After taking a more pop approach to Black and White, the band wished to return to a simpler sound and record an album that they were truly happy with.

They originally tracked 30 songs live as a full band, but under the advice of their record label, all except for "Closer to Free" were re-recorded with Kurt Neumann playing most of the instruments himself.

In 1996, "Closer to Free" was selected as the theme song to the TV series Party of Five.

Music critic William Ruhlmann, writing for AllMusic, wrote that the album "may have been the statement of a band that had been through a lot and reached a point of emotional exhaustion, but the BoDeans used their experience to craft their most deeply felt and satisfying music.

"[1] Likewise, Thom Jurek of Rolling Stone stated: "Go Slow Down reveals the BoDeans in firm control of their musical vision" and "is perhaps the finest album to date by a band that keeps on growing.