For #8, Cale reconvened with producer Audie Ashworth and the usual group of ace session musicians who played on his previous records, including drummer Jim Keltner and keyboardist Spooner Oldham, as well as Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson, among many others.

("Tim Drummond's on the bass, Jim Keltner's on the drums, They'll put it right on you for a shot of rum…") Musically, #8 is less polished than his previous album Grasshopper, with most of the songs having a rock and roll swagger.

The cynical "Money Talks" ("You'd be surprised the friends you can buy with small change…"), "Hard Times," "Unemployment," and "Livin' Here Too" deal with harsh economic woes and dissatisfaction with life in general.

I was a big fan of his, some of the songs he wrote just laid me out…"[1] This album would be the first in Cale's career to not make the charts, which probably was a major factor in him taking a sabbatical from the music business.

AllMusic: "Twelve years and eight albums into his recording career, Cale's approach has changed little, and here is another collection of groove tunes that act as platforms for the artist's intricate guitar playing."