Soldier for the Blues

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
All Music Guide to the Blues	[7]
Robert Christgau	[10]
The Commercial Appeal	[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[12]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide	[13]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	[14]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette	[15]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide	[16]

The Toronto Star said that "King rips off rugged songs in rock-blues territory with a pleasing light voice and—above all—an outstanding searing guitar sound".^[3] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the "funky instrumental approach [and] smoky vocals".^[15] Guitar Player noted that King's "snarling, nasal-toned leads and squealing overbends cut through his band's rolling, mid-tempo grooves with fierce conviction".^[8]

The Commercial Appeal called "We'll Be Together Again" "a bona fide classic".^[11] The Tampa Tribune deemed the album "an impressive collection of soul and electric blues".^[17] Knight Ridder lamented King's lack of "natural funk".^[18] Robert Christgau likened the best songs to the work of Robert Cray.^[10]