The sessions were plagued by a variety of issues, such as frontman Shaun Ryder developing a crack habit and dancer Bez breaking his arm three times.

[2] Around the album's release, a newspaper article was published that detailed frontman Shaun Ryder's past experiences with drugs, making his addiction to heroin (and toying with crack) and stint in a detox centre public in the process.

[3] A public relations representative from the band's label, Factory Records, had to issue a statement on Ryder's behalf, denouncing his drug use.

[4] The album was promoted with a UK arena tour, a trek to mainland Europe, and a two-month stint in the United States, ending with a variety of headlining shows and festival appearances in August 1991.

[6] Rehearsals bore no new ideas; a recording session with Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne, producers of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, resulted in "Judge Fudge" and the unfinished "Baby Big Head".

[8] During this time, the Madchester and baggy scenes had fallen out of popularity as Nirvana released Nevermind (1991), allowing for the success of grunge acts such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

[15] Misguided artist development, property investments, and overspent album budgets for Happy Mondays and New Order meant that Factory had little funds left.

[16] The band and Factory Records wanted to enlist Oakenfold and Osborne for their next album, but the pair was fully booked until June 1992 at the earliest.

[22] During a meeting with their business expenses manager, McGough told the rest of the band that Shaun Ryder (who was absent) had sacked Day, much to their surprise.

[30] The pair and their associates had arrived at the studio some days prior to bringing it up to standard for recording with the band, as there were issues with power outages and fluctuation.

Frantz said technician Simon Machan had some pre-programmed beats and keyboard parts that could help them, though his equipment suffered from varying power levels.

[36] Spurred on by the pair's enthusiasm, Day, Davis, Paul Ryder, and Whelan started having fun, recalling their early rehearsals in Manchester.

[51] The following day, Ryder was admitted to the Charter Clinic detox centre in Chelsea, London, for a period of six weeks, with McGough supervising him.

[54] Paul Ryder and Astrella Leitch followed the latter's father on tour; Whelan spent time at a gym; Day looked after his newly-born child; Davis moved house; and Bez tended to his broken arm.

[57] Rowetta, who previously did guest vocals on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, was brought in and subsequently had a large role with the new album, adding more melodies.

[64] In a retrospective piece for The Quietus, writer Ben Cardew compared its bleak nature to Unknown Pleasures (1979) by Joy Division.

"pairs words of weary disgust with music that forces the Caribbean surroundings in which the album was recorded through a Manchester funk filter".

[68] Part of the lyrics also deal with the relationships between band members and the state of Factory Records, as well as being lifted from a Brian Eno interview.

[69][64] "Monkey in the Family" is a bass-centric track with an electro song arrangement in the style of EMF and Jesus Jones and Arabic vocalizations.

[61] "Dustman" sees Ryder yelling the lyrics incomprehensibly and out of time with the music, which consisted of bongos, scratch guitar playing, and a Hammond organ.

[64] Shaun Ryder wrote "Cut 'em Loose Bruce" after hearing a story of a judge letting crack users off scot-free.

[11][61][77] The music video for "Stinkin' Thinkin'", shot at Shepherd's Bush's shopping centre in London, placed a focus on Bez and Shaun Ryder, and the director had a disliking for the rest of the band.

[78][79] They performed the song on Top of the Pops; Ryder sang his vocals live and forgot the words partway through, prompting the need to read off a sheet.

[82] They embarked on a stint in the UK in October 1992 with support from Stereo MC's; several of the shows sold out in advance, with a handful more being added as a result.

[92] Elektra Records were looking to extend their contract with the band for another album due to the success of one "Stinkin' Thinkin'" remix in that territory.

[102] "Stinkin' Thinkin'", "Sunshine and Love", and "Angel" were included on Happy Mondays' first two compilation albums, Double Easy – The U.S. Singles (1993) and Loads (1995).

[105][106] "Stinkin' Thinkin'", "Sunshine and Love", "Cut 'Em Loose Bruce", and "Theme from Netto" featured on the band's fourth compilation album, The Platinum Collection (2005).

was "slammed by the critics as anodyne, uninspired and pedestrian", while author Lisa Verrico in her book High Life 'N' Low Down Dirty: The Thrills and Spills of Shaun Ryder wrote that "[e]ven the weekly press [...] had to concede that ...Yes Please!

[117] Spin's Al Weisel, on the other hand, saw it as a "kinder, gentler" release, aided by the band and Frantz and Weymouth sharing a "similar philosophy: 'Who needs to think when your feet just go?

"[65] In a review for Select, journalist Andrew Harrison saw it as "so disappointing", describing it as an "unwieldy collision of beach-barbie niceness with the products of Shaun Ryder's depraved extracurricular activities".