Why release a live album? To fill the gap between albums (in this case nearly two years) or promote an outstanding performance encompassing a fine body of work?
When a live album makes its way to the shelves it's usually an opportunity for those who bought the original release to enjoy new takes on tracks or re-live the live experience. Where The Light Is is a different type of live album, however. Acting as a greatest hits compendium it's split into three distinct chapters; acoustic, blues and band favourites. The result is a win/win for the Mayer camp, a collectors item for the diehards and an accomplished showcase for newcomers.
Essentially working as three EPs, Where The Light Is, was recorded at LA's Nokia Theater in December 2007 off the back of Mayer's Continuum tour. Like a John Mayer timeline, the album follows his musical evolution from solo acoustic through blues and into the mainstream and it's the middle section that truly stands out - at times jaw-droppingly so.
"It's the middle section that truly stands out - at times jaw-droppingly so"
Throw a random snippet a non-Mayerite's way and they'd be hard pressed to distinguish the 30 year old's blue notes from those of B.B. King or Buddy Guy at their best. Even the stage presence is there "...it's 2007, we just launched into slow blues and seven thousand people in LA went nuts. All is not lost". Throughout the album it's clear that Mayer is a guitarist, singer and songwriter at the height of his considerable powers, so much so that his previous Grammy winning efforts pale in comparison to this performance masterclass.
The great live albums from the likes of Zeppelin, Hendrix and other such luminaries were founded on perfect set weighting and this is something Mayer has clearly read up on and perfected, effortlessly swinging between crowd pleasers and covers with the aplomb of a trapeze artist in zero gravity. The aforementioned cover versions are also masterfully sprinkled across the thirds with Tom Petty's Free Fallin, Hendrix' Bold As Love and Ray Charles' I Don't Need No Doctor among others receiving the Mayer treatment and, subliminally, solidifying his position amongst such heavyweights.
"...effortlessly swinging between crowd pleasers and covers with the aplomb of a trapeze artist in zero gravity"
While the album appears to build to a climax during the John Mayer Trio blues set featuring original 2005 Trio members Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, there are even higher heights to be found as the band finds yet another gear for the final section. Kicking into Mayer's "modern era" with the politically motivated sing-a-long Waiting On The World to Change, arguably the track that has lured the most new Mayer fans in the past two years, through to the highlight of the album - Gravity. The fact that the album is named after a line from the track suggests its significance and the execution doesn't disappoint. Soaring at times and evoking memories of Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, Gravity is the perfect live track for Mayer that builds until the audience is ready to burst with joy, so complete as it is with guitar and vocal complementing one another. It's hard to understand why the song doesn't close out the performance, leaving the listener on an unequivocal optimistic high. Instead Mayer, who also co-produced the album with Steve Jordan, opts for yet more politics with the conflict-inspired Belief before ending on the heartbreaking I'm Gonna Find Another You, another perfect blues number but not quite the send off you might expect.
"The perfect live track that builds until the audience is ready to burst with joy"
Released in DVD, Bluray, MP3 and CD formats it's worth appreciating Where The Light Is in optimum audio clarity, preferably alone with a glass of wine. That said, the raunchier elements could provide the backdrop to the best of social gatherings and will, like Floyd's Pulse and Neil Young's Live Rust, not only provide the repeat performance value but also that unshakeable feeling that this album will remain not only on iPods and CD players but within musical history for decades to come. Glowing from every pore of John Mayer at his live best, that's truly where the light is.
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