John Mayer: Sob Rock and a Pink Silver Sky

Kebabkid

JM's one time guitarist and backing singer, David Ryan Harris, is worth checking out. JM joins him sometimes on small club performances and takes a back seat

dindude

Kebabkid said:

JM's one time guitarist and backing singer, David Ryan Harris, is worth checking out. JM joins him sometimes on small club performances and takes a back seat

Good shout Cos, this is probably my fav “must” clip on YouTube, insane playing and musicianship start to end, Maher is probably the least remarkable thing in it. Much of Mayer’s current crop overlap with this band (Sean Healy / Sharky)

https://youtu.be/CwAnLe4R4F0

Schnozz

https://youtu.be/66Ne5dVDfLM

I laughed at the girl at the end - Ridiculous.

Boromedic

Try some JD Simo as well, some blistering playing on his albums. 

TINMAN82

Philly_Q said:

I don't expect anyone to like what I like and I probably wouldn't start a thread like this.  If I did, I don't think I'd be too upset if people slagged it off.  I'd be more bothered by a wave of indifference.

I started the thread. I certainly don’t expect anyone to like what I like, although in this case I know JM is far from niche. 

I’m not upset by those who “slag off” Clapton/ Mayer/ Bonamassa (being 3 of the most common tfb dartboards). I happen to like their music, amongst a lot of other varied stuff, and don’t feel insecure about it.

I do think it’s pretty unfortunate when some people decide to reply to a thread involving a musician and/ or genre they obviously don’t like to not only state their dislike (which is fine) but to mount an unecessary, vitriolic attack. Why bother? Does it make them feel better about their own musicianship? I doubt it… most decent musicians I know or have met are pretty humble and open minded. Nasty, belittling attacks on Mary Spender are another case in point. Mabye she reads the forum, she’s UK based after all.

Boromedic

Agree with all that @TINMAN82 , why chime in on a thread to spread hate and vitriol, it makes zero sense to me. I can understand saying it's not my thing, I find it boring or whatever. However, it's literally I fucking hate that guy, and remember that time in 1977 whatever when EC said that thing....

Can't someone redeem themselves? Are they to be hung out to dry forever more for indiscretions that happened years ago? A lot of us complain on here about woke/cancel culture and then we attempt our own version of it.

EC has redeemed himself many times over since he cleaned up, it appears some folk have zero idea of what it's like to be an addict and the spirals and situations that puts you in. It certainly doesn't make him a bad person, just a person who has done bad things and haven't we all?? It appears some folk think their shit doesn't stink sometimes.

Proper musicians I've met, the real deal people who get out there and play etc. are always very supportive of anyone up on stage or putting music out there. It may not be their thing but they're never negative for the sake of it. I don't get the Mary hate either, and that's not cos I want to see her naked, she's good at what she does and can sing well too. 

Lukather loves it btw!!

TeleMaster

Redemption comes from doing something to redeem yourself. Not by doing and saying nothing and hoping it disappears into the vacuum of time. Whether he has redeemed himself, I don't know. 

Boromedic

TeleMaster said:

Redemption comes from doing something to redeem yourself. Not by doing and saying nothing and hoping it disappears into the vacuum of time. Whether he has redeemed himself, I don't know. 

Has he not? I'm pretty sure setting up Crossroads clinic and helping not just stars but ordinary people get clean is redeeming no? He has tackled the issue in his book and documentary, he hasn't shied away from it or hidden it. Not sure what more he can do tbh, as former addicts go he's certainly done better than some. He also doesn't advertise all of the good he does like some folk do, didn't someone on here tell a story of a car park attendant that EC got tickets for?

TeleMaster

Boromedic said:

TeleMaster said:

Redemption comes from doing something to redeem yourself. Not by doing and saying nothing and hoping it disappears into the vacuum of time. Whether he has redeemed himself, I don't know. 

Has he not? I'm pretty sure setting up Crossroads clinic and helping not just stars but ordinary people get clean is redeeming no? He has tackled the issue in his book and documentary, he hasn't shied away from it or hidden it. Not sure what more he can do tbh, as former addicts go he's certainly done better than some. He also doesn't advertise all of the good he does like some folk do, didn't someone on here tell a story of a car park attendant that EC got tickets for?

No it was a genuine question. I know very little about him. That is redeeming yes. 

Boromedic

Cool, I get not everyone knows what has gone on with EC.

Greatape

StormshadowGuitars said:

Right, serious post here now........ I'm interested to hear the opinions of the opinionated on this thread and this also crosses a few other knocking threads too.

We're not allowed to like Mayer for, well....... see above.
We're not allowed to like Bonamssa for, well......... pretty much everything.
We're not allowed to like Clapton for........ something he said nearly 50 years ago coked off his tits and also thoroughly pissed.

