Two weeks prior to the domestic release of the band's self-titled debut album, "Mind's Eye" was released as Wolfmother's debut single in Australia on 16 October 2005.[1] The Australian edition of the single was a double A-side release featuring fellow album track "Woman",[2] with "The Earth's Rotation Around the Sun" featured as the B-side.[3] The single debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at its peak position of number 29, remaining in the top 50 for four weeks running.[4] It later re-entered the chart for a single week each in January and February 2006.[4] Outside of Australia, "Mind's Eye" was issued as the band's first single on 9 January 2006,[5] backed only with "The Earth's Rotation Around the Sun".[6] It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 142,[7] as well as the Scottish Singles Chart at number 88.[8]
"Mind's Eye" is primarily categorised in the genres of hard rock, psychedelic rock and progressive rock. In a brief review of the single, The Irish Times compared the style of the song to progressive rock bands Yes, Camel, Rush, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Premiata Forneria Marconi.[9] In a feature for the retailer HMV, the song was compared to hard rock acts Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, and progressive rock group Pink Floyd.[10]Rolling Stone writer Brian Hiatt called the track a "psychedelic power ballad",[11] while Chris Taylor of Gigwise identified it as an example of modern psychedelic rock.[5] Dan Macintosh of music website PopMatters claimed that the band's "progressive rock vibe" was "especially apparent" when "Mind's Eye" was performed live, often with an extended keyboard and guitar solo.[12]
In reviews of Wolfmother, some critics praised "Mind's Eye" as one of the album's highlights. Writing for the website PopMatters, Adrian Begrand described the song as "a terrific epic ballad in the grand tradition of '70s arena rock", claiming that it "impeccably pulls off that quiet-loud-quite-loud formula perfected by the Scorpions, Judas Priest, and Rainbow 30 years ago".[21] Similarly, James Jam of the NME described it as the "standout tune" on the album,[22] while Blabbermouth.net's Keith Bergman suggested that it "merits" the band's comparisons to Led Zeppelin.[23] Michael Dwyer of the Sydney Morning Herald praised the song's "howling and crashing chorus cadence".[24] On the other hand, E! Online criticised "Mind's Eye" as a "jokey cut",[25] while other reviewers mocked the presence of the keyboard solo.[5][26]
