As on the previous album, Some Fantastic Place, the band recorded one song penned by Keith Wilkinson.

[1] A clear distinction, noted by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, between Ridiculous and predecessors such as Play and Some Fantastic Place was a "stripped-down, matter of fact production",[2] giving the record a "crisper and livelier" feel.

[2] Erlewine compared the "jangling" style of "Grouch of the Day" with that of the 1965 Beatles album Rubber Soul.

[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a primarily praising summary of Ridiculous,[2] commenting that it "stands as a testament to the enduring quality of their craft" and was "every bit as enjoyable" as their other post-reunion efforts.

[2] In August 1996, Alex Diamond of PopEntertainment.com proclaimed Ridiculous to possibly be "the band's best overall album since 1981's East Side Story".