ll ▁be ▁times ▁when ▁it ▁will ▁sound ▁obsc en ely ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁b one , ▁as ▁if ▁[ John son ] ▁were ▁inv ading ▁and ▁def iling ▁your ▁most ▁private ▁thoughts ▁and ▁emot ions   ... ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁you ' ll ▁use ▁Soul ▁M ining ▁as ▁a ▁bar ometer ▁to ▁your ▁day ▁and ▁if ▁that ' s ▁the ▁principal ▁function ▁of ▁great ▁pop , ▁then ▁surely ▁Soul ▁M ining ▁is ▁great ▁pop ." ▁In ▁the ▁US , ▁Kurt ▁L oder ▁of ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁pra ised ▁Johnson ' s ▁" s ense ▁of ▁structure ▁and ▁his ▁un err ing ▁ear ▁for ▁son ic ▁definition " ▁and ▁highlight ed ▁" Un certain ▁Sm ile " ▁and ▁the ▁" ent ire ly ▁g orge ous ▁piano ▁solo ▁by ▁the ▁exception ally ▁tal ented ▁Holland ", ▁but ▁had ▁res erv ations ▁about ▁the ▁" obs ess ively ▁self - abs or bed ▁lyr ics ... ▁Youth ful ▁ang st ▁and ▁anom ie ▁are ▁fine ▁in ▁their ▁place , ▁but ▁not ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁place ." ▁However , ▁L oder ▁concluded , ▁" John son ▁creates ▁pop ▁music ▁with ▁an ▁agree ably ▁individual ▁stamp : ▁In ▁the ▁current ▁sea ▁of ▁synth - pop ▁sl ud ge , ▁Soul ▁M ining ▁stands ▁out ". ▁ ▁The ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁anni versary ▁del ux e ▁edition ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁received ▁universal ▁pra ise ▁from ▁music ▁critics . ▁Michael ▁Bon ner ▁of ▁Un cut ▁described ▁the ▁record ▁as ▁a ▁"