A review in
Variety praised the album's style as "exciting because it isn't yet overdone." It also lauded the "lively" musical accompaniment of Seeger and
Bruce Langhorne and the singing of the live audience on the album. Even though the reviewer noted that the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were only starting to get prominent live gigs at that point, he said already "the group was built along solid pro lines." The
Billboard Magazine review rated the album with four stars and noted its "strong sales potential." After referring to the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem as an "Irish
Brothers Four or
Kingston Trio," the article praised the group's "delightfully droll manner" and "spirited interpretations" on the recording.
The New York Times lauded the album for its "vigor and drive and charm," but also criticized an apparent speeding up of the recording that "distorts the group's natural sound" and made the singers sound too much like American pop groups. In a more specialized review of folk albums, D. K. Wilgus argued that this record "demonstrates that general respect for tradition may survive in a stage concert for a major label." He also expressed the opinion that
A Spontaneous Performance was at about the same level as the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's self-titled album on Tradition Records that was released earlier the same year. ==Other releases and reissues==