There are many things that make a good album but the most important thing I look for in an album is atmosphere. Any artist can be well trained and have good technique, but not every artist can capture a feeling so well it resonates all around you. I love it when an album can express exactly how I am feeling or take me right back to a time or place.
An album that is able to create a particular atmosphere through voice, lyrics, instruments, solos, ballads and up-beat songs without dropping the ball is a good album in my eyes. All these different elements adds depth and colour to the album as it explores every angle of that feeling. It almost sounds like a wave of a memory/ feeling without the wave breaking.
Room For Squares John Mayer
This album was released in 2001 and received a Grammy for 'Best Male Pop Vocal Performance' for the song 'Your Body Is A Wonderland'.
From the minute I heard this album I was in love. It was this album that prompted me to expand my horizons and explore different elements of music I would have never looked at before. In this album Mayer successfully combines elements of blues, contemporary rock and pop to create an album that appeals to commercial radio, music lovers and musicians. His songs and catchy choruses are easy to listen to but when you really listen, it is clear that Mayer is an extremely talented musician and song-writer.
My favourite tracks include 'Neon' and 'Why Georgia'. In both songs,there is a clear blues and Stevie Ray Vaughan influence in his riffs. There is something about Mayer's riffs that get to me, they are so simple, but complex at the same time. The notes are quite straight forward but it's the way it is played that makes it so rich and catchy. Mayer is not one to use a pick, he usually uses his fingers which gives a warmer and richer sound. The way he phrases and slaps the strings really helps bring out the colour in his catchy riffs. Mayer proves that;
"It's the tone; it's not dependant so much on all the gear; it's in your heart and in your fingers"- Carlos Santana.
There are many things we could ask about Mayer but there is one thing no one has to ask him, how much he loves music. It is evident in his song-writing, playing and the faces he pulls when he has a guitar in his hand and a microphone in front of his mouth.
There are many things we could ask about Mayer but there is one thing no one has to ask him, how much he loves music. It is evident in his song-writing, playing and the faces he pulls when he has a guitar in his hand and a microphone in front of his mouth.
It was Mayer that helped me discover people like Chick Corea, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock, who have all really inspired me as a musician and person.
Turn Around Jonny Lang
This album was realised in 2006 and won a Grammy for the 'Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album' despite the album being more than just a gospel album.
Johnny Lang was first discovered by the Bad Medicine Blues Band who were later renamed Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang when Lang joined. Lang, a guitar prodigy, was only 14 when the band's album 'Smokin" was released and 16 when his first solo album 'Lie To Me' was realised (also another album to check out).
This album is by far Lang's best album as it explores a new genre. Lang puts a new twist on his well recognised blues sound as he combines it with the gospel and RnB genres. The organs, rich harmonies and RnB drum beats really bring out the colour in Lang's soulful, unique and interesting voice. It was Lang's husky and raw voice that really drew me into his music because it's real, unlike all the over edited music we hear on the radio today. All the imperfections, breaths and unstructured vocal riffs is what makes this album so special.
My favourite tracks include 'Only A Man', 'My Love Remains' and 'Don't Stop (For Anything)'. 'Only A Man' has got to be one of my favourite tracks of all time as it gets me every time The raw emotions delivered though the melody and lyrics really sends you to another planet. Being a Catholic myself, I really feel a connection to God when I listen to this beautiful song.
In Between Dreams Jack Johnson
I was never a big fan of Jack Johnson until I heard this album, released in 2005.
There is a certain vibe and atmosphere to his album that always puts me in a good mood. I later found out that Johnson grew up in Hawaii which explained the beachy and relaxed mood in his music.
I was once questioned by my piano teacher of 9 years what instrument I liked better, guitar or piano. Stupidly I replied with guitar, which made her a little furious and she firmly asked me, "is it because it's easier?! What do you play? Chords?". So being the shy kid I was, I quietly replied with, "um, no, um I play notes too". So to make a point, I begun to work on playing single note songs by artists such as Wes Montgomery and Chuck Berry to prove that I could play more than just chords. I thought note playing and fast picking was so important to be a good guitarist until I heard the way Johnson played chords. His clever rhythms took a simple chord to a whole new level. At first I thought he was playing several different things being the rookie I was until I realised it was the same chord but he was playing rhythms with the chords by using up strokes, down strokes, muting and guitar slapping. I found this so interesting how much life it gave a simple chord.
It wasn't just Johnson's guitar playing that caught my attention, it was the way his phrased his vocal melodies. His melodies don't always fall on the first beat of each bar or on every beat, but it's often on the upbeat. I love how he uses spaces in his melodies, as it helps emphasise certain parts and stops the melody from being predictable. It also creates a freeness in the music which really relaxes me.
My favourite tracks include 'Banana Pancakes', 'Better Together' and 'Sitting, Waiting, Wishing'.
I didn't realise how much I had to write about these albums until i really started writing. So I will write about my other favourites in my next blog so stay tuned! Hope you enjoyed this and discovered some albums that you hadn't heard of, or never really gave much thought to!
Here are some links to my favourite tracks;
