Another side to John Mayer's work

RocknRollDave

[Before we get into it, can we just take it as read that most folk on here prefer Continuum/ the Trio stuff to anything else he has done and leave that there?]

Mayer's Born and Raised album turned 10 years old recently, and revisiting it reminded me of the track Walt Grace's Submarine Test 1967.

A truly unusual lyric, about a man going off in a home-made submarine, and far from the "soft rock to make pretty girls swoon" and "SRV updated for the Noughties" guitar that he is best known for...I have to confess something: This song makes me cry every time I hear it. Even thinking about it reduced me to tears today. To repeat: it's a song about a man making a submarine. This is not a field in which I have any emotional baggage to set me off! There's just something utterly human and heartbreaking about it, for me.

dindude

It’s a great song on prob my favourite JM album. 

Alterlifeson

Great song. A Face to Call Home always gets me going from that record too. The build up to the outro and that ascending guitar line right the way until the end of the track is sublime. 

Tone71

Born and Raised is my Favourite JM album and that is a really great song off it, that's my mornings listening sorted now as it's been too long since I listened to it.

I really like the *simple stuff he does, Dear Marie from Paradise Valley is another great simple song.

lustycourtier

Its my fave JM record after Sob Rock. its beautiful 

stickyfiddle

It's the last great song he wrote imo. And B&R is his last really good album too.

Kebabkid

Indeed, it is a moving song but from that album,  it's 'Shadow Days' for me

CountryDave

Great song from a great album.

EricTheWeary

Lovely. Fan artwork approved by John based on the comments. 

Much as I often say I’m not interested in lyrics I like a quirky story from time to time. Some of the Richard Thompson stuff for example (Galway to Graceland comes to mind). 

Philly_Q

Not for me, but it's a beautiful video.  I hope all those animation effects are genuine, I'd be disappointed if they're CGI.

darthed1981

Nice to hear some passion, will give that track a listen

jmf1928

Isn’t Walt Grace also a vintage guitar dealer?

Aornic

RocknRollDave said:

[Before we get into it, can we just take it as read that most folk on here prefer Continuum/ the Trio stuff to anything else he has done and leave that there?]

Mayer's Born and Raised album turned 10 years old recently, and revisiting it reminded me of the track Walt Grace's Submarine Test 1967.

A truly unusual lyric, about a man going off in a home-made submarine, and far from the "soft rock to make pretty girls swoon" and "SRV updated for the Noughties" guitar that he is best known for...I have to confess something: This song makes me cry every time I hear it. Even thinking about it reduced me to tears today. To repeat: it's a song about a man making a submarine. This is not a field in which I have any emotional baggage to set me off! There's just something utterly human and heartbreaking about it, for me.

Born and Raised isn't really my cup of tea overall, but I love Walt Grace. I think the reason it resonates is because it's ultimately a story of having a dream and pursuing it despite everyone, in the most well meaning of ways, trying to dissuade you because it seems absurd to them and you "won't make it". 

The ending was open ended on release but he said at a concert "he totally lives" so Walt succeeds at the end. It's good storytelling and the resonator guitar sounds spot on for the vibe it's going for.

Octahedron

I feel like I need to revisit Mayer.
I stopped really listening after Born & Raised.

Alterlifeson

Listened to the album after B&R last night, it doesn't quite hit the same highs but I thought this was great:

John Mayer - Badge And Gun (Official Audio) - YouTube

lustycourtier

Octahedron said:

I feel like I need to revisit Mayer.
I stopped really listening after Born & Raised.

Start at Sob Rock. Amazing record that got a lot of flack from people who never got it at all.  

fretmeister

First time I've heard that.
It's very good. I like a story in a song.

But the video - that is fantastic. Very well put together indeed.

joeyowen

I love the song.

I'm sure he borrowed it from The Jonas Brothers though (2:12):