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| Artists: John Mayer Trio, John Mayer, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino
Label: Sony
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $2.95
You Save: $11.03 (79%)
New (48) Used (26) Collectible (1) from $2.95
Rating:  252 reviews
Sales Rank: 2607
Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 4.9 x 4.6 x 0.2
MPN: 95115
UPC: 827969511527
EAN: 0827969511527
ASIN: B000BJS4SU
Release Date: November 22, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: NO ARTWORK / DISC ONLY! CD has light scratches that in no way affect play. Ships in a new SLIM jewel case. I HAVE NO ARTWORK FOR THIS ALBUM!!!!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 252
 A Great Departure December 12, 2005
D. Lang (Spokane, WA United States)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
This CD is a gem. John Mayer's considerable talent and maturity as a guitarist/songwriter is showcased beautifully and I'm thrilled he's taken this musical detour - whether temporary or permanent - into the blues/rock genre. His voice is different to be sure, and it might be a little difficult for those who have a strong association of his voice with his pop hits to make the transition to a different style. I think that's their loss. If you like his voice and you like good blues, you'll probably like this CD. Don't fear change. :-) I agree there are a couple of moments his voice doesn't gel perfectly with the style of music, but those are largely insignificant and forgivable in light of the overall excellence of the CD. Comparing this blues/rock offering to "the greats" seems a little silly - He's not BB King, so he won't sound like him. Step back and experience this CD for what it is: A great musical contribution from a very talented artist.
The man shows his true colors in shades of blue December 3, 2005
Adam M. Koss (Somerset, NJ USA)
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
So the latest installment is also the debut. The first release by the John Mayer Trio (John (g,v), Steve Jordan (d), Pino Palladino (b)), "Try!" was recorded live in concert at the House of Blues in Chicago. It may seem like an unnatural step for Mayer, but in the truest sense, he has returned to his roots.
From pretty much day one of his pop-stardom, he has promoted the image of smooth-serenading acoustic troubador. And he did pretty well (I think that 3 Grammy's just told me this is an understatement). But underneath all that was John's foundation - a baddass electric guitarist. Influences ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan to John Coltrane are melded with a fresh sound and serious chops (1 year at Berklee was plenty, apparently) to yield quite possibly the next real guitar hero. And "Try!" is the first big step towards that.
The album opens with JM3's first single, the all-too-appropriate query "Who Did You Think I Was?" And with it comes the huuuge electric sound (side note: John's rig was recently featured in premier gear-head newsletter The ToneQuest Report http://www.online-discussion.com/Tonequest/viewtopic.php?t=130). And when the bass and drums enter, it's on. Three guys crankin' it out right off the bat (and you can definitely see why Steve Jordan played for The Who). They continue with "Good Love is on the Way," a funky original composed collectively by the Trio that recalls the sounds of Grand Funk Railroad and other few-decades-old funksters, and features John quacking out on the wah-wah pedal. The next track features Hendrix's "Wait Until Tomorrow," which has one of the most fiery guitar solos laid down in this decade (Jimi is looking down proudly at his fellow Strat-master). The solemn "Gravity" places the well-framed 'John Mayer Ballad' nicely in the new Trio setting, complete with insightful lyrics and a tasty electric guitar solo. He continues with "Vultures," which bridges jazz and 80's pop a la The Police (something the once billed 'Jazz-Pop sensation' has done remarkably well), serving up lines about not conforming and plucking out a funky guitar jam down to the faded-out ending.
Then comes number six, going back to the home of the blues (John teases "Fairfield, CT, where the blues was born" to the Chicago fans who really know) with "Out of my Mind." And he plays out of his mind. The slow, classic changes of BB and T-Bone (that's King and Walker, respectively, for those wondering) let John speak his bluesy mind about what music was made for. And he sings:
I'm putting you, baby
I'm putting you right out of my mind
I'm putting you, baby
I'm putting you right out of my mind
So tired of running after you, girl
And being one and one half steps behind
Go and tell your friends now
Go tell your friends what Johnny did
Go tell your friends
go tell your friends just what Johnny did
If they don't tell you that you're crazy, baby
Lord, they as messed up as you is
(Lemme play my guitar, people )
From Ma Rainey to Robert Cray, them blues is the real deal. And the solo (with influence from Buddy Guy, but amazingly original, especially towards the end), and voice/guitar call-and-response do not disappoint. The 11-song set now over the hump, the Trio cranks out John's previously written (but unreleased) "Another Kind of Green," which keeps John's funky-pop stylings close.
