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The entire CD documents the dissolving of a love while comparing it to a prize fighter that can no longer throw his punches the same way. Listening to this album is like watching an epic love story with a sad ending.

The first song on the album, “Dear John” is musically more intricate than many of Mann’s more folky acoustic songs. The second song, “King of the Jailhouse” reminds the listener that Aimee Mann knows heartbreak. This music sounds like the bitter taste in your mouth when love is over. Mann sings, “Honey, I don’t want to turn around and go back there. Do you? I think you know something I don’t know that I need to.” Her lyrics are biting and true.

Some of the songs on the album like “Goodbye Caroline” harken back to the Mann of Bachelor No.2 with their fast paced pop music base. These songs are still the back bone of an Aimee Mann album. But the strongest song on this album is “Going Through the Motions.” The hook alone is enough to paint a picture. Mann sings, “I feel like I’m in jail with you and Mr. Hyde.” This song is soothing and at the same time, it is about the worse kind of heartbreak, a stagnant love.

One of the least explained weaker songs on the album is “I Can’t Get My Head Around It.” It does not have the same charge, musically or lyrically that the rest of the CD has. This is followed by the very emotional song, “She Really Wants You.”

The next song, “Video”, has a slow piano opening that brings in the imagery of the prize fighter again. Mann sings, “Tell me why I feel so bad honey. Fighting left us plenty of money.” The real forgotten arm in this song and on this album is the heart. It has been injured, and it is afraid to fight again.

The album has a lot of very sad introspective songs towards the end like “That’s How I Know This Story Would Break Your Heart.” In “I was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas,” Mann sings, “I’ve been this way since the end of October, and I know enough to know that baby when it’s over, it’s over.” This song really shows the death of the fighter and the end of the relationship.

The CD ends with an optimistic song, “Beautiful” about a new love. Then, there is an acoustic rendition of “Going Through the Motions.”

This shows that even with the optimistic song “Beautiful” all love has to fizzle. The heart can still be The Forgotten Arm. This CD is one to listen to again and again when you are in the mood to think about the different phases of love. It is by far Mann’s strongest album with the most cohesive theme.