The album was recorded as part of a marathon week-long BYG session which also produced albums by artists such as Archie Shepp (Yasmina, a Black Woman, Poem for Malcolm, and Blasé), the Art Ensemble Of Chicago (Message to Our Folks and Reese and the Smooth Ones), Grachan Moncur III (New Africa), Alan Silva (Luna Surface), Dave Burrell (Echo), Andrew Cyrille (What About?

From drummer Andrew Cyrille and bassist Alan Silva a listener might expect a certain kind of firepower as well as rhythmic developments being colored in terms of suggestions and impulses rather than firmly shoved in a pocket.

"[5] In a JazzTimes review written in 1970, Robert Levin stated that Other Afternoons "should make anyone who can get hold of it take serious notice—not only of [Lyons'] increasing mastery of the alto saxophone, but also of his newly revealed and exceptional talent as a composer.

The album is highly charged and demonstrates Jimmy's capacity to play and write with a startling rhythmic energy, a strong sense of melody, and a near-to-excruciating lyricism.

"[8] Ethan Iverson called the album "an extraordinary document, one of the most poetic examples of the aggressive 'new thing' that dominated critical conversations of the era..." and wrote that it "goes from ancient to the future and back with rough finesse and measured joy... it's one of those LPs that just gets better and better with time.