The last two John Mayer albums have been chock-full of straight blues tunes. “Queen Of California”, “Speak For Me”, “Wildfire”, and “Dear Marie” are all basically 1-4-5, and about half of the rest of the songs on both records are some variant of that, usually with a more complicated pre-chorus. Finally, there’s “Something Like Olivia”, which is an absolutely conventional blues song that is interchangeable with a thousand other songs from “Tush” to the solo parts of “Stolen Moments”.
So what’s special about this video, and how does Mayer’s treatment of the blues — waaaaaaiiiiiit forrrrr ittttt — apply to automotive journalism?
Nobody who has ever picked up a guitar would doubt this for a moment, but John Mayer is virtually a perfect storm as a blues/pop/rock guitarist. He is easily six foot three so the instrument is easy for him to manipulate; he has monstrous hands that make it easy for him to do in a single position what it would take most people two or three different hand positions to accomplish. I don’t have small hands — I wear between an 11 and 12 glove most of the time — and I can’t reach most of his standard playing positions. He’s also a thoroughly educated student of music; although he didn’t stay at Berklee very long, he certainly got the most out of his association with Tomo Fujita and the rest of the staff.
Most of all, however, Mayer is a brilliant guitar arranger. Here’s a relatively off-the-cuff thing he did after Prince’s death:
Most people couldn’t do that at all, and the ones who could might take a week to arrange it. Mayer simply understands the guitar better than almost any other pop star, and he has that understanding because he’s put in his time practicing and studying. He’s not a “guitar player”. I’m a guitar player. He’s a musician who happens to play a guitar.
No surprise, then, that his solo arrangement of “Something Like Olivia” is so complex. It’s basically a three-minute class in how to play the blues by yourself without ever leaving dead air in the performance. It’s not something that you could cook up without a genuine understanding of music theory. If you want to be able to play like this, you have to practice the physical motions of playing but you also have to be able to hold all the possibilities of the fretboard in your head.
Which brings me to automotive journalism. For whatever reason, I’ve been contacted a lot in the past month or so by people who want to write about cars. Most of them don’t really want to write about cars. They want to drive cool cars and take expensive trips and show a supercar off to their Instagram followers. So they can fuck off. We already have wayyyy too many people in automotive journalism who have zero ambition in their lives other than to be given things that they haven’t earned in exchange for providing a clear-channel for PR spin directly to the readers.
If, however, you hold the “writing” half of the equation in equal esteem to the “about cars” half, then you’d better do your homework. That means reading the very best autowriters from the past fifty years. It also means reading in general, to build up your awareness of how stories are constructed, supported, and delivered. Last but not least, it means writing as much as you can and being as self-critical as you can be without freaking out. You should also be at least minimally competent in vehicle operation. If not, then you’ll wind up writing embarrassing garbage about not being able to maintain LeMons pace lap speed in a SRT8 Challenger and blaming it on the car.
It’s great to have talent, and it’s great to work hard at stuff. If you can manage both, then maybe you can be the John Mayer of automotive journalism. The difference between John Mayer and the John Mayer of automotive journalism, of course, is that the real John Mayer doesn’t have to give the supercar back at the end of the week.
“Something About Triceratops” is a song I used to sing to my son as a loose variant of “Something About Olivia”:
Well Triceratops is taken
But some meat like that can be found from time to time.
Well Triceratops is taken
But some meat like that can be found from time to time.
I’m thinking something like Triceratops
Could keep me satisfied.
There’s only one T-rex out there who gets to
Chew on that three-horn’s hide.
There’s only one T-rex out there who gets to
Chew on that three-horn’s hide.
I’m thinking something like Triceratops could
Help me through the night.
No I’m not trying to steal
No meat away from no dino.
No I’m not trying to steal
No meat away from no dino.
But if Triceratops itself was at my door
It would be dinner time don’t you know
Interesting link. Last month I used a 392 Challenger to lead XX Supercars at AMP. It was a pig, but oh so fun. I didn’t have much trouble staying in front.
The fact Motor Trend read that and said, “THAT’S THE GUY!!!” should tell you a lot about Motor Trend.
I will admit that nearly a decade ago I legitimately enjoyed Lieberman’s RS4 and Sebring TTAC reviews.
His TTAC pickup reviews were also fun because he obviously had no clue what he was talking about.
I believe the article…I had harassed a Hellcat Challenger of all things at NCM Motorsports park until he ultimately relented and finally gave me the point by.
He kept thinking he would ditch me I the straights, but not really. Through the turns it was no question.
We were both novices though; however, I guess I was just the better novice.
