Who's buying the new John Mayer today? (1 Viewer)

[Ron Reda]

Anyone else picking up the new John Mayer CD today? Although I'd love to sneak out and pick up a copy, it probably won't be until lunchtime...stupid work!

Also, can I still expect to see the SACD hybrid on sale?

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

I'm hoping WalMart has the SACD, since I don't have any other retailer within an hour of me. Best Buy has it (cd) onsale for 9.99, so I'll try to price match at walmart if they have it.

 

[Justin Lane]

Also, can I still expect to see the SACD hybrid on sale?

The SACD is not up for order anywhere on the web. Either it got delayed (very very likely) or was just a rumor.

J

 

[Carlo_M]

As I posted in the other thread: I too hopped around Mayer's official site, sony's site, and some online retailers. Can't find any mention of the SACD at all. May have been a rumor. Well for $9.99 (BB) it won't be a total loss if I have to double buy.

 

[Ron Reda]

I just picked up the CD, but I haven't been able to check it out due to a busy day. I will check it out tonight and hopefully post a review tomorrow.

 

[RobBenton]

I bought it and am very dissapointed.. I loved the first album and thought it was well done and interesting.. this one is boring and only has 2 or 3 stand out songs.. some are just down right bad and most are mediocre.. I guess they shouldn't be making these artist rush out with their second albums so fast. I still think he has a lot of potential for the future.. but you won't find it in this album. The single "bigger then my body" that they have been playing on the radio is probably by far the best track if that tells you anything...

 

[RobBenton]

I should clarify that I don't think this is a horrible album just a big let down from his first.

 

[Ron Reda]

RobBenton,

As much as I'd love to disagree with you (I'm a big JM fan), I have to share your sentiments based on my first listen to 8 out of the first 10 tunes. What struck me so profoundly was that the trademark JM hooks just aren't there.

this one is boring and only has 2 or 3 stand out songs.. some are just down right bad and most are mediocre

I swear, after "Bigger Than...", I was longing for an upbeat, happy tune, but one wasn't to be found (unless it was track 9 or 10). It seemed as though the tunes as a whole just dragged without meaning or purpose and left no lasting impression, riff or line in your mind for the next spin (save for the end of "Something's Missing" with the "checklist" part...I really dug that). It was almost as if I were being lulled to sleep. Perhaps that sounds a bit harsh, but I guess I'm so used to the melodies and hooks that he displayed on RFS. Another thing I noticed was that the songs seemed like they were mostly about sadness, loneliness, departure or longing...very downtrodden to say the least. Lastly, possessing plenty of talent on the six-string along with the picture on the cover, I was expecting him to unleash some wickedly funky riffs or tasteful solos on the guitar (much like his amazing live shows or "Any Given Thursday" CD), but alas, they're absent. Even after the first listen to RFS, I could hum one of his riffs...try to do that with this one.

Sorry if this sounded truly scathing, but I was really looking forward to some new, quality, JM tunes. Maybe I expected too much based on the success of RFS. Truly, I would like nothing more for this set of tunes to grow on me, but (not to sound too pessimistic) I don't think it's gonna happen. Like Rob, I still believe this guy has truckloads of talent which will hopefully be displayed on his next effort...perhaps he just needs some time.

 

[RobBenton]

What's up with those weird choice of brass instruments in some of the songs? It just sounds so out of place most of the time... Also I noticed a lack of guitar driven songs.. a lot more synthesized stuff this time. I think his guitar playing/writing is his strongest point and he should stick to that.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Thanks for the reviews, guys. I listened to the clips on JM's site and was thinking the same thing, the songs don't have the hooks or melodies of RFS. Oh well, at least I didn't wast 10 bucks on it. I hope you are correct in saying the label may have been pushing him to get more product out, causing the mediocrity. I hate sophomore slumps.

 

[Carlo_M]

I dunno - I wouldn't call this a sophomore slump. You could sorta tell he was heading in this direction (overproduced). I saw him when he was no one, touring with Glen Phillips (my favorite act), solo + acoustic guitar. Amazing. The songs on Inside Wants Out are very stripped down (although it was re-released after Room for Squares it was actually originally released before it) and the songs that dupe from Inside...are very much more produced on that album.

FWIW, I find Heavier Things to be very listenable. I don't consider this $9.99 wasted. There are more than a few good tracks (I'll post their titles when I get a chance too, I've just listened to it twice, once at home, once at work) and no "terrible" or throw-away tracks, IMO.

 

[Angelo.M]

I saw him when he was no one...solo + acoustic guitar. Amazing. The songs on Inside Wants Out are very stripped down...

Ditto.

I saw him about 18 months before "Room for Squares" was released on Columbia, when he was touring with only a bass player. WFUV in NYC had been playing the "Inside Wants Out" tracks for quite a while and I was really into the songs then, but I lost some interest when they added the kitchen-sink production of the big-label release. This one is not an automatic buy for me.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

I don't find RFS to be over produced. I haven't heard 'Inside Wants Out', but I assumed it was mostly him playing guitar on most of it, so comparing the two is kind of an apples/oranges comparison to me. My gripe about the clips of the new album I heard wasn't about the production, just the fact that the songs didn't grab me at all. I might still get it in hopes it might grow on me.

