The Winner and Other Losers isn't strictly conceptual but it expands on a loose-legged blend of hard country and storytelling folk, emphasizing the good humor of Shel Silverstein and Bare.
Some of this veers pretty close to novelty, particularly on its best-known song, "Dropkick Me, Jesus," but the casual swagger of the arrangements and Bare's modulated growl keep the music grounded and, even if it doesn't have the thematic heft of the previous year's Hard Time Hungrys, song for song The Winner and Other Losers winds up resonating longer because it keeps the focus strictly on the music.