"I made this to be listened to like an album. That means sitting down and taking in all of either side one or side two." In other words, each side has a unified concept. So here Jim breaks it down for us. Side One: My Misadventures:

Johnnie's Going Down: It's always fun to watch the mighty fall, particularly when they don't see it coming. The instrumental section tries to bring back some of that Tijuana Brass sound that accompanied so many of our parent's "key parties" in basement dens across early '70s America.

To and Fro: A musical melodrama around the theme: You're either on the bus or off the bus, but don't make me sit here with the door open. Features lots of over the top piano runs and the first appearance of castanets in a pop tune since the Phil Spector trial.

No Way Out: If you're going to throw your life away you might as well have a good time doing it. Written drunk, recorded drunk, I'm not going to tell you how to listen to music but I'm just saying I'm buying the next round. By the third drink you'll begin to notice that the chord progression isn't as close to that other song's as you thought it was back when you were sober.

So: People leave. You don't have to hate them for it. If you really want to know what this one's about, listen to Mike Frank's piano part - says it all.

Nothing's Changed: Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed in the morning. But usually only Mondays through Fridays, and then also on the weekends. Once you get past that it's usually . . . oh wait, never mind.

Side Two: Other People's Misadventures

8Track: The guy singing this song has really great childhood memories singing songs with his sister while listening to 8Tracks. The fact that he isn't old enough to have actually been around when 8Tracks were doesn't seem to bother him. Neither does the fact that he doesn't even have a sister. A great memory is a great memory. It doesn't have to be YOUR memory.

Listening to NRBQ: Is this guy reminiscing about the fantastic, though criminally under-recognized, NRBQ, his old girlfriend, or just about a time when music was the center of everyone's lives? I don't know. Big Al Anderson from the legendary NRBQ plays electric guitar on this tune, sounding EXACTLY like Big Al Anderson (no mean feat).

Chalk One Up for Albert's Side: The guy in this song was an eye-witness to the pivotal moment in the life of a third grader, when the good guys actually won a round against the forces of evil. It was probably the last time in his life he saw anything like this. Written with Tony Asher, which still makes me think "Jesus Christ, are you kidding me, Tony Asher?" And then I check and it turns out no, Jesus Christ is NOT kidding me, it really was written with Tony Asher.

On Your Birthday: Why does this guy's ex-girlfriend's birthday still get to him? Why does he even remember her birthday? Is he still in love with her? You'll have to ask David Poe, because he wrote the lyric to this one. Love that David Poe

Three Weeks Shy: The guy in this song lost his brother in Iraq. There are over 4000 stories like this and counting.

[note we did remove a couple of political references since our editorial policy is to shy away from all politics and concentrate on music. - ed]