As
Elton John's first album for MCA Records,
Reg Strikes Back received a considerable amount of hype upon its release, but the results were considerably less inspired than his early-'80s records for Geffen. It's always a bad sign when an artist re-records or reinterprets one of his classics, as
John does here with "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Pt. 2," but what really sinks
Reg Strikes Back are the colorless tunes. Apart from the clenched dance-pop of "I Don't Wanna Go on With You Like That," and the simpy "A Word in Spanish," none of the melodies on the record are memorable, and even those aren't particularly strong. Instead of recharging his career,
Reg Strikes Back began a dry spell that ran for nearly five years. [The German edition features a bonus track.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine