In his review of the 2006 remastered release, for "Q" magazine, Tom Doyle praised the album's ballads, such as "The Light That Has Lighted the World" and "Be Here Now", and suggested that "the distance of time helps to reveal its varied charms". "Mojo"s Mat Snow wrote of "this long overdue reissue" being "worth it alone for four wonderful songs", including "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" and "The Day the World Gets 'Round", and concluded: "The rest is Hari Georgeson at his most preachy, but it's never less than musical and often light on its feet." In another 2006 review, for the "Vintage Rock" website, Shawn Perry wrote of "Material World" being "more restrained and immediate without the wall of sound whitewash of its predecessor, but its flow and elegance are unmistakable". Perry admired Harrison's slide guitar playing and rated the album an "underrated, classic record". Writing for "Uncut" in 2008, David Cavanagh described "Material World" as "a bit full-on, religion-wise" but "the album to play if you want musicianship at its best".