De Lue explained the work as “the spiritual concept of man’s relationship to space and his venturesome spirit backed up by all the powers of his intelligence for the exploration of a new dimension.” However, "The New York Times" art critic John Canaday described it as “the most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci.” Over time the statue has been affected by corrosion and the structural integrity has diminished.

Michael Kulp of "The Daily Collegian" commented that the album deserves the tag "classic" like each of the band's three previous full-length releases, while John Rockwell, writing in "The New York Times", suggested that it confirmed Talking Heads' position as "America's most venturesome rock band".

Tactically, Norman Yardley found him "sound rather than venturesome".