Greg Potter of "The Vancouver Sun" wrote that it was "riddled with images of self-doubt and uncertainty". Elysa Gardner of "Rolling Stone" said, "Bono sounds humbler and more vulnerable than in the past", noting that he "[acknowledges] his own potential for hypocrisy and inadequacy, and addressing basic human weaknesses rather than the failings of society at large". Steve Morse of "The Boston Globe" called it an "embittered love [song]" with "a minimalist drum sound from Larry Mullen and an even more minimalist vocal from Bono." Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" wrote that "[love is] a state of desperation or a bitter memory... The marchlike 'So Cruel' [ricochets] from fond reminiscence to vindictiveness to accusations, some of them directed at the narrator himself". Writing for the "Boston Herald", Julie Romandetta called "So Cruel" a "broken-hearted [lament]" that was "lushly orchestrated". Robert Hillburn of the "Los Angeles Times" believed that it was one of U2's best tracks, describing it as "pulsating and accusatory". Brian Eno described the song as "epic and intimate, passionate and chill". U2 have only performed "So Cruel" four times live, all of which were on the Zoo TV Tour. The first appearance was on 22 May 1992 in Milan, Italy, on the second leg of the tour when, at the end of "Bad", Bono sang a few lines of "So Cruel" in place of "All I Want Is You". In August 1992, a few days prior to the commencement of the third leg of the tour, U2 rehearsed the song in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The second performance in concert was on 22 August 1992 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Bono performed the song acoustically. Concert historian Pimm Jal de la Parra said that it "[chilled] the crowd." The final performances occurred on 9 and 15 September 1992 in Pontiac, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois respectively. On both occasions it was played in place of "All I Want Is You". Abbreviated performances, recorded at Hansa studios, appear in the 2011 documentary "From the Sky Down". Depeche Mode reworked the song for the 2011 tribute album "AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered". "We first heard "Achtung Baby" working on "Songs of Faith and Devotion" with Flood," remarked Martin Gore.