Tom Karr at ProgressiveWorld.net described the album as "an outstanding debut, a brilliant display of song writing and musicianship, and a great statement of Kansas's musical ethos." He felt that the song "Aperçu" has "Kansas at their best, with frequent use of time and tempo changes, and well developed musical themes, showing a group of outstanding players and arrangers. The level of instrumental virtuosity displayed here is jaw dropping, and on either side of the Atlantic, there were few that could even hope to approach Kansas's mastery of their craft." He defined "Journey From Mariabronn" as "Kansas's first full-on symphonic rock masterpiece, and the song has so many strong elements and themes, it goes beyond any simple analysis. This song provides the paradigm for the great works of the future, and introduces the writing style that would produce the wonderful songs of Kansas's early discography."