John Mayer albums... not good

Carlman · « **on:** 4 Sep 2004, 03:00 pm »

I just received 2 LP's that sound awful. John Mayer's Room for Squares and Heavier Things...
I was really looking forward to hearing these on vinyl. However, something got really screwed up in the engineering of these pressings. John's voice sounds like he's singing into a can on a string that is attached to the mixing board. There's distortion in the midrange on any complex sounds... sounds like the needles got a giant ball of crud on it.

So, I tried another album, sounds fantastic. Went and used DiskDoctor cleaning ritual with distilled water... the whole 9 yards... took the Beck album off and put the John Mayer back on... crappolla.

I cleaned the other album, same results... every other album sounds great, though.

Why would 2 albums have limited dynamics and a compressed/distorted sound? 128k MP3's sound better than this junk.

I guess I'll be contacting 'aware records' and columbia about this..... it just sucks because I was pretty excited about hearing JM on vinyl.

bixby · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 06:36 pm »

I was listening to my headphone system and the distortion is unbearable with this CD (Heavier Things). I first thought it was my Grado amp crapping out with all the bass coming from the dac, but the same distortion exists on my main system.

I'm sure Columbia could give a crap, though. Has anyone else experienced a good sound with the cd?

I am wondering if it is the mix.

cheers

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 06:43 pm »

I found 'Any Given Thursday' to be among my least favorite recorded CD's of all....I can't even get to evaluate Mr. Mayer's performance it's so bad on CD.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 09:49 pm »

I have Room For Squares and Heavier Things on CD (and the latter on SACD). Both of them sound reasonably good, with the latter sounding a bit better. Sadly, the SACD version of Heavier Things really doesn't sound much, if any, bettert than the CD. The surround mix is pretty ho-hum.

I've never heard Any Given Thursday. I loved the other two, so even if the sound quality is bad I might have to pick up the CD version.

djbnh · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 10:51 pm »

Quote from: bixby

I was listening to my headphone system and the distortion is unbearable with this album. I first thought it was my Grado amp crapping out with all the bass coming from the dac, but the same distortion exists on my main system.

I'm sure Columbia could give a crap, though. Has anyone else experienced a good sound with the cd?

I am wondering if it is the mix.

cheers

Have had no issues with the John Mayer's Room for Squares cd. Sorry to hear (no pun intended) the album wasn't up to snuff.

Rocket · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 11:41 pm »

Hi Carlman,

I have recently come across a couple of albums that sound exactly as you describe. The Who 'live at the albert hall' and a jewel lp.

I believe they have mastered the albums straight from cd without really doing a proper conversion to lp.

I guess it is buyer beware but i empathise with you.

Regards

Rod

Marbles · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Nov 2004, 11:44 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

I've never heard Any Given Thursday. I loved the other two, so even if the sound quality is bad I might have to pick up the CD version.

Rob, PM me your address and I'll send it to you.

My wife got me this double CD, the only "music" that she has ever bought me, on the recomendation of a friend. I can't listen to it. Seriously. It's not my cup of tea on any level.

chosenhandle · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Nov 2004, 07:00 pm »

John Mayer has a monthly column in Esquire. A few issues ago he wrote about his music becoming "iFI". His producers tested mixes through a laptop to see what it would sound like mp3'ed and played on a computer or iPOD. In short, mix to the "lowest common denominator".

He seemed to think it sucked, but shrugged his shoulders and let it all happen. Pretty hard to support an artist who doesn'st stand up for his own music.

Carlman · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Nov 2004, 08:48 pm »

Quote from: chosenhandle

John Mayer has a monthly column in Esquire. A few issues ago he wrote about his music becoming "iFI". His producers tested mixes through a laptop to see what it would sound like mp3'ed and played on a computer or iPOD. In short, mix to the "lowest common denominator".

He seemed to think it sucked, but shrugged his shoulders and let it all happen. Pretty hard to support an artist who doesn'st stand up for his own music.

Same is true for David Gray... On a Showtime special, he pretty much flat out said he doesn't care about the quality of recordings.. it's all about the performance. (Such a Dali-esque thing to say).

I have a problem with artists today... they don't seem to care about their fans... or at least the recording quality and production of their albums. However, that wouldn't bother me if they didn't care to the point that they'd let anyone record it and make GOOD recordings of their performances to resell to 'real' fans later. (Like the Grateful Dead)

They seem to care about money and lots of it from that standpoint.

I also see the 'music business' as its own entity almost competing with the artists they sell. I would think it's kind of like selling the same soap in different packages for Geffen, Atlantic, Virgin, etc. The same company owns Tide and All yet it has to get them to compete somehow to get more business.

To me, that's the flaw... today's music business has turned music into a commodity. And, what's worse, is I support it. I don't care about 'ripping cd's' or any of this other crap... I just buy the stuff at a store that has listening stations. I figure if the store goes through the effort of at least demo'ing the music, they deserve their cut.... but, at $15-20 per cd, I won't be doing a lot that. For 20 cd's, I could buy a nice new cd player.

My beef about the John Mayer stuff is about the record and not the cd. The cd doesn't sound particularly bad like the album. Coldplay on the other hand, ack! I can't even listen to it anymore... terrible junk. I heard a live album on TV a couple of weeks ago and I was amazed... I was like "Oh, THAT's what that's supposed to sound like... Cool!"

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Nov 2004, 09:53 pm »

I can undertstand that view, in a way, even though I don't share it. A very notable classical conductor (can't recall the name) was so adamant that his perfermances must be heard live that very little of his stuff was released til after his death. If you envision your music as a live thing, then perhaps you won't be much concerned with the quality of the recording.

Another issue is that often the artists dont know squat about audio or good sound. It's funny how often you see a TV program about the lives of the rich & famous and see crap stereos in the homes of very, very wealthy "musicians." In fact, of the rank & file musicians I know personally, not a one could really be considered an audiophile.

That doesn't totally excuse it, but it helps explain it. Some of those artists probably never heard their own music played back on anything decent.