The tracks were written by Kevin Rowland, Sean Read, Mike Timothy and Jim Paterson, and the album was produced by Pete Schwier and Toby Chapman.

An accompanying promotional video, featuring Rowland dancing along Bethnal Green Road, was directed by Guy Myhill.

The tracks were written by Kevin Rowland, Sean Read, Mike Timothy and Jim Paterson, and the album was produced by Pete Schwier and Toby Chapman.

[2] Official press materials to publicise the album described it as "a personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time.

[1] An accompanying promotional video, featuring Rowland dancing along Bethnal Green Road, was directed by Guy Myhill.

[13] A supporting tour of theatre venues, was organised, with the band playing the entire album live, followed by several older songs.

[19] Uncut felt that the sound "confidently flits between low-key funk, lush symphonic Philly soul and the more punchy post-Motown dance grooves of Chairmen of the Board" and praised "Rowland's powerfully assured vocal delivery of his mea culpa confessionals".

[21] Similarly, Mojo's David Hutcheon wrote that the second half – which he described as "a saucy, synth-heavy cabaret" – would be unpopular with listeners, but felt that "Rowland still manages to pull a gem out of the fire with the touching 'My Submission'".

[22] The song was also highlighted by Graeme Thomson in The Spectator, who said that it "hits the kind of grace notes the rest of the record largely lacks".

[10] He argued that a change in direction for was what fans would expect from the band and remarked that "you might decry [the lyrics for the title track] as painfully earnest and on the nose were it not for the fact that complaining about painful earnestness on a Dexys album feels a bit like complaining that a sandwich shop has just sold you a sandwich.