I would however agree that things go really wrong when Costello produces an 'exercise in bloated inertia' - for my money it's not Spike but the awful, awful, really dire North - every song in the same slow-to-moderate tempo, no audible distinction between the supposedly 'sad' first half of the album and 'happy' second part.

The problem there isn't self-consciousness, though, it's smug contentedness (of the 'I've got Diana Krall now' variety). Happiness a good artist doth not make.

Bit of a cliché that, isn't it? 

(And surely you wouldn't wish it so? Mediocrity or misery: not much of a choice for artists, that! 

Does the King perchance mean 'drivel'?

Madame Moiselle and Mr Moiselle
Went for a walk with their gazelle

Fresh fruit is better than Olly's py-
Jamas.

Don't worry, t-i-n.  Taking EC's previous form into account, we can expect the 'collaboration' with Ms. Krall to go pear-shaped sometime around the end of this decade, providing him with enough material for 'his best album since 'Get Happy!'.

The problem I have with the lyric quoted by HtoHe is that it demonstrates nothing beyond the kind of facile gift for invective that we're used to encountering in hack journos from our so-called 'liberal' press. Yes, two of the usual 'free kick' targets are there: Archer and Lloyd Webber.  They're easily dumped on, as no one in their right mind would say a good word about either of them.  There's no vision there at all, just a rather juvenile desire to draw attention to himself and his 'I'm one of you' leftism.

The song in question has no melody, in common with just about everything on 'Spike'.  That wouldn't be so much of an issue, though, if Costello had come up with the lyrical goods.

I think future generations will draw a line across Costello's work and the demarcation point will be just after 'Imperial Bedroom'.  I really don't think anything from 'Punch The Clock' (which featured some great songs but woeful production) will be remembered by poserity. And, if it is, then without much affection.

I don’t have a problem with it, Swan Knight, because I don’t see why it should have to demonstrate anything; or be anything other than what it obviously is – a conceit wherein a creator-god is expressing disappointment with his creatures’ unimaginitive use of the materials available to them.  I don’t expect fine literature in a song lyric, either; though I’d be interested to read the work of a ‘hack journo’ who could come up with anything so punchy.  I think I’d have to take my hat off to them.  I think some of the songs on the album that are trying to deliver something more are rather less successful.  The anger of ‘Tramp the Dirt Down’ is a plus for time_is_now, but I’m afraid that, for me, it gives the lyric a morbid quality.  The sentiment expressed in the title echoes Dylan’s “I'll stand o'er your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead” (difficult to believe ‘Masters of War’ wasn’t in Costello’s mind) but Dylan’s line occurs only once, and the song is infinitely better for that.  Other angry songs on the album ‘Let Him Dangle’ and, especially, ‘Any King’s Shilling’ are less obsessive and, imo, much better. 

Back to ‘God’s Comic’, though, and on a couple of points of information: you seem to have put poor Archer into the song yourself; the bit I quote refers to an ‘airport novelette’ and, afaik, Lord Jeff doesn’t get a mention in any other part of the song;  and, on a literal reading anyway, Lloyd-Webber doesn’t come in for a complete pasting - there seems to be a soft-spot for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ (rather God than me, but there it is).  I don’t, in any case, see why what you call ‘easy targets’ ought to be avoided.  I personally believe the song to be a well-conceived work of high quality for what it is; but what it is is still a pop song not an exercise in political analysis.  It needs terms of reference that are widely understood.  And it's hardly the case that "no one in their right mind would say a good word about either of them"; all the 'easy targets' are also hugely popular, otherwise the whole point of the verse would be lost.  For me it’s a good pop song which makes a few simple points concisely and elegantly.  I’d echo what time_is_now says: the verse builds up to the quirky (if not exactly profound) comment that a creator might well be wondering if he’d chosen the wrong species to favour.  And it delivers that comment in a way that always makes me smile. 

Carrying twins would probably have that effect on even the most svelte among us.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, suddenly they get so much better.