“Shouldn’t Matter But It Does” splits the difference between Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Secret Garden,” a wistful ballad that would have become synonymous with the breakup scene in an ‘80s rom-com if it were released three decades earlier. He bolsters that sound with contributions from keyboardist and Michael Jackson’s former musical director Greg Phillanganes, bassist Pino Pallandino, who worked on Don Henley’s iconic “The End of the Innocence,” and producer Don Was, responsible for the day-glo sound of Bonnie Raitt, The B-52s and Michael McDonald. He immediately casts off Steve Winwood vibes on “Last Train Home,” collaborating with Maren Morris as he explores a timeless kind of primary-color sentiment that dominated the pop charts in the late ‘80s: “I’m not a fallen angel, I just fell behind / I’m out of luck and I’m out of time.” Because he never sounds like he’s trying too hard, it’s easy to assume that he isn’t at all, but it takes considerable effort to sound this relaxed, and this good. Mayer indicated that he developed this record precisely as a concept, and set boundaries to see if he could follow through without breaking them. But Mayer’s chops as a musician and singer elevate this frothy exercise into something (slightly) more substantial as he not only pays tribute but tests his own knowledge with precise recreations of the tone and technique of this squeaky-clean sound, going as far to recruit luminaries from that decade to shore up the legitimacy of “Sob Rock” into something worthy of the artists on whose shoulders he casually, and comfortably, stands. In a constantly meme-ified culture, everything that’s old is new over and over again, and he hardly breaks new ground with this collection of songs after everyone from Tame Impala to Taylor Swift have drawn from vibrant, sterile 1980s radio hits for inspiration. John Mayer emerged fully formed as an artist from an era that was almost bygone when he debuted - one of muscular, catchy, unthreatening pop rock - so to hear him tap into the actual heyday of that sound on “ Sob Rock” feels not just unsurprising, but vaguely reassuring.
I can't wait for this man's next film! John - you're lucky to have received such a tribute, and very deserving, too.John Mayer’s ‘Sob Rock’ Evokes ‘80s Era Don Henley and Steve Winwood It never fails to inspire and uplift with the message that Eastwood has sought to convey to his audience. I don't re-watch many things, but I've seen this documentary countless times. If you love a good music documentary, you would be quite justified in thinking this was something John had commissioned to be filmed, himself. It's edited to perfection, with masterful transitions and shots that leave no detail uncared for. Eastwood Allen has skilfully and painstakingly assembled the best footage, the most relevant parts of it - and told a complex, creative story portraying one of the great geniuses making music today.
And this is the documentary that realises the definition, so it's hardly surprising its maker has received the deserved recognition he has for creating it. Each clip forms part of a vast mosaic of miniature stories that collectively define the various periods of his career. He must be one of the most filmed, well-documented celebrities there's no shortage of video from any time point in his career. If you're a John Mayer fan, you're pretty lucky if you enjoy hearing insightful interviews, or watching live footage of his performances online.
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