Elvis Costello: Spike (1989)

After releasing records almost every year since the late 70s, it took Elvis three to come back with Spike. I like this record, but Allmusic doesn't:

"There are some moments that work quite well, but there's nothing connecting them, and if anything, he's trying way too hard -- and, for all of the overarching ambition of his early-'80s recordings, that criticism never applied before. Certainly, there are cuts for cultists to enjoy, but Spike's sprawl works against it, resulting in a maddeningly diffuse listen."