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Battle Studies

John MayerAudio CD
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (227 customer reviews)

Price: $6.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
 : Includes FREE MP3 version of this album.
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Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
MP3 Music, 11 Songs, 2009 $10.99  
Audio CD, 2009 $6.99  
Vinyl, Import, 2012 $48.80  

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Heartbreak Warfare 4:29$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  2. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye 4:35$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  3. Half Of My Heart 4:10$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  4. Who Says 2:55$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  5. Perfectly Lonely 4:28$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  6. Assassin 5:14$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  7. Crossroads 2:29$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  8. War Of My Life 4:15$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  9. Edge Of Desire 5:32$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen10. Do You Know Me 2:30$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen11. Friends, Lovers Or Nothing 5:59$1.29  Buy MP3 


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Biography

The consistency with which John Mayer combines word craft and melody has earned him rarefied status as a respected songwriter and musician. As one of few musicians to achieve both critical acclaim and popular appeal, the seven-time Grammy Award winner has earned accolades for each album release while selling in excess of 17 million albums worldwide.

Known as a musician who defies genre ... Read more in Amazon's John Mayer Store

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Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Includes FREE MP3 version of this album Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Battle Studies + Born and Raised + Continuum
Price for all three: $20.98

Buy the selected items together
  • Born and Raised $8.99
  • Continuum $5.00


Product Details

  • Audio CD (November 17, 2009)
  • Original Release Date: 2009
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Sony
  • ASIN: B002QEXN2K
  • In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (227 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2009 studio album from the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. Since the release of his hit album, Room For Squares, in 2001, Mayer has progressed from a sensitive acoustic-based performer into a full-fledged paparazzi-baiting superstar with acclaimed musical detours into Jazz, Blues and Folk. Battle Studies is yet another milestone for Mayer, containing some of his best work to date. Features the single 'Who Says'.

Customer Reviews

The cd has some pretty good songs, however, I wasn't too impressed with it. emfledd7  |  35 reviewers made a similar statement
John Mayer is so talented and he proves it with this album once again. VAlady  |  32 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
103 of 120 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly Average John Mayer November 17, 2009
Format:Audio CD
John Mayer set the bar too high on the last album and falls short of his high standard on this one. A lot of his songs are good, but there's nothing here that has the punch of Continuum, which I believe is his finest work and an absolute masterpiece. On Continuum, he shows how fantastic his guitar skills are and brings his blues influence out in full force. On Battle Studies, he sinks backwards towards some of his older, less sophisticated works. After several listens, this album has grown on me, but it's only enjoyable, not fantastic.
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50 of 59 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Another Solid Release from a Vocally Refined Mayer November 22, 2009
Format:Audio CD
For anyone who happens to be on Twitter, John Mayer is a must follow (along with @MyLathamLife and @NewCDReviews). His incredible sense of humor and lack of inhibition is good for an almost guaranteed daily laugh. What's interesting is that his humor rarely carries over to his music and when it does, it's subtle. Perhaps it's the "Adult Contemporary" label he's given, or perhaps it's his desire to musically follow in the footsteps of his influences; Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Robert Johnson to name a few. Whatever it may be, John Mayer has been releasing mature, blues-based, increasingly guitar featured music since 1999 with almost always fantastic results.

For John Mayer fans, this album is a familiar continuation of the work he has released throughout the decade. Although different instruments are occasionally added to the mix and various styles and influences filter in throughout, the real feature remains his guitar. The first track, "Heartbreak Warfare" opens with strings fading in followed by delayed guitar reminiscent of U2's The Edge. While these sounds may be experimental for Mayer, they seem to set the mood for the remainder of the album. Following "Heartbreak Warfare" is "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye," which has one of the most beautiful choruses Mayer has produced. My guess is he was listening to a great deal of Chicago as he wrote it.

Although the romantic Adult Contemporary themes prevail on the majority of the record, Mayer's sense of humor does gently poke through on the tracks "Half of My Heart" and "Who Says." On "Half of My Heart," Mayer shares the track with Taylor Swift and sings about loving someone while always looking for someone else. On "Who Says," easily one of the best, and most likely one of the most honest tracks of the album, Mayer gives a little insight to his opinion of marijuana use. The brilliant line "I don't remember you looking any better, but then again I don't remember you" repeats throughout and at the very least produces a smile every time it's heard.

For Battle Studies, the concentration is clearly on tone. There is no greater example of this than on his cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads." For any blues guitarist, "Crossroads" is almost a required cover, a Fender player's coming of age celebration. John Mayer's cover is significantly slower than Eric Clapton's famous rendition of the track with Cream and resembles Robert Randolph's funk infused style more than the original Robert Johnson recording, but when Mayer opts to solo, the notes are crisp, clear, and distinctly his own. Instead of showing off with notes, he maintains the respect of his followers with the sound he produces from his instrument. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd was famous for the same.

