Customer Reviews

Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

John Mayer is stepping out in a new direction with this disc. Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan are unarguably world-class musicians, and they have contributed thier always-stellar playing here. John Mayer's guitar playing is certainly technically proficient, and I believe it has real soul, too. "Wait until tomorrow" is a good example of that soul. I don't expect him to be Buddy Guy, though Buddy himself has endorsed John. The CD isn't that well mixed, but no worse than 75% of albums released these days. Before you believe the 1-star reviews, take a closer look.

Man this guy has fans and haters in all catagories!! Some of the teeny-bopper girls hate this new disk because its not pop, a few still scream for him 'cus a dude with guitar can do that to some girls. The blues fans hate the fact that somebody who prevously did pop is making money playing (quasi)blues. I wonder if the blues fans just turn away when clapton does a pop album? I have heard some say he is a subpar guitar player or derivative, or that the fact that he went to Berklee makes his playing somehow not valid. WELL,
1. I am a Berklee grad (guitar performance), so I can say with authority he is good. I sat down and figured out some of his earlier stuff, the chord voicings are tricky in places, lots of weird extensions and odd inversions. His groove is definatly there. He only attended a year too. To say that he was taught makes him less valid is, I think, quite ignorant. Everyone learns from others, no one is an island. Hendrix learned from Little Richard and Wilson Pickett in the mid 60's Clapton from John Mayall and old Freddie King records Vai from Zappa etc.
2. Lets not forget that SRV's first record was panned by all the press, he was booed off the stage at Montroux. And all the critics hated Zeppelin and called them derivitave too. Just because some of the fans/critics dont get it at first dosent mean its not good, it just means it challanges the boundries of what people think of as valid. Besides no one shold ever listen to critics. Have opinions of your own, thats what your brain is for.
3. Many dont like his voice. Many people focus on a musicians vocal quality, as if the only valid music is someone singing. I read one review here, from a 20 year old Recording Engineer, who apparently REALLY LISTENS to music. She said this guy is total crap because he hasnt got a good singing voice. Well because of her age I will cut her some slack. However she should know that its not the timbre of ones voice, or his or her range or technical ability that makes a good vocalist - rather ones ability to work within those limitations to deliver the most heartfelt telling performance at every opportunity. The fact she said nothing about the somewhat poor quality of the remainder of the disks mix is also telling. Also her lack of comment to the ABSOLUTLY KILLER PERFORMANCE of Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino is telling. These guys are both seasoned seasoned musicians with long lists of top notch sessions. She would be a lucky engineer if she ever got to work a session with either of these two.
4. There are definatly problems with the mix, very muddy at times. Hence the 3 stars insead of 4

I'll start by saying this; John Mayer gets music. He can write incredible pop songs as he has shown with his previous albums. He has appeared with legendary artists such as Herbie Hancock and Buddy Guy, just to name a few. Now with The John Mayer Trio he is really hitting his stride.

From the opening track "Who did you think I was?", you know that this album is not going to be the type of album that your little sister will like. Unless, that is, she happens to enjoy masterful blues-infused rock.

There are songs on the album the traditional John Mayer fans will enjoy. Gravity is a bluesy rock tune, but is similar enough to his previous efforts to make the pop fans happy. Of course there are a few of his older songs covered here as well; Daughters and Something's Missing, both originally off of "Heavier Things" are redone here with the Trio. Daughters is an interesting choice as I can think of a few other songs off of "Heavier Things" that would have been more likely selections. That said, it is still a solid song.

I have always enjoyed Mr. Mayer's music. I am a musician and songwriter so I can certainly respect a well crafted pop song, but it wasn't until I saw the DVD "Any Given Sunday", that I truly realized what he is capable of. To put it simply, the man is a guitar virtuoso that plays with as much feel as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimmy Hendrix. I do not say that lightly either, as I am an enormous fan of both.

On this album it is abundantly clear that this group of musicians is at the top of their game. Steve Jordan is always spectacular and is rightfully one of the most respected and sought after studio drummers in the country, if not the world. Pino Palladino is equally well-known and has played with some of the top acts in the world.

The JM3 live show, which I happened to catch at the Borgota in Atlantic City, NJ, is quite an experience. From the blues fans that came to the show out of curiosity, to the 15 year old girls with a slightly confused "I think I like this but it's not what I expected" looks on their faces, the crowd was into the performance. This album does a good job of capturing the vibe of the live show.

Crank it up and enjoy! An album like this doesn't come out very often.

This CD is a gem. John Mayer's considerable talent and maturity as a guitarist/songwriter is showcased beautifully and I'm thrilled he's taken this musical detour - whether temporary or permanent - into the blues/rock genre. His voice is different to be sure, and it might be a little difficult for those who have a strong association of his voice with his pop hits to make the transition to a different style. I think that's their loss. If you like his voice and you like good blues, you'll probably like this CD. Don't fear change. :-) I agree there are a couple of moments his voice doesn't gel perfectly with the style of music, but those are largely insignificant and forgivable in light of the overall excellence of the CD. Comparing this blues/rock offering to "the greats" seems a little silly - He's not BB King, so he won't sound like him. Step back and experience this CD for what it is: A great musical contribution from a very talented artist.

. . .I am probably the newest passenger on the John Mayer Love Train here. The first song I ever heard was "Vultures" at 4:00pm the day I saw him in concert that night with Sheryl Crow in Indianapolis, three days before "Continuum" hit the market. I got to hear him sing it live that night. While waiting for Continuum to come out, I ordered "Try" solely to have "Vultures," "I Got a Woman," and "Good Love is on the Way" (I hope he'll release a studio version of this awesome rocker!) to tide me over, so to speak. But what made me a true believer once I got this thing in my hands was hearing "Out of My Mind." Close your eyes and you'll swear that Ray Charles is singing and Stevie Ray Vaughn is playing the guitar. But no--apparently this is John's composition, played and sung by John with--dare it I say it?--SOUL. And it's not even the peak of the concert. There's lots more to come. The encore section is 20 minutes long, including a raw rocking version of "Something's Missing." Yes, I have to ignore the sexist lyrics of "I Got A Woman" and just listen to that blues guitar wail, but after all, he didn't write that one. Mr. Charles did. There's a lot of variety here--a fun, funky cover of Hendrix' "Wait Until Tomorrow", "Daughters" (for those of us who can't get enough of "classic John"). The "green" song that follows "Out of My Mind" reminds me of the Beatles circa 1969. "Vultures" rocks, of course--the only thing missing are the keyboard parts from the "Continuum" version. I love the way he ends this one--it fades out to him and this little funky rhythmic thing.

On a live album, you're either on your game or you're not. Nothing to hid behind. Nothing to prop you up. And it's just him and two awesome rhythm masters who, like BB King, Clapton, etc., are much too talented and busy to ever suffer fools. Not that they have to with John. He is ON here. The crowds he played to here were much smaller and quieter than the ones on "Any Given Tuesday." There are a few times he's a bit too closer to the microphone, and you'll hear an occasionally appreciative whoop from a fan. But frankly, this captures a lot of what he's really like in concert. No stupid mouth on this one--he banters with the crowd a little bit, but it's mostly playing and jamming and singing. For the heart and the energy that comes through here, I can put up with a little bit of crowd noise and appreciation.

If it's as well-produced as this CD, I'd love to see this on DVD with interviews and a documentary. "Continuum" will probably sell more units, but for those of us on the Love Train, this album is John's watershed album. If he goes in this direction in the future, this is the place he began to make grown up music. I hope his fans will be smart enough to make the journey with him from teen idol to blues master.

After hearing the first two studio cuts on iTunes, I was hyped that this album would encompass 7-8 tracks of hard blues similar to his "Why Don't You Come When I Call" track with the addition of "Something's Missing" and "Daughters". The end result is not that, but that is not to say the record itself is not a great representation of the live show and a showcase for Mayer's skills. I'm not sure the many critics on this album appreciate the level of guitar work that is done here and how clean it comes out LIVE. Detractors will say it's not SRV, well, no kidding. But have you heard a better version of Jimi's "Wait For Tomorrow" until this? The guitar work is spot on (again, especially live) and the solo rips harder than all others. It seems blues 'aficionados' will discount Mayers chops as "too clean" and "too fast", but isn't that more entertaining to listen to and appreciate than BB King who plays one note and self-professed can strum a single chord? Again, some people may have built this up to be the next "SRV-In The Beginning", but it's not. It's a fine album of some straight up blues tunes, some blues-hybrids and some clever redos of both Mayer covers along with Jimi and Ray Charles. And let's not forget, the first time that SRV played to the establishment in Montreaux, he was booed off stage.

From the second I put this CD into my stereo at home, I knew it was going to be good. The array of sounds that emanate from the album, the intricate guitar work, and the rythmic, bluesy vibe it has are impressive and indicative of Mayer's growth as a musician.
The first three songs are jazz/blues tracks that kick off the CD in a playful, upbeat manner. Mayer demonstrates his guitar prowess and lyrical abilities in these, especially in the awesome intro to track three.
Although the Billboard review thought that track four, "Gravity", did not fit with the generally cheerful, playful tone of the album, I think it's a great song that adds another dimension to the work.
Vultures is my favorite song on the CD-- it's one of Mayer's best (up there with 3x5). The lyrics are impressive, and the music simply enveloped me during my first listen!Mayer also experiments with singing falsetto; and, oddly enough, listening to it wasn't painful.
Overall, this CD is something that true John Mayer fans have been waiting for. He kind of came out of the closet in the sense that he's beginning to leave his pop roots behind and move in the direction of jazz and blues. Try! is a fun, album that brings John Mayer's guitar skills, musical and lyrical development, and disinterest in formulaic pop music to light. Buy it-- it's really great!

Holly cow! This guy has been doing a little wood sheddin'. I have Heavier Things and it occasionally makes its way into the CD player and then back to the shelf. Try! stays in the CD player. A very impressive piece of work. Great song selections that carry a little more import than some of Mayer's previous more pop-oriented writing. But it's really the guitar playing, backed by this incredible rhythm section, that stands out. Mayer set out to prove something to his audience on this disc, establishing himself as a musician to be taken seriously, and he pulls it off convincingly. When you play in a trio format there is nowhere to hide, and Mayer stands at the front of this band and rocks. This is the best CD I've heard in a long time. Its reassuring to know that with all the drivel you hear on the radio, someone still has the integrity to break through the [...] and put out an exceptional CD.

So the latest installment is also the debut. The first release by the John Mayer Trio (John (g,v), Steve Jordan (d), Pino Palladino (b)), "Try!" was recorded live in concert at the House of Blues in Chicago. It may seem like an unnatural step for Mayer, but in the truest sense, he has returned to his roots.

From pretty much day one of his pop-stardom, he has promoted the image of smooth-serenading acoustic troubador. And he did pretty well (I think that 3 Grammy's just told me this is an understatement). But underneath all that was John's foundation - a baddass electric guitarist. Influences ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan to John Coltrane are melded with a fresh sound and serious chops (1 year at Berklee was plenty, apparently) to yield quite possibly the next real guitar hero. And "Try!" is the first big step towards that.

The album opens with JM3's first single, the all-too-appropriate query "Who Did You Think I Was?" And with it comes the huuuge electric sound (side note: John's rig was recently featured in premier gear-head newsletter The ToneQuest Report http://www.online-discussion.com/Tonequest/viewtopic.php?t=130). And when the bass and drums enter, it's on. Three guys crankin' it out right off the bat (and you can definitely see why Steve Jordan played for The Who). They continue with "Good Love is on the Way," a funky original composed collectively by the Trio that recalls the sounds of Grand Funk Railroad and other few-decades-old funksters, and features John quacking out on the wah-wah pedal. The next track features Hendrix's "Wait Until Tomorrow," which has one of the most fiery guitar solos laid down in this decade (Jimi is looking down proudly at his fellow Strat-master). The solemn "Gravity" places the well-framed 'John Mayer Ballad' nicely in the new Trio setting, complete with insightful lyrics and a tasty electric guitar solo. He continues with "Vultures," which bridges jazz and 80's pop a la The Police (something the once billed 'Jazz-Pop sensation' has done remarkably well), serving up lines about not conforming and plucking out a funky guitar jam down to the faded-out ending.

