Try!
Live album by
John Mayer Trio
ReleasedNovember 22, 2005
RecordedSeptember 21–22, 2005
VenueHouse of Blues (Chicago, Illinois)
GenreBlues rock
Length63:23
LabelColumbia
ProducerSteve Jordan
John Mayer
John Mayer Trio chronology
As/Is
(2004) 		Try!
(2005) 		Continuum
(2006)
Singles from Try!
  1. "Who Did You Think I Was"
    Released: September 13, 2005

Try! is the first live album by the John Mayer Trio. It was recorded at the House of Blues, Chicago, Illinois and released by Columbia Records on November 22, 2005. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The artwork for the album was done by Seattle graphic design firm, Ames Bros.

Production

The trio features John Mayer (guitar/lead vocals), Pino Palladino (bass), and Steve Jordan (drums/backup vocals). Unlike previous efforts by John Mayer, Try! focuses on popular blues renditions rather than adult-contemporary pop songs. The CD includes two cover songs, "Wait Until Tomorrow" by Jimi Hendrix, and "I Got a Woman" by Ray Charles; two songs from Mayer's previous album, Heavier Things, "Daughters" and "Something's Missing"; and also showcased two songs from Mayer's then forthcoming album, Continuum, "Vultures" and "Gravity".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
Blender [2]
The Daily VaultA [3]
Entertainment WeeklyB− [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [5]
The Village Voice(favorable) [6]

Critical response to the album was mixed, with most critics being impressed with Mayer's progression and Palladino and Jordan's musicianship, while still being underwhelmed. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone said, "over most of these sixty-three minutes [of the album], Mayer proves he can bowl you over, not just make your knees weak", ultimately giving the album three out of five stars.[7] Katy Hastey of Billboard found that "while "Try!" is brimming with talent, it's not consistently compelling."[8] People magazine praised the album, concluding, "Here's hoping Mayer keeps this new groove going for his next solo disc."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Who Did You Think I Was"John Mayer3:09
2."Good Love Is on the Way"Mayer, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino4:50
3."Wait Until Tomorrow" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)Jimi Hendrix4:14
4."Gravity"Mayer5:49
5."Vultures"Mayer, Jordan, Palladino5:19
6."Out of My Mind"Mayer7:39
7."Another Kind of Green"Mayer4:39
8."I Got a Woman" (Ray Charles cover)Ray Charles, Renald Richard7:40
9."Something's Missing"Mayer6:56
10."Daughters"Mayer6:14
11."Try"Mayer, Jordan, Palladino6:52
Total length:63:23

Personnel

[10]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2005-11-22). "Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert - John Mayer, John Mayer Trio | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  2. ^ "John Mayer : Ry! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert Review on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More". Archived from the original on 2007-03-12. Retrieved 2006-02-20.
  3. ^ "The Daily Vault Music Reviews". Dailyvault.com. 2006-05-16. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  4. ^ Johnson, Beth (2005-11-21). "Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert". EW.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  5. ^ "John Mayer: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
  6. ^ "New Wonderland: John Mayer Trio". Robert Christgau. 2005-12-13. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  7. ^ Hoard, Christian (2005-12-01), "Mr. Chops". Rolling Stone. (988):126
  8. ^ Cohen, Jonathan; Hasty, Katie (2005-11-26), "Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert". Billboard. 117 (48):64-65
  9. ^ (2005-12-12), "John Mayer Trio". People. 64 (24):46
  10. ^ "Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert - John Mayer, John Mayer Trio | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  11. ^ "American album certifications – John mayer Trio – Trio!". Recording Industry Association of America.
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