Underappreciated

"Nobodys gonna come and save you....we've booked too many false alarms" -from Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer.

Man, I think the title says it all from my perspective regarding John Mayer. I know some people will think to themselves "What?!?! Underappreciated?!?, he's one of the highest paid, biggest touring artists in the country!!". That is absolutely true, and I know that the man has a ton of fans, but I think the majority of his popular music fans don't really appreciate the talent that this man possesses. Most people like the smooth vocals or the catchy tunes like "Your Body is a Wonderland", and "My Stupid Mouth". The truth of the matter is that this guy is one of the great guitar players of my generation. I think its a shame that he isn't traditionally known as such. Just the other day one of his songs was on at a friends house and another buddy asked "Hey, do you like this whiny bitch?". Man, that was upsetting. I just wanted to take this guy aside, put on some of his less known bluesy songs and educate him.....so, I decided to do it in this blog instead, and hopefully reach a couple previously doubtful people out there.

I've seen John Mayer play live several times, and each time I am more impressed. I have to admit, initially I dismissed his music as pop when I first listened to the album Room for Squares, but by Heavier Things I had come around. The more I got away from the music on the radio I was able to stop focusing on the "pretty" aspect of his music and get into the technicality of it. The fact is, this guy is a phenomenal singer, songwriter, and most of all, guitar player.

But hey, you don't have to take my word for it, you can take Eric Clapton's. He has played backup to Mayer's lead many times and has had him on stage with greats like Buddy Guy, BB King, Robert Cray and others at a little event called the Crossroads Guitar Festival. There's no question that he's earned the respect of a lot of the greats, and its time he got more from those who just haven't taken the time to listen.

Here's a sample of one of the songs that even those who consider themselves fans may not have heard (I know this from talking to many of them), and I have no idea why. I think this is one of his best songs. There is a guitar riff in here that just sings...you'll know it when you hear it. Enjoy.

Awakenings

"Everything I do is judged, and they mostly get it wrong, but oh well. Cuz the bathroom mirror has not budged, and the woman who lives there can tell
the truth from the stuff that they say. She looks me in the eye and says,
'You prefer the easy way...well...ok....don't cry' " - from "Joyful Girl" by Ani Difranco

Taken somewhat out of context this may not make all that much sense, but I was listening to her today and this line caught my attention. It reminded me of one of those moments in your life that isn't really significant at all, but for some reason you think about it from time to time.

I was living in Lubbock, Tx with a good friend. I had just graduated from Texas Tech with a BA in Psychology. This time in my life was a real period of growth, exploration, and honesty. I was living hand-to-mouth and was loving every minute of it. Working full time in a bank during the day, and part time in a bowling alley snack bar in the evening. I felt connected....to everything. Life just made sense.

One morning as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror I felt like I found the pinnacle of self awareness. I was looking myself in the eye. It struck me like a slap in the face that in my (at the time) 22 years of life I don't think I had ever looked myself in the eye. Its funny, but when we look in the mirror we are always doing something. Checking ourselves out, brushing our teeth, shaving, or whatever.

There was something so pure about just standing there and staring into my own eyes. I felt all the questions and confusion in my life just lift away. At that moment I knew myself. I was.....awake.

This song reminded me of that moment. Yet another example of the power of music...and lyrics. Thinking of that time gave me a renewal of that feeling. The song has that air of reflection in it, and that just makes it all the more fitting for this little story. I hope you enjoy.

Oh, and if you haven't looked yourself in the eye, do it, and give it some time. Just shut up for a minute and stare. Look directly into your eyes, and nowhere else, for a good minute or so. You might be surprised at how it makes you feel.


And you owe it to yourself to listen to more of Ani's music. She is truly a one-of-a-kind songwriter.

Time for a Theme

"People say I'm the luckiest man....Yeah, they say, 'Runnin' is useless, fightin' is foolish, you're not gonna win, but still you're the luckiest man. You're up against, too many horses, and mysterious forces, but what you don't know is you are the luckiest man.' " -From "Luckiest Man" By The Wood Brothers

You can listen to the song by clicking here, but don't forget to come back and finish reading this.

Well, I had an idea yesterday. I think I realized what the theme of this blog is going to be. Aside from bits and pieces from my life and my music, I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce other people to other artists that have influenced me. This won't necessarily just be musicians, but artists of all kinds. I thought I could take some of my favorite lines from songs and expand on them a little bit, maybe even discuss their relevance as I see it.

So, the first line above is from The Wood Brothers. I was introduced to these guys recently, and I have been enthralled by their style. They write with an easy unassuming style that just puts me at ease. Anyway, what I get from the line above is that struggle in your life is good. When life gets difficult we are forced to elevate ourselves, to reach deeper inside and come up with the strength to overcome. So you see, if you've had to struggle at all in life, and we all have, consider yourself lucky. You've made it through the challenges which both make you stronger and give you confidence that you can handle the lesser things.

Good songwriter's put a whole lot of effort into conveying a message in their music. The best can put entire volumes into single sentences. So the next time you're listening to music, pay attention to the words and see what you can decipher from them.

Oh, and if you have a favorite line, leave it in a comment to this post.

Peace within, peace without...J...