Allmusic critic Greg Prato notes that the album demarcates the boundary between the band's early years and the next era of their music.

Hold Your Fire represents both a modest extension of the guitar stylings found on Power Windows, and, according to Allmusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia, the culmination of this era of Rush.

As an uncredited critic has written for Allmusic, " being freed of all rules, free improvisation cannot be traced back to a genre other than the very generic term avant-garde ".

Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said, " It was inevitable that the constant grind of touring, writing, promoting, and recording would grate on the Beatles ," leading to the inclusion of several cover versions after the all-original A Hard Day's Night ; the band's visible weariness on the album's cover is noted by narrator Malcolm McDowell during The Compleat Beatles.

" In a review of the band's 2003 greatest hits collection Thank You, Allmusic critic Stephen Erlewine wrote that " STP made music that sounded great at the time and even better now ," and that " this music has stood the test of the time ," calling Thank You " nearly perfect.

Pure Prairie League, formed in Ohio in 1969 by Craig Fuller, had both critical and commercial success with 5 straight Top 40 LP releases, including Bustin ' Out ( 1972 ), acclaimed by Allmusic critic Richard Foss as " an album that is unequaled in country-rock " and Two Lane Highway, described by Rolling Stone Magazine as " a worthy companion to the likes of The Byrds ' Sweetheart Of The Rodeo and other gems of the genre ".

Writing for Allmusic, critic Ned Raggett said " With their former band's generally gloomier shadows left behind, what Ash and Haskins draw from their time with Bauhaus is that group's melange of styles — their most underappreciated strength.

" Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening ", according to Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the MC5's far left political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk movement in the United States.

Allmusic critic John Dougan has written that " As the band's creative force, Lynott was a more insightful and intelligent writer than many of his ilk, preferring slice-of-life working-class dramas of love and hate influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and virtually all of the Irish literary tradition.

In his Allmusic review music critic David Cleary called Homecoming " America's finest album " and despite citing the lyrics as sometime banal, wrote that " each song here has something to recommend it.

Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote the album was " Al Kooper's finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the Blues Project into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements ( including strings and horns ), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work.

Jason Ankeny, music critic for Allmusic, said Alexander was a " country-soul pioneer " and though largely unknown, " his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries.

According to music critic Bruce Eder writing for Allmusic. com:

Brand New Man received a positive review from Allmusic, whose critic Daniel Gioffre thought that the album showed the duo's diversity of musical influences.

In his Allmusic review, critic Richie Unterberger praised the album, writing " The songs weren't quite as impressive as his first batch, but they were still very good, highlighted by the epic " Canadian Railroad Trilogy " and an electrified remake of " The Way I Feel .".

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Scott Yanow wrote of the album: "... the influential interpretations were far from routine or predictable at the time.

" Writing for Allmusic, music critic Thom Jurek called the album " Evans, with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro, was onto something as a trio, exploring the undersides of melodic and rhythmic constructions that had never been considered by most ... Explorations is an extraordinary example of the reach and breadth of this trio at its peak.

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Scott Yanow called the album " Bill Evans ' debut as a leader found the 27-year-old pianist already sounding much different than the usual Bud Powell-influenced keyboardists of the time ... A strong start to a rather significant career.

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album: " This trio is still widely regarded as his finest, largely because of the symbiotic interplay between its members.

Writing for Allmusic, music critic William Rulhmann called some of the tracks awkward or foolish.

Writing for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek called the track " Birdcall Morning " a masterpiece and one of the greatest rock & roll love song of the early 70's.

Writing for Allmusic, critic Ben Davies wrote of the album " A number of classic Walsh tracks are featured, including a more polished version of " Turn to Stone ," originally featured on his debut album, Barnstorm, in a somewhat more riotous style ...

Writing for Allmusic, critic James Chrispell wrote of the album " Recorded live just before Joe Walsh joined up with the Eagles full-time ... you've got one heck of a Joe Walsh concert souvenir.

Writing for Allmusic, critic Al Campbell wrote of the album " As far as studio albums go, But Seriously Folks is Joe Walsh's most insightful and melodic ...

Allmusic writer Thom Jurek said of the song, " The amazing thing is that both versions are definitive.

" Thom Jurek from Allmusic wrote: " part of an emotional journey as complete as can be.

Thom Owens of Allmusic said that the album made no attempt to change his sound, and was " sturdy " but less country than his previous efforts.

" Steve Huey of Allmusic described his and Jeff Hannemans guitar solos as " wildly chaotic ," and Thom Jurek, also of Allmusic, described his work on 2006's Christ Illusion as " create an intensely harrowing and angular riff that changes from verse to verse, through the refrain and bridge, and comes back again.

Mixed by Dutkiewicz, the album received mostly positive reviews — Thom Jurek of Allmusic called it " a Top Five metal candidate for 2006 for sure ".

Thom Jurek, a staff writer for Allmusic, gave the album a rating of three out of five stars.

" Thom Jurek of Allmusic later gave the album five of five stars and stated that: " A strong case could be made for Out of Hand as one of the Top 100 country records of all time.

Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek called the tracklist " amazing " and said " None of these tunes are done with an ounce of camp.

Thom Jurek of Allmusic described the two parts of the album as " the first disc ... is a rock & roll record ... a pathos-drenched, volume-cranked rocker, full of crunch, punishment – and taste " while the second " is a much quieter, more elegant affair.

Thom Owens of Allmusic also thought that it was formulaic, but said that Walker was " able to make even mediocre material sound good ", rating it three stars out of five.

Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek praised the album for its " straight-up, mainstream contemporary country " sound but said that it did not reflect a change in sound from Fall.

When reviewing her compilation from her years at Columbia titled Connie Smith Sings Her Hits ( 1997 ), Thom Jurek of Allmusic commented that Smith lost much of the " grain " in her voice.

Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the release four out of five stars, calling it " a solid effort ", also commenting, "... it stands head and shoulders over most of the stuff that's come out of Nash Vegas in over a decade.

In his review for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek wrote that " Simply put, Kaki King possesses the most original voice on the acoustic guitar in a generation.

In his review for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek summarized that " King is a major talent, an iconoclastic figure who is this era's only new voice on the acoustic guitar, even as she explores other compelling sonic and musical avenues.

Thom Jurek of Allmusic stated Shadows Fall has " lost none of the fire, attack or attitude " on Threads of Life.

Although it did not enter any charts, Thom Jurek from Allmusic praised Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, rewarding the box set with four out of five stars.

In a retrospective review of the album, Allmusic editor Thom Jurek complimented its " funky, dirty rock & roll jazz " and " chilling, overall high-energy rockist stance ", stating " Jack Johnson is the purest electric jazz record ever made because of the feeling of spontaneity and freedom it evokes in the listener, for the stellar and inspiring solos by McLaughlin and Davis that blur all edges between the two musics, and for the tireless perfection of the studio assemblage by Miles and producer Macero ".

In his Allmusic review, music critic Thom Owens wrote of the album " Though the Flecktones didn't change their formula with their third album, UFO Tofu, they did manage to craft one of their more consistent and impressive efforts ...

In his Allmusic review, music critic Thom Owens wrote " the core of the album is Fleck & the Flecktones ' dynamite instrumental improvisations, where they can demonstrate the true range of their eclecticism and talent.