NATHANIEL MAYER - Shindig

NATHANIEL MAYER - Steady Bloggin'

Nathaniel Mayer - Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?

This is a sadly posthumous follow up to Mayer's excellent Why Don't You Give It To Me (I posted that one a little while ago here). It collects more tracks from the same sessions, juxtaposing Mayer's gruff warbling baritone with a psychedelic soul-rock backing. Its in fact a bit more consistent in sound than the predecessor, there are no detours into funk or reggae. The album is nothing but dark bluesy echoey distorted laments on love, money (mostly lack of it), and drugs. And that's pretty much all I want from it, because it does those things so damn well. So far I think I'm ranking this as the second best soul album of the year, right behind Lee Fields.

There is a nice bit about the title that came with the press description: "It has to do with the food he kept being served while on tour in Europe. When Nate finally became frustrated with the countless plates of cheese and French bread that awaited him backstage at every gig, he shouted "Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?". He agreed that it sounded like a good title for his next album. "

NATHANIEL MAYER - I-94 Bar

Fear not. That’s not the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.We lost a good ‘un when resurrected soul veteran Nathaniel Meyer shuffled off this mortal coil in 2008 and this is a fitting tribute, even if assembled from studio bits-and-pieces.
Half-a-dozen of these eight cuts are from the session that yielded "Why Don’t You Give It To Me?" with the balance from a live-in-the-studio acoustic bracket taped for radio. The differing approaches meld seamlessly.
If you didn’t hear the predecessor album "Why Don’t You Give It To Me?" then you need to. It was an astounding comeback-from-God-knows-where that welded Mayer’s scarred, knife-edge vocal to sometimes sparse and often confronting accompaniment from a crew of underground notables like Dave Shettler, mostly from Nat’s Motor City. Black Key Dan Auerbach’s guiding hand (and guitar) was on the tiller and Jim Diamond engineered.
"Dreams Come True" is a restrained opener and sweetly soulful in its own inimitable way. Mayer’s voice is undeniably ravaged but he doesn’t push it to the edge here. For that we only have to wait a song; "Mr Taxman" reverts to recent type – a seven-and-a-half-minute vamp wrapped in fried guitar and lyrical allusions to being down-and-out. Its sister track is the intently plodding "The Puddle", another intense burner. Brevity’s at the soul of "She’s Bad" but it, too, shares the same postcode.
Mayer’s vocal is at its most pure on the acoustic "You Are The One", a mid-album oasis among all the brooding and dissonance. "The Girl Next Door" is ushered in by Tim Boatman’s plaintive piano and harks back to "Why Dontcha?" form the previous al
Apart from a distorted bass solo in its closing bars, "If You Would Be My Guide" faintly echoes "Unchained Melody." No shame in that ‘cept Nathaniel Meyer puts it out there more nakedly than the Righteous Brothers ever did.
If the acoustic "What Would You Do?" seems an oddly quiet way of closing, you can’t but smile at Nat’s mumbled reference to being happy in his own world on the end. Let’s raise a glass to that. – The Barman / I-94 Bar

