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Elvis Costello first belted "I'm Not Angry" out in 1977, as listeners were left to ponder the rest of My Aim is True, his debut album, and wonder just who's foolin' whom.
Thirteen years and 12 albums later, Costello is no longer the angry young man of yore, having entered middle-age with one divorce, two kids and a second wife (even if it is Cait O'Riordan, late of the Pogues). But Spike (Warner Brothers Records), his latest release, sees him as biting, acerbic, and — yes — angry as ever.
In an industry where an album released after a mere two-year layoff is labeled a "comeback," Spike follows on the heels of three strong albums (King of America, arguably the most underrated record of 1986, Blood & Chocolate, Costello's strongest album since Trust, and Out of Our Idiot, the magnificant B-side compilation) and a two-and-a-half year hiatus.
On first listen, though, Spike bears closest resemblance to Imperial Bedroom, Costello's brilliantly produced 1982 tapestry of English middle-class heartbreak. Yet structurally, it's a stylistic hodge-podge, hovering precariously close to Out of Our Idiot and Taking Liberties because its myriad of pop forms take the term "eclecticism" to new heights. Power pop is interspersed with Celtic folk and the blues in an unsteady overview of contemporary musical modes. The overall pop vision of Armed Forces, or, say, the '60s' soul unity of Get Happy is replaced here by a gamut of varied constructions.
This does not mean Spike lacks unity, for as a songwriting venture, it is a tour de force. Costello's craft is realized as completely here as it was on Trust. Stripped of the too-cute couplets he's capable of, both Costello's lyrical and musical structures are on Spike at the height of their powers. Opening with the addictive "...This Town..." the album leaps between the explosive "Veronica" to the sublime "Any King's Shilling" while remaining compelling — and mostly essential — listening throughout.
Alongside the subtle twists and hooks of Trust and Imperial Bedroom, Spike holds its own. Few Costello compositions can stand up to the quiet, incensed beauty of "Tramp the Dirt Down," an incendiary lambasting of Margaret Thatcher.
The song is deft and deadly, with its low whistle and Uileann pipes forming a lithe, gorgeous counter-point to the song's poisonous lyrics. ("I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign / A woman was kissing a child who was obviously in pain ... Can you imagine all the greed and avarice coming down on that child's lips?")
Such counterpointing was missing on Costello's earlier "Shipbuilding" (off of Punch the Clock) and "Peace in our Time" (Goodbye Cruel World), both of which collapsed under the weight of their own dour pretensions. Now, the dour is mixed with a self-effacing realization of the limitations of the songwriter as entertainer ("God's Comic"). An out-and-out sense of humor (the horn-ridden instrumental, "Stalin Malone") also manages to make itself felt.
Two of Spike's livelier highlights, "Veronica" and "Pads, Paws and Claws," are co-written with Paul McCartney. Both are remarkable in that they show off the ex-Beatle's split personality as solidly as they show off Costello's. "Veronica" is a throwback to McCartney's best writing, specifically "Eleanor Rigby" and "Just Another Day." Its bright tempo and snappy refrain keep its shadowy lyrics from the immediate light of day. Only after two or three listenings does its dark storyline sink in, letting an added poignancy become apparent.
"Pads, Paws and Claws," on the other hand, is a brassy throwaway, no greater than either Costello's or McCartney's most average filler material. While fun, it nevertheless pales by comparison to the album's stronger tracks, and serves best as an intermission for those who purchase the CD version.
Apart from McCartney's appearance on the album in the flesh (on Hofner and Rickenbacker bass) as well as spirit, Spike also boasts the services of Roger McGuinn, T Bone Burnett, Benmont Tench (from the Heartbreakers) Chrissie Hynde, Cait O'Riordan (who also co-wrote "Baby Plays Around") and Derek Bell of the Chieftains. All that's missing are the Attractions, giving them a paltry two-for-four record of appearances on the last four Costello albums. (King of America and Out of Our Idiot get a half appearance each).
As a bonus, both CD and cassette versions of Spike include "Coal-Train Robberies," one of Costello's single most striking recent efforts. Following the soft, stunning "Any King's Shilling," "Coal-Train" is a buoyant and electrifying shocker that will be a true loss to those who purchase the vinyl album.
Whether Spike stands the test of time better than Punch the Clock or Goodbye Cruel World would seem almost beyond question. With four consecutive masterful releases behind him, Elvis Costello is clearly over his mid-80s slump. As far as intelligence, power and conviction — and, of course, anger — are concerned, Spike must surely stand alongside his very greatest works.
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