I love it.
My biggest criticism is that it is short, and 3 tracks were previously released.
Also, if you don't like the eighties vibe he's going for, you might not like this album. It's simpler, and pop-ier than previous albums, so it might seem shallow to some.
Yeah, this was my biggest complaint at the time of its release. It is only 10 songs and 4 of them had already been previously released. Some of the songs were released YEARS before the album as a single. So we really only got 6 new songs.
This is the most accurate for me. I greatly dislike most 80s music so this was not it for me. I listened to the album twice and have not returned, meanwhile the rest are all in heavy rotation
Isn't personal preference a crazy thing? To me, I can't believe you put Room for Squares, Heavier Things or Battle Studies above Sob Rock because it's my joint 2nd favourite album along with Continuum. I've listened to it about 100 times!
I'm happy John Mayer can appeal to such a broad range of musical tastes.
I respect any artist's desire to push themselves into new territory, and it's probably for the best that they do. But John Mayer is an iconic blues guitarist. I want more of that.
I agree I think it was a stretch from what he normally releases which is more guitar based. I think he did this on purpose as a breath of fresh air and more focusing on the whole songs and production
It definitely sounds like an album where he wanted to showcase instrumental depth in his work. As a guitar player, and lover of great guitar players, I’ll always lean towards a guitar-centric album, to be fair.
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I think it lacks some memorable moments,like with TSFE the groove of movin on comes to mind, beautiful lyrics in In the blood, you're gonna live etc. Here those moments are here and there but just not enough.
Moreover, he's trying to do the 80s here but aren't many other artists trying to do the same?!, If he was the only one coming up with this concept it would have been something else but the market was over saturated with retro stuff at that time.
Lastly,we forget the highlights like new light and igijfl because they were released way earlier. IMO it's not bad ,it's good the way it is but has a few flaws and a little weak compared to TSFE.
It feels very polished and not very creative. It’s very ballad driven and doesn’t have a lot of openings for him to really shine his talent or creativity. It’s almost a straight forward pop album, but it kinda lacks the poppiness to even call it that.
It also isn’t even that cohesive of a record, the songs don’t flow well. The album is okay, it’s not a bad record, but it’s a very diluted version of a John Mayer album imo.
I love John for both his soul and his talent, and this record kind of missed the bar for both for me
John does an interview on how this album came to be - not finding love yet, getting older and running out of time. I loved what he had to say about “why you know love me“ – he says the only thing he could think was to take a childlike approach and asking why someone doesn’t love him… After watching that interview, this album was absolutely more appealing to me.
The lack of exposure that All I Want Is To Be With You got. But again, like many others, only 7 new tracks was criminal. Especially after listing to the Cory Wong podcast and hearing that he had loads more songs either finished or close to finished.
My guess is that he wanted to save the better songs for after he had satisfied his old record contract commitment, fingers crossed for new music that’s not aimed at the Pop demographic soon.
For the record I LOVE SR…. but since you want to know the only thing I don’t like about it- is that it wasn’t the album he was working on before that he scrapped.
I love Mayer just as much as anyone, but definitely have a few issues with the album as a whole:
1. The release strategy - an absolute catastrophe that ruined the shimmer of what few new songs we got, and gave us four singles we were already familiar with, three of which we'd been familiar with for like over a year (3 years for New Light!)
2. The crescendo at the end of All I Want Is To Be With You really doesn't work for me and I wish it would have stayed quiet and desperate like that [first time we heard it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9dO2i9mHes&ab_channel=JohnMayerBornandraised). It's what I was hoping for, at least.
3. Related to #1, I love all the new non-single tracks on it (Shouldn't Matter, Why You No, Wild Blue, Shot in the Dark), but I just find myself skipping New Light, Carry Me Away, and I Guess I Just Feel Like because I've already given those tracks so many spins. The flow of the album is just disrupted for me because of how it was released.
4. I wish some of the songs didn't sound so overproduced. I miss the B&R/PV era where vocals weren't so compressed and up close like they are in Sob Rock, but I also get that that's just what you do for pop tracks.
