He’s a kind of a reverse sell out. He started out making cliched, boring, pop music and got famous and rich. Now he plays less commercial blues and other stuff that he likes. And as a guitar player myself I think he’s ridiculously talented.
John Mayer’s song, Assassin,was on heavy rotation on my playlist for a month or so back when it was released.
Nope. I tried… can’t do it. Can’t listen to him without wanting to punch him in the throat.
I have the same reaction to Paul McCartney but I would be a fool if I said he wasn’t talented.
Moved to CS.
Yes, he is an excellent player. I don’t like a lot of his music or his performance-orgasm face, but he is a great player.
“I gave my love a cherry that had no stone…”
Cue guitar smashing.
I saw him with Dead & Co. and he didn’t suck.
Just saw Dead & Co. last week. Seen them twice now and he killed it. Best Jerry-less version of the band. Not familiar with his own stuff.
At a glance, it’s looking like the least-original iteration of the band. Have they played anything written after 1980? Have they done any distinctive arrangements?
Daughters is a terrific song.
Axis is a worthy Hendrix tribute and
Gravity has a solo with such a pure tone and tasteful playing that he gets a pass on his ubiquity in the US. Here in the UK he’s not widely known really.
I first became aware of him on the Crossroads show and assumed he was the up and coming blues kiddy, cos he could PLAY! Looked him up and no, he’s presented as something else altogether.
MiM
I haven’t really followed his career since his Taylor Swift (or maybe it was Katy Perry, Jennifer Aniston or Jessica “Sexual Napalm” Simpson) days, but I know John Mayer Trio was released/active back around 2005. So, at least he was doing some less commercial (though pretty sure he still got on the Tonight Show and played with well-regarded if not mainstream household name musicians) stuff way back then. Also, I was aware of his reputation of being a talented guitarist back around the time of his “Real World” song (which I heard today at the zoo). The last thing I really remember by him was that “Waiting for the World to Change” song. So I wasn’t aware if his more recent stuff was less commercial or just not getting attention.
I’m not sure what to make of this comment. To my mind, their (The GD) only Top-40 hit, Touch of Grey, from the 80’s, sucked. Yet, that shit song is how a lot of people know them.
And even if they’re playing old written songs, they never play the same songs in the same way.
This is the appeal.
Are you expecting John Mayer to write and perform new Dead songs? 
He’s there to light a fire with his guitar playing.
It would be to his credit if he did. But in any case the band needs to be doing something besides working through what could be setlists from 35 years ago, as if they were a tribute band. New collective writing, or performances of songs from their individual writing, or new cover tunes. And some effort at rearrangements of some of the concert standbys. Because, actually, they have proven capable of playing the same songs the same way.
Serious question, with no intent to single out the Dead or even to zing them: haven’t they been, like most decades-old bands, in effect a tribute band for themselves? It is the rare exceptional artist that remains vital, or a nice surprise when something more vital happens. I haven’t thought of the Dead that way for decades, and Fare Thee Well kinda put a capper on that anyway.
At the risk of being stoned by the masses in the town square - I like John Mayer. I think he’s an incredible guitar player and he has a mad amount of respect for Chicago based blues. I became a fan when I saw him live at Taste Of Chicago - played a good set with lots of unique guitar and keyboard tones, catchy, memorable songs, and ended the set by bringing out Buddy Guy and playing Sweet Home Chicago. “Continuum” and “Battle Studies” are two great records that I enjoy from start to finish.
Well, the Dead’s thing was always rather different. But within the context and terms of that thing…
The last great year of the Grateful Dead proper was 1990. They had some newish songs that had found their concert form, they had brought out some chestnuts of their own and others’ catalogs, new arrangements and combinations were deployed, the use of digital technologies had become supple and integrated (nod to Bob Bralove), and the playing had juice. History would always be an aspect of what the Dead did, but they were no mere museum piece.
I found several of the post-Jerry iterations and corollary projects to be equally, or almost, as capable of breathing new life into old bones. I dug the lineups with Bruce Hornsby ('98-'00), Joan Osborne ('03), and Warren Haynes ('04-'09). The corollary projects of Ratdog, Phil & Friends, and Planet Drum were often great.
When they got to the point of recruiting an actual tribute-band member, John Kadlecik, to re-enact Jerry parts… well, that’s when it seemed over to me.
I guess it’s more of a parallel track than sequential. His pop stuff made him famous, which allowed him the freedom to pursue the blues side. I’m sure there are blues guitarists playing for tips in Nashville every week that are extremely talented and creative, but they won’t make it to the next level on that alone.
Yeah thats the song that was playing the first time i walked in on my dog sniffing his own rear. fav song ever
Thanks for joining this messageboard to share that. Totes adorbs. I think.