Retrace (session-1) : John Mayer
Intro:
It was one of those moments, when you badly want to take a right turn but life just boldly replies ,"take a left dear.."
That was the moment for which I'll always be thankful to 'Life'. Well i guess, if you haven't lost you're way yet then how can you even dream of finding it..
It was that night, when i finally realized i was lost. and out of the blue, he appeared before me through a little thing called 'music'..I was told that it was some live performance & the song's name was 'Gravity'. And what i heard after,that few minutes, just turned my whole mind upside down..
Experience:
John Clayton Mayer is an American singer songwriter, guitarist and record producer born in Bridgeport,Connecticut. Weird thing is that we share the same birthday(16 October). The thing about him that always intrigues me is that his live performances are so elegant that most of the time it surpasses even the studio version of his songs.However I've always admired his honesty in songwriting. Well, sometimes you just gotta to do what feels right.
That little encounter with John Mayer's music described earlier, woke an inborn curiosity within me which had almost gone out of my reach. till than it felt like i wanted to find something..but i just couldn't understand what i was looking for. Mayer said that after discovering SRV's work, he kind went on a 'Genealogical Hunt' which led him to other blues artists. Same thing happened to me. Only in my case, I discovered Mayer first. Since then my curiosity has introduced me to musicians like Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, B.B.King, Otis Redding, SRV, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Al Green , Aretha Franklin and to a lot more people than i could've ever imagined...
Sadly at first, like all I was also drawn to mainstream pop music. Although i never really felt any connection with today's definition of the pop genre. But the problem was that nobody ever introduced me to the beauty of the genres like blues, soul,R&B etc. For me 'Pop' used to stand for popular. It was never meant to be like it is today..I mean Jimi Hendrix was a pop'star..and look at what message he left us..
But i guess music is something that differs with people's emotions. Maybe it is for the betterment of all...Maybe this is why music genres like blues, jazz, soul are unique, cause it was never meant for a vast number of people. It was only made for those who can truly understand it's meaning..it's beauty...
You know what's the best thing about a song??.. The relatable part..SRV or Hendrix's songs really gave me a beautiful memory, whereas Mayer's songs taught me "how to feel"...his songs were the ones which truly punched me in the heart..It's not about comparison. It's just that their message was so deep that it was almost obscure to me. How will I ever understand it if I've never really experienced those emotions. Because of this, John Mayer seemed to me like the person who can combine their message and materialize them in such a way, so that we can understand it's true purpose. I don't know if you'll like his work or not, but i'll surely recommend you to at least listen to it for once...I'm quite certain that you won't regret it..
Albums (Chronologically) :
Room for Squares :
It was his debut studio album, released on June 5,2001.
With songs like 'City love','Why Georgia' and 'your body is a wonderland' this album was surely a strong start for him.In 2003, he won a Grammy award for 'Your body is a wonderland'. He told everyone that it was happening very fast but he promised that he would catch up in the long run.
Heavier Things:
Heavier Things is his second studio album. it released on September 9, 2003. I don't know the story behind the name, but i think it refers to those little moments which passes so fast, but weighs a lot when it comes to feelings. The last single released from this album was 'Daughters' for which he won a Grammy in 2005.Though Mayer never really wanted this song to be released. He didn't want people to label him as a 'sensitive singer song-writer'. But look where it got him:)
Continuum:
Continuum was the third studio album by Mayer, released on September 12,2006. For all I can say, this was the album which made me love his work. There are only a few albums, where I love all the songs. And this sure is one of them. 'Belief','Gravity','Stop this train' and songs like
'Slow dancing in a burning room' really hit me in the chest. He really deserved that Grammy award he won for this.
Battle Studies:
Battle Studies is his fouth studio album, which released on November 17,2009. Overwhelmed by Continuum's success, Mayer at first
was a little intimidated to make a new album. But later, he put himself together and finally released this album. It has
some beutiful songs like 'Edge of Desire','Who says' and 'Heartbreak Warfare'
Born & Raised:
Mayer's fifth studio album named 'Born and Raised' was released on May 22,2012. Yet another time, being influenced by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Crosby and others he changed his musical style and played genres like folk and Americana. However the album was delayed due to granulomas discovered in his throat.this album contained some elegant songs like 'Queen of California', 'A face to call home' and one of my favourite 'Shadow Days'.
Paradise Valley :
On August 20,2013 John Mayer released his sixth studio album named 'Paradise Valley'. The name actually refers to his home in Montana's Paradise Valley, where he has lived since 2012. The album contains songs like 'Dear Marie','Paperdoll' and 'wildfire'.
The Search For Everything :
On April 14,2017 'The Search for Everything' was released. It was his seventh sudio album. The album was preceded by the release of two EP's. Songs like 'Helpless','Still feel like your man' and ' You're gonna live forever in me' left a loving influence on his fan base.
Apart from these studio albums he also released some EP's, live albums and concert films. One of his greatest performance was in the live album and concert film "Where The Light Is"...The album holds Mayer's performance at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California on December 8,2007..during the promotional tour for Continuum. There were three separate performances. Him alone with an acoustic set, with the John Mayer Trio and with his regular band members. The live version of 'Gravity' i was referring earlier was from this album..
Outro:
Mayer will always stand as an exceptional artist for this generation. To me, he was like a gateway to the beautiful era of past's music. He will always inspire me to dream further.. Hope his music helps you too...
SongBird:
Since this post is dedicated to Mayer..so today's tracks will be based on some of his songs...
- Gravity-'Live in LA'
- Slow Dancing In a Burning Room-also 'Live in LA'
- Good Love Is On The Way