Diggin' John Mayer's "Born and Raised." Whether his exploration of the Laurel Canyon/CS&N feel is a gimmick for this album or a sign of growth to come, I can't say. But I appreciate the growth I see here.

And, this cut is one of the main reasons I've been spinning this at my house nonstop for the past week or so.

The writing's top-notch.

And, I still think he'd straight chop Prince in a blues competition...

Taylor Swift wrote a song dissing him and John is pissed.

HAD to point that out.

NeonCraxx said:

popgodazipa said:

NeonCraxx said:

Taylor Swift wrote a song dissing him and John is pissed.

HAD to point that out.

No you didn't.

I hate how the end of the school year affects the Org.

Nice I like it.

popgodazipa said:

Like I was saying... Great music. CS&N show up on it, as does Chris Botti doing his tasteful trumpet work in what really amounts to a non sequitur, because his intro goes into something wholly unrelated. It would feel extra-forced, if it didn't sound so good.

John's soloing takes a backseat to composition here. Though he makes a note to give a "dig me" before his piano solo on the opening cut.

Haven't heard all of this yet.

An interesting take on the album from Bob Lefsetz.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

1. John Mayer "Born and Raised"

Sales this week: 65,432
Percentage change: -70
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 285,370

I love the opening cut, "Queen Of California":

"Goodbye cold
Goodbye rain
Goodbye sorrow
And goodbye shame"

http://spoti.fi/JFCj9g

That's the L.A. experience. Leaving the oppression behind for a land of opportunity. And the track sounds as fresh and optimistic without being dumb as the sounds emanating from Laurel Canyon forty years ago, without being a retread.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album is in the same groove. I wish John could do what those seventies artists did, be mellow and rock on the same album.

Alas, his fans don't mind. These are pretty good numbers for someone who's been on a self-imposed hiatus. Not that I know why.

Oh, I understand the health/throat issues, those are unfortunate. But I saw no reason for Mayer to fall on his sword. Despite the wimpiness of half his music, Mayer's been on the cutting edge, he's been inventing the social/online/new publicity paradigm. He did a cruise before everybody got onboard, and even had his own TV show and "Esquire" column. And he was playing with the interviewer in "Playboy" and all of the nuance got lost on the cutting room floor. So he was pilloried. Unjustifiably so.

As for him being self-centered/narcissistic... Hate to tell you, but they all are, that's what it takes to be successful.

But the real story here, the reason I'm writing at length, is because of Mayer's comment re Taylor Swift's song "Dear John" in "Rolling Stone". Unlike me, I thought Mayer had the good sense not to comment. But now he's broken his silence. One could say he's doing so to help sell his record, but the tonality is such that he seems really hurt. "Humiliated" is a strong word to use.

But what's most interesting to me is the impact this will have on Taylor Swift.

In case you didn't notice, like that old Pursuit Of Happiness song, she's an adult now. Shirley Temple was cute as a kid and a nonstarter when fully grown. That confessional bite you in the ass game Taylor played as a youngster just doesn't go down that well as an adult.

I can take it. My main problem with Taylor Swift writing about me is the fact that she couldn't take it. Hell, if I wanted to respond to the hatred coming into my inbox I wouldn't have time to do anything else. It goes with the territory. Never feels good, but Bob Dylan had it right...

"While one who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society's pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole
That he's in"

"It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"

So now the onus is on Ms. Swift. Mayer put the hot potato in her lap. He didn't sling any dirt, and said quite honestly that if she had a problem with him, he never got an e-mail or a phone call. The way human beings communicate. Hell, don't we all hate hearing about our foibles from third parties? As for she being nineteen and innocent... Give me a break, it takes two to tango. Mayer is a well-documented lothario/ladykiller, if Swift didn't know what she was in for, she's got a clone who does all the writing and performing.

Expect Swift to blink. Because she's sensitive. She's not gonna double down, not after being called out.

And she lost in all her categories at the CMT Awards last night, hell, she didn't even go, she watched the Kings.

And that's totally fine with me. The CMTs are a joke.

But we'll only be interested if Swift gives us new music that's straight and from the heart and not vindictive, yet still honest. I'm not sure she has it in her.

But we'll find out.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Music for adventurous listeners


tA

Tribal Records

Nice little song. I have no idea what this Taylor Swift thing is, although I assume I don't care, either.

The thing with listening to John Mayer is, I don't really know who he is through his music. His personality comes through better when he speaks. When I hear his music I hear a talented and polished musician, good enough to wow me from time to time. And I hear well written music and lyrics. But I don't hear a style like I did with Stevie Ray Vaughn or The Eagles or whoever Mayer is emulating at the moment. Even SRV who copied many still comes through with his own style, IMO.

Still, that criticism comes with the acknowledgement that I wish every "artist" could be spoken about in the same terms. In other words, he warrants discussion, where most music I hear nowadays does not even get past the first chorus before I have to turn it off.

It's great to see both tA and NDRU on here.

The thing about the album I like (and the reviewer didn't deal much with the album as a whole, beyond saying it's fairly homogeneous -- which I disagree with. Who cares about Taylor Swift???) is the direction explored.

JM could cruise on the blues for the next 20 years and probaby put out solid discs. But, this disc takes a detour from the MOR pop he's been doing to solid 70s territory. He's done 70s-ish songs before, aping that-era Clapton quite heavily on the Continuum project.

As well as the SRV and Charlie Sexton vocal influences.

He pulls off the reinvention here convincingly, I think. We're on a site devoted to a man whose jerky persona never fully distracts folks from how sensitive he sounds on SHOE...

[Edited 6/7/12 21:23pm]

Aw shucks!

Actually I agree, and I do like the direction he is taking here. I think it's not only a nod to 70's music. This country tinged Americana stuff has been really big on a local level, and maybe it's bubbling up to the surface with some of the more mainstream bands. It also seems timely with the death of Levon Helm

I like that he's not trying to impress with anything other than good music, too. You're right, he could pump out blues and do it well, but he's challenging himself in a different way.

Ok, one question, does the song really do that funky thing at the end where the pitch goes up & down, or is that a computer glitch?

Wnated to like it (and I agree about what y'all have said about "growth" & the whole direction he chose here....respect)

But I just couldn't dig this one from JM.

Now if he'll just keep THE MOUTH SHUT (ha)

I think his lyric-writing on Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey is right up there with some of his best, IMO.

And his guitar work at the end of A Face to Call Home has me memorized.

I've always been moved by JM and I'm still a fan with this album.

I love that dude.

Still think the first single should've been a slammer called 'Sexual Napalm'. That would've been funny

ThreadBare said:

It's great to see both tA and NDRU on here.

The thing about the album I like (and the reviewer didn't deal much with the album as a whole, beyond saying it's fairly homogeneous -- which I disagree with. Who cares about Taylor Swift???) is the direction explored.

JM could cruise on the blues for the next 20 years and probaby put out solid discs. But, this disc takes a detour from the MOR pop he's been doing to solid 70s territory. He's done 70s-ish songs before, aping that-era Clapton quite heavily on the Continuum project.

As well as the SRV and Charlie Sexton vocal influences.

He pulls off the reinvention here convincingly, I think. We're on a site devoted to a man whose jerky persona never fully distracts folks from how sensitive he sounds on SHOE...

[Edited 6/7/12 21:23pm]

Yup, it's been on repeat for me too. Was just listening to it in the car today.

Like it better than his previous stuff. Agree also about Botti, but the rest of the song is good - Walt Grace.

breese said:

I love that dude.

Still think the first single should've been a slammer called 'Sexual Napalm'. That would've been funny

That would've been hilarious, given his interviews.