Vital has been reviewed twice on AllMusic. Bruce Eder's review refers to the CVLCD101 CD pressing (which omits "Sci-Finance" and "Nadir's Big Chance"), while Dave Thompson's review covers the 2005 re-release, which is called "Vital Tracks" despite the fact that the tracks in question are merely those deleted from the earlier CD pressing and were on the initial double LP. Eder writes that "the group presents the raw, up-close, in-your-face approach that made Van Der Graaf Generator favorites of the punk bands despite the group's prog rock origins – between Hammill's loud, raspy vocals and his crunchy overamplified guitar, 'Still Life', 'Door', and 'Pioneers Over c' all sound almost like punk band performances." Both reviews give "Vital" a three-star rating out of five.