In addition to 23 solo albums and two successful collaborative albums with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, Harris has recorded backing and duet vocals with many of the significant recording artists of her generation, including The Band, John Denver, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Tammy Wynette and Neil Young.

[4] Knopfler had also been involved in a number of collaborative projects, recording duets with such artists as Van Morrison and James Taylor, and contributing guitar tracks to numerous recordings by other artists, including The Chieftains, Eric Clapton, Kris Kristofferson, Sonny Landreth, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Sting, Tina Turner, Steely Dan, and Jimmy Webb.

Two of its tracks, the Cajun-style "Red Staggerwing" and the acoustic ballad "Donkey Town", were originally planned to be included in Knopfler's 2000 solo album Sailing to Philadelphia.

Their duets album was interrupted by their individual solo projects—Harris's Stumble into Grace in 2003 and Knopfler's Shangri-La in 2004—and their supporting tours and promotional activities.

[6] "If This Is Goodbye" is based on the last telephone calls to loved ones from the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, after being hijacked by terrorists.

[14] Sterdan continued: At first blush, you'd think Mark Knopfler's Dylanesque croak and Emmylou Harris's angelic tones would be a beauty-and-the-beast scenario.

Granted, this is nothing new for Emmylou, who has partnered with virtually every important roots and country artist of the last 30 years and never failed to make them shine just a little brighter.

[13] In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Josh Tyrangiel gave the album a B− score, writing that the two artists "seem oddly matched" and that Knopfler's guitarwork tends to overwhelm Harris' vocals.