Then comes number six, going back to the home of the blues (John teases "Fairfield, CT, where the blues was born" to the Chicago fans who really know) with "Out of my Mind." And he plays out of his mind. The slow, classic changes of BB and T-Bone (that's King and Walker, respectively, for those wondering) let John speak his bluesy mind about what music was made for. And he sings:

I'm putting you, baby
I'm putting you right out of my mind
I'm putting you, baby
I'm putting you right out of my mind
So tired of running after you, girl
And being one and one half steps behind

Go and tell your friends now
Go tell your friends what Johnny did
Go tell your friends
go tell your friends just what Johnny did
If they don't tell you that you're crazy, baby
Lord, they as messed up as you is
(Lemme play my guitar, people )

From Ma Rainey to Robert Cray, them blues is the real deal. And the solo (with influence from Buddy Guy, but amazingly original, especially towards the end), and voice/guitar call-and-response do not disappoint. The 11-song set now over the hump, the Trio cranks out John's previously written (but unreleased) "Another Kind of Green," which keeps John's funky-pop stylings close.

Now the home stretch. Steve and Pino lay down the beat for John's guitar colors (he describes in another show as "icing all over it") and breaks out into a funked out "I Got a Woman" a la Kanye. Then he plays two of his 'older' ones, "Something's Missing" followed by "Daughters," which are complete with screaming and singing from the younger female contingent that has dominated John's fanbase since the YBIAW video went 'Spanking New' for 10 seconds between episodes in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge #26 Marathon Weekend. The songs are good ones and performed quite well, but almost seem anticlimactic with the craziness unleashed beforehand.

But luckily, it finishes strong with the title track (which serves as the play-on-words which has become part of John's MO). Before the downbeat, many are yelling out "[Play] Comfortable!" which would make no sense whatsoever; so appropriately JM3 play the 'anti-comfortable', and totally rock it out. With the same electric energy that asked the question in the opening track, the Trio comes full circle to answer that THIS is me trying to be myself, when everyone else said it had to be acoustic guitars and 'bubblegum toungues....'

I talk much about John, but he's held up by (and accountable to) the two other guys on the stage. Steve and Pino are blues-rock veterans with unparalleled curricula vitae. And they not only feed John the background, they propel with him as a 3-man Tour de Force. The unit rocks, plain and simple, and it is John keeping up with the other two that shows just how good he really is.

Since he went major-label, I have been waiting for the day that the John I knew, doing the harmonized scat-guitar lines to "I Only Like You 'Cause Your Sister's Hot" at Cappucino Joe's to an audience you can count on two hands (and over my rhythm guitar - I mean, I couldn't write a JM piece without getting it in there ::smirk::), to come out and show his true colors to the rest of the world. He always had the live shows, the finger-throbbing backing tracks, and a couple guitar mag covers to remind us that it was in there somewhere. But this budding guitar hero has finally come to say "Oh yeah, I can play." And it seems that I'm not the only one enjoying it. The massive response the tour has received is heartwarming, knowing that there are people out there who still enjoy real music from one of the top musicians out on the scene today. I'm glad it's returned. Check out www.johnmayertrio.com.

Blues guitar purists may balk at buying this CD since Mr.Mayer has achieved fame by writing well crafted pop tunes sung in a laid back manner.
Wipe that image of John Mayer from your mind now!Or at least TRY.
The 1st tune up on this disc will have you second guessing yours ears as John sings "Who Did You Think I Was".You might think it was the ghost of SRV himself singing since Mayer sounds surprisingly like the great blues guitarist/singer who inspired him to play the blues in the first place.John's guitar intro on this tune will quickly silence any doubters who may question Mayer's ability to "talk the talk" and "walk the walk".
Check out "Wait Until Tomorrow".There's never been a doubt that drummer Steve Jordan is a BAD MOFO,but his super hip updated Mitch Mitchell groove is so smokin' you'll almost forget to listen to Mayer play and sing this Jimi Hendrix classic!
The super slow blues,"Out Of My Mind",might make some girls wonder where their posterboy of pop has gone to.I'll tell you where he's gone to...he's gone home to his blues roots.
The boy burns this blues number to the ground.Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino lay down the sparsest of accompaniment forcing Mayer to dig deep and testify to the blues' healing power pretty much on his own.You'll feel pretty good after he puts the wraps on this 12/8 track.I sure did.
I'll leave you to find out how good the rest of this CD is and finish up my brief review by urging all who love good old fashioned guitar god blues-rock to put this one in your shopping cart and proceed to checkout immediately.You don't want to wait for any more reviews to convince you to buy TRY any longer.
This is the last review to read.Period.