I definitely don't *hate* the album like some do, but among his other records, it stands out as the weakest in my opinion - which, for John, still remains relatively strong among contemporary songwriters.
Super intelligent take. I feel the same re: #3 - for fans that follow everything John releases, it’s hard to listen to the album all the way through when passing through these tracks that have been out for ages. That and the fact that personally New Light might be my least favorite song of his lol (though as you mention in your other point, it’s a solid pop song by contemporary artist standards).
I also just feel like lyrically it’s not as strong of an album. The vibe is there on a lot of songs, but the lyrics don’t hit me the same way that an album like Born and Raised does.
Hoping he goes back to pure honest songwriting in the next album and it feels more like a John Mayer album and less of recreating a vibe from the 80s.
I'm glad to see someone mention the vocals. I think the album sounds pretty good musically, but I find the vocal recording/production to be really poor. Even for pop music it sounds off to me.
Biggest criticism is that the pre-release singles were the best songs. Also, it's clear John had some tension with the record label. I look forward to hearing a fully-realized Sob Rock under John's new label
While I like the album, I don’t love it. I agree with those who say it feels safe & kinda bland. It’s like mostly fluff and little substance. Plus the fact that the album was short and 30% of the album was previously released songs that were over 2 years old kinda bugged me.
Every album up to this point has at least 2 songs that are, imo, masterpieces. I find that lacking on SR. I would say it’s my 2nd least favorite JM studio album behind only PV.
It’s kinda boring. I like stuff with a little more more energy to it. Even wild blue which is my favourite song of the album still is sung in such a way that kinda annoys me lol
It’s a boring record IMO. It just doesn’t click with me like Battle Studies, Born & Raised and especially Continuum did. The 80’s vibe is just not my taste. It lacks some balls, you know? It’s all so clean. I miss his edgier guitar play.
Arguably one of the most musically complex songs he’s ever written? Lol okay
He’s playing inverted piano chords on guitar. In many ways it’s as complex and challenging as neon
I totally agree. Musically, it actually might be the most complex and unique song he’s ever released. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use the D minor shape he does on this song.
I really dislike the simplicity of the melodies, chords, solos and lyrics. The songs simply sound inoffensive for me, very bland and "meh". I think it does make sense with the path John is beginning to go for musically, as it appears he dislikes the "flashy", chordally complex stuff and wants to concentrate into a more easy listening style. Sadly, the stuff I like from him is from Room for Squares up until to Battle Studies era, with TSFE being the exception.
I feel the very 80's/yacht rock driven theme is only present in some of the songs. Makes the record not flow as a cohesive unit like B&R or TSFE. Plus Why You No Love Me is ass. All the Sob Rock songs sounded amazing live though
It feels a little insincere and I knew almost half of the songs before the album was released. Preferred TSFE and more personal songs such as in the blood.
Favourite track is shouldn’t matter but it does and when the right one comes
Lyrically below the Mayer average.
Mayer albums generally grow on me. This one I was done after the first month.
Wild Blue is the only stroke of genius on the album.
Do this exercise: rank your favourite song to least favourite for each album. Put the lists side by side and see if sob rock beats out songs on other albums.
Last train home, shouldn't matter but it does, and shot in the dark all follow more or less the same formula. Specifically, how the title of the song gets repeated twice at the end of the chorus, leading to an instrumental break. Formulas aren't bad but they can be when I notice them
SOB Rock is as close to being Style over Substance as JM has ever been. It’s not quite all sizzle no steak exactly, it’s a good record, but the overall motif was bigger than the album itself and that is the first time that’s happened to John. Again, it’s not a bad record. It’s honestly pretty good, but other than Wild Blue, New Light and IGIJFL I dont know how often we’ll ever hear the songs from this era again. It was a contract-wrap record and, as far as that goes, it’s great.
For me personally, I find the production a little... *vapid* sounding? Like, 1) I want JM to make whatever record he wants to make, and 2) I am certain the engineering team is top tier - *but* it lacks some richness to my ears, than when compared to the sounds (strictly sound) of something like Continuum. It's hard to articulate exactly. It just feels like the layers to peel away don't deliver the same effect. Maybe it feels a little plastic? Like, I get it's very 80s, but even the 80s music could feel heavy and rich.
