How Do I Think About Tweeting? — A Response to John Mayer

Interesting post here from John Piper.

John Mayer: Love Him or Hate Him, This is Pretty Cool

Read the story here.

"Heartbreak Warfare (VH1 Storytellers)" by John Mayer

As I have already said on this blog, though I am a huge fan of John Mayer, I think his most recent record is a dud (impossible to follow Continuum, one of the best records of the last ten years). That said, this song performed live (video below) is pretty cool and is one of the two that I like on the new record.  Here is why: 1) Anytime you can hear Steve Jordan play drums, it is a privilege, 2) John's short guitar solo has great tone and he has some really cool note choices, 3) His vocals sound pretty in tune (maybe auto-tune in post-production) which can't be said of his usual live performances.

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I Know You Have Missed My John Mayer Posts...

Here is my favorite moment from his latest live DVD if you have not seen it. The lyrics here are so good. He captures the emotion so perfectly. Great melody, great guitar playing. So good.



(HT: Deek)

John Mayer - Genius? - I say yes, my friend thinks I am wack

My friend James Gregory read my post about John Mayer where I said this,

"As I write this right now I am listening to the first track of John Mayer's new life CD/DVD - "Where The Light Is". Words are failing... So inspiring. This guy truly is a musical prodigy/genius. Guys like this only come around every few hundred years or so. Just listen to the 30 sec clip in iTunes or AmazonMP3 of just him and his guitar. I think you'll get the point. Combine his skill on his guitar (which is unreal, but there are many other guys who can do what he does there), with his great voice, and his beautifully poetic and his wise WAY beyond his age lyrics and I think you get why I think this guy is so unique."

and he isn't buying it.

He wrote to me in an email:

I certainly didn't care for Mayer when he debuted; when I heard his first single on the radio I thought I was tuned in to a CCM station, mainly due to the busy and melodic bass playing and the compressed sound of the track. I heard a lot of hype about the first live trio record but didn't care for the sound of it when I listened, and wasn't really interested in that particular jam-oriented type of format very much anyway, so I couldn't bring myself to do much more than scan through it.

The Continuum record caught my ear for its great sounding recording (I have heard that bass and drums were cut on analogue tape, which would at least partly account for the album's warm and punchy sound) and the excellent playing from Jordan and Palladino; to use the term "world class" to describe that rhythm section would be an understatement. In his long career as a bass player Pino has continued to develop, from his unique voice on the fretless bass in the music of the Pop artists he worked with in the 80s and early 90s, to the re-inventing of himself on D'Angelo's Voodoo record and the subsequent groove-oriented work that has followed; Palladino has placed himself among the current greats on the electric bass. No less than Anthony Jackson, one of the greatest, if not arguably the greatest living electric bass player, has credited Palladino as a highly respected rival (Palladino also gives Jackson the highest of praise). Both Steve Jordan and PIno Palladino have shown themselves to be students of many styles of music, and masters of their respective instruments. A guitar player finding himself in a trio setting with these musicians would naturally be inspired and challenged, as Mayer must surely be night after night with those two backing him up.

On Continuum I was pleased that John Mayer seemed to have lost at least a bit of his smirk, and if some of it remains maybe it is just his vocal style–I suppose one can't really be sure. He's certainly a very good guitar player, but to call him a "genius" the like of which only comes around "every few hundred years or so" seems a glaring overstatement. Would you skip right from Bach to Mayer, skipping over all of the Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist composers, skipping over Bird and The Beatles? (Perhaps I misunderstand your intentions in the way you are making your statement . . . )

Mayer channels Hendrix and Clapton and seems to have the chops to pull it all off; it's no small thing to play the guitar parts which Mayer does and still be the lead vocalist of the band. However, I fail to make the leap required to call Mayer a "genius", a term that necessitates some noteworthy level of innovation in the artist to whom it is applied. Despite the fact that in our ephemeral culture we look too often for the new and novel instead of simply for the good, I think it is still a fair requirement that those artists which we label "geniuses" be innovative in some real way. Mayer's music is certainly way more than competent in its writing and performance, but I fail to see him making any real breakthroughs.

Maybe it's just that, in addition to that missing "innovative" component in Mayer's music, I just don't see enough warmth and vulnerability to put Mayer in the class of Hendrix, Lennon/McCartney, or Marvin Gaye, to mention a few of the important Pop artists of the Pop era. Compared to the brave and brilliant exploration of the electric guitar and of the studio itself by Hendrix on an album like Electric Ladyland, the human warmth of a song like "Eleanor Rigby", or the brokenness and vulnerability of an album like What's Going On, I just don't think that the didactic–and yes, smirky–"Daughters" can stand.

