John Mayer

Can anyone tell me why John Mayer is a big star? While it is nice to see any singer/songwriter make it, why him? I figure he is the 294th best artist that WFUV plays. His website is awful but that's another issue.

I think he's a pretty talented guy. The music is a tad syrupy-sweet for my tastes, but he's a great guitarist, he's got a nice voice, and his songs are well-written (hell, he actually wrote them which is a plus in the pop world). I wasn't big on him until I heard his "indie" CD which was mostly just him and an acoustic guitar. You could actually hear his songs without the glitz and they're good.

I think that John is a great direction for the music industry to head. No, he's not even close to the "best" of his genre, but he comes from the same roots that we like and it flies in the face of all the rest of the junk on the radio.

" (hell, he actually wrote them which is a plus in the pop world)"

hmm. see that's a complaint I don't always understand.

now I think it's awesome when someone writes and performs their own music, but.

I don't think less of Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald or BIlly Holiday just because they ddn't write their own music.

And there are certainy some people I think should write music but not perform it ::coff::neilds::coff:: and I'm sure there are some that should perform but not write, but. erm. I can't think of any off of the top of my head.

I would be interested in hearing John Mayer's indie cd, but I dunno, he didn't impress me all that much when I saw him follow Guster (no, they didn't open for him, he followed them, shup I live in my own little world)

I think a lot of the backlash is not so much that people think folks who don't write their own stuff are untalented....but that it's viewed as unfair that so many talented people who do�BOTH don't make it while a lot of vocalists-only do.

It's just easier for me to take, emotionally, to see a Dave Matthews get famous while Peter Mulvey isn't, because they're both on the same playing field in terms of what they contribute. Whereas to look at Justin Timberlake (just an example--I'm not really sure if he wrote any of his solo stuff) in comparison and even if he has a great voice it's harder for me to reconcile him being famous but Peter not. Does that make any sense?

I'm definitely with you here...I don't see why vocal talent is supposed to count for less when it's not accompanied by songwriting talent. Given the choice between someone who performs their own bad songs (and I personally find there are far too many of that type of musician) and someone who performs someone else's good songs...well, I don't understand sticking up for the bad songwriter as opposed to the non-songwriter.

I also wonder why I never hear people criticizing classical musicians for not being composers.

he's cute and accessible. i don't get the hype, either...i dug "no such thing" before they overplayed it, but not in a "dude, this guy should be a superstar" way.

He's pretty and has a nice voice.

You're gaagaa over Ms. Hannigan for much the same reasons.

Not singing voice though. Oy. Good thing Aly is so great otherwise. :)

In the last episode of Family Guy, S04E07, Chris got a zit on his cheek that was evil and would talk to him and tell him to do things.... a la little shop of horrors.

At one point it made him spraypaint, "That's enough, John Mayer!" on the side of a convenience store.

:D

awww, i missed that scene. i was pretty disappointed in that episode, tho, so i was drifting in and out.

The man is on his way.�

Not only does the website sucks, his special L-83 listener's union is too fucking expensive for the group it wishes to attract.� Guitar-wise, I think he has a great technique.

He's an attractive man who isn't an asshole (on stage, at least).� Girls go ape for that and girls are the ones who buy his albums.

*ahem* I have all 4.� I wouldn't recommend Any Given Thursday as a starter album, but Josh,�you're right.� His indie cd is best cause it's not overly mixed.� Simple guitar and voice.

*S*

from what i understand he is a coke fiend and a real asshole off stage. but the perosn who told me this could be wrong

see I rather thought he was a bit of an asshole on stage.

talked about school and how he took one class liek three times, never passed it or some such stuff...

and the night before when jaci was there he made comments about how people who have books never really read them, they carry them around to look smart, and how he only has books so that he can ash on them.
not an exact quote, but I couldn't find the journal entry where it was quoted. sorry.

Personally, I find the guy dreadfully boring.� Of course, I didn't like Dave Matthews the FIRST time around, either.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.� Among the other stars of pop radio, John is pretty good... but consider the company.� I disliked Room For Squares enough that I've had no desire to listen to any of his others.� I've heard cover bands that perform his songs better.

