John Mayer crapped all over everyone’s fun and criticized Guitar Hero in the pages of Rolling Stone.
“Guitar Hero was devised to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it. And having done both, there’s nothing like really playing guitar. I mean, what would you rather drive, a Ferrari or one of those amusement-park cars on a track?”
I will have you know, John Mayer, that I have put entire weekends into Guitar Hero, thank you very much.
And this is awfully elitist coming from the guy whose hit track “Your Body Is A Wonderland” uses four pretty basic chords. I’m skeptical that he has a lot to contribute to music history other than a few more trite pop songs.
I’ve been playing guitar for ten years, and I still enjoy a go at Guitar Hero now and then. John Mayer.. moar liek John GAYer amirite??
Isn’t Guitar Hero kinda like “Simon”? You know that light up game? I’ve never seen it or played it so I don’t know. I mean it’s not really playing is it? I bet a real live guitar is actually cheaper to buy than the game.
Back when he first came on the radio, I couldn’t stand him. I LOATHED “Your body is a wonderland”. Was it last year or the year before he put out a blues album that I thought was really good and another song I heard him playing on CSI I loved. I think he is a good musician trying different things but his public persona lately is getting annoying to me.
Anyone who banged Jen-Love back in her day is fine by me. Don’t like his music but he was funny on Chappelle.
not a fan of his, but he’s right.
John Mayer is a pretentious douche and a legend in his own mind.
He’s right. Stop whining. Never mind spending whole weekends playing Guitar Hero, learning guitar takes many hours and hours of practice over many years. Is it sensible to even think a guitar player would prefer a video game approximation over the real thing? I play both real guitar and GH and there’s no comparison to my Ibanez or Strat plugged into an amp and cranked up loud. GH is a laugh and fun - that’s it. When the GH axes have the equivalent of six strings and 22 frets then there might be a comparison. And Mayer, his songs may be poppy but he has pretty good chops. Fender does not dole out signature models to just anyone and Mayer has one.
Liam, your point is well taken, as is John’s, but coming from a guy with his attitude, as though the rest of the world is inferior because they are either a. not musically inclined, b. not interested in real guitar, or c. just enjoying a fun game whether they play the real thing or not, just makes him that much more nauseating. It’s not whining, it’s just a keen sense of the obvious, delivered with an attitude that wouldn’t be appreciated even from a real music legend.
Yep I agree too. Don’t forget Jessica Simpson. No Einstein but probably fun for a couple of weekends.
I guess if Guitar Hero wasn’t anything special, then he would be right, but when guitarists like Dave Mustane can’t even finish their own songs on Guitar Hero on the easiest difficulty, I would say being good at one (playing the guitar) does not equal being good at the other (playing Guitar Hero).
All in all, it’s a video game, so relax. Go-carts can be more fun than Ferarri’s. John Mayer does have good chops and can write the kind of pop songs I love to hate, yet quick look at Fender’s page reveals Avril Lavigne, Pete Wentz have signature axes. So they’re not as exclusive as one would think.
But let’s have fun and replace Guitar Hero with Grand Theft Auto.
“[Grand Theft Auto IV] was devised to bring the [criminal] experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it. And having done both, there’s nothing like really [car-jacking and killing people]. I mean, what would you rather drive, a Ferrari or one of those amusement-park cars on a track?”
Hmmm…I like John Mayer. He’s kind of arrogant, but he’s also kind of funny. As a musician, he is GREAT live, and a very good guitar player. He even does Hendrix justice. I’ve had more fun at his concert than anyone else, including Madonna, The Roots, Prince, and EVEN *N SYNC.
there is NO way a go-cart will ever be as fun as a Ferarri.
go pick yourself up and john mayor live dvd.. watch it.. then tell me that he can only play a few basic chords. the man is a genius.
He’s a really good guitarist (particularly when he’s not playing songs he wrote himself). “Genius” is pushing it.
AMEN Chronic Malanga!
What’s fun about a Ferrari?
Any musician will tell you that a great songwriter can make music from 2, 3 or 4 basic chords. While I’m not a fan of JM I have to defend him here. Check out his live performance of “Wonderland” at the Grammys 2(3?) years ago. He’s a very talented player and he got there doing the real thing, not playing a video game. I totally agree with his statement.
Geezus, it’s a f**king video game. John Mayer’s statement is moronic. And the people who defend him and his statement are more so. Guitar Hero is a video game. Let’s be perfectly clear, video games are not real. I know that seems like a ‘no s**t’ statement but the better the graphics in video games get the more people seem to have problems realizing they’re fake. The Ferrari statement only furthers his complete lack of basic common sense further relegates his opinion irrelevant.
katie, I think that the big AMEN goes to Rocko this time.
yeaaaah…i don’t think defending john mayer makes me a moron. i think it more makes me a fan. it’s not like he was trying to create some profound infallible truth in a rolling stone interview. plus, he never actually said that he doesn’t like guitar hero; he just said it doesn’t compare to real guitar. the quote above is incomplete. it actually starts with him saying, “I don’t ever want to be the kind of guy who rails against whatever progress has taken place…” and then he continues.
John Mayer isn’t my cup of tea but neither is Guitar Hero. I’m not a rock star but I’ve worked years honing my chops on a real guitar and personally can’t be bothered with a make-believe video game. But it’s probably less harmful for kids to play Guitar Hero than titles where the object is to kill as many “bad guys” as possible. At least GH isn’t violent but if you’re seriously interested in playing rock’n'roll guitar, go out and spend the $400 and get yourself a real Mexican Tele or Strat or an Epiphone Les Paul and actually learn to play.
John Mayer is correct. John Mayer is a real musician with talent, not a wannabe. There are wannabees and fakes in every profession. I can tell the real thing. Real musicians work hard to get where they are at. And they all have this crucial thing called TALENT. They don’t waste their talent on criticism, unless it’s very much deserved! You go, John Mayer. After all, Jimmy Page did just fine “playing by ear”. So do I.
Though I myself don’t care for Mayer’s music, no one is denying that he is a good guitarist. His guitar skills are not really the issue, and I think that many people are missing the real point here.
The person that plays Guitar Hero but does not play real guitar is not claiming that it is any more difficult or better. I am pretty sure that we all know that a video game takes a different set of skills to master and does not compare to pulling out a real guitar and ripping it up on that. GH is good, drunken fun on a Saturday night when you don’t feel like going down to the pub and nothing more.
Mayer, however, is looking down his nose at those who play GH or don’t play guitar. What is the point in his comment? No one is saying that there is a comparison. It’s just another snotty comment coming from a pretentious musician with a very ugly ego problem. That is the issue. His attitude, not only in this instance, but many others, is a smug, superior one that is simply tiresome. What is he getting out of being a snot toward people who play a guitar game? It is only a game, and again, those who play GH are not entertaining grandiose notions of guitar greatness.
John Mayer is a sweet ass guitar player. “Your Body is a Wonderland” does not showcase his abilities. Seeing him play live does. He has a good point. Not that Guitar Hero isn’t fun, but playing a real guitar has got to be more rewarding in the long run.
Anyway, he is a killer guitarist so I don’t think this was hypocritical at all. If you disagree, that’s another matter.
Guitar Hero is truly nothing but an addictive video game, it is nothing like real guitar- not even one percent. It is an accessory for people who’s attention span is too poor to learn real guitar, more or less a toy for the talentless. I wonder why Mr.Mayer was on the cover of Rolling Stones ” New guitar Gods” anyway?
Because he is the best guitarist around since SRV.