John Mayer is back with a brand new record!

John Mayer

The american guitarist, singer, songwriter announced his upcoming (fourth) studio album, “Battle Studies” to be released on the 17th of November 2009.

I’m extremely looking forward to hear the new record, especially, since I gather Mayer is like good wine… he matures as time elapses. The main reason why I got into what he does, was the third full-lenght album of his, “Continuum” (2006). Although both the debut and the follow up John Mayer albums, “Room for Squares” (2001), and “Heavier Things” (2003) were really successful, especially the first one.

The main difference in terms of the first two albums and Continuum for me was the basic approach of songwriting and composing. On Continuum Mayer introduces a new sound, a lot more “bluesy” one than ever before.  After I came to know the album better, I listened to the other two as well. I found them really entertaining, with loads of singles and “single-like” tracks, but the whole concept was too “pop-rock” for me. I still put them on, once in a while, for one simple cause, the unique guitar style and obvious virtuosity he’s been gifted with.

Mixing this “JM guitar” factor with the blues – rock and roll taste is the best I could ask for. On his third album, Mayer worked together with Pino Palladino (bass) and Steve Jordan (drums) for the first time on a studio album, and later they formed the “John Mayer Trio”. From then on, the Trio became a separate act to play the “more serious-elegant part” within John Mayer live performances. To sum up my thoughts, I would like to say, that regarding his recent works, no one should be afraid of dissapointment, from the group of fans who like what he does for the same reasons I do. 

Here’s the first official music video featuring the song “Who Says”, one of the tracks from the new album. (Lot of people said, that it resembles “Stop This Train” from Continuum, or more like a sequel of it. I agree with them perfectly, by the way Stop This Train is my favorite John Mayer song.)

Go Johnny! (Official Website: http://www.johnmayer.com)

#14.  John Mayer- Room for Squares (2001): As I write this, I can already hear the boos coming from every musician, hippie, audiophile, hipster, or music snob (you know who you are, er Hoyer) that reads this.  I get it.  John Mayer as a musician, songwriter, or person is just plain irritating on multiple levels.  If it isn’t the quasi-orgasmic faces he makes when he plays, its the wanna-be ironic, self-effacing persona he puts on that everyone knows is fake.  For some, its his modern day take on Yacht Rock that just seems too catchy to be credible.  Still, that does not alter my view that he is one of the best pure songwriters of our time, and Room for Squares was his coming out party.  Like Dave Matthews (not coincidentally producer John Alagia has also worked with Matthews) from a few years before, Mayer is on one hand a unique and skilled musician, and on the other an excellent craftsmen of song.  Although the lyrics are too cute by a half, the song composition shows maturity and diversity.  From the outset, with “No Such Thing” Mayer mixes a catchy melody with jazz influenced pop structure.  The schlock comes out with the chorus that’s undeniably catchy.  The rest of the album proceeds along a similar course.  As a musician, I simply have to give him his due.  Although the music here is catchy, none of its easy or predictable.  The album ends like it begins.  A catchy melody accompanied by some of the most challenging chord structures I’ve heard in popular music.  In the end, there are just too many good songs on this album to ignore.  Sure, every time I hear “Your Body is a Wonderland” I want to vomit.  Yet I cant deny his guitar solo on “City Love,” which is just too deft for me to ignore.

Faves: No Such Thing, City Love, 3×5, Great Indoors, St. Patrick’s Day

Don’t think I have the time today to crank out a new one, so here’s a blog I did several years ago about John Mayer. It’s an oldie, but goodie!! Enjoy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ok, so you know how after you cycle through your music collection, you always end up rediscovering an artist all over again? Well, that’s what happened today and the talented winner is (drumroll please)….none other than John Mayer. There’s a funny story that goes behind my discovery of this young man. The summer after my graduation from undergrad, I came to know a really cool girl who was just as into music (all types) as myself. It just so happened that she was ABSOLUTELY obsessed with Mr. Mayer, who was relatively new at the time and was coming to town that weekend. Of course, she was planning to go, but at the time, she had no one to go with. Although she had been ranting and raving about this young musician all week, I had not ever heard of him and wasn’t really tuned up enough to go “pay” to see him. Well, as it turned out, her other friend did end up going along with her to check out the show, but her insistence on this guy’s talent, at the very least, coerced me to check him out for myself. After sound checking some of his stuff, I gave a relaxed seal of approval to my friend, but it still wasn’t enough for me to “actually purchase his CD”. Eerily however, his songs followed me everywhere I went for the remainder of that year until I finally felt so moved as to, well..”actually purchase his CD”. Now I am sitting here wondering what took me so friggin’ long in the first place. Ok, so lemme break this down….

ROOM FOR SQUARES – this debut by John is a sheer knockout, enjoyable by both twentysomething females looking for love (good, real, sincere love) and twentysomething males that similarly emulate John’s awkwardness in finding such love. While love is not big on my agenda currently, John has a very sincere way of conveying relationship situations… obviously credited to his superb lyricism. Track 3 “My Stupid Mouth” for instance, vividly captures the discomfort of a “slip of the mouth” on an already tense, figgedity first date. John not only delivers situational dialogue, but also paints a fabulous description of body mannerisms, nervous behavior, and emotion. You can’t help but say “Damn, I’ve been through a situation just like that!” Not all his songs are about relationships though, tracks like “‘83″ and “3×5″ show the true observer in John, respectively discussing the simplicity of childhood and how memories are so much bigger than any camera or 3×5 could ever capture.