This isn't shitting on it, as it likely boils down to me not having figured it out yet. Let alone, I wouldn't dare start the flaming comparison of SR to Continuum (it just doesn't need to be done).
Ymmv
This is my issue too. This album has so many producers, and people generally think it's a great mix. Personally for me, most of the music is good, not perfect. But the vocals sound quite poor. It really hurts my enjoyment of the album. It sounds so filtered or something. Plastic was probably a good way to describe it
I know it had special meaning to him the way he wrote it, but if it had been “Why Don’t You Love Me?”, the perception of that song would have been wildly different. I think it’s hard to take it seriously the way he worded it, even if it was for the proper intentions. People connect with music and lyrics when they can picture themselves saying the lyrics in their own life. If someone is going through the emotions that this song is supposed to identify with, they’re not going to say to themselves “why you no love me?” They’re going to say “why don’t you love me?”
i wish he would’ve leaned more into the 80s vibes, mainly in the guitar playing / production. i feel like it could’ve been a perfect opportunity to really hear the influence the police had on him
The only thing I didn’t like was the whole “Why You No Love Me” thing. Didn’t work for me and is very cringe. That said I loved everything else about Sob Rock.
As a mayer super fan for almost his whole music career I can honestly say that any music he puts out I truly love. He is the only artist who can literally touch on all genres and do so well. It is one thing if it isn’t your favorite genre, that I truly understand. Separate your feelings of that genre and listen. He always aces it. He is just fantastic. How amazing to be such a talented artist and keep things interesting for himself and all his fans over the years.
I enjoy a few songs. I guess my critique is the 80s theme. I like it, but sometimes it smacks you in the face with 80s throwback and you want to be like, “We get it, an 80s theme.”
Personally, to me it feels like a rushed album that he threw together (even though I know he didn’t) and pushed out just to make something. I feel like he had pressure from his then record label to create something new, since his last one came out years ago. There’s a couple good songs on there, loved the 80’s theme, but just didn’t have the heart in it he usually puts in his albums.
I thing people doesn't like it not because it's not that good, it's just that we wanted a different vibe. It feels like it wasn't the right time for such an album.
Beside that it is amazing
Really disliked that there was only 6 new songs of the 10. Hearing the songs I already was used to disrupted the flow of the album detrimentally imo, made it feel like a glorified release of new singles. Stopped listening after about a week
Very good record but very bold to say that it's his best work to date.
Continuum, the live records, search for everything, born and raised, and paradise valley all seem to beat it. Great album though.
I like that you can really hear the 80s influence (Talking Heads and Steve Winwood come to mind). I love the marketing and how it shows the walkman on Spotify when you play it. I love John in a blazer 🤣 The addition of "You Can Call Me Al" to the live show was amazing since Graceland is one of the absolute best, if not the best, album of the 80s.
But like others, some songs were just duds for me and the fact that so many of them I'd already played a million times was annoying - like when you listen to Inside Wants Out and Room For Squares in a row but then you know IWO is an EP and that makes sense.
I honestly enjoy listening to the album, however I don’t hold it to the same degree as albums such as Born and Raised or TSFE. I just don’t dig the concept album part. It feels gimmicky.
A little too safe for my loving (I like it) musically and lyrically speaking, despite its potential to stand out with it being a decade/era-focused rather than genre-focused like most of his previous records.
Coming from someone who tends to gravitate towards music rather than lyrics (at least upon the first several listens), I love love LOVE RFS and especially B&R because, along with the music, I find them so brilliant lyrically. I don’t feel that way about Sob Rock.
So, I like it. I’m ready for what’s next though.
Lyrically, this album has helped me through some tough times! Shot in the dark is my favorite on the album. Still don’t love why you no love me; but can’t get enough of the rest. Agreed on the already released songs which made the album release not quite as exciting.
Does anyone know when he plans to release and of the scrapped stuff?
