Rank Spike

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:42 am

This is the record I fell for.

A friend of mine had bought it for Veronica, and played it when I was there years later. I was amazed how the guy could make such a varied record cohesive by brilliant sequencing (the first side is hard to beat), consistently superior songwriting and masterful delivery of every chosen style, very few of which were part of my record collection then. And I'd never heard anyone sing with that kind of confidence before.

I sought out a copy as fast as I could and played it to death, learning every song by heart before I dared buy another one. When I did, I bought the first seven LPs (not counting Almost Blue, but two copies of Armed Forces with different covers that I thought was different records...but I got Sunday's Best AND Peace Love & Understanding, so that's alright!) for about $3 each at a fair. Trying to get into him chronologically, at first I was a bit disappointed because the earlier albums weren't Spike; the songs sounded the same and his voice wasn't as operatic. A second runthrough flushed that bullshit out of my head though and I listened to them on their own merits and fell in love again and again. But you know about the first love dilemma...

That said, here's my much revised list (and more than any other album, this will change from day to day, because of the diversity of it):

1. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
2. Satellite
3. Chewing Gum
4. Veronica
5. ...This Town...
6. Tramp The Dirt Down
7. Let Him Dangle
8. Baby Plays Around
9. God's Comic
10. Last Boat Leaving (the last word "take" might be my single favorite EC vocal)
11. Stalin Malone
12. Any King's Shilling
13. Miss Macbeth
14. Coal-Train Robberies
15. Pads, Paws & Claws (I love this. I don't want to place it last. Boohoo.)

PS. I never even thought about the crappy sound (esp. the snare) until I bought the reissue. I try to ignore it. It works. DS.

PS2. There are fewer (boy-girl) domestic affairs in the lyrics here than on any other EC LP, no? (Pads & Baby) DS2.

Miss Macbeth · Post by **Miss Macbeth** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:29 am

This is like 5 albums rolled into one, wow! Spike was the first EC album I bought so it set the standards for the rest, I guess you could say, and it definately made me into the fan I am now. It's a brilliant compilation of different moods, melodies, and styles to which I seriously doubt there will ever be another to even compare it to. The first time I heard Satellite I thought I was going to have to pull the car over. It was the coolest thing I'd ever heard. On disc 2 of the reissue, Stalin Malone is so freakin' awesome, but without the lyrics I had to rank it lower because of the great lyrics in the other songs. Okay, okay...

1. Satellite
2. Baby Plays Around (thanks Cait)
3. This Town... (just the coolest video)
4. God's Comic (it's like the prequel to "This Is Hell", I love it)
5. Veronica
6. Miss Macbeth
7. Deep, Dark, Truthful Mirror
8. Tramp the Dirt Down
9. Let Him Dangle
10. Last Boat Leaving
11. Any King's Shilling
12. Pads, Paws, and Claws
13. Chewing Gum
14. Stalin Malone (love the words on disc 2)
15. Coal Train Robberies

It shouldn't be this hard to rank an album of any kind, but this is not just any album, and by no means any ordinary artist. He makes it damn near impossible to do what we do on these posts.

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:08 am

1. Satellite
2. Veronica
3. Tramp The Dirt Down
4. Baby Plays Around
5. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
6. Last Boat Leaving
7. Chewing Gum
8. Any King's Shilling
9. ...This Town...
10. Let Him Dangle
11. God's Comic
12. Miss Macbeth
13. Coal-Train Robberies
14. Pads, Paws & Claws
15. Stalin Malone

These rankings are all tough. I was very excited about this when it came out, as it had been so long. I played it constantly all year, but don't go back to it as often, maybe because it seems dated, in a stuck-in-time sense. Anyway, the batch at the top of my list are still favorites, the others less so.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:32 am

1. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
2. God's Comic
3. Satellite
4. Last Boat Leaving
5. ..This Town...
6. Any King's Shilling
7. Tramp The Dirt Down
8. Baby Plays Around
9. Veronica
10. Let Him Dangle
11. Chewing Gum
12. Coal-Train Robberies
13. Stalin Malone
14. Miss Macbeth
15. Pads, Paws & Claws (one of my least favorite EC tunes)

strangerinthehouse · Post by **strangerinthehouse** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:54 am

it is not the most played EC but it is certainly one that peaks my interest whenever i listen to it. it was also one of the last of EC's albums that i purchased.

