 "AllMusic" critic William Ruhlmann awarded the album two out of five possible stars, stating that Clapton "hadn't had time to write or gather sufficient material [after the release of "461 Ocean Boulevard"] to make a similarly effective album, since the result is a scattershot mixture of styles".Ruhlmann goes on in his review, noting the "album's best track, naturally, was the blues cover, Clapton's take on Elmore James' 'The Sky Is Crying'".and calling the release "a disappointing follow-up to "461 Ocean Boulevard"".