[4] The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded Chapter One: 1970-1972 4 stars, and commented: "Iskra 1903 represent a wonderfully challenging auditory experience.

Such is the majesty of the intertwining of trombone, guitar and bass that the trio appears to set wild seas in uproar with unfaltering command and daunting versatility.

"[8] In an article for The Wire, Philip Clark wrote: "Iskra 1903 is still noticeably ahead of anyone's idea of the music... Where does Bailey's guitar end and Guy's bass begin?

Guy's bowed roars and his tickled, spanked notes are a jagged bass counterpoint to Bailey – space mapped out for Rutherford's melting-moment melodies and deconstructed tailgates.

"[9] Musician and writer Henry Kuntz described the recording as "a set of near telepathic trio improvisations, music which, when it is finally heard, is likely to be returned to and studied for some time to come.