Is This What You Want? superstar backing musicians, saying, "they're always talkin' about who's on the album and not the album itself." Writing in "ZigZag" in July 1974, Andy Childs advised the magazine's readers: "it's worth its weight in gold, so if it's absent from your collection, add it to your shopping list of second-hand records." Greenfield and Childs both recognised Harrison's "Sour Milk Sea" as a highlight of the album. Richie Unterberger of AllMusic offers a less favourable opinion of "Is This What You Want?", describing Lomax as "a passable but unarresting singer and songwriter". Unterberger identifies the best moments as the "Beatlesque" songs
Is This What You Want? John Barham would be credited for orchestration on "Is This What You Want?", Beatles producer George Martin can be heard on "Get Back" audio tapes from 10 January wondering whether Harrison, who had just walked out on the band, would be attending a strings overdubbing session Martin had arranged that evening for one of Lomax's tracks. Harrison originally considered giving his most successful composition, "Something", to Lomax to record,<ref name="Lewisohn/Mojo">Mark Lewisohn, "Something Else", in "Mojo Special Limited Edition", p. 118.</ref> after Lennon and McCartney had shown little interest in it during the "Get Back" sessions. Harrison instead offered the song