Where the Light Is by John Mayer

On top of the hills of LA, John starts of with a Gibson on his lap, the trusted two rock tubes on his side, a jacket on and starts to magically play as what he usually and masterfully does. It is simply by this that tells you, your heading for a big one. “Where the Light Is”. Mayer has been around for quite sometime. Jumpstarted his career with Room for Squares way back in 2001 then two years later gave us Heavier Things, offered us his hip blues tunes with Try! and his latest studio offering which definitely has stamped him as one of the music greats with Continuum. Sure there were singles, and LPs and live albums that came in between and after in some of the line up, but this latest offering puts this up as one of the Must See and Hear.

This live album features John in his three musical personalities. Well for us, us listeners, I’d like to say it as our three different moods. You’d surely wonder or I would generally wonder how can you come up with such a full packed concert with three different kinds of sort of genres, feel, and emotions in one night. It like what I’ve said, you can’t possibly have three moods within 3 hrs in an evening. It resembles a mentally crazy you. But worth a try to be crazy for the musical need right?

Acoustic Set. Spotlights pointing to John, starts a furiously jaw-dropping strum on his Martin which later on plucks the familiar tune of Neon… He has that sense of pureness when he plays acoustic. The nice crisp sound of those ernie ball strings that resonate to the spruce body coupled with that husky voice that screams and hums out poetic and metamorphic lyrics that resemble the scene of you waking up at the middle of the night with someone in your dreams. That calm and innocent feel that’s irreplaceable and needed in some moments of a week. Mood verb: Cry

Trio. Clothed in decent tailored suits, John, Steve and Pino put up one show for the ages as expected from this powerhouse band. With his own Double Trouble, blues licks from the Try! album are once again put into fire. Remakes from Jimi and Ray bring to life that reminds us all where all came from and thank God someone is still on stage and continuing the trend. Blues, one of the basic roots of most genres is purely one influence John has that has made him what he is today. It’s an imperative ingredient that John, you and me should have flowing in our daily blood veins to keep us sane and high at the same time. Blues, the ambassador of sad tunes and notes can be a party animal too. Just look at JM3, I mean who do you think theses guys are? Everyone on three… “Loose and Colorful!” Mood verb: Laugh.

Full Band. Now with his army of friends who got his back, continuumayer is in the house! This is the complete package, where the level does not get any better. Ah I take that back, it does got better during the encore when Steve and Pino join them. Pretty damn dream line-up. Well since touring with the whole US and Europe continent, this set still hasn’t lost the continuum flavor that makes them distinct from every assuming other. Only this band can close a full packed concert and bring conclusion to John’s music that will figure on your head till the next week’s morning on what musical encounter will he next divulge and create into. Sure can’t wait. Mood verb: Smile

Grabbed from a lyric of one pulling song, opened it up in a hill in LA, this will introduce you, redefine you, and wonder you to John’s music from anything you’ve missed and will be missing. From pop prince to blues balladeer, almost a decade of guitar strummed songs, together we cry, laugh and smile once again as we get the dog eyes view to the top of the surreal stage of our hunger for musical taste, we know where to find it… we just look at where the lights is….spotlight’s on John Mayer everyone.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

In an industry where it’s filled with critics, awards, top chart ratings and of course album sales numbers that may determine the success of a musical career. But isn’t it not supposed to be about matters of these but more of intangible passion?

Coldplay, the band from the wet yet great land of England, who has stormed the airwaves with melodic slow beat songs that speak of love, depressions, and sadness that did hit the hearts of listeners to levels of profound acceptance. Touted even as the “Greatest band in the planet” for the being, would certainly want to keep it all that way. Never loose the success, never disappoint the expectations of which they were never obliged to deliver. This was the result of three damn good albums that hit both sides of the lefts and rights. This is the one instance where the mainstream and underground could certainly party about.

And now comes Viva La Vida. Their 4^th musical offering. Avid fans eager to get the taste, critics dying to make a kill, and Coldplay trying to continue the passion. After grabbing a copy and jamming it up with the player, one phrase would appear in my pink mind: They have evolved….. Yes the British quartet did the unexpected. The norm that made them icons wasn’t present anymore. Sure it’s still recognizable with Mr. Martin’s voice belting it out, but the approach, material, mixture, and balance is different. This time around, we would get new kinds of musical loudness with different instrumental formula and away from the usual mic-guitar-piano-drum set-up. Even the pattern is a mile far from mainstreams intro-verse-chorus set.

Life in Technicolor. The lyric less intro that commonly adorns most kinds of indie artists. This track sets you up, pulls you out of your assumptions and lets you meet the rest of Viva La Vida. Lost?. The song pretty answers the questions that creep you up in the night for emo (haha) people like you and me. Where we lie awake and wait for our day to come. 42. The memories that keep us alive – even for the living dead. Lovers in Japan. Forbidden love…where the two have to be soldiers to keep that fire burning and a war at rest. Viva La Vida. The Carrier single for the album, the anthem for the band’s new goal, new outlook, new image. Rule the world?

Everybody would be questioning, why change a reliable formula for success at the peak of the climb? Why fix something if it isn’t broken? True, Coldplay doesn’t have anything wrong in it, but these guys are not just for success. I’ve told you it’s the passion the keeps these guys going. Something isn’t wrong yet, but in the near future there will be. They evolved before even eating up their own lives. But what’s neat is keeping a tradition in what you do. A DNA that’s truly Coldplay. Well I guess you could only change within your personality. And trust me, it will evolve on you...