HEAVIER THINGS – John’s second effort successfully rids the curse of the sophomore slump, mainly because this boy is very, very talented!! Appropriately titled, this album is a lot more contemplative about life, its moments, and its uncertainties. It’s slightly darker, but filled with curiousity and underbearing confidence (“Clarity and Bigger than my Body”). A couple other favorites include “Split Screen Sadness” (very cleverly titled), about a relationship gone wrong with both parties enduring pain of a breakup, and “Daughters”, a message regarding the significance of parenting.

RECOMMENDATION: Regarding his music and especially his melodramatic stage presence (his fans know what I’m talking about), no one can do it quite like John. Looking very forward to his next album.

So the list below is albums that I think are outstanding – pretty much every track is awesome. In no particular order. Note these are only albums I have in my collection, so not really a world standard or anything.

Jars of Clay – Jars of Clay

Their first and best album, I was stoked to find two copies of it in Manna last year, I bought them both, as I was present shopping. wikipedia last.fm

John Mayer - Room For Squares

An easy album to relate to lyrically, and well produced thought out music. I haven’t really heard any of his other albums in their entirety, but this one rocks. wikipedia last.fm

RelientK – Mmhmm

Another album that’s easy to relate to lyrically and has a good dose of humour and well arranged music. wikipedia last.fm

Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown

The album that put Switchfoot on the map (though all their previous stuff was also fantastic), where every track is a single really, that’s how good it is. wikipedia last.fm

Switchfoot – Nothing is Sound

A great follow up to The Beautiful Letdown with more of a rock feel, and once again, every track fantastic! wikipedia last.fm

Delirious – King of Fools

More of a rock offering from Delirious, as opposed to pop and/or worship, with every track fantastic. wikipedia last.fm

Linkin Park – Meteora

You either like Linkin Park or you don’t, But if you do, you’d probably agree that there are no bad tracks on this album. I enjoy every song. wikipedia last.fm

Magnify – Alive Within

The only worship band I know of that really actually plays rock music. Every track is great, though there are stand-outs like title track Alive Within. wikipedia last.fm

Magnify – In Wonder

Magnify’s first offering, still full of awesome tracks. Obviously Blown Away is the crowd favourite but I enjoy singing along to every track on this album. wikipedia last.fm

Mumsdollar – A Beautiful Life

The album that brought Mumsdollar to nationwide adoration in NZ, a mix of rock, punk and emo, but every song is an anthem. wikipedia last.fm

Newsboys – Love Liberty Disco

Interestingly enough, this album could be said to be a departure from the usual style for the Newsboys, but I think it’s their best album, though certainly all their albums have great tracks, Love Liberty Disco is another album where every track is a winner. wikipedia last.fm

Pillar – Where Do We Go From Here

Unlike “For the Love of the Game” which follows this album and tries a bit too hard at it, Where Do We Go From Here has great rhythm, great lyrics and is easy to sing along to for an album by a heavier artist. wikipedia last.fm

Queen – Greatest Hits 1

So greatest hits albums are cheating a bit (though some bands’ greatest hits albums really aren’t all that great), but this is an album in my collection that I just love, so it deserves to be here. Queen’s greatest hits really are great, what can I say? wikipedia last.fm

The infamous producer of The Ginger Cat and Je m’apelle My Balls just
moved into the Heights… 

In other music related news, I walked past John Mayer when I was coming
out of a guitar shop in Shibuya yesterday…
Matt Hill: He looks like a dork
Me: Yeah… cause he is.

When it comes to John Mayer there really isn’t any in between.

People either love him or loathe him.

The former for his undeniable skills both electrically and acoustically on the guitar,  the latter for his smug and at-times arrogant attitude and tabloid exploits.

The reason I bring this up is two-fold.

When any of my friends find out that I’m a fan of Mayer’s discography, I’m usually condemned for liking the stylings of such a pompous, egotistical, self-indulgent artist who makes just as many headlines for his social life as he does for his music (their words, not necessarily mine).  Furthermore, my pals facetiously label me as a “Sensy” (to borrow from Zach Braff’s character on Scrubs “Our music is acoustic alternative, we marvel at fireflies, and when we help a drunk girl home from the bar, sure we cop a feel… a feel of her hair as we’re pulling it back so she doesn’t get any vomit in it.”)

Okay, so maybe that description isn’t quite me — at least the part about the fireflies — and, sure Mayer’s lyrics are for the overly-perceptive. However, the alternative reason I bring this up is, after my daily surfing of YouTube, I finally had the opportunity to watch the uploaded DVD of “Where the Light Is –  John Mayer Live in Los Angeles”. Not only was the performance flawless, but, in a way, it made me somewhat angry over the fact that critics focus more on Mayer’s personal life than his music — whether it be who he’s dating or what was said in a recent interview.

Maybe I’m of the rare-type, but when I listen to music I’m more interested in what my speakers are producing than what the media is. I focus more on how the specific artist has grown since their last album. With Mayer, you consistently get that. He has transformed himself from a pop-rock newcomer in 2001 to a legitimate and well-respected blues guitarist for not only his solo material but also for his dealings with the John Mayer Trio.

