 The album has been well received by critics . Simon Price in The Independent called it " an engrossing and enriching piece " when listened to as a whole . Craig Carson in PopMatters commented that the Sparks ' " wry humor and willingness to experiment with different formats continue to stretch the limits of pop music in ways many other acts simply do not attempt . The band continually seem able and willing to explore just about anything – they remain musicians blessedly apart from the herd . " Daryl Easlea , writing for Record Collector , commented in a similar vein : " Only Sparks could do this . A 64 @-@ minute 24 @-@ song cycle commissioned for Swedish radio about Ingmar Bergman . [ ... ] Obscure , of course – delightfully warm , naturally ; it underlines Sparks ' greatness and importance . " Commenting on the portrayal of Bergman , Easlea stated , " Swedish actor Malmsjö plays Bergman with all the appropriate detached paranoia " ; he concluded his review by awarding the album a full five stars . 
