John Mayer: Sob Rock and a Pink Silver Sky

dazzajl

Okay, I’m listening to ‘Try!’ and there is definitely some BLOOOOOOOZEEEE here. It’s alright as far as that stuff goes but to me, not a patch on his singing or actual songs. 

digitalkettle

Hattigol said:

digitalkettle said:

monquixote said:

dazzajl said:

I’ve listened to some of the JM back catalogue now and I don’t understand the reaction to him at all. There’s barely a guitar solo to be found on the first three albums and what there is on the latest is confined and restrained, as you’d expect on a pop song. 

His songs are well written, his voice is great and the band are always fab but I’m not getting what sets him apart and makes him worthy of either the fanatics or the haters. 

I think that's a very valid insight.

The albums that sold a lot don't tend to be the noodley blues ones.

He's more of a big selling AOR artist that has a sideline in blues than a big selling blues artist.

In term of output he's much more of a Billy Joel or Ed Sheeran than SRV.

Nothing wrong with that mind.

Agree. In fact, which albums are the noodley blues ones?

There aren't any, imho...not even 'Try!' (which was a one-off live trio-format album).

Puzzles me a bit when people say 'Oh, i preferred him in the trio...wish he'd go back to it'...as if it was Cream/Clapton or something. It's 11 tracks recorded live at a gig in 2005: two covers, two tracks from Heavier Things, two tracks from Continuum, five newies.

I've got Where The Light Is on the phone. Shall I tell them you're busy?

Thanks for the fact check…I didn’t have you down as a fan!

Hattigol

digitalkettle said:

Hattigol said:

digitalkettle said:

monquixote said:

dazzajl said:

I’ve listened to some of the JM back catalogue now and I don’t understand the reaction to him at all. There’s barely a guitar solo to be found on the first three albums and what there is on the latest is confined and restrained, as you’d expect on a pop song. 

His songs are well written, his voice is great and the band are always fab but I’m not getting what sets him apart and makes him worthy of either the fanatics or the haters. 

I think that's a very valid insight.

The albums that sold a lot don't tend to be the noodley blues ones.

He's more of a big selling AOR artist that has a sideline in blues than a big selling blues artist.

In term of output he's much more of a Billy Joel or Ed Sheeran than SRV.

Nothing wrong with that mind.

Agree. In fact, which albums are the noodley blues ones?

There aren't any, imho...not even 'Try!' (which was a one-off live trio-format album).

Puzzles me a bit when people say 'Oh, i preferred him in the trio...wish he'd go back to it'...as if it was Cream/Clapton or something. It's 11 tracks recorded live at a gig in 2005: two covers, two tracks from Heavier Things, two tracks from Continuum, five newies.

I've got Where The Light Is on the phone. Shall I tell them you're busy?

Thanks for the fact check…I didn’t have you down as a fan!

One of my favourite guitarists. I just think he hides it a bit too often!

WTLI is wonderful...

TINMAN82

He does hide it a bit too often. But it’s his pop songs that sell his product, not the guitar playing unfortunately. The 3 albums before this one (the search for everything, Paradise Valley, Born and Raised), WTLI and Try were what got me into his stuff. The Search in particular has some great songs, after you get over the fact that it’s basically well written  “pop”, which took me a few listens to accept!

LPManic

TINMAN82 said:

He does hide it a bit too often. But it’s his pop songs that sell his product, not the guitar playing unfortunately.

Yep. Another good (better?) example is Jason Isbell. He rips on Instagram and I would love to hear a real guitar heavy album but it is his songwriting (and great songwriting) that brings in the cash or at least enough to buy his '59 Les Paul!

Lewy

LPManic said:

TINMAN82 said:

He does hide it a bit too often. But it’s his pop songs that sell his product, not the guitar playing unfortunately.

Yep. Another good (better?) example is Jason Isbell. He rips on Instagram and I would love to hear a real guitar heavy album but it is his songwriting (and great songwriting) that brings in the cash or at least enough to buy his '59 Les Paul!

If you want to hear him ripping on guitar check out the Drive-by Truckers album “The Dirty South”.

Lewy

It occurred to me out of nowhere earlier that this 80s pastiche kick he’s on could be cancellation insurance. Get popular 
with the boomers and then when the Twitterati finally decide it’s his turn, and drag up the playboy interview, he’ll still have an audience.

NelsonP

I don't get John Mayer at all. He's obviously very talented but his music doesn't do it for me. Lee Anderton and Danish Pete did a video on this song and their obvious over-enthusiasm was hard to watch.

Philly_Q

NelsonP said:

Lee Anderton and Danish Pete did a video on this song and their obvious over-enthusiasm was hard to watch.

24 minutes of that... no thanks.  Pete's purple Silver Sky looks great though.

Danny1969

I had to listen to the song a few times as I was teaching it on Sat and I have to say I really like it now. It is a bit paint by numbers chord wise but still has something that's likeable to me. 

Logie

Pish

Strat54

LPManic said:

TINMAN82 said:

He does hide it a bit too often. But it’s his pop songs that sell his product, not the guitar playing unfortunately.

Yep. Another good (better?) example is Jason Isbell. He rips on Instagram and I would love to hear a real guitar heavy album but it is his songwriting (and great songwriting) that brings in the cash or at least enough to buy his '59 Les Paul!

Love this track from his last record.

https://youtu.be/RzKoooCPX7c

Creed_Clicks

This or Sunn O)))

Aidanspaghetti

fretmeister said:

Is it my imagination or is JM channeling the very worst Clapton era?

No. Mayer is plugged in.

TINMAN82

Aidanspaghetti said:

fretmeister said:

Is it my imagination or is JM channeling the very worst Clapton era?

No. Mayer is plugged in.

Whoe…I can take the Mayer jibes but that is absolute sacrilege!

Boromedic

Ddigger

I can't believe that I read this thread all the way through.

I resisted clicking on it when it was three pages.  That was my first mistake... 

dazzajl

Ddigger said:

I can't believe that I read this thread all the way through.

I resisted clicking on it when it was three pages.  That was my first mistake... 

How many naps did you need to take?

Aidanspaghetti

Alberta, alberta or Key to love? I know where my time goes;)

Strat54

Dog Rock....

https://youtu.be/L4LO-d-smuo