The Beatitudes (/biˈætɪtjud/) are eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Here, the title is pronounced "beat-itude" (/ˈbiːtɪtjud/), a portmanteau of the words "beat" and "attitude", and pays homage to the 1950s poetry magazine Beatitude, which featured work by poets including Allen Ginsberg. The 1997 Geffen CD issue of the album misprinted the title on the disc as "Beautitude".
Although the album track "Connect Up to Me" was given an extended 12" remix, it was never released as a single. An extended mix that clocks in at 7:37 is on the cassette and CD editions. The album peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200 in spring of 1983.