 Robert Christgau from "The Village Voice" said although others revered Ian Curtis' despair, he himself preferred how the band was showcased on the compilation, finding it complementary to 1995's "The Best of New Order".Stephen Thomas Erlewine was less enthusiastic in his review for AllMusic, believing it was less useful than the 1988 compilation "Substance" and the studio albums it compiles tracks from, even though there is "a wealth of brilliant music".All tracks written by Joy Division.