Now the home stretch. Steve and Pino lay down the beat for John's guitar colors (he describes in another show as "icing all over it") and breaks out into a funked out "I Got a Woman" a la Kanye. Then he plays two of his 'older' ones, "Something's Missing" followed by "Daughters," which are complete with screaming and singing from the younger female contingent that has dominated John's fanbase since the YBIAW video went 'Spanking New' for 10 seconds between episodes in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge #26 Marathon Weekend. The songs are good ones and performed quite well, but almost seem anticlimactic with the craziness unleashed beforehand.
But luckily, it finishes strong with the title track (which serves as the play-on-words which has become part of John's MO). Before the downbeat, many are yelling out "[Play] Comfortable!" which would make no sense whatsoever; so appropriately JM3 play the 'anti-comfortable', and totally rock it out. With the same electric energy that asked the question in the opening track, the Trio comes full circle to answer that THIS is me trying to be myself, when everyone else said it had to be acoustic guitars and 'bubblegum toungues....'
I talk much about John, but he's held up by (and accountable to) the two other guys on the stage. Steve and Pino are blues-rock veterans with unparalleled curricula vitae. And they not only feed John the background, they propel with him as a 3-man Tour de Force. The unit rocks, plain and simple, and it is John keeping up with the other two that shows just how good he really is.
Since he went major-label, I have been waiting for the day that the John I knew, doing the harmonized scat-guitar lines to "I Only Like You 'Cause Your Sister's Hot" at Cappucino Joe's to an audience you can count on two hands (and over my rhythm guitar - I mean, I couldn't write a JM piece without getting it in there ::smirk::), to come out and show his true colors to the rest of the world. He always had the live shows, the finger-throbbing backing tracks, and a couple guitar mag covers to remind us that it was in there somewhere. But this budding guitar hero has finally come to say "Oh yeah, I can play." And it seems that I'm not the only one enjoying it. The massive response the tour has received is heartwarming, knowing that there are people out there who still enjoy real music from one of the top musicians out on the scene today. I'm glad it's returned. Check out www.johnmayertrio.com.
Refreshing, wonderfully careless Mayer album- a must buy!! November 25, 2005
Kate (Madison, CT)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
From the second I put this CD into my stereo at home, I knew it was going to be good. The array of sounds that emanate from the album, the intricate guitar work, and the rythmic, bluesy vibe it has are impressive and indicative of Mayer's growth as a musician.
The first three songs are jazz/blues tracks that kick off the CD in a playful, upbeat manner. Mayer demonstrates his guitar prowess and lyrical abilities in these, especially in the awesome intro to track three.
Although the Billboard review thought that track four, "Gravity", did not fit with the generally cheerful, playful tone of the album, I think it's a great song that adds another dimension to the work.
Vultures is my favorite song on the CD-- it's one of Mayer's best (up there with 3x5). The lyrics are impressive, and the music simply enveloped me during my first listen!Mayer also experiments with singing falsetto; and, oddly enough, listening to it wasn't painful.
Overall, this CD is something that true John Mayer fans have been waiting for. He kind of came out of the closet in the sense that he's beginning to leave his pop roots behind and move in the direction of jazz and blues. Try! is a fun, album that brings John Mayer's guitar skills, musical and lyrical development, and disinterest in formulaic pop music to light. Buy it-- it's really great!
 If you expect to be rattled as if by SRV, be diappointed December 7, 2005
Jake Robeling
9 out of 22 found this review helpful
Typical effort by someone who's obviously been influenced by the great ones (SRV, Hendrix...)and has alot of talent but has absolutely no soul. He can play some licks but is unable to put them together to provide the needed meaning and depth which this bluesy type of music demands. Spend your money on the lesser known greats such as Buddy Guy, Son Seals, or Magic Slim. This guy is overrated
Very good live show, but not SRV @ Carnegie Great December 7, 2005
TJ (New York, NY USA)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
After hearing the first two studio cuts on iTunes, I was hyped that this album would encompass 7-8 tracks of hard blues similar to his "Why Don't You Come When I Call" track with the addition of "Something's Missing" and "Daughters". The end result is not that, but that is not to say the record itself is not a great representation of the live show and a showcase for Mayer's skills. I'm not sure the many critics on this album appreciate the level of guitar work that is done here and how clean it comes out LIVE. Detractors will say it's not SRV, well, no kidding. But have you heard a better version of Jimi's "Wait For Tomorrow" until this? The guitar work is spot on (again, especially live) and the solo rips harder than all others. It seems blues 'aficionados' will discount Mayers chops as "too clean" and "too fast", but isn't that more entertaining to listen to and appreciate than BB King who plays one note and self-professed can strum a single chord? Again, some people may have built this up to be the next "SRV-In The Beginning", but it's not. It's a fine album of some straight up blues tunes, some blues-hybrids and some clever redos of both Mayer covers along with Jimi and Ray Charles. And let's not forget, the first time that SRV played to the establishment in Montreaux, he was booed off stage.
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