I ran a Challenger R/T, just the old 340-hp HEMI, against a skilled NASA instructor in a Miata back in 2009 — and easily beat him over and over again.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009/07/review-2009-dodge-challenger-rt-track-pack-%E2%80%9Cclassic%E2%80%9D/
“The difference between John Mayer and the John Mayer of automotive journalism, of course, is that the real John Mayer doesn’t have to give the supercar back at the end of the week.”
And that’s exactly why I changed my career path.
Since we’re all friends in the comment section thus far:
Who else who has run TTAC day to day has ever converted their experiences and skills into (non-PR) employ with an OEM?
Moreover, who else has run TTAC, worked for a major OEM, and subsequently monetized those experiences into one of the most sought-after, rewarding (in many non-pecuniary ways) job opportunities available, and in very short order?
The unwitting human centipedes who aspire to the Frank Bacon lifestyle as a means to experience the cars, the backroad drives, the intercontinental business class flights, the brunches at Alice’s, and the long weekends at Post Ranch Inn, etc. are trapped, as they have very limited skills and have become accustomed to a lifestyle they can never generate the cashflow to earn on their own.
But when the seductive experience is over - and it IS seductive, even when you’ve paid for it out of pocket, as I have for various PCNA Hospitality events - Frank Bacon has to return to the mediocre existence that comprises his actual life, not the glamorous fantasy that various OEMs use to manipulate him into perpetually on-brand commentary.
Driving a Huracan or 675LT or G65 AMG FO FREE for a few days or a week is cool, and all, but wouldn’t it be better to develop skills that allow one to purchase and own the things they desire, rather than rely on non-fungible manufacturer largesse that will put a simp wearing square-toed “dress shoes” purchased at the mall in an Aston Martin for a week or two? Meanwhile, said simp probably can’t afford to put braces on his kids.
Well, TTAC has only had a handful of senior people.
Robert Farago went on to found the biggest gun website in the world. He was rich when he started it and he’s richer now.
Ed… I’m not sure what he’s doing. The occasional opinion piece. Periodically his byline appears on some stuff that looks ghostwritten to me but other than that he’s basically just wandering around the world spending his dad’s rent money.
Bertel… Any day now I expect to hear that his throat was cut in a Shanghai bathroom. If he’s improved his station in life as a result of TTAC, I don’t know about it.
I worked for multiple OEMs before assuming the EIC job but haven’t worked for one since. Unless I win the lottery, I have no reasonable expectation of being wealthy in the future. And I don’t play the lottery.
Derek has managed to make two really great opportunities happen, and I know he’s hustled for them.
I have no idea what Mark Stevenson will do when he leaves TTAC. I’d imagine he will go to work for a major Canadian newspaper or other media provider. He has a strong sense of ethics, which is admirable and good, but it doesn’t bode well for his chances in OEM public relations. 🙂
I also have no idea who would succeed him. VerticalScope has made it abundantly plain that it won’t be me. They’d rather close the site than have me running it again.
Derek has absolutely hustled to achieve everything he has.
He got there without the inestimable signaling benefits of:
The correct degree;
Earned at one of the favored schools;
Supplemented by the appropriate previous internship and work experiences.
I was specifically denigrating the likes of Ed and Bertel, as well as other journosaurs, including:
Jonny (Say no more)
Jeff Glucker (Hooniverse podcast is essentially an hour long infomercial for Hellcats, Cadillac V cars, Aston Martin, and Mountune, in which Glucker supplicates for more free shit)
In my mind JB is always referring to Glucker when he rips on the illiterate bloggists.
Hey! That’s my Eskimo brother you’re talking about!
Why the hate from VS over your time as EIC?
The quality of the site certainly improved in that time
There are some businesses where you’re judged by results.
There are other businesses that are basically popularity contests to see who can suck up the hardest.
I only ever really have success at the former.
I’m over 60 now, my kids have to worry about their own kids’ braces, and at this point I’m not likely to develop the skills that will make me wealthy, so I’ll take the few days in the 675LT, have a good time with it and try to turn the experience into something interesting and entertaining for the readers.
If one of my ideas or inventions does end up making some money the drive in the 675 has convinced me that a McLaren would be my daily driver if I could afford it.
I don’t look down on those who take the opportunity to test and write about high end performance cars; I enjoyed your review of the 675 because it didn’t read like nearly every other review. The curiosity and observations were directed at the unique and extreme features and characteristics of the car, not its performance.
I’ve also never heard you hop on a podcast (every week) and vigorously fellate Aston Martin or Mountune or whoever else sponsored your latest indulgence.
