In 1971 the song was issued as the title track of an EP release in Mexico. "The Times of India"s music critic similarly admired the Beatles for "explorfarther reaches in the musical firmament" and described Harrison's composition as a "memorable" track. In one of the few unfavourable reviews for "Sgt. Pepper", Richard Goldstein, writing in "The New York Times", said the song was "remarkable" musically and a highlight of the album, yet he considered the lyrics "dismal" and full of "the very clichés the Beatles helped bury". Allen Evans of the "NME" found the "deep, rich rhythm" of the tabla "most appealing", although he bemoaned that it was difficult to decipher the lyrics "because they merge with the sitar music so closely".