One reason why 's sixth album, , is his best record yet is simply the sound. 's move from , who produced his last four albums, to is a serious upgrade. , a bassist by trade with a talent for string arranging, specializes in working in Nashville with artists who don't quite belong in Nashville. His production of 's resulted in a masterpiece, and he's done quality work with the likes of , , and , creating a country-pop sound that achieves the crossover such artists crave. is a perfect fit for ; he gives the music the polish 's always needed. But that only explains the reason why the album works so well sonically. The main reason it's 's best is the songs, most of which he wrote. has always been a good songwriter when he had the time to apply himself, and he's been developing a persona that reaches its culmination here. Or, it might be said that the persona takes a logical next step. 's alter ego is something of a screwup, a guy who's on the road, sometimes defined as a traveling musician, and who fuels himself on liquor and recreational drugs. He wants to get home to his loved ones, but he's actually not in that much of a hurry to do so. The guy who sang in 1974 ("I just want you back by my side") has evolved into someone who's been on the road so long that he and his pals He may, as he claims, but he also acknowledges, "The longer I'm gone the closer I feel to you." When he is at home, he is clearly at loose ends, and this is where 's observations are most acute, as he leads off the LP's two sides with its two best songs. The title tune finds him world-weary yet ready to head off again. "If I wasn't crazy I would go insane," goes the chorus. And the culmination of it all comes on the irresistibly catchy, completely self-deprecating a guitar-strumming beach bum's declaration of purpose (or purposelessness). He can't remember how he got a new tattoo, he has cut his foot on the "pop top" of a beer can, and his heart seems to have been broken some time in the past (he doesn't seem to remember all that well), but soon his blender will finish stirring up his favorite drink and all will be well. The song is an anthem for the character and likely to prove an archetype. ~ William Ruhlmann