The album's title came from a quote from Stevie, a film about the poet, played by Glenda Jackson.

"[1] On its release, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian noted the album's "decidedly spiritual bent", with some of the songs containing a "rather pat optimism".

She added: "The message would resound more profoundly if it were accompanied by some decent tunes, rather than colourless beats-by-the-yard that do nothing for Johnson's reedy voice."

[5] In a retrospective review, Jon O'Brien of AllMusic wrote: "Soulstream isn't without its charms, but after such a lengthy absence, Johnson needed to recapture the glorious pop spirit of his previous outfit if he was to make any impression on a chart scene vastly different from when he left it, something its clichéd and disappointingly bland sound resolutely failed to do."

He noted the "infectious camp Euro-disco" of both "Hallelujah" and "Disco Heaven" but felt most of the songs sounded "at least five years out of date".