Critical reception was relatively muted, with most reviewers considering the album somewhat formulaic and unambitious, particularly in contrast to its predecessor. Writing in "Rolling Stone", Ariel Swartley stated that "as far as the music goes, 'familiar' is an understatement. There's hardly a melody here that you haven't heard from the Stones before". Robert Christgau was more positive, claiming that "no one will ever mistake this for a great Stones album, but I bet it sounds more interesting than "It's Only Rock 'n Roll"".