Full Blown Possession

Full Blown Possession
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 9, 1997
Recorded1997
StudiosEasley McCain and Sun, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreIndie rock
Length54:08 (CD)
LabelSub Pop SPCD 402[1]
ProducersGrifters, Doug Easley, Davis McCain, John Neil Martin
Grifters chronology
Ain't My Lookout
(1995)
Full Blown Possession
(1997)

Full Blown Possession is the fifth and last full-length album by Memphis indie rock band Grifters, released in 1997.[2]

Production

The band recorded five of the album's songs at Sun Studios, in Memphis, Tennessee.[3] The album was produced by Doug Easley, Davis McCain, John Neil Martin and the band.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[6]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album GuideStarStarStarHalf star[7]
Pitchfork Media8.4/10[8]
Rolling StoneStarStarStar[9]

The Memphis Flyer wrote that "the record includes most of the hallmarks of the band's sound -- like driving, chuka-chuka bass lines, tantalizing leads lurking just beneath the surface, and their distinctive staggering tempos."[10] The Washington Post wrote: "Although not as broken-down and freaked-out as the band's apparent model, Alex Chilton's Like Flies on Sherbert, the album is ramshackle and atmospheric just as often as it's hot-blooded and direct."[3] The Chicago Reader wrote that "the Grifters place their bets solidly on jagged pop hooks, off-kilter blues structures, and keen dynamics--much like the Rolling Stones of yore."[11]

The Chicago Tribune called the album "excellent" and "a no-nonsense uppercut of venomous Memphis R&B and darkly melodic rock that'll leave you drinking through a straw."[12] The Austin Chronicle wrote that the band sticks "to what they know: a world that's slightly spooky and more than a bit seedy, where rough-edged riffs weave together with a disconcerting delicacy and singer Scott Taylor's eloquent trash talk."[13] CMJ New Music Monthly thought that "other rock bands may play the blues, but the Grifters really mess with it."[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Stan Gallimore, Tripp Lamkins, Dave Shouse and Scott Taylor.

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Re-Entry Blues"Dave Shouse3:56
2."Fireflies"Scott Taylor4:18
3."Spaced Out"Dave Shouse4:52
4."Centuries"Scott Taylor4:28
5."Sweetest Thing"Scott Taylor5:06
6."Happy"Dave Shouse5:26
7."Wickedthing"Scott Taylor4:48
8."Bloody Thirsty Lovers"Dave Shouse3:00
9."Hours"Scott Taylor4:19
10."You Be the Stranger"(instrumental)4:47
11."Cigarette"Scott Taylor4:38
12."Contact Me Now"Dave Shouse5:28
Total length:54:08

The song "Spaced Out" was re-recorded by Dave Shouse in 1999 for his solo project Those Bastard Souls.

Album credits

Grifters

  • Stan Gallimore – Drums
  • Tripp Lamkins – Bass, Guitar, Moog, Electric Piano
  • Dave Shouse – Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Clavinet, Harmonica
  • Scott Taylor – Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Mellotron

Additional musicians

  • Doug Easley – Weird Sound on “Centuries”
  • John Stivers (Impala) – Guitar on “You Be the Stranger”
  • Skronkadelic Rhythm Factory – on “Contact Me Now”

Additional credits

References

  1. ↑ "Full Blown Possession". Sub Pop Records.
  2. ↑ "Grifters Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. 1 2 Jenkins, Mark (September 12, 1997). "The Grifters". The Washington Post.
  4. ↑ "Grifters Give Weight to Indie Rock Scene". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 27, 1997.
  5. ↑ Full Blown Possession at AllMusic
  6. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 14.
  7. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 511.
  8. ↑ Pitchfork Media review
  9. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Reviews". Memphis Flyer. October 2, 1997.
  11. ↑ Margasak, Peter (October 9, 1997). "Grifters". Chicago Reader.
  12. ↑ Reger, Rick (October 10, 1997). "Sure to Be a Wynning Show". Chicago Tribune.
  13. ↑ "Record Reviews". The Austin Chronicle.
  14. ↑ "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. Nov 1997. p. 45.