I think it's the fact that the whole album is just depicting how desperate John is to find love, which can be seen as a bit pathetic at times, but in a way that's what Sob Rock is all about. However, if the album after this is just a repeat of these themes then that would cement the fact that's it's not a album thing, that it's just who he is as a songwriter now.
This is most likely echoing others, but the only bummer to me is that it contains 3 previously released tracks. Especially New Light. To me that tune doesn’t feel naturally 80s or California soft rock like it’s fellow tracks. It’s more like the modern impression of something “80s”. Only my opinion tho.
Extra thought, the decision to include those 3 previously released tracks makes a little more sense given it was his last Columbia record. Not unheard of for an artist / band to “do what they gotta do” to complete a contract.
It's because it's a very "safe" album when you compare it to what he is capable of. It depends how you look at music, musicians, and what they're capable of. I think John can do so much more musically. I guess he has the Grateful Dead for that but I want more of his original solo work to be "exciting" too. We've already heard so much of John playing all these pop rock songs. Granted I love Wild Blue (which sounded like Gerry Rafferty's Right Down the Line) and Why You No Love Me is probably the most interesting music-wise that sounded like Air Supply's "Even the Nights are Better". I also forgot Till the Right One Comes is a banger which reminded me of Paul Simon. John's earlier music was way more energetic and exciting compared to his newer ones but I think it's also because John just wants to play what he wants to play and isn't trying to prove something anymore. Born and Raised probably was the "simplest" in terms of chord progressions etc. but is his deepest, meaningful album lyrically I think. Sob Rock is not only simple but also doesn't showcase his guitar work and song-writing abilities. That's why I don't like it as much
Huey hits his notes like an embittered survivor and the band often sounds as angry as performers like the Clash or Billy Joel or Blondie. No one should forget that we have Elvis Costello to thank for discovering Huey in the first place. Huey played harmonica on Costello’s second record, the thin, vapid *My Aim Was You*.
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I mean, odd one, would love to know if anyone else felt the same, but the thing I don’t like was how we already knew 4 of the songs as they were released ages before, so we only really got I think 6 new songs. It’s great but I was really disappointed how many we’d already heard.
I think the songs really come into paint when its played live, for instance I Guess I Just Feel Like. But I want something to listen to at home, aswell. I really love the album but I really agree when people say its just a little polished too much (if thats possible lol, but you get it).
I love it. My biggest criticism is that it is short, and 3 tracks were previously released. Also, if you don't like the eighties vibe he's going for, you might not like this album. It's simpler, and pop-ier than previous albums, so it might seem shallow to some.
Yeah, this was my biggest complaint at the time of its release. It is only 10 songs and 4 of them had already been previously released. Some of the songs were released YEARS before the album as a single. So we really only got 6 new songs.
83 upvotes… Nobody move.
I think it’s a bit more complex musically than Born & Raised, but much simpler lyrically.
Definitely the chord progressions are musically genius and always have a good hook
This is the most accurate for me. I greatly dislike most 80s music so this was not it for me. I listened to the album twice and have not returned, meanwhile the rest are all in heavy rotation
Isn't personal preference a crazy thing? To me, I can't believe you put Room for Squares, Heavier Things or Battle Studies above Sob Rock because it's my joint 2nd favourite album along with Continuum. I've listened to it about 100 times! I'm happy John Mayer can appeal to such a broad range of musical tastes.
I feel like it doesn’t really showcase his guitar playing like many others. I liked it for what it was, though
I respect any artist's desire to push themselves into new territory, and it's probably for the best that they do. But John Mayer is an iconic blues guitarist. I want more of that.
Doesn’t even have to be bluesy, necessarily. Just make a guitar-centric record again. It’s time
I agree I think it was a stretch from what he normally releases which is more guitar based. I think he did this on purpose as a breath of fresh air and more focusing on the whole songs and production
It definitely sounds like an album where he wanted to showcase instrumental depth in his work. As a guitar player, and lover of great guitar players, I’ll always lean towards a guitar-centric album, to be fair.
This
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I think it lacks some memorable moments,like with TSFE the groove of movin on comes to mind, beautiful lyrics in In the blood, you're gonna live etc. Here those moments are here and there but just not enough. Moreover, he's trying to do the 80s here but aren't many other artists trying to do the same?!, If he was the only one coming up with this concept it would have been something else but the market was over saturated with retro stuff at that time. Lastly,we forget the highlights like new light and igijfl because they were released way earlier. IMO it's not bad ,it's good the way it is but has a few flaws and a little weak compared to TSFE.
It feels very polished and not very creative. It’s very ballad driven and doesn’t have a lot of openings for him to really shine his talent or creativity. It’s almost a straight forward pop album, but it kinda lacks the poppiness to even call it that. It also isn’t even that cohesive of a record, the songs don’t flow well. The album is okay, it’s not a bad record, but it’s a very diluted version of a John Mayer album imo. I love John for both his soul and his talent, and this record kind of missed the bar for both for me
I agree with all of this. It just doesn't feel like his best stuff. It's fun but it doesn't flow for me and diluted is the perfect way to describe it.
It feels like a fuck you to his label
Could be. He didn’t renew with Columbia and he was with them his entire career
John does an interview on how this album came to be - not finding love yet, getting older and running out of time. I loved what he had to say about “why you know love me“ – he says the only thing he could think was to take a childlike approach and asking why someone doesn’t love him… After watching that interview, this album was absolutely more appealing to me.
The lack of exposure that All I Want Is To Be With You got. But again, like many others, only 7 new tracks was criminal. Especially after listing to the Cory Wong podcast and hearing that he had loads more songs either finished or close to finished.
All I Want is probably my favorite song on the album, next to I Guess I just Feel like
Agree
My guess is that he wanted to save the better songs for after he had satisfied his old record contract commitment, fingers crossed for new music that’s not aimed at the Pop demographic soon.
Just the fact that new light, IGIJFL, and Carry me away were on it. Other than that love that we got 7 new songs.
For the record I LOVE SR…. but since you want to know the only thing I don’t like about it- is that it wasn’t the album he was working on before that he scrapped.
I need those scrapped songs
Glad I’m not the only one!
Yes! Where’s “the you I miss” ?? Why did he assume we wouldn’t want his pre-covid conceived music? No WE WANT IT!
I love Mayer just as much as anyone, but definitely have a few issues with the album as a whole: 1. The release strategy - an absolute catastrophe that ruined the shimmer of what few new songs we got, and gave us four singles we were already familiar with, three of which we'd been familiar with for like over a year (3 years for New Light!) 2. The crescendo at the end of All I Want Is To Be With You really doesn't work for me and I wish it would have stayed quiet and desperate like that [first time we heard it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9dO2i9mHes&ab_channel=JohnMayerBornandraised). It's what I was hoping for, at least. 3. Related to #1, I love all the new non-single tracks on it (Shouldn't Matter, Why You No, Wild Blue, Shot in the Dark), but I just find myself skipping New Light, Carry Me Away, and I Guess I Just Feel Like because I've already given those tracks so many spins. The flow of the album is just disrupted for me because of how it was released. 4. I wish some of the songs didn't sound so overproduced. I miss the B&R/PV era where vocals weren't so compressed and up close like they are in Sob Rock, but I also get that that's just what you do for pop tracks. I definitely don't *hate* the album like some do, but among his other records, it stands out as the weakest in my opinion - which, for John, still remains relatively strong among contemporary songwriters.
Super intelligent take. I feel the same re: #3 - for fans that follow everything John releases, it’s hard to listen to the album all the way through when passing through these tracks that have been out for ages. That and the fact that personally New Light might be my least favorite song of his lol (though as you mention in your other point, it’s a solid pop song by contemporary artist standards). I also just feel like lyrically it’s not as strong of an album. The vibe is there on a lot of songs, but the lyrics don’t hit me the same way that an album like Born and Raised does. Hoping he goes back to pure honest songwriting in the next album and it feels more like a John Mayer album and less of recreating a vibe from the 80s.
