The album's cult status was confirmed by its presence in the Columbia Masterworks catalog for an estimated twenty years. Byrd reported in 2002 in an interview published on Salon.com, and follow-up in regards to a letter filed in the
Napster music copyright case, that despite estimated sales of at least 100,000 units for
The American Metaphysical Circus alone, he had never received a penny of royalties for either
The United States of America or
The American Metaphysical Circus from Sony/Columbia/CBS. Because
The American Metaphysical Circus offered a markedly different sound in its intense horn and woodwind arrangements and even more novel content than on the earlier
The United States of America release, many fans of the earlier record are not as enchanted with the latter, and vice versa. In the UK,
The United States of America was more well-known and highly regarded, in part because of the inclusion of one track on a popular Columbia
sampler album,
The Rock Machine Turns You On, which was not released in the United States. In the U.S.
The American Metaphysical Circus remained in print for nearly twenty years in the Columbia catalog, whilst
The United States of America was relegated to
cut-out bins shortly after its 1968 release. It has become a popular and oft-repeated misconception, with the more recent revival of interest in
The United States of America, that
The American Metaphysical Circus was not as popular or a commercial success, whereas information discussed by Byrd surrounding the Napster case and the experience of American record enthusiasts confirms exactly the opposite. Prior to its re-release, mint vinyl copies of
The American Metaphysical Circus were sold by collectors for prices sometimes in excess of $100US, and both the original 1969 issue and 1996 CD still command premium prices on collector websites. Atlantis Records described the 1999 re-release as "sought after 60's American Psych/Electronic rock classic from United States of America mainman Joseph Byrd". Gatefold Records offered "Welcome re-issue of the 1969 followup to the United States of America album (Joe Byrd was the leader of that group). Trippy Moog and electronics noodling mixed with stunning bursts of fuzzed out guitars and acid-damaged lyrics". The CD was reissued by the UK label Acadia in 2007. ==Track listing==