The recent release of John Dower’s Britpop documentary, Live Forever, merely served to reinforce Teenage Fanclub’s status as a band to cherish over the vapid tomfoolery of the Camden mafia. Grand Prix emerged smack in the middle of Britpop, but was overshadowed by the Fanclub’s more successful Creation labelmates, Oasis.
Whereas Britpop harked back to the swinging London for its inspiration, the Fanclub, being Scottish, had little urge to wave the Union Jack and perform bad Ray Davies impersonations. Instead, they drew inspiration from the harmony laden likes of The Byrds and Big Star, even going so far as to name a track after Gene Clark. Signed to major label Geffen in the USA, their signature sound of chiming melodies overlaid with loud guitars and gorgeous harmonies won huge acclaim on 1991’s Bandwagonesque. Friend and Geffen label mate KurtCobain even proclaimed them his favourite band.
By the time of Grand Prix, Cobain was dead and grunge was no more. 1993’s Thirteen had met a critical backlash, and original drummer Brendan O’Hare had been fired. He was replaced by ex-Soup Dragon Paul Quinn, whose solid drumming gave new power to the rhythm section.
All this turmoil must have spurred the band on, as Grand Prix also boasted their most consistent set of songs. Norman Blake’s Mellow Doubt is an acoustic classic, while he shows off his Crazy Horse credentials on the jokily titled Neil Jung. Raymond McGinley comes into his own on About You, which kicks the album off in fine style, while Gerry Love contributes the power pop classic Sparky’s Dream.
David Bianco’s production allows the songs to cut through, losing some of the band’s previous scuzz for a more polished approach without sacrificing their charm. The band’s love of vintage guitars and amps pays dividends in what is one of the 90s great guitar albums, filled with ringing arpeggios, crashing power chords and perfectly formed fuzz-toned solos. It’s unashamedly retro, but sonically up to date.
Unfortunately, poor marketing meant Grand Prix would fail to recreate the buzz of Bandwagonesque. The band’s reluctance to play the usual record company games and decidedly non-showbiz approach didn’t help, even as it endeared them to their fans. They recently released an acclaimed best of, which is reason enough to rediscover their finest moment.
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