It was released on April 6, 2000, and marked a turning point in the career of guitarist Greg Carmichael.

This album was the first without founding member Nick Webb, who had died two years previously due to pancreatic cancer.

Duties on steel string guitar were now filled by understudy Miles Gilderdale, who remains in the post to this day.

Glossy production and radically different songwriting brought about a new 21st century sound, completely adverse to the style built up over a decade and a half up until this point.Experimentation was certainly a prominent factor in "The Beautiful Game".

Tracks like "The Last Flamenco" brought drum and bass style synthesised loops, whilst "Kidstuff" employed a repeated sample of a baby giggling.