Maps of Music

Born and Raised (2012)

Where the lyrics of Born and Raised take you, and where it was really made.

Mayer later said the clock on the cover, set to 10:38, stood for where he was in his life: about lunch time.

Key places

Recording at Electric Lady Studios (2012)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — Born and Raised was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, according to the album's article. The point is placed at the studio's building location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at The Village (2012)

Recording site Village Recorders — Born and Raised was recorded at The Village studio in Los Angeles, California. The point marks the studio's building location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording on Berkeley Street (2012)

Recording site Berkeley Street — Born and Raised was recorded on Berkeley Street in Santa Monica, California. The point marks the street's general area, not a specific building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at Ocean Way Recording (2012)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — Born and Raised was recorded at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California. The point is placed at the Hollywood city center, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Born and Raised: fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mayer
• Released May 22, 2012 by Columbia Records
• Marked another change in Mayer's musical style
• Incorporates folk and Americana elements
• Influences include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash
• Cover and single "Queen of California" artwork designed by David Adrian Smith

Background

• Mayer said he began gravitating toward new "musical ideals" during the Winter leg of the Battle Studies World Tour
• He credited records by Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, namely the Neil Young album After the Gold Rush
• Early reports said the follow-up to Battle Studies would be called Born and Raised and released in October 2011
• September 16, 2011: blog post announced a delay due to granulomas found in his throat
• At that point recording and mixing were finished except for a few vocal tracks
• October 20, 2011: surgery to remove the granuloma, followed by complete vocal rest for a month or more
• After recovery and a road trip through Middle America, Mayer moved to Bozeman, Montana
• February 27, 2012: first single "Shadow Days" released
• February 28, 2012: track listing announced and release date set for May 22

Recording

• Recording took place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City
• Other recording sites include The Village in Los Angeles, Berkeley Street in Santa Monica, and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood

Cover

• Designed in a turn-of-the-century, trade-card style
• Designer David Adrian Smith was commissioned by Columbia Records to collaborate with Mayer
• Artwork took approximately one month to complete
• The clock on the cover is set to 10:38

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• John Clayton Mayer, born October 16, 1977, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
• Attended Berklee College of Music in 1997, then left for Atlanta with guitarist Clay Cook to form the short-lived duo Lo-Fi Masters.
• Released the independent EP Inside Wants Out (1999) and was later signed by Aware Records, a Columbia Records imprint.

Career

• Debut album Room for Squares (2001) produced hits including "Your Body Is a Wonderland", which won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 45th Grammy Awards.
• Heavier Things (2003) peaked atop the Billboard 200.
• Shifted toward blues and rock, forming the John Mayer Trio; Continuum (2006) won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.
• Withdrew from public life in 2010 after controversial interviews; later albums include Born and Raised (2012), Paradise Valley (2013), The Search for Everything (2017), and Sob Rock (2021).
• Member of Dead & Company since 2015 alongside surviving Grateful Dead members.
• Ranked number 61 on Rolling Stone's 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (2023).
• Sold over 20 million albums worldwide by 2014.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critics gave generally positive reviews, praising Mayer's technical skills and Don Was' production work
• Rolling Stone placed it at number 17 on its top 50 albums of 2012, saying "It's a shot at redemption that's as on target as anything he's done."
• People magazine wrote, "This is a shimmering album, perfect for taking on the road in the glow of spring and summer."
• Billboard called it "his most consistently satisfying release yet."
• Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B," saying the Laurel Canyon-inspired "ramble-tamble style suits him."

Records

• Billboard 200: third number one album for Mayer in the United States, selling 219,000 units in its first week
• Stayed at number one the following week, Mayer's first album to spend more than a week on top of the chart
• Canada: debuted at number one with 17,800 copies, his first number one album there
• UK albums chart: debuted at number four
• September 12, 2012: RIAA certified Gold for 500,000 copies
• Sales reached 514,000 copies as of December 6, 2012

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The cover clock set to 10:38 was explained by Mayer at a Rise For The River Benefit concert on August 8, 2022, a benefit for people affected by Montana floods.
• Mayer's throat granuloma returned in spring 2012, forcing him to cancel a planned North American tour.
• His first stage appearance since April 2011 came on January 16, 2013, at the Emerson Theater in Bozeman, a benefit for firefighters who fought the Pine Creek Fire.
• On the Late Show with David Letterman, Mayer appeared as a musical guest playing guitar with the house band.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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