Sure, he’s had some real duds along the way (see “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Bigger Than My Body”) that have teetered on the brink of appalling. Yet, for the few missteps he’s encountered, Mayer has always delivered solid work — from his major label debut “Room For Squares” (see “Neon” and “City Love”) that was acoustically-driven to the heavily incorporated rhythm and blues of his latest release “Continuum” (See “Gravity” and “I’m Gonna Find Another You”).

Now I can understand the criticism and no this isn’t a “Leave John Mayer Alone” outcry, but in the end shouldn’t it really be just about the music?

– JWS

Welcome to the tearjerking, heart wrenching, blood curdling final installment of Musical Timeline.  If you have no idea what this is all about, then check the previous 2 entries.  We will tell you that Part 2 was probably the best, and most controversial, fitting in right with The Empire Strikes Back and Look Who’s Talking Too in epic trilogies.  We welcome your criticism of our choices, as long as you know that in the end, you are wrong.

We end with the years 1997-2008: there is too much of 2009 left to go ahead and name a best album of the year, but mayhaps we will come back to this from time to time.  It’s a little early in our relationship with our readers to be talking about the 20th anniversary of Random Ramblings (we’re keeping it casual at the moment. Doing the bull dance, feeling the flow. Working it. Working it.)

Here it is. 

1997: Radiohead-Ok Computer

Another no brainer.  This album changed how this band was perceived, and gave them tenure as the Alternative World’s most brilliant, ambitious band.  Not a happy album by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps the most epic, atmospheric, foreboding collection of songs to gain semi-mainstream acceptance in the last couple of decades.  If they come close to this level of greatness again, it will be ok. Even coming close would be pretty amazing. 

Honorable Mention: Foo Fighters-The Colour and the Shape

1998: Elliott Smith-XO

We first found out about Mr. Smith like most people: while watching the excellent movie Good Will Hunting.  While “Miss Misery” and the other songs on the soundtrack drew us in, this major label debut was full of gorgously bittersweet acoustic ballads, as well as some up tempo rockers.  While we think Figure 8 is probably a better album from start to finish, the highlights of “Pitseleh”, “Bled White”, and “Oh Well, Ok” makes us wish we could have had a full lifetime of work from this troubled musical genius. If you are in a good mood and want to be brought down a notch, anything by Elliott Smith will do just fine.

Honorable Mention: Beastie Boys-Hello Nasty

1999: Wilco-Summerteeth

Before they started coming out with adventerous but not-so-fun-to-listen-to sonic detours, Wilco had the double dose of heightened inspiration that was Being There, and then this album. After the twangyness of their previous album, the off kilter modern day Beach Boy harmonies were a little jarring.  But this album delivers classic song after classic song, culminating in the perfect title track.  Even the hidden song “Candyfloss”, an apparent tossaway for the band, is better than most bands can ever hope for.  This is pop music for hopelessly romantic,  narcisistic, and nostalgic music lovers (I’m sure Jeff Tweedy wouldn’t mind putting himself in all three catagories). 

Honorable Mention: Travis-The Man Who

2000: Coldplay-Parachutes

It’s interesting to think that everyone thought that Coldplay wanted to be the next Radiohead, instead of the next U2 like they would later aspire to become.  For downtrodden, sad sack songs, this album is pitch perfect.  Favorites of ours: “Sparks”, “Trouble”, “Don’t Panic”, and of course, “Yellow”.  Their song writing would take on a more crowd pleasing singalong turn on later releases, perhaps for the better, depending on who you ask.  But this was an impressive debut for a band that has gone on to become the most popular band of this decade. 

Honorable Mention: Elliott Smith-Figure 8

2001: Pete Yorn-Music for the Morning After

It’s a shame that Pete Yorn has still not moved from just a step beyond cult status.  His debut album seemed to be a sign that his star would ascend a lot farther than it has, but it isn’t for lack of talent. This isn’t a ground shattering innovation of an album-just an album’s worth of heartfelt songs, with interesting lyrics and Yorn’s emotional vocals that resonate with the listener.  ”Life on a Chain”, “Black”, and “Murray” have enough of a balance between world weariness and yearning  to draw the listener in.  If interested, check out his 3rd album next (Nightcrawler), then his 2nd (Day I Forgot). 

Honorable Mention: John Mayer-Room For Squares

2002: David Gray-A New Day at Midnight

He’s known for “Babylon” but then seemed to slip from the radar back to obscurity.  But this album is stronger than White Ladder. A nice combo of drum machine beats, keyboards,  and acoustic guitars align for an underrated mellow masterpiece. More people will hopefully hear this as the years go on. Best songs: “Long Distance Call”, “Kangaroo”, and “Last Boat to Nowhere”.  

Honorable Mention: Queens of the Stone Age-Songs for the Deaf

2003: The White Stripes-Elephant

We truly didn’t get this band until we saw them live. Sure, we liked “Fell in Love With a Girl”. But nothing prepared us for the hot slab of rock that they shoved down our throat when we saw them at Music Midtown in 2005.  Meg White’s kindergarden bully drumming and Jack White’s slide guitar on crack wailing gave us a new appreciation for their modern day blues and rock.  Give Jack White 3 chords and a vintage amp and he’ll pulverize your cerebral cortez and have you smiling the whole time.  If the guitar solos in “Ball and Biscuit” don’t stir your inner air guitarist, then you are an android. A really dorky, uncool android. 

