Customer Reviews

The Village Sessions

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not very objective when it comes to John Mayer, since I love everything he does. However... this CD really blew me away the first time I listened to it. I love Continuum and Try!, but this CD really reminded me how great John is on acoustic guitar. If you're not crazy about anything John has done since Room For Squares, you will probably love this. Not since "Inside Wants Out" have I heard John playing such pure, unadulterated guitar. You can just get lost in imagining his fingers moving over the strings... and it's fun to hear some guitar and vocal variations on the songs contained in Continuum (5 songs) and Try! (1 song); John's voice sounds as smooth as honey. My biggest critique, and this is one I've heard lamented by other John Mayer fans, is that it's only six songs... and it leaves you desperately wanting more more more. At only $1 per song, it's worth it to get this CD though. I wish John would put out a double album with 26 acoustic songs on it... although I love his electric guitar too, he is so amazing on acoustic and it's a great change of pace when you're feeling mellow. My favorite song on Continuum, "Belief," is included on this CD and sounds fantastic. "In Repair" is also fantastic. They all are, actually. "Waiting on the World..." sounds similar, except the background vocals are really different and gives the song a whole new twist.

6/09 Wow! in the two and a half years since I wrote this review, the price has skyrocketed from $5.99 to over $21 !!!! That's outrageous!

I must admit that when John first appeared with album # 1 a few years back I said to myself "here we go again, another pretty boy with no musical substance". Since then, I have been proven wrong and become a fan. In addition, I must applaud him for being so ambitious. He's released alot of music and covered alot of ground in 5 years. Although I wasn't crazy about the trio record (he ain't Hendrix or SRV even though he is a huge fan of both), the Continuum album really brought me around. Most of the songs are on the mellow side but still are great! This EP contains acoustic stripped down versions of some of those songs and is priced well so I would advise anyone who likes his current album to pick this up as a companion piece.

I've been a big fan of John Mayer for 6 years now; however, he has taken his music to the next level with Continuum. His musical gifts have been obvious from the beginning, but now he is getting in his groove and polishing his sound with this rediscovery of the blues. The Village Sessions bears all of this too light. He combines his rediscovery of his love for the blues with his tremendous gift of acoustic guitar playing. This produces a pleasant and relaxing listen. This cd is a must for the collection as it expands his depth and brevity with some of the other songs on Contiuum. A definite must have!

I've always loved the way John Mayer takes his songs to the acoustic side of things and this album highlights that talent. The songs have a different feel to them. They don't sound as deep and emotional as the full orchestrated Continuum versions, but (with the exception of Waiting on the world to Change - which sounds identical to the Continuum version) both Belief and Slow Dancing (the two strongest on this album) have a more personal sound to them.

The production is spotless and it sounds as though the album was recorded in the studio as opposed to live, and result is a definite additon to your John Mayer collection.

The only fault I have is that there isn't a longer track listing.

For «The Village Sessions»-EP John Mayer rerecorded five tracks from his latest album Continuum («Waiting On The World To Turn», «Belief», «Slow Dancing In A Burning Room», «I'm Gonna Find Another You», «In Repair») and one from Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert («Good Love Is On The Way»). In these stripped-down-to-the-essential-arrangements Mayer presents himself as a gifted guitarist and singer whereas the songs sound atmospheric and intoxicating (especially «In Repair»). As a special treat, the «Village»-version of «Waiting On The World To Turn» features the whole band (Pino Palladino on bass, Steve Jordan on drums/percussion, and Ricky Peterson on keys) and is spiced with some background vocals from Ben Harper... Good one!

Great stuff from John Mayer and his musicians, especially guitarist John McIntosh. Clean and tight production, yet personal and "close" as acoustic sessions should be. This also features Ben Harper on "Waiting on the world to change", his contribute makes it almost sound gospel-ish. Nice! If you're a John Mayer or Eric Clapton-fan, this is a record for you. PS: "Belief" and "Slow dancing in a burning room" sound like heaven acoustically.

There is an apparent transition from the old John Mayer to the new artist that he is becoming. There are a couple of songs that definitely focus on his relationships, but there are also a couple that focus more on his world view and his stance on the current political situation. All of this is wrapped up in his solid musical skills. Ben Harper even makes a guest appearance on these recordings, making this a true underground masterpiece.

A truely wonderful release from the talented John Mayer.

I am biased, but I gotta say this CD contains some really great alternate versions to songs found on John most recent release, "Continuum".

My fav is the collaboration with Ben Harper on Belief and Waiting on the World to Change, but all songs are great!

Great to hear acoustic versions of these classic John Mayer songs. A superb addition to any music collection, a must for all Mayer fans.

This is the first review I've ever written for Amazon. But this CD warranted a review. It is FANTASTIC! I'm a big fan of John Mayer and own everything he's ever put out, but I just stumbled across this CD recently. If you liked Continuum, or you enjoy John live, this is the CD for you!! It really shows off his incredible musical ability. It also has a very intimate feel - I felt like I was sitting right in the studio with him. As soon as I heard this CD, it became my instant favorite. It hasn't left my CD player since.