The album's title refers to the use of a minstrel's gallery in the great hall of castles or manor houses, inspired by a balcony in the recording space which is shown in a photo of the band on the back cover of the original LP. The minstrel analogy is used thematically in the lyrics of the title track and "Baker St. Muse". "Cold Wind to Valhalla" is based on elements of Norse mythology, such as the afterlife hall of Valhalla mentioned in the song's title and lyrics. The cover art of the album is an alteration of the 1838 oil painting "Twelfth Night Revels in the Great Hall, Haddon Hall, Derbyshire" by artist Joseph Nash, depicting a group of minstrels (altered from the original painting to represent the five members of the band) performing to a raucous crowd of revelers at the Haddon Hall country estate.