r/JohnMayer

Repost from John Mayer USA via IG.

I want to do A&R one day and ended up creating a digital journal on goodnotes for NMFT. It helps me keep track of my original thoughts of songs, and how they grow over time from the first listen. I tried to make it a tad fun with a fun layout etc…

After feeling such a great sense of community with the GDLP, i was wondering if anyone would want the template to use for themselves? Before i packaged up a clean, downloadable file and make a quick tutorial i wanted to see if the interest is there. We could even maybe make a weekly thread here to share our spreads or share our favorite song.

I added two example photos: the first is a weekly lineups spread, then the next is the individual tracks spread. I usually will add side notes from John’s intro as well, but i just went ahead and listened to this one on my own to use as an example.

So yeah if you are interested let me know, or if you keep track somehow id love to hear your methods!

Trying to put together a compact John Mayer inspired board, but I’m pretty limited on space so this is about all I can fit. I already own the DD-8, RV-6, and GT-OD, so I’m trying to build around those. Mostly going for Continuum/WTLI type tones with some funkier stuff mixed in too. Does this setup make sense, or would you swap anything out?

Hey now! It’s time for the eleventh Grateful Dead Listening Party.

Do you think we’ll hear The Eleven tonight? 
Anything else you’re hoping to hear? 

I hope this week finds you doing well. 🤗

John: This is the joy of the week to hang out with us. He’s taking some liberties and playing how GD would in a real show where they would play a reprise (playing one song, then a few others, and going back to the one song)

On the left speaker is Bob and on the right speaker is Jerry. 

This is from Dave’s Picks Vol. 38

(Dave’s Picks Vol. 58 is coming out and is only available on dead.net for those interested.) 

Ramble On Rose - 9/8/73 - Uniondale, NY

John: This song Dead & Co played it several times - but only when it had cultural relevance.
John praises Bobby for paying attention to issues - especially women’s issues. 

John says he was “still brewing” when this next track was played and then immediately admits that was a gross metaphor. 

Man Smart, Woman Smarter - 4/26/83 - Philadelphia, PA

John: Deal is a song that when Dead & Co played it, there was a white-hot excitement, but originally it was a more gentle telling of the tune. 
John loves a more stately “Deal” like the one we’re about to hear.

They still had the bicentennial decorations up when this track was played. 

From Dave’s Picks Vol. 18. 

Deal - 7/17/76 - San Francisco, CA

John: Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, IN  is somewhere he’s played both solo and with Dead & Co. It’s a very well known venue in Dead lore. 

This is a tune from 1990, which was a banner year for the band’s sound. Jerry’s tone had gone to a much more distorted sound. John is fond of guitar players doing that. 
This tune served Jerry’s new overdriven, distorted sound. 

It was written and performed by Bob Dylan, made famous by Jimi Hendrix, and passed down from there. 

All Along the Watchtower - 7/19/90 - Noblesville, IN

John: This being the 11th, just shows how expansive this catalogue is. This could be a very eternal gig hosting this show.

Ship of Fools - Otiel and John would share on this song when Dead & Co played it. John loved singing this with Oteil. Kind of like letting the kids’ table have a part in the Thanksgiving meal. 

From Dave’s Picks Vol. 13

Ship of Fools - 2/24/74 - San Francisco, CA

John: We’re going into a Music Never Stops this version is a 70s song through an 80s lens. 

John thinks he might have been sitting in his bed tent (which he goes into a tangent about how good of an idea it is to sublet a room to a kid by way of a bed tent) when this song was being performed just down the street. 

The Music Never Stopped - 3/27/87 - Hartford, CT

[This is part of Dave's Picks Vol 36 if anyone, like me, wants to find it.]

John: This is Playing in the Band by Dead and Co in 2023, but is known as Part 1 because it was truncated by a lightning strike and the band had to take a break. 
The plan is to play the first part and pause just like they did that night back in ‘23. 

Playing in the Band - 7/3/23 - Boulder, CO

John: There’s Bobby saying, “hells bells.” 

John enjoys things that derail shows (slightly) and he thinks the crowd does too. 

So while we imagine we’re all taking a break backstage, we’re going to listen to a U.S. Blues. It’s coming up on summer and the time is right. 

U.S. Blues - 6/23/74- Miami, FL

John: One of the prevailing criticisms for Dead & Co was that they played songs “slow.” This next track is an example of how the Dead would vary the tempo all the time. This Saint Stephen is also real low and gives the guitar solo a great sound. 

John notes he was just a “little bean” when the next track was performed. 

Saint Stephen - 11/6/77 - Binghamton, NY

John: We’re going back to Playing in the Band for Part 2 from when they had a lightning delay. 

When they came back, John knew people in the audience were wet, so John brought as many shirts as he could part with and threw them out to the crowd. [editing note: u/drkennethnoiseh20 pointed out that the shirt incident was following a hail storm at Boulder in 2019.]

It Goes into Uncle John’s Band>Playing in the Band Part 3. They had planned to do it Playing>Uncle John>Playing, we just got an extra bit of Playing first.

Get yourself a sumo orange and a little bit of beef jerky and settle in for a fun time.

Playing In The Band (part 2)>Uncle John’s Band>Playing in the Band (part 3) - 7/3/23 - Boulder, CO

John: One of the tunes that produced some of the most memorable lyrics is Box of Rain. It’s sung by Phil Lesh as we’ll hear. 
It’s also one of the hardest tunes to play in the catalogue. John messed it up at Gillette Stadium one time, and while it was a teleprompter issue, John takes full responsibility. 

Nothing like singing a song you wrote - here’s Phil Lesh singing his song - 

Box of Rain - 4/2/73 - Boston, MA

John: There’s another little Saint Stephen coming - it’s not very long, but it launches in with some hot guitar playing by Jerry Garcia. 

Saint Stephen - 11/6/77 - Binghamton, NY

John: John is handing this show off next week to Andy Cohen who is going to pick his favorite GD tracks and share his reasons for the choices and stories about being a Deadhead. 

That’s the spirit of this show and John is looking forward to hearing someone else’s picks. 

Me and Bobby McGee - it was written by Kris Kristofferson and made famous by Janis Joplin and John believes Bobby Weir was in the room when it was written. 

John talks about Fresno and how it makes you want fettuccine which leads him to saying he’s the jam band of orators. 

Me and Bobby McGee - 7/19/74 - Fresno, CA

John: He appreciates all the feedback that has been sent to him and to Sirius about the show. He knew he needed to do it because so many of us still have huge holes left behind by Bobby’s passing. It’s still tough and still tough seeing the days get longer but without us making plans to catch flights and car pool to shows. 
The way to leave tonight is with a sensitive, soulful Stella Blue. 
Much like Jimi Hendricks, people think about the loud, histrionics of GD and forget about the sensitive parts like Jerry’s singing on Stella Blue. 

Stella Blue - 4/2/73 - Boston, MA

Here is my cover of my favorite mayer song

Got more small covers on my tiktok page

https://www.tiktok.com/@andresmarino\_?\_r=1&\_t=ZS-96QNNChw9Tz

follow me hehe

I don't listen to him on Spotify as much anymore, but I do keep coming back to his covers of American Pie, Glad to Be Unhappy, In The Wee Small Hours, Please Come Home for Christmas, etc.