Glitzy showmanship is what fuels
Caribou, the least successful collection to be reissued in this batch of albums. Though the shiny surface of the album is alluring, only a few tracks on the record rank among
John's best work. "The Bitch Is Back" is one of his best hard rock cuts, and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is one of his classic ballads, but the album tracks tend to be ridiculous filler on the order of "Solar Prestige a Gammon" or competent genre exercises like "You're So Static." There are a couple of exceptions -- "Pinky" is a fine ballad and "Dixie Lily" is an endearing stab at country -- but on the whole,
Caribou is a disappointment. [The CD reissue includes the bonus tracks "Pinball Wizard," "Sick City," "Cold Highway," and "Step into Christmas."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine