Customer Reviews

Any Given Thursday

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I generally characterize John Mayer as a talented chick musician - by which I mean that chicks dig him cuz he's dreamy sounding and handsome in a famous-geek kind of way. In spite of his appeal to the screaming teeny and lower-20's girls, John Mayer is a talented musician and lyricist.

Mayer's band is talented at setting up a solid groove that carries through an entire track. As a drummer, I focus in on drummers of the music I listen to. I love what his drummer lays down on this concert set: he has straightforward grooves that are very musical. They feel right and they fit.

This set has more of a jazzy feel to it than his studio work and it's a good sound. It has more of a natural, earthy feel that I think is missing from his studio work, possibly because it's harder for a producer to get their slimy hands all over the music on a live session.

Mayer's lyrics are several notches above the teeny mulch churned out by Britney et. al. His lyrics are thoughtful, poetic, innocent and at times, quite deep (how come everything I think I need / Always comes with batteries? something's missing / and I don't know how to fix it). One reviewer placed JM in the Dave Matthews camp. While not as musically versatile as DMB, JM has lyrics that are of the same level of thoughtfulness and depth, though not as consistently as DMB.

The recording quality is excellent. Very good imaging of the stage: the instruments have spatial presence in the recording and each has a proper and clear voice in the overall mix.

The single detracting feature of this disc set are the screaming girls. Jeez! You really have to focus on tuning them out but occasionally, they scream at wholly inappropriate times or for some inexplicable reason, the engineer boosts them in the mix and they just ruin the moment. What the engineer was thinking when they mixed this set is beyond me. Want to show that john is dreamy and the chicks dig him? Fine. Show pictures of swooning girls in the liner notes. Include a DVD with cuts to starry-eyed girls as JM plays. But man! Leave them out of the mix. Plech.

I have to say that this is the best live CD that I have ever heard! It is so good that it sounds like he recorded it in a studio if it weren't for all that screaming, but it is amazing because you can hear how talented John is. He really shines on this CD and if you ever have a chance, you need to see him in concert. He takes the songs from his "Room For Squares" CD and puts a twist on them that I find myself liking the live versions better than his originals. For example, like his "83" song, he puts a little bit of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and Deniece Williams "Let's Hear It For The Boy" in so smoothly that you swear it was part of the song. Overall, John is an extremely talented guy and it really shows on this live CD. You guys have to check it out!

John Mayer's first live release can be compared to Dave Matthews's many live recordings. I have to say I love this album, but I am partial to live recordings. They conjure up the excitement felt at a concert and showcase an artists true talent, through improvisation and showmanship. This album proves John's a great talent.

One the first disc, his voice seems a little breathy, but by the middle of the first and for all of the second disc (the better of the two), he seems to be feeding off the fans: His voice becomes powerful. His interaction with the audience is playful at times, grateful at others. It is obivious that he is a gifted artist who loves to perform. The versions of "Why Georgia", "Your Body is a Wonderland" and "My Stupid Mouth" found here are worth the price of the album. Awesome!

Also recommended: Dave Matthews Band "Live at Red Rocks" and "Live at Folsom Field", John Mayer "Room for Squares".

Why you may ask? Well its not the music in itself, it's the people who criticize every little single thing about everybody. Let's start this by saying, ok lets compare John Mayer to Dave Matthews...Ok, John sings "And these days, I wish I was 6 again" Dave sings "Ive this creeping suspicion that things here are not as they seem" yeah really similar. But seriously it seems like there's always someone out there ready to burst your little balloon everytime you actually do what inspires you. Maybe John can get his vocal chords surgically altered to make the nagging peanut gallery happy. It's gotten ridiculous, just like people rip on Coldplay with Radiohead, or whatever new band have you. Ok let's establish a fact here. Pretty much nothing's done that hasnt been done before in some sort of incarnation folks. Is Dave Matthews talented? Yes. Is he the first to play acoustic guitar in a band.er..NO. Contrary to popular belief these days, there was life before 1998. Long before DMB there were jam bands and folksy blues-funk singers, the whole era of the 60's were full of them, you literally tripped over them on the way to Haight-Ashbury. I'm well into my 30's and I happen to own Any Given Thursday. Is it the most groundbreaking album ever made? No, but in this world that's infested by teen angst bubble gum flavored "I'm an angry millionaire" music anyone that can even play more than 3 chords is an upliftment. Simply, for this guy to be around in the relatively short time he has, to be able to keep touring, and doing great live ensembles that include songs like "Comfortable" is due his respect. Ive seen a lot of people come and go, usually the people that make the best music are here today and gone tommorow like Hendrix,(or in the cases of you kiddies out there, Kurt Cobain) in such a short time and you end up wishing like hell you were able to have been a part of the experience of actually seeing a great part of music history. That one ad-lib in "Comfortable" at the end that sent chills down my back is proof this guy's good. The next time some of the naysayers see fit to fire shots at some band or individual singer cause his tone or range may be similar to some other singer thats doing something similar to what someone else has done before them, why not just enjoy what you have. Its far too easy to not appreciate what you have while it's right there in your face only to be some afterthought later when it's gone. You dont have to love John Mayer, just cut the guy some slack, the man's good at what he does, and there's nothing new that hasn't been old before. That's why it always get's revived, cause it's that good....Thanks

I was very pleased when I first listened to this CD. Many live bands do not perform very well on stage, however this is completely wrong for John Mayer. He is an exceptionally great live performer. He really gets up there and blows away the audience. His singing is great and so is his guitar skills. He plays the guitar sensationally. He also changes guitars to best suit the song; its great too. You almost feel as if your at the concert with John with this CD. The sound of the instruments is great, along with John's great singing. It's a great quality. While performing, he really gets into his music; this is shown by his great singing. This CD includes the ever so popular "Comfortable" song which is not on either his first cds, Room for Squares and Heavier things. Some other great songs on this CD include: No Such Thing, City Love, Something's Missing. There are 15 great songs in all. I highly recommend this CD to everybody.

