It was recorded during the time of the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike and in between the songs it features snippets of field recordings by Calvert with miners on a picket line, with Calvert displaying his sympathy for their cause.

The lyrics cover various themes, only "All the Machines are Quiet" and "Picket Line" being explicitly concerned with the miners' strike.

"Ned Ludd" is a reworking of a track which was originally part of his stage play The Kid from Silicon Gulch;[1] taking its name from Ned Ludd who inspired the luddite movement in 1811, it deals with Calvert's ambivalent attitude to the impact of new technologies on people's lives.

The music saw a movement away from his previous work as a frontman of a rock group towards a minimalist electronic sound.

The band used for this session is a unique combination of former Hawkwind members, except for Gary Cooper who was Calvert's literary agent at the time.