Thanks for your kind remarks. Years ago, I thought that it would be fun to turn around Top Gear’s Star In A Reasonably Priced Car, and take a regular Camry or CR-V driver and put them in something exotic for a few days. I didn’t think I’d be the regular guy doing it, though, to do the idea properly, I’d want to have a non-enthusiast, non-autojourno behind the wheel.
You are exactly right Jack. If you want to be good at anything, and writing is certainly no different, you have to put in the practice. It’s too bad that Faulkner’s “don’t be a writer, be writing” quote is so over-used as to border on cliché because it’s spot on. The only way to be a good writer is to do it over and over, and as you said, be the most self-critical editor you can be.
I was fortunate enough my freshman year of college (Miami represent!) to have an English professor who offered one-on-one time to go through your first essay prior to turning it in for a grade. My paper was a sea of red ink by the time the hour was through, but I learned more about writing – and more importantly editing – in that hour than I had in my previous 12 years of school. Being a voracious reader up to that point certainly helped lay the ground work for knowing what good writing was, but I had never truly taken a hard look at my own writing.
And don’t get me started on Mr. Mayer! He makes things look effortless. I grew up playing trombone, which hasn’t helped in the slightest when it comes to trying to play guitar, but at least I have a decent ear when playing fretless bass. Now if I could just find more time to practice…
As a Miami alum, you’re always welcome to stop by and try my Fender Jaco or that new fretless Carvin…
I certainly appreciate that offer! Your Carvin post had me customizing basses to ridiculous prices before finally realizing I already own a swamp ash bodied Carvin five string with active electronics and I don’t play enough to justify the cost for another bass.
I’m sure that Jaco must be wonderful to play. I built my own poor man’s version about fifteen years ago by pulling the frets from a Mexican Jazz and filling the slots with mahogany inlay. It played pretty well and I gave it to a friend as a Christmas gift a few years later. He had the finger board re-radiused shortly thereafter and still plays it to this day.
I only had a passing interest in John Mayer until “Try!”. That album was incredible. I would have sworn there was another guitar or two on stage.
I think the microphone with the long body is an AKG C12. Looks vintage. They were only made circa 1953-1963, so, if that is a vintage mic in good shape, it’s $10,000 all day, every day, to quote Ferrari guru Mike Sheehan. Pristine originals go for way more.
The mic beside it I think is a Royer. Modern ribbons.
I can’t see the vocal mic well enough to ID it.
Nice clip, thanks for posting.
As far as writing goes, I was and am a slow learner. I really did not hit my stride as a trials and appeals writer until about seven years after graduating from a prestige law school, which made that 11 years after graduating from an Ivy League school where I studied under the Poet in Residence.
As a writer for enthusiast magazines, I always tried to make my writing not only interesting and entertaining but I also tried always to impart “actionable intelligence.” Recordings worth owning and why; stereo system tweaks and synergies; high-value components. Unlike some writers who would wax rhapsodic about the flavor of the gelato that European manufacturers would spoon-feed them… . It wasn’t about me, it was about helping readers bring music more deeply into their lives.
BTW, Jack is one of the best writers out there, period.
John Marks
Formerly with The Absolute Sound and then Stereophile
I tell people that saying that Jack writes about cars is like saying that Hemmingway wrote about fishing or Ring Lardner about sports.
He’s a great writer by any standard but I have to say that the contemporary competition, in general, is weak. I see things in major newspapers that would have gotten me red-penciled in junior high. Apparently, our schools stopped teaching actual grammar some time ago, in favor of emphasizing “creativity”, so college juniors can’t compose a coherent and grammatically correct English sentence. Also, they’re not likely to have read a novel cover to cover since something relatively juvenile like Harry Potter, as English teachers from junior high upward now tend to disregard fiction in favor of politically correct non-fiction, so they don’t really have a sense of style. This isn’t just my opinion, I can show you the essays written by college instructors complaining about what ignoramuses our current crop of college students are.
I make a chunk of my income from writing, but I’ve never taken a college level English course or any kind of writing course. In junior high and high school I had teachers who taught me how to write grammatically correct sentences, three paragraph essays, and the occasional term paper.
Jack’s a wordsmith but in a few years it may be pearls before swine. It’s not his fault, but people are no longer culturally literate in the things that make up Western civ. He already makes literary references that people don’t get.