Dave Matthews, Dispatch, O.A.R., it all ends up the same. There's only so much of an essence of the band that you can capture with studio albums. The only way to truly experience the band is to see them live. If you can't see them live, the next best thing is to get the live CD, put it in your stereo and kick back. The formula doesn't change for John Mayer and his double CD live release, "Any Given Thursday." Many of the studio versions of songs on his LP "Room for Squares" get a nice extended facelift on this album. The opener, "3x5," gets a nice drum-laced intro. Songs like "Neon," "83" and "Why Georgia" also get that extra special ingredient in a live concert that does not do the songs justice on the studio album. The real gem of the performance is the acoustic set. "Love Song for No One" gets the honors of being the best song of the performance, as John gets a chance to shine alone. He also does an excellent rendition of the Police's "Message in a Bottle," a song I find particularly bland, but that may just be me. Even so, John gives it a laid-back flair and lets the crowd groove along. What prevents this album from getting that fifth star are the basic carbon-copies of the studio versions of "No Such Thing," "Your Body is a Wonderland" and "My Stupid Mouth." Nevertheless, the songs are just as catchy as the originals. If you're new to John Mayer, I suggest getting "Room for Squares" first, but this album suppliments it nicely.

Excellent album. John Mayer seems to find some way to not bore me with a live album. I usually buy live albums and skip to the songs I like but this is a well put together set and great for long car rides. I recommend anything by John, everything is good. Tracks that stand out on this album include "Lenny/Man on the Side", "Neon", "Why Georgia" and "Your Body is a Wonderland." Whole album is good. Great purchase for the mellow music listener.

Write him off as another silly pop star with catchy melodies and almost conversational lyrics. Go ahead, he wouldn't care. He only wants you to, "accept him and his little songs. It means the world to him."

To call John Mayer a pop star would be cliched, and as unoriginal as the artists who really do thrive in that genre of music. His true roots are shown in much more detail in his live release "Any Given Thursday". Between his "poppy" radio hits he blends solos comparable to the late Stevie Ray Vaughn and covers of classic Police tracks (Message in a Bottle). After being blown away by his blazing solos and on stage humor, the average critic shouldn't think twice about the screaming girls in the front row and reviews they gave his "Room for Squares" release, but concentrate more on Mayer's well thought and highly complex musical and lyrical structures. For his age, Mayer shows a very sophistcated on-stage presensce, spicing in a story as needed.

As for the actual show, John properly mixes his songs, not to put too many girl pleasers in a row. This is one way of keeping the attention of those who purchased front row seats just to hear "No Such Thing" played twenty times louder than their car stereo. Also appearing in the show are a few unreleased tracks, one of which, "Something's Missing", appears on his new studio album. He jams on this track for nearly ten minutes. Not a single minute is too long or short eiter. Every note seems to fit perfectly. Mayer closes with an encore of Comfy from his indie EP and Neon in its jamming and solo packed entirety.

In the bonus footage (DVD), Mayer reveals that he was approached by a producer, trying to convince him to re-record his live vocal tracks in a studio setting. Saying himself, "this show was filled with bumps and bruises," he declined the offer and left the recording in its original and honest form. He is loyal to his fans and a musician that promises to "spend lifetime giving back" what his fans have given him...Sweet concert.

Much like "Inside Wants Out",this CD is a a stripped down version of John's music, so you get to hear how good he really is. But on this album you also get to meet John, get to know his personality. His sense of humor and general awesomeness shows on this album from his responding to the crowd to countless add-ons in his songs (which really do add alot, allowing the listener to not feel like they're just listening to "Room For Squares" live). He covers alot of music on this cd, not just his own. The Police, Cyndi Lauper...he adds tid-bits from other peoples songs into his own, again making them that much different and funner then the studio versions.

John absolutely sounds like he's playing and performing because he wants to be not because he has to. Alot of songs play out like jam sessions and I don't think there is one song that he plays exactly as he does on his studio albums. He truly is an amazing guitar player and lyricist and this shows more than ever on this album. There are alot of new lyrics and additional guitar on old songs, which shows that his talent has no bounds.

There is alot of life in this album, and alot of John, not just his music but him. It's such a personal album that I'm on a first name basis with him...for John Mayer fans, this album will be a new favorite. For everyone else...you'll love it too.

You have to buy this cd if only to listen to one song. And that one song is Covered in Rain. If you have never heard Covered in Rain, you have to buy this cd, because it is honestly the best song ever written by a human being. I finally understand why he did not put this song on heavier things, and that reason is because an album version could not capture the pure emotion and clarity this song conveys. Buy the cd, listen to Covered in Rain and you'll have a new favorite song.