Although Wainwright has maintained an ironic, sometimes sepulchral sense of humor, "Dead Skunk", despite its commercial success, has dogged him ever since, as he comments on 1985's album I'm Alright, "Were you embarrassed about 'Dead Skunk'"?

This is the first of his albums to feature a full backing band, on many tracks, which was named White Cloud.

Wainwright mostly eschewed a rocking sound for a stripped down acoustic one from the early-1980s onwards.

All tracks composed by Loudon Wainwright III except where noted.

White Cloud consisted of Charles Brown III, Richard Crooks, Thomas Jefferson Kaye, Kenneth Kosek, Don Payne and Teddy Wender