Marking a new era for the group, the album was the first one with Cheryl Bentyne, who replaced Laurel Massé in early 1979.

It was also their first album with Jay Graydon in the producer's chair and their first to contain songs that were hits in both the jazz and pop categories.

The most widely known song from this album, "Birdland" by Weather Report, won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion.

[1] Jon Hendricks wrote lyrics for the vocalese version on the album and Janis Siegel received a Grammy for her vocal arrangement of "Birdland".

The New York Times wrote that the album "carries their exploration of group harmony to a level of seriousness that finally establishes them as the legitimate heirs of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and the Hi-Lo's.