John Mayer Continuum CD

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 I don't think this album is reviewable!
I've seen the majority of the reviews about this album, and I can say that I did not know a single bit about John Mayer, outside of "Body is a Wonderland". And I was surprised at, yes, the craft of this record. One of the things that helps Continuum shine is its easy listenability. Even though the subjects of the songs are hard to write catchy songs about, John Mayer pulls it off with great aplomb. And, I always let the music speak for the artist, rather than let the artist's personality dictate whether or not I listen to the music. John Mayer may himself be conceited, maybe a stump, maybe terrible live, but I would forget all that and just concentrate on the music. So, in relation to that, the music itself is crafted in such a way to appeal to somebody, anywhere. His mix of blues (the quality of which has been questioned), pop (from his previous incarnation), and rock (what artist doesn't incorporate rock into their stuff) is quite hearable and understandable. Also, consider the current climate of the culture of the United States. The current generation is spoiled rotten, but on average we're aware of it. But we don't do that much about it, because our culture endorses "BUY! BUY! BUY!" and we get caught up in it. In such a case, the single "Waiting On The World To Change" is much, much more relevant than some people might believe. If this album was released in the early seventies, I would predict that John Mayer would become as great as Paul Simon, merely on the strength of this album, if this album was released in the seventies. And consider: I am a John Denver fan, who was the greatest songwriter that appealed to millions of people of different kinds based solely on his songwriting. I was very, very impressed with the songwriting quality of this album. It is a modern classic that, fortunately or unfortunately, panders to a style that has been trashed in many ways: the style of the singer/songwriter. Of course, "Waiting On The World To Change" is one of the best on here, but "Stop This Train" is a beautiful ode to the inability to really control your life, no matter what generation you may be from. Also, "Belief" is a catchy song that, in a way, is about Iraq. "We're never gonna stop the war, we're never gonna beat this if belief is what we're fighting for," he sings, and it hits a spot in your heart that makes you think about yourself and your beliefs. "Gravity" is a well-crafted song about materialism that doesn't outright point any fingers, but you get the point pretty quickly. He sings about how "twice as much ain't twice as good, and can't sustain what one half could". I must admit, though, that "Bold As Love" does seem like filler, and "In Repair" comes off like a Coldplay-sound-alike. But most everything else is very, very well-done, especially "Heart of Life" and "Vultures". The bottom line is, don't think of blues when thinking of this album. Don't think of the artist when thinking of this album. Don't think of any sort of stereotype that you may have when listening to this album. After doing that, think then about how it made you feel, how it made you think, how the music moved you to do (or not do) something. Because the greatest strength of this album is when it gets personal, when you abandon all pretentions and just listen to it. And that is what I wholeheartedly suggest. This album is worthy of the Grammies it got. It is worthy to be added into your record collection, if you let it into your heart.
Submitted by Galen (Anchorage, AK, USA)
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