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JOHN MAYER
JOHN MAYER'S CONTINUED THROAT PROBlems have prevented him from touring in support of his most recent CD, Born and Raised, a well-written ode to Southern California singer-songwriter rock of the early '70s. Whatever effect this lack of promotion will have on the life of the disc's 11 songs, for bassists it's a collection most worthy of checking out thanks to Sean Hurley's modern take on a classic, minimahst form. The much-indemand L.A. session bassist has remained busy without Mayer's road dates to factor in. We recently talked to him on his way to shoot a music video, to gain insight on his role in making the album.
Was there a stated concept for the CD from the start?
I guess it was more felt than spoken. The record started in New York City, with John alone at Electric Lady Studios creating demos; then the rest of us came in. By that point he had written "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey," "A Face to Call Home," "Age of Worry," "Speak for Me," and the title track - songs that were more acoustic- driven and subdued. So we kind of saw the direction without anyone being too explicit. We did talk about making the record sound in the vein of early Neil Young albums like After the Gold Rush and Harvest.
How did that translate bass-wise for you?
I immediately thought P-Bass and B-15, and after referencing the Neil Young albums and some Bob Dylan from that era, I realized the bass decay needed to be short. At...