The mystical poetry of William Blake's artwork also forms the basis for the album cover.

Balls to Picasso was recorded with Tribe of Gypsies as the backing band and was released in 1994. Dickinson scorned the BBC executives for the cancellation playing the Johnny Paycheck version of "Take This Job and Shove It". In an interview with Sarah Montague for BBC's HARDtalk Dickinson described himself as a Conservative and a Eurosceptic.

Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English musician airline pilot and broadcaster best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Dickinson began his career in music fronting small pub bands at school and University including Styx (not the American band of the same name) in 1976 Speed (1977–1978) and Shots in early 1979. He is the older cousin of Rob Dickinson former lead singer of British alternative rock band Catherine Wheel.