Same goes for Dave.� I admire his craft, but I can't get past the voice and the undeserved popularity.� It doesn't help that I'm in a college town with one of the largest Greek systems in the country.� Almost everyone in town LOVES John Mayer, Dave Matthews, and Pink Floyd.� They also love John Mellencamp and any artist who writes a song with 'beer' in it somewhere.

As with all music, my dislike doesn't mean I'll puncture my eardrums to keep from hearing them... just that I won't play it of my own accord.� I like some of John's work, just like every other artist I listed, but not enough to buy the CD.

me 3

Ugh... dave matthews.

Is there anyone more cloying and annoying in current pop music?

err... sorry... I was supposed to say something positive.

Umm.

He has a really good fiddle player!
(He does.)

Apparently you didn't seen "Tone Deaf" Tinsley on the last tour... I don't know what his deal was, but at the Cleveland show he was sharp the whole night... and I'm talking way way way sharp... like a whole step.

> Ugh... dave matthews. Is there anyone more cloying and annoying
> in current pop music?

Uhhh...

You truly believe that Dave Matthews is the most cloying an annoying artist in pop music today? I'm not a fan of the guy, but he's not even in the top 90% of either category. Methinks you need to watch MTV more often...

I think folks place more disappointment/scorn on an artist that comes close to the category they actually like.� You know what I mean? He's sorta close to the folkier singer/songwriter stuff a lot of us enjoy so he's more likely to get shit for not quite living up to the standards of folks around here. The really crappy people are just written off entirely and don't actually inspire the strong emotions. :)

Yeah, I think that's very true.

It's sort of like trying to match colours. If you get close but not exactly it clashes.

No, I *definitely* don't need to watch mtv more often.
:D

I think the thing is that, at least for me,�artists like Mayer and Matthews are boring, and that can often be worse than being technically bad.� I mean, they can both play their instruments (Dave Matthews DOES play guitar, right?� Maybe I'm wrong, in which case he gets even less praise than I'm currently giving him) and sing in tune, but there are other musicians who are probably technically worse, yet still more fun to listen to.� For that matter, it can sometimes be fun to listen to music that's just laughably bad, and, while the title "Your Body Is A Wonderland" is pretty laughable, John and Dave are generally not even unintentionally amusing.� (Justin Timberlake, on the other hand, is.)

In conclusion, I wouldn't say John and Dave are the WORST musicians out there, but they're among the most boring and overrated, as far as I'm concerned.

I really have nothing new to bring to this, but I agree. I just find John Mayer really, really boring. I don't listen to WFUV, but I can't help but wonder if Gordon's ranking of him was a little generous. {g} And no, I can't stand the Dave Matthews Band either. They both play the same kind of music that jerky guys at my college listened to, it seems. But I consider John Mayer more boring than the DMB. Whenever I hear a John Mayer song, it literally makes me yawn. Everytime! I should maybe buy one of his albums for when I can't sleep. {g}

You are right, he is number 295, I forgot Josh Ritter. :-)

I personally think he is fantastic.� Of course I am a 16 year old girl,� but I honestly don't think that has anything to do with it.� Yeah I think he is incredibly good looking, but his music is wonderful.� Ok, maybe thats a bit much...but its good.� And when I saw him live, I could tell he had a passion when he sang and played.�

But then again...I am a superfan...so I'm biased...just my opinion.

I do like John. But not his new album. It was terribly disappointing.

John Mayer's success gives me hope for the music buying population as a whole. :)

Personally, I think his songs are fairly solid and his guitar playing is excellent in his genre. The fact that he's very cute and has a truly weird sense of humour doesn't hurt. *g*

Ok. I admit it. I'm old and terribly unhip. This guy is GOOD LOOKING????

I *can* stand to listen to him but the first time I saw him sing I thought he was

A. in pain

B. about the eat the mic

C. quite funny looking

He's� not bad to look at,� in interviews I've seen he smiles nice and looks pleasant enough. But his voice seems to already be blown, and to compensate he does nearly swallow the mic. And his diction sucks. He sounds like I imagine Tom Waits sounded when he first started, before he heard of whisky.

He has the whole sexface thing going on.� There's an entire threat on a john mayer message board devoted to his messed up faces.� They're up to pg 89 already.

*S*

Ew. 89 pages. I'd call that a threat:)� SCNR �*ducks*