Every Day I Write The Book - a great EC song and I didn't know he was AKA Declan McManus.

Don't tell me you don't know the difference
Between a lover and a fighter
With my pen and my electric typewriter
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel

He wrote that song specifically as a parody of Smokey Robinson. He's described it as "a bad Smokey Robinson song."

If you've never seen the video, it's almost better than the very good song, with actors playing Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Charles is sitting at his typewriter plugging away on the book (while wearing boxing gloves). Meanwhile Di is watching cheesy swashbuckling romantic b&w movies, intermittently looking over at Charles and sighing. This is really my most lasting impression of Diana.

The song is great. The video is great. It's all good.

Good article and I generally agree with the sentiments expressed therein. My only real quibble is with your list for the new listener. How could you leave 'Get Happy' off the list?

Ditto, Sean -- also Punch the Clock. Both are leagues beyond Spike, that's for sure.

Spike is a very underrated album, and contains some of EC's better political/topical songs. It also has "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," which is just great. I'll never understand why this album is dissed by critics and some fans. I suspect the reason is the presence of Paul McCartney, who collaborated on a couple of tunes here. Also, maybe it's disliked because it had a hit ("Veronica"). But to me, this is accessible, pop-oriented Elvis, at the peak of his powers.

And "Get Happy" is just perfect. It's like this little mini-rock band churning out minimalist nuggets of Stax and Motown-influenced stuff, but with much smarter, funnier lyrics. Nieve is in charge here, racing the other guys to the ends of most of the tunes ("I Stand Accused," "I Can't Stand Up") or filling up the mix with a washy, Leslie-like organ on the slow ones ("Riot Act," "Motel Matches.")
Also, great, funky bass throughout, especially on "B-Movie."
Yes. Get happy.

yessiree, Spike is fantastic.

my favorite track is Let Him Dangle...Elvis at his nasty best, plus jazz skronk god Marc Ribot on guitar.

CC, totally agree with you here, I like "Spike" a lot - uptempo, tuneful Elvis is the best Elvis.

Spike isn't Costello at his best -- just him at his most spiteful, which isn't the same thing. I played the tape some weeks ago and found that the words and music had dated rather badly. It is sub-standard work.

I don't find Spike spiteful. I think it's one of Elvis' least angry albums, in fact, as "God's Comic", "Chewing Gum," "This Town", and a couple of others show a lot of humor, and "Veronica" and "Deep Dark" show a lot of love for their protagnonists.

"Tramp the Dirt Down," is indeed quite nasty, aimed at a worthy target who could certainyl take it.

Not sure of your definition of "substandard," Rodney. What are your specific criticisms, compared to the Elvis you do like?

Sean, I did indeed struggle with leaving Get Happy! off the list. That was probably my next entry, although Blood and Chocolate and Punch the Clock pain me by their absence as well.