Chrysalis did not like the addition 'American Express' to the band's name, fearing that the credit card company of the same name could sue them.

"[7] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine says the News turn out "hard-driving covers and originals in a workmanlike fashion" but their "debut suffers from an uneven selection of material.

"[8] All tracks are written by Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper and Huey Lewis, except where noted.

"Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)" was written in San Francisco by the band and recorded in Los Angeles within three weeks, and the track was released as the album's first single.

A live recording of the song "Trouble in Paradise" was later included on the charity album We Are the World.