Buddy Guy said he was inspired to write the song "Skin Deep" after reuniting with a white childhood friend whose parents had cut off their relationship as teens.[1] He has also stated that the inspiration came from his mother who used to tell him that 'beauty is only skin deep.'[2][3]
People magazine praised Guy's guitar work saying that there was "...no doubt that Buddy is still the man here."[6]CD Universe did much the same by writing "...he wails and shreds here with as much passion as ever." and "...Guy still plays and sings like the urban blues monster he remains."[8]Allmusic criticized the production for being too pristine, saying that the album "gleams too brightly" in some parts.[5] The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.[9] The album debuted at number 68 on the Billboard 200, the highest position of any of Guy's previous albums.[10] It also debuted at number 1 on the Blues Albums chart and remained at the top spot for three weeks and remained on the chart for 65 weeks.[11]
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