Spike (studio album) by Elvis Costello

My favourite Elvis album featuring my favourite Elvis song. The brilliant "Veronica"

Too many ingredients and different flavours means that somehow this album manages to be less than the sum of its parts. Which is a shame as there are some great songs here - he would of been better off grouping them for 2 (or even 3) separate albums (1 pop, 1 folk, 1 jazz).

From TheDude85 04/12/2019 13:26

Purchased this disc for the McCartney/Costello collaboration, "Veronica", and was enamored the entire way through. Great songs everywhere.

From junodog4 10/22/2018 02:19

Tramp the Dirt Down is a better song than Veronica.

From indieshins 04/19/2018 23:43

This album runs long, and some of the songs are definitely filler. That being said, the best songs here make it worth the listen - the first five are all strong. Tramp the Dirt Down is a deliciously ironic takedown of Margaret Thatcher. These are the main highlights, but there are also some lesser songs that are good enough to remain on the album. Though it could have been cut down to about ten tracks, Spike is still a good album and a worthy entry in Costello's catalogue.

From Sandrof1969 02/17/2018 11:07

"Spike" inizia con "This town": ritornello killer, efficace riff di basso di Paul McCartney con cui Costello collabora per i dischi di entrambi ed i risultati sono buoni per l'ex Beatles, ottimi per l'occhialuto Elvis. Scrittura matura, suono scintillante, canzoni solo di un pelo inferiori a quella iniziale, qualche lieve sbavatura e meno male, chè altrimenti staremmo a dire del miglior disco pop del dopo Beatles, ammesso che non lo sia… Marc Ribot non svolge un lavoro pari a quello fatto qualche anno prima per "Raindogs" di Tom Waits perché non si può, ma poco ci manca…

This is a tough album to listen to. It is fine musically but never enjoy it as much as other Elvis Costello albums.

Spike, is usually thought of as the first album of Elvis Costello's second phase. It had been two and a half years since his last record, and this was his first release on the Warner bros. label. Spike, has always been criticized as too eclectic for it's own good, and I tend to agree. It does feel a little uneven as it jumps from one genre to another, but there are some wonderful songs here. This town, opens proceedings on a cynical and angry note(but those horrible eighties drums), followed by, let him dangle. The soulful, deep dark truthful mirror, is up next, followed by the dementia affected, Veronica, written with Paul McCartney, at the same writing sessions that produced songs for McCartney's own, flowers in the dirt, album, it's excellent. Although, it must be said, their other co-write, pads,paws and claws, is not too clever. Off course the most notorious of the tracks is the Thatcher baiting, tramp the dirt down, it's as vitriolic as Costello gets. The rest of the album veers from good to ok, although, satellite, is lovley, but in the main the first half of the record is certainly the strongest. Maybe it would have been better to have left off a few of the weaker tracks, including the pointless jazz instrumental, stalin malone, and the nonsense funk of, chewing gum, to make for a shorter and more tighter album. Not Costello's best then, but still a good LP, although it does feel a little bloated.

Another Mixed Bag

Elvis Costello who, besides his unique songwriting skills, is known for his musical versatility and his desire to expand borders. This trait has given him new fans, but has also meant that he has lost some under way since his early albums with The Attactions.

This album, which is Costello's first for Warner Brothers, definitely belongs among his most ambitious and most versatile. Whether this is positive and if the project is successful, is very much a question of taste. At any rate we see here Costello work with many different genres and a great variety in instrumentation.

Moreover, the list of guest musicians is long and full of fascinating personalities, who in varying degrees have influenced the whole. I especially feel that vthe presence of Mitchel Froom, who is known as a producer for Suzanne Vega, shines through many places. Froom contributes to six tracks and on several of these can provide memories of Vega's excellent "99.9F" and "Nine Objects of Desire 'albums.

As mentioned, Costello spreads over many genres, and his use of "The Dirty Dozen Brass Band" is remarkable. Personally, I feel that is only really a success on the soul ballad "Deep Dark Mirror truthful" and on "Miss Macbeth". "Chewing Gum" and "Stalin Malone" do not really belong on a Costello album.

As often it is the ballads which come out the strongest, especially "God's Comic" (reminds me a lot about Queen's "All Dead)" Any King's Shilling ", with its medieval instrumentation and the waltzy" Satellite ". Naturally also the politically biting 'Tramp the Dirt Down "is one of the album's most memorable numbers.

In the lighter division, you'll notice the opening track "This Town" where Roger McGuinn contributes a little Byrds sound. Also, of course, the hit "Veronica" which Costello wrote with Paul McCartney.

The second Costello / McCartney collaboration "Pads, Paws And Claws" is rather forgettable.

Conclusion: An album with many strong songs, but the overall impression is weakened somewhat by a handful of just half boring songs.

From lightmyway 05/13/2012 22:02

My first Elvis album and also (so far) his last good one. Some don't like this one because it's so excessive but I like it for that reason.