Track Listing

1. Heartbreak Warfare
2. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye
3. Half Of My Heart
4. Who Says
5. Perfectly Lonely
6. Assassin
7. Crossroads
8. War Of My Life
9. Edge Of Desire
10. Do You Know Me
11. Friends, Lovers Or Nothing

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49 in Music
• Released on: 2009-11-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Album Description
2009 studio album from the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. Since the release of his hit album, Room For Squares, in 2001, Mayer has progressed from a sensitive acoustic-based performer into a full-fledged paparazzi-baiting superstar with acclaimed musical detours into Jazz, Blues and Folk. Battle Studies is yet another milestone for Mayer, containing some of his best work to date. Features the single 'Who Says'.

Customer Reviews

Perfectly Average John Mayer
John Mayer set the bar too high on the last album and falls short of his high standard on this one. A lot of his songs are good, but there's nothing here that has the punch of Continuum, which I believe is his finest work and an absolute masterpiece. On Continuum, he shows how fantastic his guitar skills are and brings his blues influence out in full force. On Battle Studies, he sinks backwards towards some of his older, less sophisticated works. After several listens, this album has grown on me, but it's only enjoyable, not fantastic.

Another Solid Release from a Vocally Refined Mayer
For anyone who happens to be on Twitter, John Mayer is a must follow (along with @MyLathamLife and @NewCDReviews). His incredible sense of humor and lack of inhibition is good for an almost guaranteed daily laugh. What's interesting is that his humor rarely carries over to his music and when it does, it's subtle. Perhaps it's the "Adult Contemporary" label he's given, or perhaps it's his desire to musically follow in the footsteps of his influences; Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Robert Johnson to name a few. Whatever it may be, John Mayer has been releasing mature, blues-based, increasingly guitar featured music since 1999 with almost always fantastic results.

For John Mayer fans, this album is a familiar continuation of the work he has released throughout the decade. Although different instruments are occasionally added to the mix and various styles and influences filter in throughout, the real feature remains his guitar. The first track, "Heartbreak Warfare" opens with strings fading in followed by delayed guitar reminiscent of U2's The Edge. While these sounds may be experimental for Mayer, they seem to set the mood for the remainder of the album. Following "Heartbreak Warfare" is "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye," which has one of the most beautiful choruses Mayer has produced. My guess is he was listening to a great deal of Chicago as he wrote it.

Although the romantic Adult Contemporary themes prevail on the majority of the record, Mayer's sense of humor does gently poke through on the tracks "Half of My Heart" and "Who Says." On "Half of My Heart," Mayer shares the track with Taylor Swift and sings about loving someone while always looking for someone else. On "Who Says," easily one of the best, and most likely one of the most honest tracks of the album, Mayer gives a little insight to his opinion of marijuana use. The brilliant line "I don't remember you looking any better, but then again I don't remember you" repeats throughout and at the very least produces a smile every time it's heard.

For Battle Studies, the concentration is clearly on tone. There is no greater example of this than on his cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads." For any blues guitarist, "Crossroads" is almost a required cover, a Fender player's coming of age celebration. John Mayer's cover is significantly slower than Eric Clapton's famous rendition of the track with Cream and resembles Robert Randolph's funk infused style more than the original Robert Johnson recording, but when Mayer opts to solo, the notes are crisp, clear, and distinctly his own. Instead of showing off with notes, he maintains the respect of his followers with the sound he produces from his instrument. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd was famous for the same.

Battle Studies may not be John Mayer's greatest achievement, but it's a worthy addition to his already impressive repertoire. With many of his idols still producing music today, it's safe to say we can expect even more great things from this phenomenal guitarist and songwriter for many years to come.


Similar Artists: Eric Clapton, B.B. King

Track Suggestion: Who Says

This cd is effortless . . . as in, sounds like he didn't even TRY to make a good album!
I'm a HUGE John Mayer fan. He's that rare killer combo of a great guitarist, an AMAZING lyricist/poet, and a singer with a rough, soft voice that could hypnotize a rabbied lion. He is truly the Eric Clapton of his/my generation [I'm 30]. I've witnessed the evolution of his work, and admire how his albums are like children: each one is distinctive in tone, yet recognizable as being from the same family.

Unfortunately, this latest release is like the one child is some people's families that, frankly, just isn't that bright.

The songs are so forgettable that I can't even remember the chorus/hook on them, save for "All We Ever Do is Say Good-Bye", and that's only because the title phrase is repeated about 5 billion times throughout the course of the song. Talk about repititious!

And Taylor Swift making a random cameo??? Makes about as much sense as U2 doing a track featuring Miley Cyrus.

There are two passably *decent* tracks on this record - the opener, "Heartbreak Warfare" which sounds like a top-rate, mid-tempo Genesis tune from the peak of Phil Collins' heyday (and I mean that in the most flattering sense), and "Assasins", in which we catch a brief glimpse of the deep, raw, quiet John that makes an appearance on his other albums.

Though I don't expect any album to be flawless throughout, Mayer can always be counted on to deliver at least 2 or 3 knock-it-outta-the-ball-park classics on each disc. "Daughters" and "Come Back to Bed" (from Heavier Things) and "Gravity" and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" (from Continuum) are prime examples. For this reason, John is one of the very few artists who cds I always buy as soon as they come out (even if I haven't heard the first single) becuase the quality of his previous work is so consistently outstanding. "Continuum" - which took several listens for me to warm up to - is now one of my favorite records.

"Battle Studies" is just so invisible and uninteresting that I listen to - and enjoy - the Kris Allen debut disc (that's right - the reigning American Idol champ) infinitely more. In fact, it pales in comparison. Never in a million years did I think I would like the album from the winner of a reality show more than that of an established, bona fide artist.

My guess is that Mayer either tried too hard or not hard enough on this one. Or maybe he was too busy dating, then dumping, then dating, then dumping a slew of Hollywood actresses and pop tarts to do what he is more than capable of doing - making stellar work.

I hope his next record is better. Well, actually, it HAS to be - nowhere to go but up from this one! [Sorry, John. I'm still a fan, though.]