Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert John Mayer Trio Label: Sony Release Date: 11/22/2005 1 Who Did You Think I Was - 3:09 2 Good Love Is on the Way - 4:50 3 Wait Until Tomorrow - 4:14 4 Gravity - 5:49 5 Vultu... more »res - 5:19 6 Out of My Mind - 7:39 7 Another Kind of Green - 4:39 8 I Got a Woman - 7:40 9 Something's Missing - 6:56 10 Daughters - 6:14 11 Try - 6:53« less
Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert John Mayer Trio Label: Sony Release Date: 11/22/2005 1 Who Did You Think I Was - 3:09 2 Good Love Is on the Way - 4:50 3 Wait Until Tomorrow - 4:14 4 Gravity - 5:49 5 Vultures - 5:19 6 Out of My Mind - 7:39 7 Another Kind of Green - 4:39 8 I Got a Woman - 7:40 9 Something's Missing - 6:56 10 Daughters - 6:14 11 Try - 6:53
Annie M. from GROESBECK, TX Reviewed on 11/16/2010...
LOVE it! John Mayer is always great.
CD Reviews
You people know the score
P. | 01/06/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"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"
Solid, with Feeling! Listen to this before you judge it!
Dave Nat | Castle Rock, CO | 12/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Not you little sister's John Mayer!
T. Gaydos | King of Prussia, PA | 11/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
A Great Departure
D. Westwood | Spokane, WA United States | 12/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
What a concert album should be--a milestone for Mayer
Melissa P. Cooper | Indianapolis, IN | 09/25/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
". . .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."