Honorable Mention: Guster-Keep it Together

2004: Interpol-Antics

Menacing bass driven nightclub rock for the city dwelling set.  We have not heard much Joy Division, but anything that inspired this album must be a good thing.  The bass in “Length of Love” is fit for a sinister disco.  And the staccoto guitar in “Evil” seems like the theme music for some ubercool, indifferent city spy, who doesn’t really care if he assassinates his target, but wants to look cool during the attempt.  Other highlights: “C’mere”, and “Slow Hands”.  

Honorable Mention: Ambulance LTD-LP

2005: My Morning Jacket-Z

A perfect mash up of falsetto, reverb, classic rock, epic guitar solos, and non-self indulgent, non-boring jamming.  ”Lay Low” has the best build up we’ve heard in quite some time. It made us appreciate long, jammy codas if done the right way. And the right way includes piercing guitar work, culimating in the whole band regrouping for a thunderous finale. The electro-coustic soul of “It Beats 4 U” shows how creative they can be, but the driving, propulsive “Anytime” also shows how they can maneuver themselves around a standard rock song just fine. Also an amazing live band, which is the icing on the cake. 

Honorable Mention: Coldplay-X & Y

2006: My Chemical Romance-The Black Parade

We felt a little odd when we starting liking this band’s music, seeing as the youth of today were so infatuated with them.  We are sure they would have been mortified to know that we were rocking out to “The Ghost of  You” and “I’m Not Okay” in our cars.  But who would have known that they had this epic, theatrical classic in them.  Intended to be taken in as a whole, with a story of a terminally ill patient running throughout, this album is a soaring mix of punk, pop, balladry, and even some vaudeville thrown in.  Our personal favorites are “Welcome to The Black Parade”, “I Don’t Love You”, “Cancer”, and “Disenchanted”, but we could listen to this from start to finish any time, any day.  

Honorable Mention: Mastodon-Blood Mountain

2007: The White Stripes-Icky Thump

Jack and Meg can’t be denied a second entry on the list.  After the slight detour of Get Behind Me Satan, they returning to their old stomping grounds of riff rock.  The title track is menacing stop start rhythms and screeching guitar work.  ”Conquest” features a duel to the death between horns and guitar.  And “Catch Hell Blues” has slide work so impressive that it makes Duane Allman’s ghost weep with shame. Can’t wait to hear what they create next. 

Honorable Mention: Band of Horses-Cease to Begin

2008: Coldplay-Viva La Vida

If we had to pick a best album by them, it might actually be this album.  We like the succinct, catchy, dense quality of the music. And the title track could be the best song of last year, or any other year in recent memory. It is physically impossible not to sing along with it. (sorry Joe Satriani-we don’t think they plagiarized your song on purpose. Learn how to sing like Chris Martin and beat him to the punch next time).  ”Strawberry Swing” is a nice tribal change of pace, and “Lovers in Japan” bounces along on sunny tack piano. It is fashionable to dismiss this band as lightweight, but the truth is that they write really, really good songs. The scary thing is that it feels like they are just hitting their stride. 

Honorable Mention: Metallica-Death Magnetic

So there you have it. The albums that we will place in the time capsule.  If, perchance, the invaders discover the location of said time capsule, rest assured we have a back up plan. And as soon as we figure out what it is, we will put it to action.

Otra semana más os traigo a alguien descubierto en una keynote del gran Jobs, en esta ocasión se trata de John Mayer, concretamente en la presentación de la MacWorld 2005, si no recuerdo mal, mientras presentaba GarageBand estuvo John haciendo ejemplos tocando la guitarra, y luego cerró con una canción… Y el chico me llegó, de hecho ha sido mi primera compra legal en la iTunes Store. La canción que os traigo hoy viene en ese disco, “Room For Squares“, y, aún a riesgo de repetirme, os recomiendo que lo escuchéis, y si podéis echarle un vistazo a su discografía no lo dudéis, otro disco que me gusta mucho es “Heavier Things” También como siempre no os negaré que la canción no está elegida al azar, disfrutadla…

Welcome to the real world
She said to me kind of condescendingly
Take a seat, take your life
Plot it out in black and white
Well I never lived the dreams of the prom kings
And the drama queens
Id like to think the best of me
Is still hiding up my sleeve

They love to tell you stay inside the lines
But somethings better on the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the top of my lungs
I just found out theres no such thing as the real world
Just a lie youve got to rise above

So the good boys and girls take the so-called right track
Faded white hats grabbing the credits and making transfers
They read all the books but they cant find the answers
And all of our parents, theyre getting older
I wonder if theyve wished for anything better
While in their memories, tiny tragedies

They love to tell you stay inside the lines
But somethings better on the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the top of my lungs
I just found out theres no such thing as the real world
Just a lie youve got to rise above

I am invincible
I am invincible
I am invincible
As long as Im alive

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the top of my lungs
I just found out theres no such thing as the real world
Just a lie youve got to rise above

I just cant wait till my ten year reunion
Im gonna bust down the double doors
And when I stand on these tables before you
You will know what all this time was for

 

Su musica mezclada con el jazz y el blues y su melosa voz hacen de sus discos una formula formidable. Su primer material, Room for Squares nos muestra 13 canciones con una calidad acústica sorprendente, asi como a uno de los mejores guitarristas de la música contemporanea, todo esto le llevo a ser un éxito a este CD, como no recordar ese verso que decia “tu cuerpo es un país de maravillas, usaré mis manos” con ese sonido pegajoso en “Your Body Is a Wonderland”, o ese rift de “Neon” o el ritmo de “No Such Thing”. En fin, un album muy recomendable como música para ambientar esas citas en casa.