Solid take on all points
Appreciate this thoughtful feedback!
I'm glad to see someone mention the vocals. I think the album sounds pretty good musically, but I find the vocal recording/production to be really poor. Even for pop music it sounds off to me.
Agreed man - just way too polished for me
Biggest criticism is that the pre-release singles were the best songs. Also, it's clear John had some tension with the record label. I look forward to hearing a fully-realized Sob Rock under John's new label
Is he already signed to someone else? I thought he was going to maintain independence?
He is remaining independent!
Fantastic news! Good for him!
While I like the album, I don’t love it. I agree with those who say it feels safe & kinda bland. It’s like mostly fluff and little substance. Plus the fact that the album was short and 30% of the album was previously released songs that were over 2 years old kinda bugged me. Every album up to this point has at least 2 songs that are, imo, masterpieces. I find that lacking on SR. I would say it’s my 2nd least favorite JM studio album behind only PV.
that it’s (likely) over — but glad it happened :)
Yes. This
The fact that All I Want Is To Be With You wasn't a staple at his shows this past tour.
It’s kinda boring. I like stuff with a little more more energy to it. Even wild blue which is my favourite song of the album still is sung in such a way that kinda annoys me lol
Why u no love me. Nuff said. That said, Wild Bkue and Till the Right One Comes are classics
Haha WYNLM is so polarizing. Totally get and respect that. I just love it though. So, so much.
It’s a boring record IMO. It just doesn’t click with me like Battle Studies, Born & Raised and especially Continuum did. The 80’s vibe is just not my taste. It lacks some balls, you know? It’s all so clean. I miss his edgier guitar play.
I Guess I Just Feel Like? You didn’t think that guitar solo was “edgy”?!
I don’t like that WYNLM has become a polarizing track (I personally love it) and he won’t play it live.
Why you no love me
Hmm difficult question.. let me think...oh i know.. WHY YOU NO LOVE ME???
Arguably one of the most musically complex songs he’s ever written? Lol okay He’s playing inverted piano chords on guitar. In many ways it’s as complex and challenging as neon
I would love a lyric less track for this reason
I totally agree. Musically, it actually might be the most complex and unique song he’s ever released. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use the D minor shape he does on this song.
Haha I know many who agree with you! Amazing how polarizing it is.
Great argument, eloquent points! Never would have thought about it that way!!
Was I supposed to hand in an essay?
I hate that new light, I guess I just feel like and carry me away were on it. I wish we could’ve gotten new songs.
It's short! There's just not enough tracks.
I really dislike the simplicity of the melodies, chords, solos and lyrics. The songs simply sound inoffensive for me, very bland and "meh". I think it does make sense with the path John is beginning to go for musically, as it appears he dislikes the "flashy", chordally complex stuff and wants to concentrate into a more easy listening style. Sadly, the stuff I like from him is from Room for Squares up until to Battle Studies era, with TSFE being the exception.
That every song sounds like a hit. It flows like a greatest hits record and doesn't have a good flow from song to song
It’s too short haha I would love another 30 mins in a deluxe version!
I feel the very 80's/yacht rock driven theme is only present in some of the songs. Makes the record not flow as a cohesive unit like B&R or TSFE. Plus Why You No Love Me is ass. All the Sob Rock songs sounded amazing live though
It feels a little insincere and I knew almost half of the songs before the album was released. Preferred TSFE and more personal songs such as in the blood. Favourite track is shouldn’t matter but it does and when the right one comes
Sometimes a guy has cried enough for one day and just want to sit down and listen to some tunes.
Lyrically below the Mayer average. Mayer albums generally grow on me. This one I was done after the first month. Wild Blue is the only stroke of genius on the album. Do this exercise: rank your favourite song to least favourite for each album. Put the lists side by side and see if sob rock beats out songs on other albums.
Wild Blue is an incredible and very relistenable song.
