S oul ▁M ining ▁is ▁a ▁brilliant ▁and ▁very ▁id ios ync r atic ▁album . ▁Maybe ▁that ' s ▁why ▁it ' s ▁never ▁really ▁c ited ▁as ▁an ▁influence ▁these ▁days : ▁you ▁can ' t ▁hope ▁to ▁m im ic ▁something ▁this ▁personal ▁and ▁unique ." ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁and ▁acc ol ades ▁Mel ody ▁M aker ▁placed ▁Soul ▁M ining ▁at ▁number ▁three ▁in ▁its ▁critics ' ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁albums ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁the ▁N ME ▁placed ▁it ▁at ▁number ▁ 2 5 ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁list ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁the ▁music ▁mag az ines ▁Record ▁Mir ror ▁and ▁S ounds ▁both ▁included ▁the ▁album ▁in ▁their ▁critics ' ▁lists ▁of ▁the ▁albums ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁Record ▁Mir ror ▁ranking ▁it ▁at ▁number ▁eight ▁and ▁S ounds ▁ranking ▁it ▁at ▁number ▁ 2 4 . ▁ ▁Review ing ▁the ▁rem aster ed ▁re issue ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Pop Mat ters ▁said , ▁" It ▁may ▁not ▁make ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁best ▁records ▁of ▁the ▁' 8 0 s , ▁but ▁it ' s ▁dam n ▁close , ▁and ▁would ▁definitely ▁stir ▁some ▁inten se ▁debate ▁over ▁its ▁inclusion ." ▁A ▁supp lement ▁entitled ▁" 8 0 ▁from ▁the ▁ 8 0 s " ▁in ▁the ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁issue ▁of ▁Mo jo ▁included ▁Soul ▁M ining ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁four ▁albums ▁from ▁ 1 9 8