1. No Such Thing
2. Why Geórgia
3. My Stupid Mouth
4. Your Body Is A Wonderland
5. Néon
6. City Love Mayer
7. 83
8. 3×5
9. Love Song For No One
10. Back To You
11. Great Indoors
12. Not Myself
13. St. Patrick’s Day

Descarga : Room for Squares

Fuente del link: Melodia Dantesca

Back To You John Mayer music video clip

Video Clip : Back To You

Singer : John Mayer

No Such Thing John Mayer music video clip

Video Clip : No Such Thing

Singer : John Mayer

Not Myself John Mayer music video clip

Video Clip : Not Myself

Singer : John Mayer

Your Body Is A Wonderland John Mayer music video clip

Video Clip : Your Body Is A Wonderland

Singer : John Mayer

…I swear I have a good explanation for this

So I was bored the other day and reviewed this album. Being the dumbass that I am, I also wrote the Abe Vigoda album but instead of saving it separately i obviously had to go and save it on top of that review. Bollocks, so here’s my shot at resaying what I meant to say before.

Where the Light Is is an interesting listen. While I’ve moved past the stage in my life where I’d hit the repeat button on my CD player and play Heavier Things or Room for Squares on the schoolbus, I still have a certain fondness for John Mayer. I saw him live about five years ago, my first concert actually, and he puts on a decent show in the eyes of a 14 or 15-year-old girl.

Between my teen bopper and power pop stages, I had a bit of a crush on Mayer’s music. I’ll admit I even know Continuum and the Trio album even though I never really listened to either of them. They both might still be in their plastic, as I purchased them after my initial interest had faded. A few years back I’d also bought his earlier live album, Any Given Thursday, which is a good listen, combining many of Mayer’s more famous songs with special live performances of songs like The Police’s “Message in a Bottle”. Where the Light Is is no different. It concentrates more on more recent songs, pulling from Continuum and includes one performance with the John Mayer Trio. As for this album’s live cover, Mayer takes a page out of Tom Petty’s book and performs his version of “Free Fallin’”, the album’s most distinct track.

This CD is meant for a true fan, someone who doesn’t mind hearing the same tracks done again. Mayer sounds the same live as he does on any of his formally recorded albums. And while I’m happy streaming this CD to review it for you all, it’s not something I’d purchase, as I’m no longer a fan of that level. It’s a good listen, but it’s no longer my cup of tea.

Buy Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles

When John Mayer made his breakthrough in 2002 with the release of Room For Squares, his acoustic-pop masterpiece spawned hit after hit (No Such Thing, Why Georgia & Your Body Is A Wonderland) that propelled him into the celebrity stratosphere and made him a heart-throb for the pre-teen masses.

Your Body Is A Wonderland

When Mayer decided he was sick of being looked down on, his peers seeing him as nothing more than a popstar, he began to branch out into other genres, and a transformation began.

Collaborations with Kanye West and Common hinted at a move into a more hip-hop influenced sound, and this seemed all the more likely when Mayer was endorsed by rap legends such as Jay-Z and Nelly, but he instead slipped into a different skin, and in the summer of 2005, he began jamming with various blues legends, including Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and toured with pianist Herbie Hancock.

Inspired by his new-found love for the blues, Mayer formed the John Mayer Trio with bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan, and they began a North American tour, including a stint opening for The Rolling Stones. Such were the rave reviews that greeted them wherever they went, the Trio released a live album, Try! that showcased their mix of blues and rock, featuring strung out jams and wild soloing, and built a new persona for Mayer: The Guitar God.

With the release of 2006’s Continuum, Mayer did not dissapoint his new fans, with a mix of his old pop sensibilities with bluesy jams, showcased perfectly on lead-off single Waiting On The World To Change, as well as slow-jam Gravity & funked up Vultures, which both featured on Try! Mayer also played up to his recently accquired status as a leader of a new generation of leading guitarists, including a cover of Jimi Hendrix’ Bold As Love. 

Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

Several glowing reviews and a Rolling Stone cover later, and the tide is slowly beginning to turn in favour of the new Mayer, but some still hold Wonderland over him, and bemoan his celebrity status – He has dated several A-listers, including Jessica Simpson (a cardinal sin in the eyes of some), blogs frequently, and is often seen to pursue publicity (last week he released a short comedy video in which he parodied himself as an egotistical rockstar, last month he performed a short solo set on a cruise ship dressed in a Borat-esque thong).

But if you are prepared to look beyond all the bullshit, and leave the past in the past, the growth of John Mayer as a musician is something that cannot be denied, and his live performances only hint at progression of his new-found status as a Blues Craftsman.

Pre-Order: Where The Light Is, A CD/DVD release of his benefit show at LA’s Nokia Theater last December, which included a solo acoustic set, a Trio performance, and a closing set with his full Continuum touring band, directed by the excellent Danny Clinch, who in the last year has brought us the beautifully shot Skin & Bones by the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam’s Immagine In Cornice.

