After Show of Hands performed an unexpectedly highly successful performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996, they released the concert as a live album entitled "Live at the Royal Albert Hall", which became the duo's best-selling album. Steve Knightley of the duo noted that as a result of the success of the performance, "it's easier to get in local papers. But we now need to replace that with a story about the music. That's the dilemma." The duo followed the success with "Dark Fields" (1997), an album which the duo had intended to build on their success. Whilst very much a critical success, the single released from the album, "Crazy Boy", commercially underperformed.