Recorded at Riverside Studio whilst on a break from Show of Hands, the album is a double album, with disc one, Songs, containing cover versions of songs, whilst disc two, Instrumentals, consists almost entirely of Beer's arrangements of traditional, instrumental pieces.

Due to his return to Show of Hands later in the year, it would take Beer a decade to release a follow-up album, Plays Guitar and Fiddle.

In the early 2000s, Devon-based folk musician Phil Beer formed the Phil Beer Band whilst on hiatus from his successful duo with Steve Knightley, Show of Hands, and recorded two limited edition studio albums with the band, Mandorock and Once in a Blue Moon.

"[1] Artists covered on the disc include Bob Dylan, Steely Dan and Jackson Browne via Jimmy Cliff.

[5] The fifth track is Gloucestershire poet Frank Mansell's poems, "The Holy Brook", set to music written by Beer's old friend, singer-songwriter Johnny Coppin.

[5] The a cappella rendering of Browne's "Our Lady of the Well" as a duet with Deb Sandland, who adds her "dulcet tones".

"[1] Beer plays almost all the instruments on the disc, with cameo appearances from Steve Crickett and Nick Quarmby.

[5] Beer's version of Linda Thompson's "Telling Me Lies", recorded several years prior to the album at The Patterson Family Farm before being "finally laid to rest" by its inclusion on the album, features rare slide guitar playing from Beer.

[3] Phil Thomas of The Living Tradition was very positive, saying that "I feel ashamed to admit that I had forgotten that this man has one of the best voices we have in these islands.