Elvis Costello released two great albums in 1986 but then took a break for three years before releasing his next disc, 1989’s Spike.

Spike was the first Costello album I bought as a new release, and as such it holds a special place in my heart.

Looking at it objectively, it’s a bit of a mess, but this batch of songs was like manna from heaven for a young guy who had recently discovered a new favorite artist and was dying for new material.

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