Recorded in November 2003 during a three-night stand in San Francisco,[1] the double album was met with critical acclaim, and debuted at No.

[3] Critic Robert Christgau rated it highly for the live performance, but criticized it for only containing album tracks, including 11 from her previous album, 2003's World Without Tears.

In his written review, Christgau stated "There's no point questioning Lucinda Williams's talent, or her perfectionism.

[4] AllMusic rated the album 4 out of a possible 5 stars, writing "as Williams searches through the nooks and crannies of her songs, you sense she's discovering things that she didn't expect to find, and it's a tremendous thing to hear," concluding that she "is an artist who writes from her soul, and she's thoroughly unafraid of letting her passion show when she sings.

If that makes for strained technique, it also results in very real art, and this album offers a privileged glimpse of a singular songwriter in full flight".