Upon its release as a single, Peter Kinghorn of the
Newcastle Evening Chronicle noted that "the big rocking sound is different, but still recognisably them". Pan-European magazine
Music & Media wrote, "Gone are the E-bow guitars, the traditional Celtic melodies, and the 'grandeur' of the old Big Country sound. What is left is a straightforward rock song, which seems to be aimed at the US market." Marcus Hodge of the
Cambridge Evening News gave a mixed review, describing the lyrics as "dire", but adding that the "bright chorus bobs along with spirit". He also noted that the "lead guitar bits sound less like bagpipes than ever before".
Iestyn George of
Record Mirror was negative in his review, writing, "The word 'rousing' was invented so that there would be a suitable description for Big Country's music. Clichéd, overblown and unimaginative also spring to mind, and 'Save Me' kicks off with a dreadful guitar solo from which Adamson leads us on an unremarkable voyage to tedium and back." Jon Wilde of
Melody Maker was also critical, describing the song as "yet another clod-hopping anthem, scraped off the sides of what must now be a very worn toilet-bowl". David Owens of the
South Wales Echo awarded the song two out of five stars, calling it "typical formulised Big Country" and adding, "Adamson's yelping vocals and celtic chords do all the work to patch up an adequate song without much of the fire and spirit of past efforts." Paul Coffey of the
Nottingham Evening Post also gave a two star rating and described the song as "just like the others – '
Look Away' with different lyrics". ==Track listing==