The album features the minor hit "Rock & Roll Stew" and the title track, which received heavy FM airplay.

As with other Traffic albums, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys featured varied influences, including jazz, folk music and Classical.

The LP's front cover is notable for its top right and bottom left corners being clipped, giving the illusion of a three-dimensional cube.

On original pressings of the UK and some European versions, the title of both the album and song are shown as 'The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys' (with a hyphen) on the record labels.

AllMusic was overwhelmingly approving in its assessment, praising the variety brought by the non-Winwood/Capaldi compositions and the power of the lengthy title track, and claiming the album "marked the commercial and artistic apex of the second coming of Traffic".

[1] In addition, Robert Christgau commented on the band's growth from previous efforts, stating that while the group is "devoid of intellectual thrust", they're "onto something", and "when it works, it suggests a nice paradox—relaxed and exciting at the same time.