I really started reading car magazines and automotive sites a few years ago. I was tired of not knowing as much about cars as I felt I should, something so ubiquitous remaining so opaque felt like a dangerous blind spot. So, as I’m wont to do, I threw myself full bore into learning as much as I could. Unfortunately, my usual ability to discern worthy and useful sources from garbage ones was hindered because I couldn’t find hard, accurate descriptions of not just the terms thrown around, but even how the disparate parts of the cars, like an LSD or suspension members, worked and fit into the overall car. Even writers I would read regularly would seemingly emphasize one aspect of a particular car, and then just plain ignore it when it came to another for no reason in particular. Now that I’ve gotten my feet underneath me, I can see for the most part it wasn’t me. I know you harp on the inability of most auto journalists to drive, but I’m astounded at their lack of understanding, and more damning, the lack of desire, to figure out what are the across the board, fundamental aspects that are important making a car a car. Sure, a lot of them are lazy writers, or rather people who get a check for writing, but driving an amazing car is a generally stirring experience. How does that not spur further curiosity?
One of Johnny’s MT youtube vids highlighted his hipster beard hauling pretentious craft beer across the midwest in the CTS-V Wagon. I felt guilty for seeing it though. So this is the new “autojournalism.” No thanks.
Jack, I’ve been taking your advice about writing; reading the classics, reading the better auto writers, and writing. Stephen King has said the same time and time again too.
I’ll be able to put something together and start writing for my own benefit, rather than legal memorandum and briefs. Western Massachusetts, home of some truly great back roads - is tonic for the soul. It doesn’t matter if one is bombing down the Mohawk Trail in a 911, or rowing the gears in a Fusion at 5:00 AM (guilty). The driver, the road and the car tell a story - very few can capture it, and even less can capture the backstory.
Look, if someone is dropping off a new car every couple of weeks whether its a Nissan Versa Note or an Escalade for a review, I’m happy. I have a job - I’d like to share the story and maybe more.
“Bad writing is more than a matter of shit syntax and faulty observation; bad writing usually arises from a stubborn refusal to tell stories about what people actually do― to face the fact, let us say, that murderers sometimes help old ladies cross the street.”
“Writing is seduction. Good talk is part of seduction. If not so, why do so many couples who start the evening at dinner wind up in bed?”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
What I often say to would-be writers is:
You cannot write your way out of a paper bag until you recognize that you are IN a paper bag.
# # #
The paper bag being the immediacy of your own self, which is the primary impediment to your reaching your readers.
To elaborate: Like a good host or good restaurant waitstaff or a good bartender, you have to anticipate your readers’ situations and needs. You have to think of them first, second, and last. If you write to make yourself look good, it will show. If you write to make it easy for your readers to understand what you have to say, it may not show, but your writing will be more effective and more memorable.
Jacques Barzun said lots of memorable things about writing. This one is typical:
“Simple English is no one’s mother tongue. It has to be worked for.”
Best of luck,
John
How religious should we be about avoiding prepositions at the end of sentences? I’m trying to think of another formulation of “It has to be worked for” and I can’t come up with one that isn’t more complicated.
About as religious as we should be about avoiding split infinitives: if the more-“correct” version sounds clumsy, hang the preposition on the end and go with it.
The old Games magazine once had a competition to try to hang multiple prepositions on the end of a sentence; the winner, presumably uttered by a child who sleeps upstairs to a parent who has brought the wrong bedtime story, was something like “What did you bring that book I didn’t want to be read to out of up for?”
The best writing advice I’ve gotten was to read Strunk & White’s Elements of Style and follow their rules until you’re capable of drawing outside of the lines. A lot of my favorite musicians have said that if they could do it over, they’d learn more music theory, so that’s what I tell young musicians.
Speaking of young musicians, remember the name Brendon Linsley, musically wise beyond his years. Here is him from a couple of years ago when he was 14, playing with Jim McCarty, who played in the Detroit Wheels, Cactus and the Rockets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOmuD1Cf14
This is from a couple of weeks ago, playing with Nick Tabarias, who’s also a tasty player, but a bit older than Brendon. Both are playing ES-335s
I still refresh my Strunk & White whenever a new edition comes up - and I take great pride in turning an English Language teacher on to the tiny tome 30 years into his career. The memory of hearing him say “I wish I had known about this when I was starting,” still warms my heart.
Here are a couple posts regarding writing for a living, both written by outstanding talents in their fields.
http://monsterhunternation.com/2015/09/15/fisking-the-huffpo-because-writers-need-to-get-paid/
http://www.dansimmons.com/writing_welll/archive/2006_01.htm
Lieberman is a complete douche nozzle. I worry that Randy Pobst will sully his reputation just riding in the same car with him.
They see themselves very differently.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-rolls-royce-dawn-20160429-story.html
“Introducing “the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built” to the automotive press requires careful presentation.
For these jaded journalists, who drift from junket to junket, driving one high-end luxury car after another, the bar is very high.”
“Jaded.”