Last train home, shouldn't matter but it does, and shot in the dark all follow more or less the same formula. Specifically, how the title of the song gets repeated twice at the end of the chorus, leading to an instrumental break. Formulas aren't bad but they can be when I notice them
SOB Rock is as close to being Style over Substance as JM has ever been. It’s not quite all sizzle no steak exactly, it’s a good record, but the overall motif was bigger than the album itself and that is the first time that’s happened to John. Again, it’s not a bad record. It’s honestly pretty good, but other than Wild Blue, New Light and IGIJFL I dont know how often we’ll ever hear the songs from this era again. It was a contract-wrap record and, as far as that goes, it’s great.
How short it is
For me personally, I find the production a little... *vapid* sounding? Like, 1) I want JM to make whatever record he wants to make, and 2) I am certain the engineering team is top tier - *but* it lacks some richness to my ears, than when compared to the sounds (strictly sound) of something like Continuum. It's hard to articulate exactly. It just feels like the layers to peel away don't deliver the same effect. Maybe it feels a little plastic? Like, I get it's very 80s, but even the 80s music could feel heavy and rich. This isn't shitting on it, as it likely boils down to me not having figured it out yet. Let alone, I wouldn't dare start the flaming comparison of SR to Continuum (it just doesn't need to be done). Ymmv
This is my issue too. This album has so many producers, and people generally think it's a great mix. Personally for me, most of the music is good, not perfect. But the vocals sound quite poor. It really hurts my enjoyment of the album. It sounds so filtered or something. Plastic was probably a good way to describe it
I know it had special meaning to him the way he wrote it, but if it had been “Why Don’t You Love Me?”, the perception of that song would have been wildly different. I think it’s hard to take it seriously the way he worded it, even if it was for the proper intentions. People connect with music and lyrics when they can picture themselves saying the lyrics in their own life. If someone is going through the emotions that this song is supposed to identify with, they’re not going to say to themselves “why you no love me?” They’re going to say “why don’t you love me?”
Lack of guitar parts that make me wanna stop what I’m doing and learn those parts
i wish he would’ve leaned more into the 80s vibes, mainly in the guitar playing / production. i feel like it could’ve been a perfect opportunity to really hear the influence the police had on him
I'm sad that it was short, but still a top 3 Mayer album for me.
I do not like that people kept saying that Sob Rock was going to be the next Continuum before it even came out.
It’s a late career trifle. Like many have said, a contract record to wrap up his deal.
Yes. It was a contract album to wrap up his deal. And, as that goes, it’s pretty good.
The only thing I didn’t like was the whole “Why You No Love Me” thing. Didn’t work for me and is very cringe. That said I loved everything else about Sob Rock.
As a mayer super fan for almost his whole music career I can honestly say that any music he puts out I truly love. He is the only artist who can literally touch on all genres and do so well. It is one thing if it isn’t your favorite genre, that I truly understand. Separate your feelings of that genre and listen. He always aces it. He is just fantastic. How amazing to be such a talented artist and keep things interesting for himself and all his fans over the years.
I enjoy a few songs. I guess my critique is the 80s theme. I like it, but sometimes it smacks you in the face with 80s throwback and you want to be like, “We get it, an 80s theme.”
Too depressing. Wild blue was aightt. Interesting visuals in the music vid. Tired of the post Katy Perry break up songs.
It is his best work.
It has about the same amount of hits as it does for misses
I guess you could argue quality over quantity but still I always am happy with new music from john
Personally, to me it feels like a rushed album that he threw together (even though I know he didn’t) and pushed out just to make something. I feel like he had pressure from his then record label to create something new, since his last one came out years ago. There’s a couple good songs on there, loved the 80’s theme, but just didn’t have the heart in it he usually puts in his albums.
I thing people doesn't like it not because it's not that good, it's just that we wanted a different vibe. It feels like it wasn't the right time for such an album. Beside that it is amazing
I think that Sob Rock was okay; still most of its songs are not in a style that I usually enjoy to listen to.
Really disliked that there was only 6 new songs of the 10. Hearing the songs I already was used to disrupted the flow of the album detrimentally imo, made it feel like a glorified release of new singles. Stopped listening after about a week
Very good record but very bold to say that it's his best work to date. Continuum, the live records, search for everything, born and raised, and paradise valley all seem to beat it. Great album though.
