Richie Unterberger of Allmusic gave the album five out of five stars, referring to it as "The most exploratory and psychedelic outing of Dr. John's career". In 1999, Tom Moon of Rolling Stone magazine gave the album a positive review, with a rating of four stars out of five. In 2003, the album was ranked number 143 on Rolling Stone'''s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, before ranked at number 356 on the 2020 revision.The Wire included Gris Gris in their 1998 list of "100 Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening)". The staff wrote that the album fused inspired instrumental combinations with electronic treatments "that owed much to post-Spector LA studio trickery", resulting in music that "constantly unbalanced the ear's efforts to place the music within a continuation of music history. Plas Johnson's playing in particular sounds more like steam powered organ played at a lizard funeral rather than conventional reeds." AllMusic stated that it "sounds like a post-midnight ceremony recorded in the bayou swamp," and named it "among the most enduring recordings of the psychedelic era; it sounds as mysterious and spooky in the 21st century as it did in 1968." Track listing Personnel Musicians Dr. John – vocals, keyboards, percussion Dr. Battiste – bass, clarinet, percussion, arranger Richard "Dr. Ditmus" Washington – percussion "Senator" Bob West – bass "Dr." John Boudreaux – drums "Governor" Plas Johnson – saxophone "Dr." Lonnie Boulden – flute "Dr." Steve Mann – bottleneck guitar, banjo "Dr." McLean – guitar, mandolin Mo "Dido" Pedido – congas Dave Dixon, Jessie Hill, Ronnie Barron – backing vocals, percussion Joni Jonz, Prince Ella Johnson, Shirley Goodman, Sonny Ray Durden, Tami Lynn – backing vocals Technical Harold Battiste – producer Marvin Israel – design Raphael – photography Richie Unterberger – reissue liner notes From liner notes of original LP: "My group consists of Dr. Poo Pah Doo of Destine Tambourine and Dr. Ditmus of Conga, Dr. Boudreaux of Funky Knuckle Skins and Dr. Battiste of Scorpio in Bass Clef, Dr. McLean of Mandolin Comp. School, Dr. Mann of Bottleneck Learning, Dr. Bolden of The Immortal Flute Fleet, The Baron of Ronyards, Dido, China, Goncy O'Leary, Shirley Marie Laveaux, Dr. Durden, Governor Plas Johnson, Senator Bob West Bowing, Croaker Jean Freunx, Sister Stephanie and St. Theresa, John Gumbo, Cecilia La Favorite, Karla