Elvis Costello – Spike (1989)

This is certainly the first Elvis Costello album I bought on CD, rather than vinyl, possibly one of the earliest CDs I bought, and it has a special place as an album that always seemed to be in the background at the time our son was born (3 months after the album's release).

It was also the last Costello release I bought automatically on release, and the only new release in the 5 years from 1986-91.

The songs on the album are all familiar old friends, perhaps now lacking the impact they did at the time, but there's certainly not a bad one among them. Neither, however, are there many which make you sit up and saw "wow". If anything, among the weaker songs on the album are those co-written with Paul McCartney, Veronica, a poignant tale of an old lady past her prime (the theme of aging is more harshly and more successfully done in Deep Dark Truthful Mirror), and the throwaway Pads, Paws and Claws.

There's strong political anger in Let Him Dangle, and the anti-Thatcher anthem Tramp The Dirt Down (thankfully, Elvis, we did live long enough to see it), and a fine bit of jazz-funk in Chewing Gum. Particularly personal to me, is Any King's Shilling, with its refrain, !you're a fine one, yes you are", on the car stereo as I drove away from the hospital a couple of hours after the birth of aforementioned son.

The overall impression is of a cohesive collection of songs, professionally conceived and delivered, which doesn't quite move me as much as I'd expected. It's unfair, perhaps, that albums such as this, from a craftsman such as Costello, are judged against the very best and sometimes found wanting. It's a really enjoyable album, but not Elvis at his finest.

Link to album tracks

3* - an enjoyable listen, but this album wouldn't be your first port of call to scratch that Costello itch