Following up the album San Francisco, "Hello Amsterdam" was considered a potential single and released as an EP with outtakes from the recording sessions. The cover of "On a Clear Day" expresses singer Mark Eitzel's interests in showtunes, while "Elbow Deep" is one of the few AMC songs written by another band member (in this case, guitarist Vudi). The alternate take of "The Thorn in My Side Is Gone" is even more tortured than the album version. "The President's Test for Physical Fitness" and "I Just Took My Two Sleeping Pills and Now I'm Like a Bridegroom Standing at the Altar" are songs Eitzel had been performing in solo concerts at a much slower pace. For the album sessions, he sped them up and turned them into viable rockers. As usual, Eitzel's beautifully constructed lyrics give the songs a singular edge.