Spartacus received generally positive reviews from music critics. Although some of them were split on the album's songwriting quality, while others praised it in the context of the baggy scene. The album topped the charts in the United Kingdom. "Groovy Train" was released as its lead single followed by the second single "All Together Now" and finally "Don't Let Me Down."
Influenced by the likes of punk rock acts such as the Clash and the Jam, Peter Hooton decided to become a musician, initially picking up bass briefly before focusing on singing instead. He joined his friend's brother's band after their frontman failed to show up to a rehearsal. In 1987, Roy Bulter filled in McVann's role, and second guitarist Keith Mullen and keyboardist Benjamin Leach were added to the line-up.
The album's opening track, "Hearts & Minds", was slowed down from its original recording, and has an offbeat reggae sound. Its title alludes to a rally cry spoken by celebrities and politicians of the time; two years before including it on the album, Hooton said that some lyrics were added to "incorporate the plastic gangster fraternity". The band had used samples from Taxi Driver (1978), Hooton was adamant that they used impersonators for the audio clips. "How Long" recalled the work of U2, while part of its lyrics referred to Hooton and drummer Boulter visiting the Berlin Wall in East Berlin. Hooton explained that the song talked about politicians rooting for change as long as it served their own ambitions. "Sweet Inspiration" was written around the release of Nelson Mandela and is about political prisoners that stand up for their beliefs even when confronted by authority figures. Discussing "Groovy Train", Grimes said it was an interpretation of people that Hooton knew during school that used to be political, but after acid house, "they've just forgotten about all their politics and just though, 'Sod this! Let's just have a good time'". Hooton wrote the lyrics in the weeks following an encounter with a girl at a nightclub in Liverpool.
"Higher & Higher" talked about a person facing rejection, which Hooton compared to "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (1982) by the Clash. "Don't Let Me Down" targeted Britain's underclass, anchored by as gospel-like backing vocals. The first verse of it grew out of an older, abandoned song titled "That's the Way We Were", with some lines specifically referring to McVann. Hootson said "Family of Man" asks the question of "why don't the police join the family of man, instead of punishing people at every opportunity?" "Tell the Story", which was an update on "Same Old Story", evoked the sound of fellow Liverpool act the Pale Fountains with its acoustic production. Journalist Bob Stanley wrote that the song's lyrics propose that the "derelict buildings and waste-ground tell a truer story about the band's hometown than thousand Jimmy Tarbuck-fuelled platitudes". It initially had six verses, which were then edited down to two for the final version; Hooton said it referred to the slade trade and the planned redevelopment of Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock. "Very Emotion" evolved out of their 1985 song "Steps of Emotion" and was dedicated to their technician Ray Toohey. He had been involved in a peaceful protest at Risley Remand Centre, but was arrested and imprisoned for 30 months. The band changed the song's lyrics to reflect Toohey's situation, with influence from "Stay Free" (1978) by the Clash.
The brilliant "All Together Now" began as "No Man's Land", which Hooton had written after the reaction from right-wing press towards British politician Michael Foot wearing a coat that resembled a donkey jacket in November 1981. Alongside this, Hooton had read newspaper articles about the Christmas truce during the First World War, which he learned about from training as a history teacher. "No Man's Land" consisted of six verses sections and lacked a defined chorus. They refined the song while in the studio, where they came up with an appropriate chorus. At Suggs' recommendation, the six verses were cut down to three, and half of the music for the chorus was similarly dropped. He then included a sample of Sid Vicious' rendition of the 1969 song "My Way" during the middle eight. At Farley's suggestion, the band wanted to include a beat they knew from a hip hop record. As they were unable to recreate it in a London studio, a member of their entourage was tasked with going to Hooton's house in Liverpool to retrieve it. When they sampled the drum loop, they found that it was partially out of synch with the music they had recorded.
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