Album of the Day #137: TRY! - John Mayer Trio

Title: Try!
Artist: John Mayer Trio
Label: Columbia
Year: 2005
Songs: Who Did You Think I Was/Good Love Is On The Way*/Wait Until Tomorrow**/Gravity/Vultures**/Out Of My Mind/Another Kind Of Green/I Got A Woman***/Something’s Missing/Daughters/Try*
Written by: John Mayer, except *John Mayer, Pino Palladino & Steve Jordan, **Jimi Hendrix and ***Ray Charles & Renald Richards
Produced by: John Mayer & Steve Jordan
Thoughts: After the break-out of Heavier Things, Mayer continues to change the way he wants people to think of him, which I think is great. Whether he’s trying to do it specifically or not, the fact is that he is introducing teenagers to what a real guitar player should be. Great guitarists have an ability to make statements throughout an entire song, not just in the ten seconds or so that they get for a solo. Listen to “Another Kind Of Green” and pay attention to the phrasing during the verses, where he has this great riff that the solo just builds on.
It’s also great that Mayer is introducing people to the awesomeness of not just Jimi Hendrix, but his second LP, Axis: Bold As Love, which is such an awesome album. I’m not saying that Mayer has to introduce people to Hendrix (I mean, I think enough people know who he is), but he’s introducing him to people who otherwise probably would never have heard him before.
Another cool thing is that only two songs, both from Heavier Things, had ever been released before this, although “Gravity” and “Vultures” would land on Continuum. That’s what makes this a unique live LP…and some of these songs are great. “Vultures” and “Good Love Is On The Way” particularly stick out in my mind as the strongest.
So I think this is something to get because it is a fun live LP with great sound and great songs.