He also introduced new instruments to the band, including sitar, and cello played by his then-girlfriend, Rachael Bor of the pop group Dolly Mixture.

While Strawberries was generally praised for its positive, up-beat melodies, the album marked a time of conflict and division within the band.

The album's working title was Strawberries for Pigs, a name inspired by the reception the band's newer music received from some of their older fans.

He added that the album "manages to indulge both Dave Vanian’s darkly obsessive Gothic vision and the good Captain's psychedelic whims without sacrificing any hard rock sensibilities.

[2] Trouser Press described the album as "eclectic and inconsistent but well-produced [...] and boasting some fine tunes [...], [Strawberries] shows Sensible's increasing pop prominence [...] and Vanian's willingness to explore a stylistic Pallette with no debt to punk".

[16][17][18] In a negative contemporary review, NME called Strawberries "a miserable (w)retch of a record, spewing fourth enough nauseous 'nostalgia' to fill a book entitled 'Why The Damned Never Made It', without once touching any spirit.

On October 7, 2022, Iconoclassic Records issued a 40th Anniversary 2 CD Edition of Strawberries remastered by Mark Wilder, including 15 bonus tracks and new liner notes by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover.

[21] All tracks are written by Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray and Dave Vanian, except as notedSome versions of Strawberries have altered songwriting credits.