Purchase: John Mayer – Continuum

Catch Mayer Live: Tour Dates

Photo Credit: Danny Clinch

Feedback: What did you think of the article? Did you agree with what was said, or do you take a different view? What are your impressions of John Mayer? Leave a comment and share your views…

Not that he cares, but I feel I need to publically apologize to John Mayer for all the years I wasted being angry at him rather than recognizing his musical genius. So here goes–John Mayer, I’m really, really sorry, and to make it up to you, I (or other members of my household) have purchased three of your albums and one book of guitar tabs in addition to adding your songs to constant iPod and car CD player rotation. While I realize that none of these actions elevates me to the level of Superfan, I hope that they have at least shown that I am making a good-faith effort to put whatever enmity there was on my part toward you behind us (“us” being defined in this case as “me”).

My John Mayer hate was, initially, justified. Really. In Spring 2002, I was at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore on East 23rd in NYC when my attention shifted from browsing the shelves to listening to the album playing over the bookstore’s loudspeakers. And I was really confused, because the voice in the songs sounded like Dave Matthews. But it couldn’t have been Dave Matthews, see, because there’s no way that Dave Matthews in any of his permutations (solo, with Tim Reynolds, or with the Dave Matthews Band) is putting out a new album on me without my knowing about it in advance. It just doesn’t happen (and that restraining order should be arriving in three…two…one…).

So I left the bookstore hurt and confused that one of my musical heroes had snuck out some new tunes when I wasn’t paying attention. Fueled by my disappointment, I scoured the Internet and listened to the radio a little more carefully, eventually discovering that what I’d been hearing in the stacks at Shakespeare & Co. was actually Room for Squares by John Mayer.

And so I immediately began hating John Mayer. I hated him for making me think he was Dave Matthews. End of story.

Or sort of. Anyone who’s taken repeat rides on the roller coaster of human emotion knows that hate doesn’t equal indifference. Hate means you care, while the true opposite of caring is indifference. And I found indifference toward John Mayer damn near impossible, because he was everywhere. He was everywhere like fungus in the woods. A fungus in the woods who writes really catchy songs.

Just as an example, I worked with someone who would often play Heavier Things in our shared office, and when she’d ask if I minded, I’d lie and say “No.” Except that I can now admit that I wasn’t really lying. I’d find myself humming the songs to myself on the bus home, even though I still maintained the public front of being a John Mayer-hater (which should not be confused with being a player-hater, which is something entirely different). When Family Guy–in that episode in which Chris develops a giant zit named Doug who makes him do all sorts of nefarious things–took a swipe at John Mayer (Doug makes Chris spray paint “That’s Enough, John Mayer” on a wall), I laughed pretty hard because that John Mayer was just getting what he deserved, you know. And shortly after that episode aired, one of my students and I went to town on John Mayer for about five minutes at the start of class, telling everyone in the room that “Yeah, he sucks because he’s just a big fat Dave Matthews rip-off and what’s up with that anyway and you know he’s an asshole because he dates all those hot female celebrities”, never mind the fact that the ratio of the hotter the girlfriend, the bigger the asshole doesn’t necessarily hold up under all circumstances (and I should know, seeing as I am a) not really that hot, but b) have still managed to date some pretty spectacular assholes in my time). But mostly, this student and I were just riffing for the benefit of the rest of the class who were all sitting there looking at us like “Who the hell is John Mayer?” (and someone eventually transcended the look to actually ask) because in this particular class, most of the students weren’t aware that any musicians existed who weren’t signed to the Death Row label. A fabulous guitar player wasn’t going to register on their radar screens.

And in time, I started to admit that’s what John Mayer was–a fabulous guitar player. I heard songs from the John Mayer Trio album Try while listening to Pandora.com (having created a radio station that revolved around matches to the Dave Matthews Band, of course) and had to say, as someone who’s a fan of Eric Clapton and Robert Cray and, well, anyone who can play a good blues guitar, that this guy was pretty fucking spectacular. But even so, I wasn’t totally giving in. I kept holding out, despite the fact that my teenaged brother-in-law, a guitar player himself whom I look to as my arbiter of all things currently cool, had judged John Mayer as currently, and continuously, cool. But no–my memories of being tricked at the Shakespeare & Co. were just too strong, too bitter, too deeply ingrained in my psyche for me to admit to anything more than “Yeah. That John Mayer. He’s okay, I guess.”

So I wasn’t totally crumbling, but my resistance was weakening. I was meeting with a faculty member in my little cubicle at work, and he was admiring my Dave Matthews Band tour posters (stop laughing–yes, I really do have DMB tour posters hanging up at work) when he suddenly asked “Hey, have you heard of John Mayer? People keep telling me to check him out” (thus proving that academics are almost always several years behind the general public on the pop culture curve). And I found myself saying “Yeah–he’s the real deal.”

What the hell? Where did that come from? Where was my all-consuming hatred, my righteous indignance at being duped in 2002 by this young upstart (who is, I’ve recently discovered, only six years younger than I am–so either he’s not so young or I’m not so old. I vote for option #2)?

And then this happened (Listen at about the 00.48 mark. And then switch to this version with better audio/video and listen to the rest–it’s incredible, although even I’m willing to admit that The Dave’s voice is a little rough). And any remaining anger melted away and the sky cleared and I finally Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Admit that I Like John Mayer.

