The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that "Guy's guitar and vocals pierce and scintillate, and no one better understands the tension between supercharged guitar runs and a primal blues beat." The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that "there's a run about halfway through his classic 13-minute version of 'I've Got News for You' where his guitar approaches the point of spontaneous combustion." The
Edmonton Journal stated that "this take of 'Sweet Black Angel' has some genuine tenderness."
AllMusic wrote: "No outrageous rock-based solos or Cream/Hendrix/Stevie Ray homages; this is the Buddy Guy album that purists have salivated for the last quarter century or so."
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide panned the "pompous" G. E. Smith. ==Track listing==