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Continuum
by John Mayer

John Mayer reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 67 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.9 out of 10
based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 74 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The singer-songwriter's first album in three years was produced by Steve Jordan and, for the first time, by Mayer himself.

LABEL: Sony
RELEASE DATE: 12 September 2006
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Singer-Songwriter, Adult Alternative

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
All Music Guide
Continuum is a gorgeously produced, brilliantly stripped-to-basics album that incorporates blues, soft-funk, R&B, folk and pop in a sound that is totally owned by Mayer. It's no stretch when trying to describe the sound of Continuum to color it in the light of work by such legends as Sting, Eric Clapton, Sade, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Steve Winwood.
Read Full Review
80
Mojo
A great blue-eyed soul record. [Dec 2006, p.108]
80
musicOMH.com
It's likely that the first couple of times you hear it, it may just wash over you completely. Yet give it a few plays and Mayer's unique ability to reflect on the human condition cannot fail to charm.
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80
Rolling Stone
A smart, breezy album that deftly fuses his love for old-school blues and R&B with his natural gift for sharp melodies and well-constructed songs. [21 Sep 2006, p.81]
80
The New York Times
Mr. Mayer has been writing songs again, good ones, with all the leanness and directness that distinguish his strongest work.
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80
NOW Magazine
Many of Continuum's songs are on the softer, adult alternative side, but his melodic voice, warm production, complex riffs and thoughtful lyrics should cure the violent reactions Mayer's name used to evoke.
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70
Blender
Where his earlier music was a parade of bright primary colors, these plaintive melodies come in delicious shades of gray. [Oct 2006, p.138]
70
PopMatters
While Continuum doesn’t necessarily contain a sure-thing pop hit, it’s one of the few mainstream pop/rock albums that’s satisfying from the beginning to the end.
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67
Entertainment Weekly
The tunes are shapely throughout Continuum, and the musicianship is elegant and virtuosic -- but in song after song, the music's low-key loveliness dissipates into a sleep-inducing soft-rock haze.
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67
E! Online
On "Waiting on the World to Change," Mayer breathily imagines a world where frat boys get off their couches and have people sign petitions. Sigh. A little more of that and less of noodley songs like "Vultures" and "Gravity" would have been a good step toward reminding us who Mayer really is.
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63
Los Angeles Times
[The] laid-back ballads are Mayer's forte; when he gets more worked up, as on the politically minded first single "Waiting on the World to Change," or an overeager version of Hendrix's "Axis: Bold as Love," his mood tightens up unpleasantly.
Read Full Review
50
Slant Magazine
With no edge to the songwriting and with such spit-polished, tasteful production, Continuum just doesn't convince as a heady, soulful rock album or as Mayer's creative quantum leap forward.
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50
Stylus Magazine
He calmly circles the same career themes with the same warmed-over, palatable guitar weavings: girls are scary, girls are sad, getting older is weird, home is nice.
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50
Billboard
It's still hard to tell if he's a bluesman in a soft-rocker's body or vice versa, and "Continuum" is the sound of him trying to figure it out too.
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50
Lost At Sea
In the end Continuum feels like little-more than the self-indulgent effort of a possibly-peaked pop star.
Read Full Review
50
Paste Magazine
A couple songs on Continuum do hint at what Mayer is capable of if he can shed his perfectionist skin and get to the quick of his emotions. [Nov 2006, p.76]
40
Uncut
Only on the superb, slow-burning "Gravity" does he really sound like himself. [Nov 2006, p.119]
40
Q Magazine
Ultimately, this is dour stuff reminiscent of a yogic Sting. [Dec 2006, p.138]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 74 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Desmond M. gave it a10:
As a musician who loves every side that John Mayer has to offer (from RFS right up to Continuum)I can honestly say that John Mayer is one of the few artists that every thing he puts his finger on turns to gold.The Fact that he surrounds himself with much older amazingly talented musicians is just a small testament to how pure-bred his talent is. Name me another artist who has millions of teenage girls screaming, not only to chart-topping pop songs, but a fifteen minute guitar solo? Turly a feat for music I'll say!!! I don't have a witty little quote to describe how multi-dimensional the artistic, and musical value of his writing is but all I know is he is a fifteen-year old guitar players hero. Thank you John.

Christopher G. gave it a3:
John Mayer... oh John Mayer. A talented blues-guitarist he may be, but "anyone can play guitar" if what Thom Yorke has to say holds water. Writing a song that is not complete pants to play guitar along with might have been a nice start for Mr. Mayer. His words are empty, the music hollow, and everything he is doing that might be construed as good music has already been done better by someone else. A lot better. Unfortunately, the songs are catchy enough that I will still ave to listen to loads of Dave Matthews fans raving about this album endlessly, so that they can have some "credibility" in between listening all kinds of derivative pop bilge.

Matt D gave it a10:
I thought I would hate this. Really. Waiting on the World to Change is annoying to hear on the radio, but on the album it's the standout track. Before you listen to the album, you have to realize that the only fast songs are WOTWTC and Bold as Love. Once you realize that, the album is amazing, with plenty of heartbreaking ballads. The only songs that aren't as good are the last two, but their lyrical content makes them perfectly placed at the end. Quick Picks: Waiting on the World to Change, The Heart of Life, Bold as Love 5/5

Nick C gave it a10:
The first album in a ling time that actuallt feels inspired by something.

Troy M gave it a10:
This is one of the only cds that I have on windows media player with a perfect 5 star on every song, that's coming from someone that basically listens to Hip Hop and R&B, that's telling how good this one is...........

Melanie gave it a10:
I comletely fell in love with this album. Slow Dancing, Belief, Gravity, Vulture, basically all the songs are brilliant. And his live performances are even better

ebs s gave it a10:
At first listen, I thought continuum was a disappointment. I was so wrong. In fact, it's the best and the most entertaining cd I ever bought. It does need twice and more listening to get it kick in, and once it does, you'll get addicted, especially to Vultures, I don't Trust Myself, Bold as Love

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