Customer Reviews

I Just Want to Be Held

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Thanks, Fat Possum,for making the return of this DETROIT SOUL GENIUS possible, after all the great work you did with the likes of R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford and especially Solomon Burke. This album is nothing less but a MIRACLE. The return of Nathaniel Mayer after almost 40 years, with his first full-length album of his career, is comparable only to the return of Andre Williams when he recorded "Silky" on InTheRed. It is raw Soul at its best, and what Mick Collins and Dan Kroha of the Gories did for Andre Williams, Jeff Meier (ex-detroit Cobras) and several others (like Jack Oblivian!) now did for Nathaniel Mayer: record a wonderful, razorblade sharp, melodic, heartbreaking album, raw but not too garagey, immensely enjoyable and danceable.

As someone new to Mr. Mayer, I was caught by surprise with this CD. Last April, while at JazzFest in New Orleans, I spent a few happy hours at the Louisiana Music Factory, a terrific store with tons of recordings by local artists, and listening stations so you can explore as much music as you can stand. Of the dozens of CDs that I ended up buying, this one stands out for Mayer's gritty, impassioned singing, and some lean-and-mean instrumental work backing him up.

Mayer, now just over 60 years old, is originally from Detroit and best known for his 1962 "Village of Love" with his backup group, the Fabulous Twilights. Until this amazing CD, it had been forty years since he had done a full-length recording. The first track, "I Wanna Dance With You," has Mayer's raspy voice sailing above the catchy instrumentals, and it just gets better. From the harsh "I Found Out" to the wry "Stick It or Lick It", Mayer's musicality, life experience and expert colleagues create a memorable recording. (The word "combustible" was used elsewhere -- the perfect word.)

For fans of R&B, this is a gift. All thanks to Fat Possum Records for encouraging this unusual artist to do such a memorable project. (Who says you have to be 22 to have a hit?)

On what might be the most surprising comeback album in pop history, Mayer tears through 10 songs that stir classic R&B and Delta blues into '70s soul. While Mayer's once-smooth voice has been worn gritty by time, the passion of his delivery is riveting. Along with Fat Possum's resurrection of Solomon Burke in 2002, this is one of the few essential soul albums since the heyday of Al Green and Stevie Wonder.

I saw Nathaniel Mayer play at the 9:30 club in D.C. in November 2005 and was blown away by his act. His vocals were over the top and his voice filled up the hall. The best way I can describe his sound would be that it was like hearing Howlin' Wolf backed by The Stooges. I raced out and bought everything he had in print. This disc contains many of the songs he played the night I saw him, and I REALLY wanted to like it, but after several listens I don't. Nathaniel Mayer's voice sounds shot on this disc, as opposed to the powerful delivery he possessed live. At times it's almost painful to listen to. Overall, the songs just seem to lack the energy of Mayer's live show. As an opening act on the night I saw him, Mayer literally stole the show and remains one of the most memorable performers I've ever seen in concert. However, this album didn't measure up to my expectations.