 

[Angelo.M]

I find the production a bit much, and very generic. If you've heard the stuff live--the man and his guitar, and maybe bass guitar as well--it just doesn't need any more than that. When I saw him, Mayer threw "Wind Cries Mary" into another song, and jammed for about 5 minutes with nothing but bass behind him, and it was great.

And I don't see it as an apples/oranges thing at all--we are dealing with the same songs (in fact, his vocal delivery doesn't change much from the acoustic to the full-band versions) presented differently. I prefer IWO.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Well, I'll give you that IWO might be better, but when I think of over produced, I think of something produced by Mutt Lange.

If you were in my shoes and had only heard RFS, do you think you would feel it was over produced?

 

[Carlo_M]

You know, it's odd that he's going this direction on the recorded front, because if Any Given Thursday (his live DVD) is any indication, he puts on a very good, guitar-centric full-band concert. (again I had only seen him acoustic solo a couple of years back)

I will qualify that I meant overproduced in terms of IWO which was very stripped down, and this new one is the same jump from RFS that RFS was from IWO. Yes, still a far cry from Mutt Lange Twain.

I wish he'd put out another live show, I thought Any Given Thursday was quite good.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Did John Alagia produce the new one or did they get a new producer?

 

[Ron Reda]

You know, it's odd that he's going this direction on the recorded front, because if Any Given Thursday (his live DVD) is any indication, he puts on a very good, guitar-centric full-band concert. (again I had only seen him acoustic solo a couple of years back)

That's what I was saying. I expected a guitar-heavy/guitar-laden album.

Granted, I have several live acoustic shows when John was playing with only a bass player and, while I do like them (he interpolates all kinds of 80's tunes into his songs...quite well, I might add!), it really makes me long for the drums/percussion and other sounds that are present on RFS. According to John's forum, "Something's Missing" is on the AGT DVD (which I have but apparently must have missed) and sounds a lot better than what's on HT. Also, FWIW, they are going ga-ga over the new CD at that site. Sorry, but I just don't hear it.

 

[Carlo_M]

for me, it should grab your attention the way RFS did with 3 million other people.

Unfortunately, 2 million of those were probably girls who fell in love with Your Body is a Wonderland. And Heavier Things seems to pander to that demographic. I remember when I used to think Mayer was my personal discovery (due to the solo show). A year later "No Such Thing" is on the airwaves. But nothing could prepare me (I work at a large university and live in said college town) for Your Body...and the sheer number of girls/women (okay, some were upperclassmen so I guess they're women) who fell in love with that song. Absolutely ga-ga over it. To the point where I couldn't listen to RFS for a while, and if I did I skipped that song.

 

[RobBenton]

I thought most of the songs on RFS were genius. I don't think i have heard a catchier more inventive tune then My stupid mouth in years .. if ever.. also 3x5 and why georgia were all great songs with good lyrics and inventive hooks. This new album lacks a lot of that.. it is a bit boring and not nearly as inventive.. there are sparks of his talent here and there but it is largly missing from the songs.. The first album I would rate a 9 or 10 where as this album only a 6 or 7. Here is a break down of my opinions of the tracks. Also they really seemed to have turned up the volume on this one.. some of the songs almost sound like they are distorting from over amplification.

1. Clarity - This song is one of the better ones but it gets off to a slow start.. it gets better as it goes on.. there are what I would consider some interesting vocal choices in this song that I am not sure exactly work but still a good song overall.

2. Bigger then My Body - By far the most pop friendly of the bunch but still one of the better ones.. it probably has the best hooks of all the songs and some of the better lyrics.

3. Something's Missing - A a bit on the boring side with nothing particularly special about it except for he shows some inventiveness with his lyrics toward the end that almost salvage the song for me.. but not quite.

4. New deep - One of the better songs.. not particularly astounding but kinda catchy and has some good hooks.

5. Come Back to bed - I thought this was one of the worse songs on the disc.. the lyrics are boring and the music just isn't that good.. the brass in this song sounds very out of place.

6. Home Life - I liked some of the lyrics on this song but thought the music was uninteresting and not all that catchy but not a bad song overall.

7. Split screen sadness - Another dud from this album.. very boring and not interesting musically or lyrically. The weird ticking percussion kinda annoyed me too..

8. Daughters - I liked this song... it is slow and mostly acoustic but kinda catchy.. the lyrics I think are very cheesy though and some of his worst... I still liked it for the catchy tune though.

9. Only Heart - Kinda in the middle somewhere.. not particularly outstanding in lyrics or music but not bad either.. one that i don't feel the need to skip when listening but don't really pay attention to it that much either.

10. Wheel - One of the better ones that again starts off slow but once the hook kicks in it becomes better.. the lyric are ok and the music is pretty good too.. one of the better ones on the disc i think.

I would have to say though that I think this guy is great and that he has to be capable of better since his first album was so great. His voice just gets me though.. its so smooth.. I think I would listen to him sing the phone book! (lets hope not though)