1. Deep Dark Truthfull Mirror
2. God's Comic
3. Baby Plays Around
4. Satellite
5. Tramp the Dirt Down
6. ...This Town...
7. Stalin Malone
8. Veronica
9. Last Boat Leaving
10. Let Him Dangle
11. Miss Macbeth
12. Coal Train Robberies
13. Any King's Shilling
14. Chewing Gum
15. Pads, Paws, and Claws

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:35 pm

Could be his masterpiece if Side B was as good as Side A....

01. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
02. Veronica
03. Tramp The Dirt Down
04. Satellite
05. God's Comic
06. ...This Town...
07. Baby Plays Around
08. Last Boat Leaving
09. Let Him Dangle
10. Any King's Shilling
11. Pads, Paws And Claws
12. Chewing Gum
13. Coal Train Robberies
14. Miss Macbeth
15. Stalin Malone

RinghioStarr · Post by **RinghioStarr** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:51 am

1) Veronica
2) Last Boat Leaving
3) Satellite
4) Baby Plays Around
5) Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
6) ...This Town...
7) Any King's Shilling

Let Him Dangle
9) God's Comic
10) Tramp The Dirt Down
11) Miss Macbeth
12) Coal Train Robberies
13) Stalin Malone
14) Chewing Gum
15) Pads Paws And Claws

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 3:45 pm

1. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
2. Satellite
3. Tramp The Dirt Down
4. Veronica
5. God's Comic
6. Miss Macbeth
7. ...This Town...
8. Any King's Shilling
9. Let Him Dangle
10. Pads, Paws & Claws
11. Coal-Train Robberies
12. Last Boat Leaving
13. Stalin Malone
14. Baby Plays Around
15. Chewing Gum

Emotional Toothpaste · Thu Jun 02, 2005 4:18 pm

Coltrane Robbery got robbed; I see it ranked pretty low for most of you. I think its one of the better songs on there.

1. Coal Train Robberies
2. God's Comic
3. Pads, Paws, & Claws
4. Last Boat Leaving
5. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
6. Miss Macbeth
7. Veronica
8. Satellite
9. Let Him Dangle
10. Tramp the Dirt
11. Chewing Gum
12. Baby Plays Around
13. This Town
14. Any Kings Shilling
15. Stalin Malone (yuck)

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:55 pm

1. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
2. Tramp The Dirt Down
3. Let Him Dangle
4.God's Comic
5.This Town
6. Satellite
7. Miss Macbeth
8. Veronica
9. Baby Plays Around
10. Chewing Gum
11. Stalin Malone
12. Last Boat Leaving
13. Coal-Train Robberies
14. Pads, Paws & Claws
15. Any King's Shilling

Branst · Post by **Branst** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:05 pm

01 - This Town
02 - Last Boat Leaving
03 - Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
04 - Baby Plays Around
05 - Veronica
06 - God's Comic
07 - Let Him Dangle
08 - Satellite
09 - Any King's Schilling
10 - Miss Macbeth
11 - Coal-Train Robberies
12 - Pads, Paws & Claws
13 - Stalin Malone
14 - Tramp The Dirt Down
15 - Chewing Gum

oily slick · Post by **oily slick** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 12:09 am

1. ...this town...
2. satellite
2. coal-train robberies
4. last boat leaving
5. deep dark truthful mirror
6. let him dangle
7. tramp the dirt down
8. veronica
9. stalin malone
10. god's comic
11. baby plays around
12. any king's shilling
13. chewing gum
14. pads, paws and claws
15. miss macbeth

Taste Of Poison · Post by **Taste Of Poison** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:29 am

1. miss macbeth
2. baby plays around
3. god's comic
4. chewing gum
5. coal-train robberies
6. stalin malone
7. last boat leaving
8. veronica
9. any king's shilling
10. deep dark truthful mirror
11. ...this town...
12. pads, paws and claws
13. satellite
14. tramp the dirt down
15. let him dangle

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:45 am

1. last boat leaving
2. satellite
3. ...this town...
4. veronica
5. deep dark truthful mirror
6. god's comic
7. miss macbeth
8. any king's shilling
9. tramp the dirt down
10. baby plays around
11. let him dangle
12. chewing gum
13. coal-train robberies
14. stalin malone
15. pads, paws and claws

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:14 pm

The only Costello album I hardly like at all, several good songs but no great ones other than #1. Of course, I havn't listened to MLAR or BY yet, it might climb in rank ;).

Everytime I try getting this album to grow on me I usually get too angry halfway through and I turn it off.

