John Mayer never has been shy about adopting various styles or experimenting with different forms of music.

So we asked Mayer what he thinks of the following quote from the always opinionated Noel Gallagher of Oasis:

"I don't want to challenge my audience because they're friends of mine," Gallagher told the Toronto Sun's Jane Stevenson last winter. "I don't want to be like f---in' saying to them, 'Well, I'm on a musical journey, come along if you want, but it might go a bit jazzy.' It's, like, we make Oasis music, man, and you all know what it sounds like."

Mayer doesn't really agree with that philosophy ... or does he?

"First of all, that's a great quote," Mayer says. "My approach is different, but only slightly different.

"I would not say to people, 'I'm going to change, and you have to come whether you want to or not.' But I can build side projects that, already inherent to them, are their own disclaimer."

For example: A blues-influenced CD was released in 2005 under the name "the John Mayer Trio." It did not do as well commercially as Mayer's solo work, but he never expected it would.

"If it doesn't say John Mayer, and only John Mayer, on it, you may not like it if you liked my other records," Mayer says. "Or you may.

"You have to learn how to change the things people want to hear. You have to challenge people sometimes, because listeners aren't aware of their consumption until they have consumed too much. A listener doesn't know, 'I'm feeling myself getting sick of this.' They just eat, eat, eat, and then vomit."

Later in the conversation, Mayer brought up Oasis again.

"By the way, my quote about Noel Gallagher is that I think Oasis is fantastic," Mayer says. "I love it when he puts down other bands. I would think if you were in a band that he put down, you would be kind of honoured.

"And in terms of their antics, the Gallagher brothers (Noel and Liam) are like professional wrestling. They're not really hitting people over the head with a real trashcan, but it's really fun to watch. It's great theatre. It's fake blood. It's kind of like Alice Cooper with a microcassette recorder."