Reg Strikes Back is the twenty-first studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to Elton John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight. This is the last album that bassist Dee Murray would appear on. He died in 1992. The tracks "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" and "A Word In Spanish" peaked at #2 and #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Elton brought back producer Chris Thomas. This is the first studio album to be recorded and released after Elton's throat surgery the previous year. The album cover features costumes and props from John's collection that he decided to put up for auction.
John does not play a grand piano on this album, replacing it with a Roland RD-1000 digital piano, a mainstay of the Elton sound. Where Elton uses a Yamaha DCFIIISPRO concert grand piano with MIDI output on stage and has done since his switch to Yamaha pianos in 1993, the rack form of the RD-1000, the MKS20, has been in his rack ever since, and its bright, expressive pianos and warm electric pianos are part of Elton's live sound to this day.
Track listing
All songs by John/Taupin, except where noted.
Side One
#"
Town of Plenty" – 3:40
#"A Word in Spanish" – 4:39
#"
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" – 4:12
#"
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" – 4:35
#"Japanese Hands" – 4:40
Side Two
#"Goodbye Marlon Brando" – 3:30
#"The Camera Never Lies" – 4:37
#"Heavy Traffic" (Elton John, Taupin and
Davey Johnstone) – 3:28
#"Poor Cow" – 3:50
#"Since God Invented Girls" – 4:54
Bonus tracks (1999 Polygram International reissue)
#"Rope Around a Fool" – 3:48
#"I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That (Shep Pettibone Mix)" – 5:56
#"I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That (Just Elton and the Piano Mix)" – 4:37
#"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Renaissance Mix)" – 6:19
B-sides
{|class="wikitable"
! Song
! Format
|-
| "Rope Around a Fool" ||
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (UK) / 7" (US/UK)
|-
| "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Shep Pettibone Mix)" ||
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US/UK)
|-
| "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (The Pub Dub)" ||
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US)
|-
| "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Just Elton and the Piano Mix)" ||
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US)
|-
| "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Just for Radio Mix)" || ''I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12" (US)
|-
| "
A Song for You/Blue Eyes/I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues (Live in Australia)" ||
A Word in Spanish 12"/CD (UK)
|-
| "Daniel (Live in Australia)" ||
A Word in Spanish 12"/CD" (UK)
|-
| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Renaissance Mix)" ||
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)
|-
| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Da Vinci Version)" ||
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)
|-
| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Self Portrait Instrumental)" ||
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)
|-
|}
Personnel
Elton John: Keyboards, Vocals, Harmonies, Backing Vocals
Fred Mandel: Synthesizer
Davey Johnstone: Guitars, Backing Vocals
Pete Townshend: Guitar
David Paton: Bass
Charlie Morgan: Drums
Ray Cooper: Tambourine, Maracas, Timbales
Freddie Hubbard: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Dee Murray: Backing Vocals
Nigel Olsson: Backing Vocals
Adrian Baker: Backing Vocals
Bruce Johnston: Backing Vocals
Carl Wilson: Backing Vocals
Production
Produced By Chris Thomas
Recorded & Engineered By Michael Mason, Peter Mew & Bill Price
Assistant Engineer: Karl Lever
Second Engineer: Paul Wertheimer
Mastered By Tim Young
Category:1988 albums
Category:Elton John albums
Category:Albums produced by Chris Thomas
![Elton John - A Word In Spanish [HQ]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110311193342im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ja7v8D5o1Yc/0.jpg "Elton John - A Word In Spanish [HQ]")
