# I Just Can't Like Jack Johnson's Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974 "2006-02-24T20:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/21 "2006-02-25T15:45:00Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Would you elaborate on this influence a bit? The only M. Ward album I’ve got is _The Transfiguration of Vincent_, and while I love it lots and lots, I hear nothing at all of Tom Waits in it. (And Tom Waits is in my top three or four musicians as well.) I’m not an expert – I don’t own any M. Ward albums yet. But I’ve heard him played on my local college radio station, and I just heard a bit of a growly voice, introspective lyrics, and instrumentation and song structure that reminded me of the Americana that Waits mines for material so often. I didn’t mean to imply anything inaccurate, but the little bit I’ve heard just brought the comparison to mind at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/22 "2006-02-25T18:50:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m usually pretty up on music, but who in the heck is Jack Johnson? The first time I heard of him was for the Curious George soundtrack. Don’t know anything else he’s done though. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/23 "2006-02-25T19:24:45Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Jack Johnson has apparently won the Talentless Fratboy Lotto. I thought that was Marc Cohn? I like Johnson (and have seen him perform live at Tangier once) but I have to agree that his albums all kind of run together after a while. It’s nice, lazy evening background music but too much would definitely have a negative impact on the hypothalamus. How about a little [Eleni Mandell[sup]\*[/sup]](http://www.elenimandell.com/) instead? Stranger [sup]\*[/sup]Shameless plug for my current favorite up-and-coming talent. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/24 "2006-02-25T19:32:08Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I rank Jack Johnson down there with Dave Matthews and John Mayer, the reigning champions of bland, unoffensive, vanilla white-man soft rock. I only heard that Curious George song but my first thought was that somewhere Dave Matthews and John Mayer were wondering who stole their Mojo. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/25 "2006-02-25T19:32:16Z")
Jack Johnson is an ex-professional surfer turned musician. He’s pretty good, but his music is extremely laid back and mellow, and I agree it can start to sound alike after a while. I really liked his first album, Brushfire Fairytales]([http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47917DB4CAE7F20C093314CC8BA60FD07FE50F28F096E4954C0A2054D9A0E23E748E9DBD2B3FF6AB679AFF962A6500DD7C0ED52ECBC1B&sql=10:6bknu320anxk](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47917DB4CAE7F20C093314CC8BA60FD07FE50F28F096E4954C0A2054D9A0E23E748E9DBD2B3FF6AB679AFF962A6500DD7C0ED52ECBC1B&sql=10:6bknu320anxk)). He mixes some clever rhythms and wordplay in with sort or a caribbean feel, with his buddy Ben Harper playing some pretty good backing music. It’s the kind of music that’s pretty good to listen to on a summer evening while you’re sitting outside having a beer and just chilling out. But I’ve never felt the need to listen to much of his other stuff. A little bit goes a long way. But I’d recommend Brushfire Fairytales as the ‘essential’ Jack Johnson, if there is such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/26 "2006-02-25T19:43:05Z")
As far as the comparison goes with John Mayer - John Mayer is a vastly superior musician, but Johnson is a much better songwriter. John Mayer’s a strange one. I’ve seen live performances of his where occasionally he can just tear the roof off with his guitar. I think if he decided to go down a harder blues-rock route like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Clapton, he’d get a lot more credibility. He really is very good on the guitar. But he always aims his sights on bland MOR junk. I have no idea why. Interestingly, I just looked him up on Allmusic out of curiousity, and it looks like he may be going in that direction. Check out the review for [Try!](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47917DB4CAE7F20C093314CC8BA60FD07FE50F28F096E4954C0A2054D9A0E23E748E9DBD2B3FF6AB679AFF962A6500CD7C0EA5EECBC1B&sql=10:nsrn28ow05oa). Apparently, he’s been playing with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, BB King, and others, and it’s rubbing off. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974/27 "2006-02-25T20:58:28Z")
Hmm. Comparisons to Matthews and Mayer are valid, but I think Johnson’s more immediate precursors are guys like Josh Rouse, Mountain Goats, and–especially and most explicitly–Will Oldham/Palace/Bonnie Prince Billy. He’s like a horribly emasculated, denatured Will Oldham. That “bland, unoffensive, vanilla white-man soft rock” thing you hear, BBVL? Subtract that aspect and you have a relatively passable parody of Will Oldham, times (lame). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-cant-like-jack-johnsons-music/345974.md?page=1)