Battle Studies may not be John Mayer's greatest achievement, but it's a worthy addition to his already impressive repertoire. With many of his idols still producing music today, it's safe to say we can expect even more great things from this phenomenal guitarist and songwriter for many years to come.

Similar Artists: Eric Clapton, B.B. King

Track Suggestion: Who Says
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Still JM, but he's capable of more December 10, 2009
Format:MP3 Music
After a couple weeks of listening to this, I'm ready to admit that I like the album. But I will stand by the argument that he is capable of much better songwriting than we hear on Battle Studies. The funny thing is, that seems to be the way it was intended. You get the idea Mayer got exactly what he was going for here: a straight forward, pleasant tribute to late 70's/80's pop music (You will hear the Fogelberg, Phil Collins, U2, James Taylor, etc). Lyrically it's honest and heartfelt, but not adventurous or particularly creative.

For the last several months, I've been following John on twitter, and it's impossible not to fall in love with him as a personality. This and the sheer brilliance of Continuum set up expectations that were hard to meet...and they haven't. Basically what I'd say is that it's a perfectly enjoyable album and by no means has he lost his edge, but hard to swallow when you know he's capable of magnificent. The cover on the CD, obviously in place to appease his fans on the blues end of things, classic "Crossroads" is a blast, but entirely popped out and not with the kind of grit Stevie Ray would approve of.

Assassin is a brilliant, gutsy track. But it's no "Belief" or "Vultures". "Heartbreak Warfare" is a full, orchestrated pop song...but it's not "I Don't Trust Myself"...same with "All We Ever Do" vs. "Slow Dancing...", etc. It stands on its own, and comparing it to your other albums you'll realize he's great. But compare it with the standards he set himself, and I think we have better to look forward to.

Key Tracks: Heartbreak Warfare, Half of My Heart, Assassin, Do You Know Me
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Better than Middle of the Road
Battle Studies is perfectly fitting for this album's title. John Mayer does seem to be competing with himself here. The album is not bad, not extraordinary, but not bad. Read more
Published 5 days ago by gobirds2
5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC!!!!
ONE OF THE BEST CD'S I HAVE HEARD IN A LONG TIME!!!! ABSOLUTELY AWSOME. RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES JOHN MAYER.
Published 9 days ago by SLK
5.0 out of 5 stars Great John Mayer Album!
I got this to give as a gift to a relative, and they love it! This album's got some great songs on it! The price was great, and the disc is in great condition. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Trevor
5.0 out of 5 stars EASY LISTENING
Listen to the album almost every day. I think of my own life and losses when I do. I like his voice.
Published 17 days ago by CCINPA
5.0 out of 5 stars Suprisingly good
Was expecting a so so album,man was I surprised.
This bloke is unreal.Very,very talented.
Better lyrics than Clapton,probably not as good a guitarist ..yet. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Slalomguy
3.0 out of 5 stars Typical John Mayer.
He uses his instrument to accompany his voice in a pleasing way. Feel like he's bearing his soul through his music. I like his music, but this isn't his best stuff.
Published 1 month ago by michael brannen
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Mix of Mayer
Although not his greatest album, it is still a must have. There are several songs that make this album for me, and because of that alone you have to get the whole album!
Published 1 month ago by Thendricks
5.0 out of 5 stars Just Great!
I love his voice! Every song touches my heart and soul! I have already told all my friends about this CD.
Published 2 months ago by Antoinette Magretto
3.0 out of 5 stars Mayer's battle
It's just an okay John Mayer project. Needs a few more listens before we can form a final decision. Later.
Published 2 months ago by John W. Pellegrini
3.0 out of 5 stars Mellow
My first Mayer album was Born and Raised, which is fantastic, so this one doesn't really measure up to it. Seems a lot of the same as compared to the variety of B&R.
Published 2 months ago by Elwood Blues
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Topic From this Discussion
Do you like this new CD Battle Studies? Is this a Mayer triumph or bust?...
Neither triumph nor bust but somewhere in the middle. I love "Assassin" and "Do You Know Me?" and like "All We Ever Do...", "War Of My Life", and "Edge of Desire". The rest are forgettable. I felt lukewarm about Heavier Things also and years later... Read more
Nov 17, 2009 by LuKasAV6 |  See all 17 posts
How would you rate John Mayer as a songwriter?
In my opinion, he is underrated. He takes a whole ton of flak for his music when it was more poppy and geared towards teens. But one thing I know is that I have seen MANY artists live, and John Mayer is by far one of my favorite. What those music elitists don't realize is that this guy will... Read more
Oct 31, 2009 by We miss Howard |  See all 13 posts
CD price
I saw 9.99 for Battle Studies. Are you sure you looked @ it correctly?
Nov 11, 2009 by J. Williams |  See all 5 posts
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