So my question is as follows...... 
According to the custodians of the blooze who love giving their opinion, give us some suggestions of who are we supposed to be listening to, watching live and buying their latest LP's?

Now before anyone answers, keep your suggestions within the following guidelines below:

New or Old Artists, still alive, touring or gigging when allowed and producing new original output.
No YouTubers who do over complicated covers of other songs and do not tour or produce their own material.
Once again, must not be dead. No mention of Hendrix, Green, SRV, Healey, Moore etc 

And Go..........

You can like what you like. Even if it wears an Armani suit... 

But seriously: singer/songwriter/guitarist suggestions in a blues/Americana vein.

Obviously, Robben Ford. Some of his more recent albums are perhaps not up to par, but older recordings like 'Handful of Blues' are great. 

Val McCallum. Vastly underrated and an excellent musician. Small output if solo albums but some great live video of his band Jackshit. 

Chuck Prophet. Still out there. Still great.

TeleMaster

Boromedic said:

Cool, I get not everyone knows what has gone on with EC.

I know he said some very unsavoury stuff at a show once, and he was a raging alcoholic, and obviously the sad stuff with his son but he's not someone I've really followed or anything but now that you mention it, I have heard of the Crossroads clinic. 

monquixote

ECs documentary is a hard watch but gave me a bit of perspective on him.

He had a fairly horrific childhood with a mother who openly rejected him.

I think it explains (but doesn't justify) some of the questionable things he's done.

Greatape

Leaving aside any thoughts about quality of output, I don't think we should expect sainthood from anyone. Their are limits, obviously - defined by law - but people are... complicated. And of course, definitions of  unacceptable behaviour can shift over time. 

I'm still not sure what's going on with Morrissey, though..

TeleMaster

Yes Morrissey is definitely putting his reputation on a bonfire. 

I believe in offering people chances and accepting their redemption, but to me they have to prove it otherwise there's no redenption. Morrissey is just piling obnoxious behaviour on top of obnoxious behaviour. His far right support is intolerable. 

richardhomer

monquixote said:

ECs documentary is a hard watch but gave me a bit of perspective on him.

He had a fairly horrific childhood with a mother who openly rejected him.

I think it explains (but doesn't justify) some of the questionable things he's done.

In the interests of openness, EC is a massive hero of mine - so I’m predisposed to seeing the best in him.

I think what comes across in the documentary, is that he was quite a lonely, isolated child, clearly of an artistic/sensitive nature. The lie about his family circumstances would be shocking to any one - but add the coldness of his birth-mother towards him and you have something which must have been emotionally devastating. He describes it in the film as ‘absolute rejection’. The anger with which he delivers those words (he was in his early 70s at the time the voice-over interviews were recorded) shows how deep that feeling is.

We have all done things in life that we regret (quite a few of mine have been on here in years gone by) but ultimately it’s the balance between good and bad that someone does in their life that determines how they will be remembered. I think EC is well aware of his flaws - but to evaluate his ‘worth’ as a human being, based on one (admittedly disgusting) outburst effectively means you believe people are incapable of change.

AlbertC

<Cod philosophy>

I think men like to hang out internet forums so they can carry on having the same kind of pointless arguments (usually about music/bands) they had when they were kids at school.
They miss that simple age before sex, drugs/alcohol, work and all the serious life stuff took over. When the most important thing in life was Band A/Guitarist B and how they're so much better than someone else's Band Y/Guitarist Z
Threads like this are all about trying to relive that youth.

TFB is just a reimagined playground for the middle aged.

</Cod philosophy>

digitalkettle

AlbertC said:

<Cod philosophy>

I think men like to hang out internet forums so they can carry on having the same kind of pointless arguments (usually about music/bands) they had when they were kids at school.
They miss that simple age before sex, drugs/alcohol, work and all the serious life stuff took over. When the most important thing in life was Band A/Guitarist B and how they're so much better than someone else's Band Y/Guitarist Z
Threads like this are all about trying to relive youth.

TFB is just a reimagined playground for the middle aged.

</Cod philosophy>

Damn right! Sounds awesome

Kittyfrisk

AlbertC said:

<Cod philosophy>

I think men like to hang out internet forums so they can carry on having the same kind of pointless arguments (usually about music/bands) they had when they were kids at school.
They miss that simple age before sex, drugs/alcohol, work and all the serious life stuff took over. When the most important thing in life was Band A/Guitarist B and how they're so much better than someone else's Band Y/Guitarist Z
Threads like this are all about trying to relive youth.

TFB is just a reimagined playground for the middle aged.

</Cod philosophy>

Right, just you & me outside the gates after school. We'll sort this out 

Seziertisch

In an alternate reality Louis Walsh persuaded Clapton to join Westlife and the universe didn’t have to invent John Mayer