"Texas Monthly" gave the album a positive review, calling Vaughan "the most exciting guitarist to come out of Texas since Johnny Winter". In a less enthusiastic review for "The Village Voice", Robert Christgau felt that the album lacked "momentum and song form", which he averred to be the essence of rock and roll. It was the lack of these characteristics that was, he said, the reason his attention wandered "after the kickoff originals 'Love Struck Baby' and 'Pride and Joy.'" The album peaked at #38 on the "Billboard" 200 chart immediately after its release. It went platinum in Canada and double-platinum in the United States, selling over 2,000,000 units.