My big ol’ case of the likes has been aided and abetted by the fact that my husband has started playing guitar in earnest over the last few years and recently began trying his hand at the John Mayer catalog. And when he starts learning someone’s songs, not only does he start looking for guitar tabs online, but he also buys the albums so he can listen to the songs as they’re supposed to be played. So he bought The Village Sessions and Continuum and listened to them in his car over and over. And over. And since I’m frequently in his car, I also listened to them over and over. And over.

I bought him the tab book for Continuum as a Valentine’s Day present, just so he wouldn’t have to mess with sub-standard tabs online–because I want him to play the songs exactly as they were meant to be played. And two weeks ago, I put the copy of Continuum in my car CD player. And I’m not giving it back voluntarily. If hubby wants it, he can go get it when I’m not looking.

And I’ve also learned that in addition to being a musician, John Mayer has performed stand-up, has written for Esquire, and has maintained four blogs. Four. I can’t even maintain one, obviously. So I should be jealous, but jealousy is futile at this point–the anger is gone. All I can do now is stand back and grudgingly admire the man for having a better writing career than I do.

So, there it is–John Mayer, I’m waving my white flag. I can’t fight anymore. I give up, and I apologize for my behavior. My only hope is that you can forgive me.

And, you know, nothing says forgiveness like some free tickets or backstage passes. I’m just sayin’.

Um excelente músico que estou escutando ultimamente é o John Mayer. Suas composições são baladas que misturam romantismo, muito ‘blues’ e ‘rock’.

Na verdade, você pode estar rindo do fato das músicas serem românticas e melosas. Porém, John Mayer faz isso com diferença. É música romântica entranto, é de muita qualidade.

Dois ótimos discos desse artista são ‘ Room for Squares’ e o recém lançado ‘Continuum’, no qual o artista faz um ‘cover’ da música do Jimi Hendrix, ‘Bold as Love’. Além dos dois álbuns Mayer gravou um disco, um pouco diferente do seu estilo musical, chamado Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert‘. Nesse disco o artista se juntou com mais dois excelentes músicos e gravou uma turnê ao vivo. No ‘Try!’ o ‘blues’ está presente com mais afinco que antes, e Mayer se mostra um excelente guitarrista, influênciado por ‘Eric Clapton’ e ‘B.B. King’.

Destaque de Músicas por disco

Room for Squares‘No such thing’, ‘Your body is a wonderland’, ‘3×5′

Continuum‘Waiting on the world to change’, ‘Belief’, ‘Slow dancing in a burning room’, ‘Bold as Love’

Try!…‘Wait until tomorrow’, ‘I got a woman’, ‘Something’s missing’

No mais é isso, deixo a dica, para quem gosta de música romântica, baladas, ‘blues’. Escutem os discos do John Mayer.

Abraços para todos.

Just because. (Yeah, it’s stuck. ) Too bad there’s no video to go with it.

Note: Italicized lines are… well, figure ‘em out.

Staying home alone on a Friday
Flat on the floor looking back
On old love
Or lack thereof
After all the crushes are faded
And all my wishful thinking was wrong
I’m jaded
I hate it

I’m tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
So tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
Get here

Searching all my days just to find you
I’m not sure who I’m looking for
I’ll know it
When I see you
Until then, I’ll hide in my bedroom
Staying up all night just to write
A love song for no one

I’m tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
So tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here

I could have met you in a sandbox
I could have passed you on the sidewalk
Could I have missed my chance
And watched you walk away?
Oh no way

I could have met you in a sandbox
I could have passed you on the sidewalk
Could I have missed my chance
And watched you walk away?

I’m tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
I’m so tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here

I’m tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
I’m so tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here oh yeah

You’ll be so good
You’ll be so good for me

—————-
Listening to: John Mayer – Love Song For No One

I’ve been killing a LOT of time online today.

Philosophy writing assignments? Math quiz to study for?

Absolutely not. Not when there’s Facebook.

And this has been my routine now, almost every day. I’ll check Facebook, go to class. Check facebook, do some homework. Check facebook, practice some guitar. Check facebook, work out. Spend rest of night on Facebook.

Productive, huh? The life of a college student is so tough.

Anyhoo.

While numbing all my senses by spending too much time on this ever-so-popular social networking site (and relishing every damn second of it, might I add), I just put one album on, and chill.

All of today, I’ve had Jason Mraz’s Waiting For My Rocket To Come on repeat for the most part.

Why can’t us guys listen to sensitive music? Love songs? What’s wrong with that?

I’ve always, all the way back to say, seventh grade, I’ve caught flak for being a big John Mayer fan. As soon as “Your Body Is A Wonderland” came out, I got so much shit. “John Mayer is so gay. How could you listen to that?”

You want to know how I can listen to it? Because it’s GOOD music.

I LIKE that music.

I happen to have a penchant for sensitive music. Love songs, even.

Plus, guys like John Mayer are infinitely more talented than the majority of the artists you find on the radio.

So there!

I am a fan of guys like John Mayer and Jason Mraz!

