"[13] The Los Angeles Times concluded that "this record is generally so humorless that Stewart often reminds you of a door-to-door proselytizer who won't go away.

"[15] The Advocate opined that "parts of the album have a certain charm, but it's unlikely to provide any excitement for those who haven't kept up with his previous music.

"[16] The Denver Post labeled Punch the Big Guy "one of the finest folk-rock albums of the 1980s, an overlooked gem of evocative lyrics and striking melodies.

"[17] The Arizona Republic praised the "odd mixture of '50s/'60s folk, '70s sensibilities and righteous back beat.

"[18] AllMusic wrote that "Stewart achieves a genuine merger of the personal, the spiritual, and the political on Punch the Big Guy and wraps it all up in a darkly colored but accessible package.