Maps of Music

Heavier Things (2003)

Where the lyrics of Heavier Things take you, and where it was really made.

Much of this album was recorded in the singer's own New York City apartment, not only in a studio.

Key places

Recorded at Avatar, New York City (2003)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Avatar Recording Studios is credited as a recording location for the album. The point marks New York City at city level, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Ocean Way, Hollywood (2003)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood is credited as a recording location for the album. The point marks Hollywood at city level, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Heavier Things: second studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mayer
• Released September 9, 2003 by Aware and Columbia Records
• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
• Sold over 317,000 copies in its first week
• Lead single: Bigger than My Body; later singles: Clarity and Daughters
• Main musicians: John Mayer (vocals and guitars), David LaBruyere (bass), Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards), Lenny Castro (percussion)

Background

• Mayer felt he could be more relaxed and more focused on his art while making the album
• Jack Joseph Puig was producer; loops and horns were more prominently featured
• Mayer took greater control of the creative side with this album
• Much of the album was recorded in his New York City apartment
• Mayer got final approval on all radio edits
• He did not want a big and bold title; he said the name reflects its insignificance
• Columbia Records used a conservative marketing campaign to promote the album

Recording

• Recording credits list two studios: Avatar Recording Studios in New York City and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood
• The map points mark city-level locations, not the exact studio buildings

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

• Received generally positive reviews from music critics
• Metacritic aggregate score: 67 out of 100
• Billboard magazine described Mayer as a legitimate singer-songwriter, though still young in style
• Allison Stewart of the Chicago Tribune gave the album a favorable review, writing that it expands on Mayer's core sound without abandoning it
• Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald praised Mayer's musicianship and gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, while noting that his self-conscious lyrics can get in the way
• Rolling Stone's James Hunter called the album equally available yet more sophisticated than Room for Squares
• In his own review for Esquire, Mayer gave the album a B minus
• Spin wrote a critical review, mocking Mayer's idea of a good time

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with over 317,000 copies sold in its first week
• Daughters became Mayer's first number-one single
• Won the 2005 Grammy for Song of the Year, beating Hoobastank, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw and Kanye West
• Won the 2005 Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
• Mayer received the Hal David Starlight Award at the 37th Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2006

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Columbia Records used a conservative marketing campaign, limiting promotion to MTV.com and Mayer's official site before release.
• Mayer explained that he did not want a big and bold title for the record, and he said he liked the word things because it sounds nondescript.
• Despite being delayed on the radio, the lead single Bigger than My Body gained commercial and critical success.
• Daughters was the last single released from the album and became a commercial success.
• Mayer dedicated his 2005 Grammy for Song of the Year to his grandmother, Annie Hoffman, who died in May 2004.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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