I’m putting it all out there. Here are a list of albums and songs that some might find girly, or too sensitive, that I happen to a big fan of.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

ALBUMS 

Jason Mraz – Waiting For My Rocket To Come

                         Mr. A-Z

                        Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagle’s Ballroom

John Mayer – Inside Wants Out

                        Room For Squares

                       Any Given Thursday

                       Heavier Things

                       As/Is

                       Continuum

                       Waiting on the World to Change EP

                       … and a number of live tracks.

Matt Wertz – Everything In Between

Gavin DeGraw – Chariot

Marc Broussard – Carencro

James Taylor – The Best of James Taylor

Ingram Hill – June’s Picture Show

                       Cold In California

matchbox twenty – Yourself or Someone Like You

                                   mad season by matchbox twenty

                                   More Than You Think You Are

                                   E.P.

Train - Drops of Jupiter

              My Private Nation

              For Me, It’s You

James Morrison - Undiscovered

Rob Thomas - … Something to Be 

Harry Connick Jr. - Oh, My NOLA

Dave Barnes - Brother, Bring the Sun

                          Chasing Mississippi

Sugar Ray - 14:59

                      Sugar Ray

                      In the Pursuit of Leisure

James Blunt – Back to Bedlam

Michael Buble – Michael Buble

                            Totally Buble

                            Come Fly With Me

                            It’s Time

                           Call Me Irresponsible  

SONGS

“How Much It Hurts” – Just Off Turner

“prettygirl”, “allineed” – David Ryan Harris

“This I Promise You” – *NSync (yeah, that’s right)

“Right Here Waiting” – Richard Marx

Just about every song from Rent except for “Over the Moon”. I really don’t like that song. At all.

“Bless the Broken Road”, “Fast Cars and Freedom”, “What Hurts the Most” – Rascal Flatts

Like I said, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. And I’ll add more if I think of them. That’s for future posts, I guess. But really. I could listen to The Delilah Show on any given night and be musically satisifed.

Some may call this too sensitive. Some may say that this post is a sad grab for more visitors, since anyone can Google search any one of the many artist names, albums, or songs I mentioned and be directed to this site (which is totally NOT true) (goodandrecklessandtrue.wordpress.com, tell your friends).

But no! This is a celebration of all of us sensitive men in the world. Those of us who are big football fans and listen to rock music, but also totally geek out when the play Richard Marx, Jason Mraz, or John Mayer on the radio

Today, gentlemen, we make a stand. We’re sensitive men, and we are damn proud of it!

Now let’s get some beers, and give No Strings Attached a spin!

As you will see, I’m in a sappy love song mood as of late. I have a certain girl on my mind.  

“Fool to Think” – Dave Matthews Band (Everyday)

I was never a big fan of Everyday. It still is my least favorite DMB album, I think. But I decided to take a listen to it the other day, and found that this one song, whether I’m a fan of it or not, perfectly describes exactly how I’ve been feeling. Sample lyric:

“Was I a fool to think? / The way you looked at me / I swear you did / But you looked away too quick / Was I a fool, a fool to think / That you would take me home / As if I was yours / Was I a fool to think at all?”

and

“You make a mess of me here / I dance a thousand steps for you / If you say yes to me / I’ll be whatever gets you through”

It’s everything I’ve been thinking.  

It’s like me and Dave have one mind.

“St. Patrick’s Day” – John Mayer (Room For Squares)

My favorite John Mayer song, and certainly one of my favorites overall. It’s about just wanting to be with that one special person all of the time. I wish I wrote this one.

“In the dark / On the phone / You tell me the names of your brothers / And your favorite colors / I’m learning you / And when / It snows again / We’ll take a walk outside / And search the sky / Like children do”

“Who knows / What will be / But I’ll make you / This guarantee / See / No way November will see our goodbye / When it comes to December / It’s obvious why / No one wants to be alone at Christmas time”

 “Until You” – Dave Barnes (Brother, Bring the Sun)

I’ve had this one on repeat for a while now. As I’m writing this, too.

I think this song is about finding that one person that’s right for you. I think it also might be about having that person in your life, with you. So that part, I can’t relate to. The first part I sure can.

“Love was kept from me like a secret / And I swore that I was through / Until you”

Yes.

“Come In From the Cold” – Marc Broussard (S.O.S.: Save Our Soul)

The lone original from Marc Broussard’s absolutely amazing classic soul cover album. This one’s all about, I guess, wooing. You’ve found that right person, now you’re trying to convince them that you’re the right one for them.

It seems as if me and Marc also have one mind.

“I’ve been hurt just like you / I know how hard it is to give your love away / But baby it’s safe / And warm / All I’m really asking of you / Is come in from the cold”

“Why Don’t You” – Ingram Hill (Cold In California)

If that special lady is reading this, and she knows who she is, I’m not like the guy in the song. I haven’t been around.

“Why don’t you let me be the one to love you? / Why don’t you help me find a way to? / Why won’t you let me be the one to love you? / You don’t have to be afraid when it’s right / It’s right”

“1000 Things” – Jason Mraz (Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom)

“Well I’ve seen a thousand things / In one place / And I stopped my counting when I saw your face / Erasing memory / Well I feel as though I’ve never seen a face before / Until I saw your eyes”

Here’s a bunch of other songs:

“Belief” – Gavin DeGraw (Chariot)

“Hope For Me Yet” – Marc Broussard  (Carencro)

“Glitterbug” – The Vanity Project (The Vanity Project)

“After an Afternoon” – Jason Mraz (Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagle’s Ballroom)