Full Blown Possession


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

Production

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

Critical reception

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." 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." 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."
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." 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." CMJ New Music Monthly thought that "other rock bands may play the blues, but the Grifters really mess with it."

Track listing

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 – Guitar on “You Be the Stranger”
  • Skronkadelic Rhythm Factory – on “Contact Me Now”

Additional credits