The album received universal acclaim upon release. Writing for PopMatters, John Bergstrom described it as "the most essential single-disc, multi-artist collection of dub music to be issued to date."[5] Bergstrom's observation that King Tubby and his circle dominate the track-listing was echoed by XLR8R's Jesse Serwer.[6] In the same vein, Rick Anderson of AllMusic pointed out that the tracks come from the vaults of re-issuing label Blood and Fire, causing the album to overlook artists like Augustus Pablo and Scientist, but nonetheless recommended the album.[4]Robert Christgau hit the same note, calling it "less inclusive than the title suggests", but praised the accessibility, a point mirrored by the Sydney Morning Herald's Bruce Elder, who also applauded the recording's "edginess" and "richness".[1][7]