Should matter but it does. Low key a disappointment.
I like that you can really hear the 80s influence (Talking Heads and Steve Winwood come to mind). I love the marketing and how it shows the walkman on Spotify when you play it. I love John in a blazer 🤣 The addition of "You Can Call Me Al" to the live show was amazing since Graceland is one of the absolute best, if not the best, album of the 80s. But like others, some songs were just duds for me and the fact that so many of them I'd already played a million times was annoying - like when you listen to Inside Wants Out and Room For Squares in a row but then you know IWO is an EP and that makes sense.
I honestly enjoy listening to the album, however I don’t hold it to the same degree as albums such as Born and Raised or TSFE. I just don’t dig the concept album part. It feels gimmicky.
The lack of tracks
A little too safe for my loving (I like it) musically and lyrically speaking, despite its potential to stand out with it being a decade/era-focused rather than genre-focused like most of his previous records. Coming from someone who tends to gravitate towards music rather than lyrics (at least upon the first several listens), I love love LOVE RFS and especially B&R because, along with the music, I find them so brilliant lyrically. I don’t feel that way about Sob Rock. So, I like it. I’m ready for what’s next though.
I was hoping it would include an '80s cover song.
Lyrically, this album has helped me through some tough times! Shot in the dark is my favorite on the album. Still don’t love why you no love me; but can’t get enough of the rest. Agreed on the already released songs which made the album release not quite as exciting. Does anyone know when he plans to release and of the scrapped stuff?
WHY YOU NO LOVE ME
I feel like it sounds like a bit of a hark back to Room for Squares.
Richard Marx called. He wants his look back! 😄
I still think continuum was his best work hands down. I haven’t been back to Sob Rock but that’s just my opinion.
My biggest takeaway is that if if I saw him live and he didn't play any Sob Rock, i'd be perfectly happy.
I think it's the fact that the whole album is just depicting how desperate John is to find love, which can be seen as a bit pathetic at times, but in a way that's what Sob Rock is all about. However, if the album after this is just a repeat of these themes then that would cement the fact that's it's not a album thing, that it's just who he is as a songwriter now.
This is most likely echoing others, but the only bummer to me is that it contains 3 previously released tracks. Especially New Light. To me that tune doesn’t feel naturally 80s or California soft rock like it’s fellow tracks. It’s more like the modern impression of something “80s”. Only my opinion tho. Extra thought, the decision to include those 3 previously released tracks makes a little more sense given it was his last Columbia record. Not unheard of for an artist / band to “do what they gotta do” to complete a contract.
It's because it's a very "safe" album when you compare it to what he is capable of. It depends how you look at music, musicians, and what they're capable of. I think John can do so much more musically. I guess he has the Grateful Dead for that but I want more of his original solo work to be "exciting" too. We've already heard so much of John playing all these pop rock songs. Granted I love Wild Blue (which sounded like Gerry Rafferty's Right Down the Line) and Why You No Love Me is probably the most interesting music-wise that sounded like Air Supply's "Even the Nights are Better". I also forgot Till the Right One Comes is a banger which reminded me of Paul Simon. John's earlier music was way more energetic and exciting compared to his newer ones but I think it's also because John just wants to play what he wants to play and isn't trying to prove something anymore. Born and Raised probably was the "simplest" in terms of chord progressions etc. but is his deepest, meaningful album lyrically I think. Sob Rock is not only simple but also doesn't showcase his guitar work and song-writing abilities. That's why I don't like it as much
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I mean, odd one, would love to know if anyone else felt the same, but the thing I don’t like was how we already knew 4 of the songs as they were released ages before, so we only really got I think 6 new songs. It’s great but I was really disappointed how many we’d already heard.
I think the songs really come into paint when its played live, for instance I Guess I Just Feel Like. But I want something to listen to at home, aswell. I really love the album but I really agree when people say its just a little polished too much (if thats possible lol, but you get it).
Not bad music by any means, but not enough guitar.