I have been a big fan of John Mayer and thought he had a good chance of being an all time great guitar player. After his cd Continuum, I thought his career was going to move more and more towards making great blues/rock/pop that would influence a younger generation to forget all that r&b rap crap that taints our society with just plain pure &hit.

However, i just picked up his new album and it makes me almost sad that someone who can play the guitar so well and passionately has moved more towards pop/r&b &hit.

Sure there are a couple spots where he still plays a nice lick here and there, but nothing like he should and could be doing.

He moved away from his strat to dabble around with some other types of guitars, and that's fine, but I would say as pf right now John Mayer is no longer a blues artist or guitarist...just another carbon copy record label pawn. Im guessing his next cd will have him on the cover with some gold teeth and slapping a hookers butt.

So much for this guitarist.

[/rant]

Who's John Mayer?.......... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I thought he was a comercial pop musician first and that his dabbling with blues was just something he does to allieviate the boredom.

It always seemed that way to me. He just wants to make money.

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No no and no

I feel the same way Ryan3985, it is sad to hear the new album, knowing what he really can do, but i think i heard him saying that he loves the Pop music just as much as the blues and that he wanted to go in a new direction. Anyway, if he decides to start playing battle studies stuff we will always have the continuum and Try albums

I watched the broadcast from the Beacon Theater Tuesday night - tried to do so with an open mind. Thoroughly unimpressed.

There were a couple of spots where he played amazingly well - but those spots were too far between for me. Then he went back to that Dave Matthews clone/pop BS. ANd he still can't sing. And he is thoroughly full of himself.

He played a couple of cuts from the Battle Studies album - and neither one of them inspired me to run out and buy it.

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Ignorance IS bliss - and I am the happiest person here!

Although I'm not a fan of his any way, shape or form, I can clearly see what he's doing. He's going where the money and longevity in the business are.

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You dig?

Well I guess he will mess around with this RnB stuff, then change direction again

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"You damn right, I've got the blues,
From my head down to my shoes" - BG

To me there are 2 types of artists, one that knows who they are and sticks to what they are about and one that does whatever it takes to keep themselves in the spotlight and sell records.John falls into the second catagory for sure.Typical of alot of pop artists.Cant really fault him for that .I never really bought that he was genuine blues anyways.

BLASPHEMY How dare you say something as ludicrous as this! John Mayer is a GOLDEN GOD! He is the greatest guitarist ever!! ARRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!

I agree, he is a talented guitar player, but he has been vastly overrated by his fanatics who would have you believe he is the second coming of Christ with a guitar in his hands. I always felt he was overrated and due to his pop culture status there were always plenty of people to stand up and back him as something special because he was on their favorite tv show, or dating this or that celebrity or on the cover of this or that teenie bopper magazine.

Hopefully this sentiment catches on and he just disappears altogether though.

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

I've never liked him. Sure he can play but so can countless young guns coming up. Mediocrity is the word that comes to mind.

I feel a good representation of his current style is on his cover of Crossroads on Battle Studies (The song by Robert Johnson that's been covered a million times by now). It sounds like Rock and Blues had a kid but was inflicted with Pop syndrome at an early age and is sonically challenged >_>

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

Agreed. I was genuinely surprised when I learned that Fender made a Signature Guitar of his. Let's face it, he's never going to be at the status or longevity of the majority of the other Signature artists. Apparently, Fender was feeling really generous at one point with their decision(s).

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You dig?

Thats why he's thriving. I wouldnt call him entirely mediocre though. A player in a musical enviroment as bland tepid and downright dull as the music scene of the early 21st century doesnt have to be a genius to shine. He's not great, sure. He stacks up pretty well when compared to his peers though.

Fact is he's just another overmarketed plastic produced popstar that could have just as easily ended up in a boyband.

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No no and no

I'm glad to see I am not the only one thinking these things about the guy, I was worried I was just being a "hater".

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

And CLEARLY full of himself as well!

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You dig?