Following its initial release in Europe, Positively Beale St. was issued in North America by Ruf Records under the title Walter Trout, credited to Trout as a solo artist.

[1] The album was produced by Jim Gaines and was reportedly intended as "a tribute to Memphis and its musical legacy".

[4] In early 1998, the album was issued by Ruf under the title Walter Trout, with opening track "Got a Broken Heart" issued as a limited edition "heart-shaped" CD single.

In a review of the original European release for Music & Media, Thessa Mooij wrote that the album "clearly shows the depth [Trout's] own material has developed over the years", praising both his guitar playing but also his vocal performance.

[8] In a feature titled "The Walter Trout albums you should definitely own" for Classic Rock, Henry Yates suggested that "Positively Beale Street changed everything" for Trout, describing it as "a whistle-stop tour of all Uncle Sam's most seminal genres, from the late-night blues of 'Marie's Mood' to the falsetto-led R&B of 'Song for a Wanderer'".