John Mayer - Continuum

I caught John Mayer a week or so ago on the PBS Show, "Austin City Limits". What a great show! Nothing fancy, just some great grooves, deep, meaningful lyrics and great vocals. The band was flawless, and John's guitar playing keeps getting better and better every time I see him play live. By the way, I have to mention something here. Although I suppose he is a good-looking kid, I can't stand to watch his facial expressions. It's like trying to watch Joe Cocker or something. One side of his face is fine, usually smiling when he is really getting in to it, but the other side of his face looks like it's trying to vomit! Oh, well, as long as the music is good, don't change a thing, John! I'll close my eyes if I need to.

The most amazing thing to me, is when he is laying down complicated guitar rhythms, he can still sing as comfortably as if he wasn't playing at all. Actually, I think the more difficult it is to play, the better he will play it. It seemed like he got bored sometimes playing his actual solos, and couldn't wait to get back to slapping a rhythm out. If you have the CD, you can hear what I'm talking about on the song, "Gravity".

Well, everyone has heard the song "Waiting on the World to Change", so I won't give you much on that one. It's success pretty much speaks for itself. Every track on the album is good, though, with some rising above the others. It comes with a second disk of live tracks, which I like, because it gives the band a chance to groove out on a couple of the songs. The song "Belief", for instance, sounds like it is meant to be played live.

One of my personal favorites is "Gravity", which kind of speaks about life's struggles, and how no matter how hard you try, there is always something trying to pull you down.

On the song "I Don't Trust Myself", there is a really eerie sounding harmony, which I thought at first was a pitch modulator on the lead vocal, but I think he actually plays the melody on his guitar, and sings the harmony. It's an odd combination of sounds, and a unique trick.



I think the most honest, heartfelt track is "Stop This Train". (The video is shown above, from a fan who posted it on YouTube. There is a video from the "Austin City Limits" show, but the sound is soft, so I posted this one instead), in which John addresses the subject of inevitable death, and his fears of growing old and living the rest of his life without his parents. In fact, it includes a conversation with his father (real or made-up, it's still a great reflection), in which his "old man" says "Turn sixty-eight. You'll re-negotiate". He also eluded to this thought on "No Such Thing" from "Room For Squares" when he wonders if his parents "wished for anything better".

I would call 3 of these songs Break-up Songs, "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room", "Dreaming with a Broken Heart", and obviously, "I'm Gonna Find Another You". The songs are published and copy written in 2006, but you can't help but think that these might be written about a certain Ms. Simpson. Who knows?

Here is the full song list:

Waiting on the World to Change
I Don't Trust Myself (with Loving You)
Belief
Gravity
The Heart of Life
Vultures
Stop this Train
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Bold as Love
Dreaming with a Broken Heart
In Repair
I'm Gonna Find Another You