In Britain, the album received glowing praise, including a rare five-star rating, from "Q" magazine; David Sinclair wrote that they had finally produced a record to justify their reputation, and praising the album's mostly quiet dynamic: "Even when the music takes off into the vast dramatic sweeps that will roll like huge breakers to the back of the stadiums of Europe this summer, there is little that could fairly be described as bluster. Simple Minds have done more than make a landmark album. They have assumed the mantle of authority." Ian Gittins, writing for "Melody Maker", also commented on the grandiose nature of the album, comparing it to U2's "Rattle and Hum" but more artistically successful: "Unlike their true soulmates, U2, the Minds haven't produced a turkey of the first degree...Simple Minds are once again approaching the art of making music, "breaking a silence", with wonder." Although he went on to criticize the tracks "Soul Crying Out", "Take a Step Back", "Kick It In", and "Biko" as "flatulent bluster", Gittins nonetheless concluded that the album's "expansive, flushed music" was "huge, but it's rarely "hollow"." Mike Soutar, meanwhile, wrote in "Smash Hits" that the album was "packed with the kind of crowd-rousing flag hoisting anthems that everyone expects from the Minds", but thought the song's individual lengths meant that they would "probably sound epic played live, they'll probably drive you quite mad in the comfort of your own bedroom."