The punk fellow traveler whose songwriting was most soused in notions of canon, Elvis Costello released eight albums at such a clip that instant acclaim seemed the most equitable response; analysis came later. Fortunately, consensus settled on Trust as his oddest, most confused album to date: a breathless — always the adjective with Costello in those years — tour through three decades of pop and R&B stylings refracted through Steve Nieve’s keyboards, which have enough personality, subtlety, and color for ten singers. I like Imperial Bedroom rather less than fans, Blood & Chocolate rather more; opacity and Costello are intimate friends but direct expression came as easily, and the gutter gnarl of his untutored guitar signified the most obvious connection to a British anti-corporate movement with which he had formed an uneasy alliance.
The rest is refinement. Increased compositional sophistication suited him less than happiness. In a career defined by zigging and zagging, not by notions of “evolution,” Costello was bound to refute this assertion with albums as poised as Painted From Memory, on which Burt Bacharach’s professional instincts are a palliative, or, to put it another way, a big butt sitting on Elvis’ head. His 2000s run after When I Was Cruel, former Starbucks mainstays from the days when its stores would hawk wares by Respectable Male White Songwriters, may contain enough good ones for a playlist. The most compelling product of his later years is Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, gauchely titled as usual, but whaddya expect from a guy who thought Little Hands of Concrete and The Emotional Toothpaste were clever pseudonyms? This guy, after all, wrote, “If I step on the brake to get out of her clutches,” that’s what — clever, infuriating, what else is new.
1. Trust
2. This Year’s Model
3. Get Happy!!
4. Blood & Chocolate
5. Armed Forces
6. Imperial Bedroom
7. My Aim is True
8. King of America
9. Painted from Memory
10. When I Was Cruel
11. The Boy Named If
12. Goodbye Cruel World
13. Brutal Youth
14. All This Useless Beauty
15. Spike
Humanizing The Vacuum 
Oh, God, You’re speeding up with my favourist artists. What next, Joni Mitchell? Stevie Wonder? Richard Thompson?
Trust is an album I haven’t heard in its entirety, But “New Lace Sleeves” it’s one of those who pops up in my mind often” I’d put This Year’s Model first just because I have a “hole” in his discography. Trust, that is.I called TYM “Big Beat”. It’s a term I haven’t heard of in music magazines. But it’s like that to me. It’s a genre entirely onto itself. I don’t think this is acknowldege enough to Costello. Creating a genre. The “pumpin” synths are someting else. Talking about using it as “percussive” instrument. It’s supposed to be Steve Naive’s piano, which in TYM is pianoforte. Every instrument is meant to be propulsive. Pete Thomas’ drumming is so tigh. And every songs has a hint to that term: “Pump it Up”, “The Beat”. I don’t think there’s an album like this ever. Not even in Costello’s own discography. It’s a stompin sound. Perhaps like the elephants in the sleeve cover of Armed Forces. But here, it’s even more notorious.
I used to love “Imperial Bedroom”. Yeah, I’m one of those “fans”. But, as I listened in chronological order, that was really a change of pace to me. Now I think it’s all over the place, but I respect what he was trying to do there. “Beyond Belief” is astounding.
I don’t see Spike in your list. I understand it’s a hell of an uneven record but “Veronica “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror” and “Tramp The Dirt Down” are classics to his fans. The latter might be one of the most poisonous letters to Britain’s Margaret Thatcher I’ve ever heard.
And, in “King of America”, I believe he might created the blueprint sound for Rosanne Cash’s Interiors. Listen to “Brillant Mistake” and “What You Really Want” back to back! He was even influencinf country artists from America. For a time, he was really the “king”. Because there was already a Prince.
Well, Michael Jackson was the “king” for everyone except me. During Thriller, he might have been. Bad totally lost my interest. Genius sound design, lesser songs, apallng performances (those hiccups and grab crotching videos!) Annie was not ok. Neither was I.