In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, Spike finished at No.

[13]: 4  He brought back his foil from King of America, T-Bone Burnett, to facilitate the sessions and produce the album.

The second track, "Let Him Dangle", is a protest song opposing capital punishment, recounting the 1953 conviction and execution of Derek Bentley.

The seventh track, "Tramp the Dirt Down", is a fiery lament, depicting Costello's anger at the Thatcher government and its effect on Britain's society.

In the song, Costello expresses his desire to live long enough to see Margaret Thatcher die and vows, "I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down."

Lyrics are given in the booklet for the eighth track, "Stalin Malone", but the album recording is an instrumental and does not include vocals.

As part of the Rhino Records reissue campaign for Costello's back catalogue from Demon/Columbia and Warners, it was re-released in 2001 with 17 additional tracks on a bonus disc.

The bonus disc included three tracks with Nick Lowe on bass and Attractions drummer Pete Thomas for use as b-sides, recorded at Wessex Sound Studios after the Spike mixing sessions.