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Elvis Costello has found more ways to mine wealth from rock and roll than any other musician going. From his early days as an angry young punk, to his country era, to his latest eclectic persona with chunks of everything from McCartney-esque pop to New Orleans jazz to Kurt Weill, he's been a delightful chameleon who surely speaks his mind.
Spike, his 12th album, is Costello at his most verbose, musical and powerful. The British artist has again journeyed to America for part of the recording, hitting Los Angeles and New Orleans as well as London and Dublin to put portions of this often thrilling album on tape.
In his travels, Costello has enlisted the help of an all-star musical cast, including Paul McCartney, who co-wrote two songs and plays bass, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty's group, T Bone Burnett, Allen Toussaint, Mitchell Froom, and Pete Thomas of Elvis's original band, The Attractions.
Of course, the stars are Elvis and his songs. "...This Town..." is an opening tour de force co-written by McCartney. It's a sleazy number about sleazy people:
"You're nobody everybody in this town thinks you're a bastard," concludes the lyric.
"Tramp The Dirt Down" is just what Elvis wants to do on Maggie Thatcher's grave, no matter that she's not yet about to buy her personal farm.
"Veronica" is another McCartney/Costello number, a cool cut full of Everly's references and coy, nouveau psychedelia. "Pads, Paws and Claws" details the sad aspects of an unfaithful relationship with the vehemence only Elvis can muster.
Moreso than on his past few albums, Elvis is a skewering songwriter, attacking not only politicians and scoundrels, but also priests. In "God's Comic," he calls their roles as saviors of the soul into question:
"And you bargain and you plead / Sometimes you confuse me with Santa Claus," sings the British iconoclast.
Musically, Spike shines brightest on the songs with Costello's most courageous arrangements. The use of Uileann pipes with their glorious Irish drones on several songs, heavy brass on three cuts, along with fiddles, mandolins, harmoniums and even electric bouzoukis makes this disc one of Costello's most varied and daring.
With 14 cuts on the LP 15 on the CD and cassette — there's over an hour of complex and satisfying music on Spike. It would be hard to ask for more.
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