This was Withers' first release in six years and would prove to be his final album before he retired from popular music.

[1] The working relationship deteriorated to the point where Withers said that he wanted to explode a bomb at their headquarters but the artist and label collaborated on promoting the album;[2] this included a tour with Jennifer Holliday.

[7] Years later, the editorial staff of AllMusic Guide awarded it three out of five stars but has not published a staff review;[8] a discussion of the box set Original Album Classics says this has "limited appeal" and calls the two singles from the album inessential.

[9] In his 2020 obituary of Withers, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that the album contained fantastic songs but was hampered by 1980s production techniques.

[1] Stereogum published a list of Withers' best overlooked songs upon his death and included “We Could Be Sweet Lovers”, noting that it has staying power in his catalogue, even if the album is dated.