The Forgotten Arm is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released on SuperEgo Records on May 3, 2005. It is a concept album set in the 1970s about two lovers who go on the run.

The album reflects Mann's own boxing in its story and illustrations. The title is derived from a move in which one arm is used to hit the opponent, causing him to "forget" about the other arm, which is then used to deliver a harsher blow. The album won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.

Music and lyrics

The Forgotten Arm was produced by Joe Henry and recorded mostly live in the studio.

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| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = (unfavorable)

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| rev5 = Pitchfork Media

| rev5Score = (7.4/10)

| rev6 = PopMatters

| rev6Score = (9/10)

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The Forgotten Arm has a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews". Trouser Press gave it a positive review and said, "Some of the songs are immediately engrossing... Others mostly carry the story forward while allowing Mann to indulge her career-long taste for vintage keyboard orchestration, coolly elegant pop arrangements and displays of tart wordplay."

E! Online gave The Forgotten Arm a B− and said it "reveals how straight-up dull Mann's country-tinged songs can be". The album won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Mann and Gail Marowitz.

Track listing

All songs written by Aimee Mann.

  1. "Dear John" – 3:07
  2. "King of the Jailhouse" – 5:19
  3. "Goodbye Caroline" – 3:53
  4. "Going Through the Motions" – 2:57
  5. "I Can't Get My Head Around It" – 3:37
  6. "She Really Wants You" – 3:26
  7. "Video" – 3:35
  8. "Little Bombs" – 3:49
  9. "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart" – 4:19
  10. "I Can't Help You Anymore" – 4:52
  11. "I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas" – 4:23
  12. "Beautiful" – 3:48

Personnel

  • Aimee Mann – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Jay Bellerose – drums, percussion
  • Victor Indrizzo – drums, cowbells, percussion
  • Jeff Trott – electric guitar, baritone guitar, mandolin
  • Paul Bryan – bass instrument, background vocals
  • Jebin Bruni – keyboards
  • West End Horns

;Also:

  • Julian Coryell

References