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Taking Sides/My Spin: Mayer’s newest a bit too breathy

By: Barry Courter
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By: Casey Phillips
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Casey Phillips: First off, I’m not a huge John Mayer fan, and I’m of the opinion that most live concert albums aren’t a good substitute for studio albums or actual performances. (The last one that came close was Peter Frampton’s seminal “Frampton Comes Alive!” in 1976.) After plowing through the nearly two hours of this two-disc set, however, my opinion of Mayer has not done a complete about face, but I can certainly appreciate his guitar prowess, which is mighty, mighty.

Barry Courter: No disagreement here. With rare exception, live recordings are for hardcore fans and bootleggers.

I’ve always appreciated Mayer’s playing ability, but I can’t hit the radio dial fast enough when he starts that faux-singing. Mayer to me is the anti-Michael Bolton. Where Bolton felt a disturbing need to prove his passion by screaming until the vein in his balding, mulleted head looked like an aerial shot of the Alps, Mayer seemed to have mistaken breathy singing with sexy singing.

Mayer can, however, play, and when he does actually sing, instead of the painful breathy thing, it’s quite listenable here. I also like the blues numbers, but couldn’t help be distracted by how much he sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan at times. Not the worst thing, mind you, but it has been done.

Casey: Definitely. As far as live albums go, this isn’t anything special. I really enjoyed “Live & Acoustic” (an album by fellow guitarist/singer/songwriter Jason Mraz) because of how it felt like sitting in at a performance, but here there’s little between-song banter or explanations to provide context. Ultimately, the whole thing just sounds like a super-long studio album with cheering. That’s not bad, by any stretch, especially if you’re a fan of his work, but it doesn’t do anything to stand out.

With three sets of Mayer playing in different configurations — acoustically, with his trio and a full band — this is a nice sampler platter. The set list is impressive, hitting everything from over-played radio standards like “Why Georgia” and “Daughters” (though not the Grammy-winning “Your Body Is A Wonderland”) to his blues work, including a 10-minute-plus version of “Out Of My Mind.” There are also some nice covers of Jimi Hendrix (“Wait Until Tomorrow”) and Tom Petty (“Free Fallin’ ”).

Barry: One thing the album proves is Mayer’s versatility and range, and that may well be the point of releasing it live and on two discs like this. The recording quality is very good and the band is allowed to shine and they do.

I don’t think I could listen to the entire project in one sitting again, but it is definitely worth a second listen.

Casey: Of the three configurations, I definitely prefer the middle set with Pino Palladino (bass) and Steve Jordan (drums/vocals). Then, he mostly shuts up that ridiculous whisper of his and puts fingers to strings, which is definitely where the greater part of his talent lies. The acoustic set and band work will satisfy anyone who loved listening to Top 40 stations in the early 2000s, but I don’t think they’re going to convert anyone.

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