John Mayer singles poll

thats why all the guitar hero dad nerds love him - he writes his own stuff and has guitar chops and brings in a bunch of great studio cats to work with him

I've yet to hear any guitar work from him that seems the least bit compelling to me, but he definitely seems to get a lot of kudos in that world

think he says on record he just dumbs it down and keeps it simple

Continuum has most of it but honestly the most he shredded was on Chappelle's Show lmao

lots of 'tasteful' playing yeah

Yeah his studio stuff isn't really where to hear it. But I'm also not going to waste any energy trying to convince anyone on ilx that his playing with Dead & Co is occasionally worth hearing.

this is his best work IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynq7pAEwp6Y

Given the period detail, will be funny if this is his New Jersey!

20 years deep in a steady career, it seems unlikely he'll ever have a New Jersey—unless his debut album counts. I imagine he shed some "Your Body..."-only fans/album buyers by the time of his next one.

I looked up his stats for the NJ thread, and, well, yeah he doesn't really qualify. Big debut, followed by several solid sellers albeit with ultimately diminishing #s, ala Pearl Jam.

It's not the same, but I do recall tons of copies of his Trio live album hitting used bins shortly after it came out.

Something I made and posted elsewhere on ILM

https://frinkiac.com/video/S04E05/ZcxmdX47EyOkm0rfXgzDlPTKch4=.gif

I've yet to hear any guitar work from him that seems the least bit compelling to me, but he definitely seems to get a lot of kudos in that world

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, July 16, 2021 3:08 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

think he says on record he just dumbs it down and keeps it simple

― pure rim rest (Spottie), Friday, July 16, 2021 3:16 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

I've said before I'd like to hear him stretch out on something, maybe take some risks, make mistakes. Even in the Dead & Co footage I've seen he plays it safer than I'd like, part of why I more enjoy Billy Strings with Billy and the Kids even though you could make a case for John Mayer as the "better" guitarist. Like Mayer is obviously a guitar wiz -- if you've ever seen his guitar tik toks where he breaks stuff down, he is undeniably brilliant. But there's something about him that just can't bear to allow any cracks in the perfect facade. Even this new record, the concept, the way it's marketed, the sound, really "nails" the aesthetic. Does it do anything else?

Fwiw, part of the thing with Dead & Co, especially in the early tours, is that Bob Weir is the de facto leader and he can be weirdly risk averse for a guy who built is legacy with a band like that. There were several times I'd get really interested in what Mayer was playing during a jam, only to have Bobby ripcord and overpower him with the song's main riff to bring it back in. It's gotten a lot better in recent tours though.

"his legacy"

MORE LIKE SAAB ROCK AMIRITE

https://img.discogs.com/aEDzC0rVjpqPJTTvL1C7LDg4kSA=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-4096718-1355103855-8401.jpeg.jpg

continuum: really good lowkey neo-soul record. so good that i look at most of what he's released since and think wtf happened to this guy

otm. Continuum is his classic, and then he abandoned that and went back to mostly middling stuff

actually remember being surprised when I first heard "Vultures", as I hadn't heard anything of his after "Your Body is a Wonderland", and was like "this is THAT guy?"

"vultures" sounds like a freaking maxwell song, it is outrageously wonderful

Surprised “vultures” was not released as a single, it’s one of his best songs and sounds to me very radio friendly.

I did have to endure an xgau panel paper where he went all-in on "Waiting for the World to Change."

But yes, agree that Continuum is his definitive album.

Great production, great musicianship and his songwriting improves a lot from previous efforts. It’s the one that best balances his pop, rock, blues, soul influences into a John Mayer cohesive style. This album and the live performances around the era showed and undeniable skill and knowledge, shame he wasn’t up to continue on this path.

i dont trust myself sounds like a dangelo song

that song was weird for me because I got into this album because the girl I was dating at the time was obsessed and both of us identified HEAVILY with "I Don't Trust Myself" lyrically at the time, but for different reasons.

was a beautiful bonding experience listening to the songs together.

best Mayer song is Back to You imo.