The Forgotten Arm is one of Aimee Mann's best works. Terrific with a capital T.

This is the first Mann album where she uses the piano as a first class citizen; many of the songs were written on piano, according to Mann.

The sweet spot of the album is songs 7, 8, and 9. Video at #7, then comes Little Bombs, and then she hits you on the head (or the heart) with That's How I Knew this Story Would Break My Heart (When You Wrote It), one of the best songs she's ever written.

Song #10 lightens the pace and then before you know it you have the rollicking "I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas" coming at you at #11. Beautiful, finishing up, is a song that grows on you, and is quite beautiful.

At the front end of the album, Dear John gets the album off to a Great start. King of the Jailhouse is one of my favorite Mann songs ever; I love hearing her play it on piano. Goodbye Caroline and Going Through the Motions are also great songs.

Just a Great album. The songs stand on their own, and you'd never think otherwise. But then you find out that the songs represent a theme to a story, and it's quite nice. Like pieces to a puzzle that come together. A bonus.

PS: The forgotten arm is a boxing maneuver, wherein a boxer punches away with one arm, making his opponent forget his other arm, which he then uses for a surprise knockout punch.