Credited solely to Walter Trout, The Outsider features a range of performers alongside the eponymous vocalist and guitarist, including his bandmates Sammy Avila and Rick Knapp, as well as session contributors Kenny Aronoff and James "Hutch" Hutchinson.

[2] After completing the Full Circle touring cycle at the end of 2007, Trout and his band announced the addition of drummer Michael Leasure to the lineup in January 2008, replacing Joey Pafumi.

[3] Due to the timing of the change in personnel, Trout worked with session drummer Kenny Aronoff for The Outsider, with Leasure appearing as a backing vocalist on two tracks.

"[5] Speaking about whether the record is a concept album, Trout conceded that "I guess so, though it didn't start off that way", agreeing that the songs are about "characters, people, and different eras".

In a four-star review published by AllMusic, Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. praised the album for its "eclecticism within the blues-rock tradition", which he suggested "shows Trout's range ... [and] prevents one musical style from becoming too dominant".