Review: Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix". Q (EMAP Metro Ltd) (Q118, July 1996): 129.
4. "Review: Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix". Jann Wenner. February 2, 1998. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
5. Butler, Nick (August 9, 2008). "Review: Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
6. Gill, Andy (May 26, 1995). "Review: Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix". The Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
7. Lewis, Angela (June 2, 1995). "Feature: Teenage Fanclub Preview". The Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
8. "Feature: Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums". Guardian Media Group. June 20, 2004. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
9. Grand Prix sleeve notes