Released by Arista and Grusin's own GRP Records in 1982, it experienced favorable critical reception and became a commercial success, spawning the single "She Could Be Mine" and becoming one of his highest-charting albums when it peaked at number four on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and number 88 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

The majority of the eight-song album consists of original compositions by Grusin, as well as a rendition of the Gerry Mulligan song "Five Brothers".

[1] The record incorporates elements of jazz and pop, and has been considered to bear influence from the Frank Mills piece "Music Box Dancer".

[4] An album review in the September 18, 1982, issue of Billboard remarked that the album was "not for the serious jazz fan", but suggested that pop fans would enjoy it, going on to call him the "Frank Mills of the jazz world".

[9] The track "Anthem Internationale" is used as the theme song for the Minnesota PBS public affairs program Almanac.