My response:

James, I would challenge you to check out the DVD (it's only $14) and see if having viewed it changes your comments. Watch this guy move through three totally different sets of music: From a solo set with just acoustic guitar, to a blues set with two other world class musicians, to a pop/rock set that showcases his amazing songwriting and then tell me what you think. Basically this DVD encapsulates much of what John Mayer is as an artist (I don't doubt though there is more to him that we have not seen, which he himself talks about in the DVD).

Perhaps my using the term, "genius", was a bit hasty and I suppose we could haggle over definitions all day long, but I am just trying to make the point that this guy is extremely unique. See if you can think of another artist that has this resume´.

The combination of:
1. A great singer
2. An amazing guitar player in so many styles (acoustic, blues, rock, jazz, etc)
3. Profound lyricist who writes lines like, "I'm dizzy from the shopping mall, I searched for my joy, but I bought it all."
4. Amazing songcrafter in a diversity of styles

Now maybe none of this points to "innovation" as you have mentioned above, but certainly he needs some type of unique identification just based on his pedigree.

I hear what you are saying about "Daughters" and I would add to it "Your Body Is A Wonderland" as the two songs that most people know him by that might make the stomach churn a bit, but we have to look at his total body of work and those kinds of songs are certainly not the norm. They are just the songs that have made him famous. As you know, the business side of the music industry oftentimes does not lend itself well towards the really beauty and originality of true artists that truly have something special to offer.

All this said, perhaps he is not in the name category of the likes of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, or Charlie Parker, etc. Time will tell. But based on the evidence presented above I think he is well on his way.

Where The Light Is - Part 2

Yeah, I know the man crush continues...


Today I got my John Mayer DVD, Where The Light Is, in the mail. (Yesterday I just had mp3 audio that I downloaded). Amazing film. Simply a beautiful movie.

There is some really cool behind the scenes footage and the visual of the show is stunningly good. The visual of the show makes the audio that much more enjoyable for me. If you are a musician and especially a guitar player I think you'll find yourself seriously inspired by this movie. I know I am.

You can buy and check out a clip from the DVD here. For $10 this DVD is a steal.

John Mayer - Where The Light Is

As I write this right now I am listening to the first track of John Mayer's new life CD/DVD - "Where The Light Is". Words are failing... So inspiring. This guy truly is a musical prodigy/genius. Guys like this only come around every few hundred years or so. Just listen to the 30 sec clip in iTunes or AmazonMP3 of just him and his guitar. I think you'll get the point. Combine his skill on his guitar (which is unreal, but there are many other guys who can do what he does there), with his great voice, and his beautifully poetic and his wise WAY beyond his age lyrics and I think you get why I think this guy is so unique.

I guess this recording is divided into him playing by himself, doing an acoustic set with a few other musicians, a few more songs with the trio (Steve Jordan on drums, and Pino on bass) and then a full band set. 22 songs.

Here ()on iTunes for the audio recording.

Here ()on iTunes for the movie.

Here on Amazon for the DVD.

Here on Amazon for the audio recording.


The "Where The Light Is" tracklisting is as follows:

Acoustic Set:
1. Neon
2. Stop This Train
3. L.A. Song
4. Daughters
5. Free Fallin'

Trio Set:
6. Everyday I Have The Blues
7. Wait Until Tomorrow
8. Who Did You Think I Was
9. Come When I Call
10. Good Love Is On The Way
11. Out Of My Mind
12. Vultures
13. Bold As Love

Band Set:
14. Waiting On The World To Change
15. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
16. Why Georgia
17. The Heart Of Life
18. I Don't Need No Doctor
19. Gravity
20. I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
21. Belief
22. I'm Gonna Find Another You

John Mayer - On His Playing

Secrets of the Guitar Heros - John Mayer

The ManCrush/Stalking Continues...

I am so geeked about this:

John Mayer On His Summer Tour

Click here for tour dates.

Uh... I think it goes without saying that I am geeked about this

From the John Mayer blog:

"WHERE THE LIGHT IS" LIVE CD/DVD WILL BE RELEASED ON 7/1/08.

"Where The Light Is", a live CD/DVD from the December 8, 2007 show at Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles, CA, will be released on July 1, 2008. The film is directed by Danny Clinch.

