The cross between a Justin Beiber album, James Blunt and an Eddie Van Halen solo album

Don't believe all the negativity on this. For my money this is a very very good album. From top to bottom it really holds up. "Gravity" is a highlight, unbelievable blues guitar there. "Vultures" and "I Don't Trust Myself With Loving You" have a very well executed soul/funk sound with excellent guitar work. The acoustic/folk on "Heart of Life" and "Stop this Train" is stellar , and just really really well done. The blues riffs and leads are pretty much all spot on. The guitar work in "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" is really incredibly emotional. The song "Dreaming with A Broken Heart" is gorgeous too! And the 2 really socially conscious songs "Waiting On The World To Change" and "Belief" are excellent. The first of those has been a bit overplayed, but still good. And "Belief" may be the emotional and artistic high point of the album (either that or "Gravity").

All in all this record features very good songwriting, great guitar playing, a very varied and symmetrical flow and sound. It's by far John Mayer's best album in my opinion.

Probably most of the criticism this album gets is based off reputation and not the music itself. Yeah, if you only wanna listen to cool music, maybe you'll avoid this because it says John Mayer on it. But that's actually dumb. Although that's a crime I myself may be guilty of. For all I know lady gaga or Katy perry have made BRILLIANT albums that I've never listened to because I just don't go for that. So, I do understand that some pop stars put a certain stigma on records even before you've heard them. But i just wanna say this dude was and is very talented and this is a brilliant brilliant album. When I get enough "points" to do decade lists you'll see this on my top albums of the 2000s definitely!

I will say a couple tracks at the end of the record slow the momentum on the album. The pseudo-soul of "I'm gonna find another you" I just can't get into. But ladies and gentlemen, I assure you this is a very good record!

I fucking love this album. I'm a 12 year guitar player and the arrpegiated technical difficulty John Mayer pulls off truly amazes me. This album, while a poppy mix of blues, coffee-shop sounds, and gentle lyricism, is his most socially mature album to date. Stop This Train is my favorite but I really like his Jimi Hendrix Bold As Love cover. Don't hate me guys, but this is actually good stuff regardless of the artist's reputation.

It's actually not a bad album. I really don't know how it got in the top 500 though.

If this is his best, I won’t bother to listen to the rest.

Great modern blending of blues, soul, funk, pop, rock, and singer-songwriter. The best album in a very underrated career.

John Mayer achieves mixing blues into pop tunes in this album that is by far his best. Great pop album, great guitar album. In my opinion, people do not give this album a chance just because they think John Mayer is a "sellout". This is splendid guitar playing in its simplest way. Definately very underrated.

I like a few tracks off of this album. "Vultures" (previously released on Try! John Mayer Trio in 2005) is my favorite.

as has been said the heart of life was vaguely interesting but the rest should be kept at low level volume at cafes. because once you actually listen to it you hear he is singing about substantial issues and themes (ones bands and artists have been singing about for years) in the most offhand and lazy way and that most of the music consists of riffs he must have learnt off his blues guitar teacher when he was a teenager surrounded by elements stolen from beloved black music genres (blues, soul, r+b, funk, mowtown etc) to try and make some very white music sound "hip".

If you enjoy this sound this could be the best of it's genre. Enjoyable to listen to all the way through. Very chill.