"[5] Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh praised "Come Back" as a "full-scale showcase" for the band, claiming that it came "very close to the topnotch hard rock Geils has always threatened to make and too rarely delivered.

"[6][7] On the other hand, in the 4th edition of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, critic Rob Sheffield calls the song a "failed Eurodisco experiment.

"[9] Bill Flanagan, writing in the Boston Globe remarked that although "Come Back" has an "upbeat surface," the song conveys the anxiety that lurks below.

"[11] Cash Box said it has "an insistent dance beat is surrounded by rapid-fire electronics," but still retains "a hard ‘n’ heavy guitar sound.

"[13] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it to be the band's 10th greatest song, saying that was "Eurodisco-inspired" and loaded with "contemporary-sounding [keyboards].