Acoustic Set:
1. Neon
2. Stop This Train
3. L.A. Song
4. Daughters
5. Free Fallin'

Trio Set:
6. Everyday I Have The Blues
7. Wait Until Tomorrow
8. Who Did You Think I Was
9. Come When I Call
10. Good Love Is On The Way
11. Out Of My Mind
12. Vultures
13. Bold As Love

Band Set:
14. Waiting On The World To Change
15. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
16. Why Georgia
17. The Heart Of Life
18. I Don't Need No Doctor
19. Gravity
20. I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
21. Belief
22. I'm Gonna Find Another You

John Mayer Points To His Insecurity And To His Need For The Gospel

John Mayer has a moving, self-reflective post on his blog today. This type of thing is rare to read from a celebrity of his status. His ability to be honest about himself is probably one of the reasons why he is such a great artist. After reading it I was moved to thankfulness for the truths of the gospel that bring such security and peace. Here are some of those promises:

- Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

- Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Luke 12:4-7 - I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

So I was reading Brad's blog and toward the end of the year he did a round up of his favorite records of the year. His #1 record for 2007 was Arcade Fire's - Neon Bible. I thought to myself, "I have never heard these guys, so I might as well give it a shot and see what all the hype is about". So I did.

Here is my report... I don't get it.

Sorry Brad. This music sounds completely unaccessible to me. Perhaps I am not that arty or something. I am open to that possibility. I think I am just a sucker for a good groove and a good melody. I just don't hear that in this record.

All that to say that I was two years behind Nirvana when they come out. I thought it was the wackest stuff ever when I first heard Smells Like Teen Spirit at a high school dance in 9th grade. Now I think they are genius. Perhaps I'll feel the same about Arcade Fire in the next few years.

Sorry Brad... I gave it a shot. I hope you still like me.

I guess I'll go and listen to John Mayer now.

John's Take On Justin

As a fan of Justin Timberlake (never thought I would say that a few years back when he was in N'Sync) and John Mayer I thought this video was really cool.

My favorite moment on Justin's latest record is his I Think That She Knows interlude. It's great. It would be cool to see Justin take on more of this tone in an upcoming project. Evidently, John thought it was really cool too and gave it his own spin. It won't mean much to you if you are not familiar with the original. You can find it here.

Mayer on ASL

Click here to see John Mayer's most recent performance on Austin City Limits. He sounds better than ever. Great video quality as well. He also has some really cool things to say about music and songwriting in the interview.

My Favorite Songs of 2007

In no particular order:

Devastation Hands - Emerson Hart - Cigarettes and Gasoline

The Pretender - Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace

Champion - Kanye West - Graduation

Happy Apple Poison - Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where It End

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer - The Village Sessions

Love Song - Sara Bareilles - Little Voice

White Mystery - Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice

Love is Waiting - Brooke Fraser - Albertine

Lesson Learned - Alicia Keys (featuring John Mayer) - As I Am

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - The Bad Plus - Prog

Something In Your Eyes - David Martin - Something In Your Eyes

If I Never See Your Face Again - Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long

Movin' On - Elliot Yamim

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohead - In Rainbows

Clinging to the Cross - Tim Hughes - Holding Nothing Back

Remedy - David Crowder Band - Remedy

Embracing Accusations - Shane and Shane

Mayer on Austin City Limits

John Mayer's blog reports:

The Austin City Limits episode recorded this Fall will premiere on Saturday, December 15. Setlist for the hour-long special is as follows: Belief I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) Vultures Dreaming With A Broken Heart I Don't Need No Doctor Stop This Train Gravity For more details and local showtimes, visit austincitylimits.org

The John Mayer Stalking Continues

Is there a connection between John Mayer and the Advent season? Chippo at the WorshipHelps blog seems to think so. It's an interesting post. Check it out.

I know this blog is turning into the John Mayer tribute blog, but...

Get a free John Mayer video from iTunes by clicking here. It is to a song called Say that I posted about a few days back. It's from the soundtrack of a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman called The Bucket List. From the looks of the video it looks like a very interesting movie.

Here is a synopsis of the movie:

Corprate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find the joy in life.

(HT: S. Scrapbook)

More John Mayer Stuff

I know I have been posting a lot on John Mayer lately. I can't promise anything, but this is probably the last one for awhile. John shows up on Alicia Keys' latest record on a very cool song called, Lesson Learned. You can find it here on iTunes.