It features former Cutting Crew guitarist Kevin MacMichael on all songs and as well as being a backing vocalist.

Plant explained his album in the following terms: From the very beginning of this project, around January 1991, right after the Manic Nirvana tour, I knew what I was going to do: go back into my past, listening to [Moby] Grape, the [Jefferson] Airplane, Tim Hardin, Quicksilver, Traffic, and other turning-point artists in rock.

These people were trying to tell the listener something, joining various traditions, with the sense of a quest being insinuated and bandied in their acoustic and electronic themes.

I'm also proud of what I've attempted to do lyrically [on the album], trying to tell vivid tales that come from a hearty tradition of prose.

[5]Fate of Nations was remastered and reissued by Rhino Records on 20 March 2007, with five additional bonus tracks.