John Mayer: Sob Rock and a Pink Silver Sky

Hattigol

Is beigery a word?

Philly_Q

PC_Dave said:

EricTheWeary said:

PC_Dave said:

So much hate, it's almost painful to read.... It's ok for people to like different things, guys.

More meh than hate maybe. 

Then I shall re-affirm my second point 

Of course it's OK for people to like different things.  But as I almost certainly said somewhere in the previous 12 pages, if you start a thread on a forum then you're inviting discussion, and it's OK for people to express different opinions, too.

Anyway, prompted by this lengthy and occasionally heated thread I've done something I wouldn't normally bother to do... I've actually listened to Sob Rock.  In fact I've listened to it twice, all the way through, to give it a proper chance.

I want to use moderate language, because I've seen how aerated people can get on the topic of John Mayer.  Let's just say I am underwhelmed.  All the songs have the same leisurely pace, the same cotton-wool-wrapped sound, the drums tip-tapping away like they're trying not to disturb a sleeping baby.  Mayer sings... it's not really singing, more murmuring... in the same tone of voice on every track.  The guitar is a pleasant, inoffensive but fleeting presence; to say there's lots of potential for extended solos live... well you could say that about anything.  "It would be a great guitar album if you can imagine the guitar parts".

To be fair, some of it's fairly catchy but I'd still much rather be listening to something else.  "Wild Blue" is probably the pick of the bunch for me, but it really just sounds like Mark Knopfler (although Dire Straits sound like Discharge in comparison with this).

I gave it a go.  I didn't like it.  I won't be listening to it again.  I know you don't care.

Fifty9

Not for me

Boromedic

There are some filler moments, bit o beige, kinda saccharine in parts. However, Last Train Home is brilliant and there's some other good tracks, I'm loving I guess I just feel like.

The videos and vibe is a brilliant homage, long may it continue!! Can't wait for my pink Silver Sky to arrive.

Nikc

Don't care I love it

Cookiemonster

Nikc said:

Don't care I love it

Dont care and hate it. 
I seriously don't get what there is to like

Handsome_Chris

I am flagging this thread.  Frankly this has been going on too long.  This should be in Music, not Gear -> Guitar.

richardhomer

I watched the video for the second single - I’m sorry, I can’t remember the title - and thought ‘no’. There are parts of Eric Clapton’s 70s and 80s output where he played/sang his heart out - in spite of his vices at the time. This nods in that direction but without any spark. He’s really ‘competent’ but has zero emotional authenticity based on the two songs I’ve heard from this album.

TINMAN82

Handsome_Chris said:

I am flagging this thread.  Frankly this has been going on too long.  This should be in Music, not Gear -> Guitar.

Title changed . Seriously though, just don’t click on it. 

TINMAN82

Philly_Q said:

The guitar is a pleasant, inoffensive but fleeting presence; to say there's lots of potential for extended solos live... well you could say that about anything.  "It would be a great guitar album if you can imagine the guitar parts".

I gave it a go.  I didn't like it.  I won't be listening to it again.  I know you don't care.

Fair point, although having seen him live he is slightly unusual (as a “pop” act) because this happens quite often where he’ll develop the guitar parts more, along with Isaiah Sharkey. Whether you like the record or not, and I’m on the fence about some of it after first listen, he’s a formidable live improviser..

SRD81

Not a massive Mayer fan, but did really enjoy Continum. I had listened to the ‘EP’ of the previously released Sob Rock singles on Spotify prior to the release of the full album and on that basis was looking forward to the full release.

To be honest for me the additional tracks are not at the same standard as ‘Last Train Home’, ‘New Light’, ‘Carry me Away’ and ‘I guess I just feel like’, all of which I think are decent. I don’t mind ‘Wild Blue’, but the others feel like filler and ‘Why you no love me’ provokes the same sort of feelings in me as the prospect of another lockdown.

Overall, I think an EP would probably have been fine.To be fair though, regardless of whether it’s the deepest material ever written (it isn’t) or if you enjoy the 80’s pastiche, a pop album featuring guitars with 4 or 5 decent enough songs is alright by me, especially in the context of much of the other nonsense passing for music at the moment.

TTBZ

This album is just Steel Panther for hipsters who think they're too cool for proper 80s cheese.

dindude

I don’t think John has anyone around him strong enough to steer him away from crap decisions. The album should never have been called Sob Rock, it’s just a terrible title and someone should have told him. And Why You No Love Me, is probably the most harmonically interesting song but is unlistenable due to that terrible lyric. 

If anyone watched the Zane Lowe Apple Music interview with him the other day, even the fawning Zane said to him that he thought the song would have been no worse for being Why Don’t You Love Me instead and looked puzzled. Cue Mayer going off on some long path of it not being second language thing but a child thing, which makes it no less cringeworthy. 

I quite like the U2 song he tagged on the end of the album. 

TINMAN82

Had a 2nd listen. A lot of people will love this album, I’m convinced of that.

Most of us on here are probably more guitar centric and have more discerning tastes than his wider audience.

As others say, great that a guitar based musician is still making waves. Thing is, this isn’t his full potential, he has the talent to go in a completely different direction with the next release, keeping YouTube on its toes!

HandwrittenHero

TTBZ said:

This album is just Steel Panther for hipsters who think they're too cool for proper 80s cheese.

I can’t decide whether to lol because I laughed or wis because I can’t see the lie

steveh

TTBZ said:

This album is just Steel Panther for hipsters

If only! Far too little guitar.

I was looking forward to more like "Last TRain Home", but that's by far the best track on the album. 

Back to "Where the Light Is" I guess (although I could see no endoscopes up girls skirts or t*ts oooot at that concert).

Whitecat

I hate this album. That is all. 

kennedydream1980

You can see why he released last train home first, it’s by far the best song on the album. I was very underwhelmed by the rest of the album and I really like most of his other material.

digitalkettle

Regarding studio albums, I loved everything from 'Room for Squares' to 'Born & Raised'...but I don't think I've listened to the next three more than a couple of times each ;-/

I want to ask 'how did it go so wrong?' but he's doing just fine without me

Has anyone posted the Zane Lowe interview? What a load of bullshit...am I not in on the joke? I had to check that it wasn't a SNL skit!

Here it is in all its glorious surreality:

AlexO

TTBZ said:

This album is just Steel Panther for hipsters who think they're too cool for proper 80s cheese.

I’m now worried as I think I might be a cliche Hipster & I quite like the album but love the 80s styling of the cover