1. Baby Plays Around (I adore this track, the only really strong track on Spike imo.)
2. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
3. Tramp The Dirt Down (too long)
4. Pads, Paws & Claws
5. Coal-Train Robberies
6. Last Boat Leaving
7. Chewing Gum (cheesy, but cool!)
8. This Town (chorus too G.E.S-ish)
9. Let Him Dangle (too long)
10. Veronica (chorus too G.E.S-ish)
11. Any King's Shilling (too long)
12. God's Comic (too long)
13. Satellite (too long)
14. Stalin Malone (not bad, but too boring for an instrumental)

And the weiner is:
15. Miss MacPOOP

Edit: Listening to it again now after posting this, I think the reason to why I'm so angry at this album is because it could've been great with only a few cuts and slight changes here and there. Bad E.C, shame on you!

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:59 pm

1 Veronica
2 Deep dark truthful mirror
3 ....This town...
4 Last boat leaving
5 Pads, paws and claws
6 Let him dangle
7 Coal train robberies
8 Baby plays around
9 Tramp the dirt down
10 God's comic
11 Satellite
12 Chewing gum
13 Miss Macbeth
14 Any king's shilling
15 Stalin malone

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 6:44 pm

An underrated album IMO. A few prominent weak spots to be sure, some of them right at the top of the album, and it is perhaps a bit too "all over the place" even for me (and I love EC's musical reslestness which so many see as a weakness), but still, one of his very best...

Baby Plays Around
Tramp the Dirt Down
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
God's Comic
Last Boat Leaving
Chewing Gum
Stalin Malone
Any King's Shilling
Pads, Paws and Claws
Coal Train Robberies
Miss Macbeth
Let Him Dangle
This Town
Veronica
Satellite

Goody2Shoes · Post by **Goody2Shoes** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:24 pm

1. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
2. ...This Town...
3. Satellite
4. Coal-Train Robberies
5. Last Boat Leaving
6. God's Comic
7. Let Him Dangle
8. Baby Plays Around
9. Stalin Malone
10. Tramp The Dirt Down
11. Any King's Shilling
12. Miss Macbeth
13. Pads, Paws and Claws
14. Veronica - I like it better than I used to
15. Chewing Gum - however, on a given day in a certain mood, this would rank much higher.

DeathWearsABigHat · Post by **DeathWearsABigHat** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 6:24 am

1. God's Comic
2. Satellite
3. ...This Town...
4. Coal Train Robberies
5. Any King's Shilling
6. Tramp the Dirt Down
7. Baby Plays Around
8. Let Him Dangle
9. Deep Dark Truthfull Mirror
10. Chewing Gum
11. Veronica
12. Pads, Paws, and Claws
13. Last Boat Leaving
14. Miss Macbeth
15. Stalin Malone

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:33 pm

1. Tramp the Dirt Down
2. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
3. ...This Town...
4. Let Him Dangle
5. God's Comic
6. Any King's Shilling
7. Baby Plays Around
8. Veronica
9. Last Boat Leaving
10. Chewing Gum
11. Pads, Paws, and Claws
12. Miss Macbeth
13. Coal Train Robberies
14. Satellite
15. Stalin Malone

whar · Post by **whar** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 3:00 pm

I have grown to despise this album. It has, possibly, the best songs he's ever written, but the production is just painful. Robotic Elvis.

001. Chewing Gum
002. This Town
003. Pad, Paws, and Claws
004. God's Comic
005. Veronica
006. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
007. Satellite
008. Let Him Dangle
009. Tramp The Dirt Down
010. Stalin Monroe
011. Coal-Train Robberies
012. Miss Macbeth
013. Any King's Schilling
014. Last Boat Leaving
015. Baby Plays Around

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:02 pm

Wow, more than twenty rankers on this 'difficult' album. Varied, great songs and bad sound, all true.

to whar: Finally another Chewing Gum fan! (and Poison)
And Stalin Monroe is a pretty good name for a song!

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:36 am

1. God's Comic
2. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
3. Tramp the Dirt Down
4. Miss MacBeth
5. This Town
6. Let Him Dangle
7. Chewing Gum
8. Coal-Train Robberies
9. Baby Plays Around
10. Last Boat Leaving
11. Stalin Malone
12. Any King's Shilling
13. Veronica
14. Pads, Paws and Claws
15. Satellite

It really surprises me that Satellite ranks that high. I've aways skipped it but the last days i've been listining to it and I still find the chorus way too corny.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:39 am

Yeah, Satellite was actually in the lead for quite awhile, but now you HATERS have pushed it waaaay down...to #4.

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 7:44 am

King Hoarse wrote:Yeah, Satellite was actually in the lead for quite awhile, but now you HATERS have pushed it waaaay down...to #4.