That's awfully lofty praise you're giving John. His recent collaborations and recordings with the blues legends mentioned don't instantly validate him as a "blues purist or even "a blues musician". The live album does feature some very impressive technique as a guitarist but because he's able to do so doesn't put him in Stevie Ray Vaughan's or especially Hendrix's company.

"Try" doesn't seem to be as much a bridge for his listeners to prepare them for a new musical direction as it is an attempt to attract the skeptics who acknowledge his skill as a guitarist but dismiss his mainstream releases as lightweight. I assume that's where "Continuum" picks up. Palladino and Jordan are impeccable studio players, the kind of players that can make a Steely Dan record sound as slick as they are, but aren't mentioned with the likes of Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton (granted Jordan has toured with Clapton recently.)

I've only heard the lead off single once and will have to do so a few more times before I'll render a verdict. Perhaps the songs future staying power and the albums overall sales and popularity will determine if it is an equal to "What's Goin' On" but to compare him to an artist like Marvin Gaye in any likeness be it as a songwriter, vocalist or musician seems a stretch, a big one. John Mayer as the voice of social conscious for me sand my peers? No thanks.

 If "Continuum" sounds like and is in the spirit of the three albums you mentioned, for me I hope it's more akin to SRV and a handful of songs from "Nothing Like The Sun". The Clapton album suffered from all those negative adjectives you used so well.