NATHANIEL MAYER - Other Music

You won’t find a better album title this year, folks. Apparently it’s what the lifelong East Detroit resident shouted out during a tour of Europe, frustrated with the same French bread and cheese platters that he was constantly being served backstage at his gigs — you can’t make this stuff up! Nathaniel Mayer is one of those semi-legendary Windy City soul singers and his releases from the sixties made him a local legend, his music later serving as a major influence on Detroit-based artists like the Black Keys, Dirtbombs and recent Stones Throw signing Mayer Hawthorne. Though Mayer had a top 40 hit in ‘62 with the classic "Village of Love," for many deep soul aficionados you can’t talk about the singer without mentioning his brilliant 1966 single, "(I Want) Love and Affection (Not the House of Correction)," an uptempo stomper that showcased his hard, bluesy tenor. Mayer pretty much disappeared from the public eye for more than 30 years and many fans assumed that he had died, but in 2004 he resurfaced again, encouraged by the local Detroit artists who were championing his music. Back in the spotlight, the singer would tour the states and performed some club dates in Europe, yet sadly he passed away following the release of 2007’s Why Don’t You Give It To Me? This album at hand, Why Won’t You Let Me Be Black?, comes from the same two-day recording session as its predecessor, featuring the musical support of members of the Black Keys, Dirtbombs and Outrageous Cherry. In his later years, Mayer’s clear-throated tenor had become a gruff, raspy howl, but the echoey, garage-rock backing from his all-star band is a perfect fit. Tracks like "Mr. Tax Man," "She’s Bad" and "The Puddle" are smoky, electric blues burners that conjure ghosts of Electric Mud, while "What Would You Do" and "You Are the One" are intimate acoustic performances culled from a 2007 radio interview. For those who like their R&B and soul served up raw, pathos-tinged and slightly unhinged, step right up! – Duane Harriott / Other Music

NATHANIEL MAYER - Arthur

Tuesday afternoon trying-to-pay-the-bills music: Nathaniel Mayer
POSTED BY Jay Babcock

“Mr. Taxman” – Nathaniel Mayer

“Money’s gone
Taxman at my door
What you need my money for?
To feed the poor, or start a war?
I’m BROKE!
I’m broke!
I’m broke
I’m going to the bar
You know why

…

My money’s gone
I lost my home
I’m all alone
Help me!
Help, help
Help, help
Help me, help me

From Nathaniel Mayer’s forthcoming posthumous album Why Won’t You Let Me Be Black?, released next month on vinyl and cd through the good people at Alive Records of Burbank, California, and available now in digital format from Other Music of New York City.

NATHANIEL MAYER - Other Music

Best known for the hit "Village of Love," soul shouter Nathaniel Mayer has quite an impressive '60s discography behind him and after a few decades of lost time this record finds him ready to pick up where he left off. A marked improvement over his 2005 Fat Possum release, Mayer is backed up by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and the Detroit contingent of Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry), Troy Gregory (the Dirtbombs) and Dave Shelter (SSM). These guys know their stuff and they provide the perfect mix of sympathy and raunch for Nathaniel to outline his plans, pleas and female troubles on top of. It's an excellent combo that let's Mayer do what he does best while still delivering the goods in the rock action department. An overwhelming success across the board. - DMa / Other Music

NATHANIEL MAYER - Hipcrank

Nathaniel sounds like he's on his last breath ... and it's a knockout, skanky moonshine stench to boot. All rasp and soul, Mayer is another dusted off geriatric corpse resurrected by young hipsters, and presented as an obscure missing link between rival garage punk, racy blues and Motown factions back in the day. Not so far fetched that last dog bone actually, as Mayer was indeed a bit of a shaker and a mover if not nationally then certainly regionally. Thankfully he still has enough chutzpa to demonstrate some stage skills the whipper snappers would do well to emulate. With solid backing from Detroit's finest garage pranksters, he proves to be a capable frontman with enough moxie to deliver the goods, and then some. This really is one surprisingly fetching album. Move over Rudy Rae Moore and Andre Williams, the crazy, filthy old man soul revue tent is getting mighty crowded. - Hipcrank

NATHANIEL MAYER - Arthur Magazine

Nice reprint of Julian Cope's review in Arthur Magazine

NATHANIEL MAYER - I94 Bar

If you wanted proof of Dane Auerbach's (The Black Keys) worth as virtual A & R man for Alive Records you need look no further than this 'un.

Pulling together a red hot band from the likes of himself, SSM, The Sights, The Dirtbombs and Outrageous Cherry, Auerbach has provided a musical platform for Detroit '60s soul veteran Nathaniel Mayer to ply his ravaged vocals over nine, taught garage tunes. Auerbach didn't throw Meyer a lifeline - Fat Possum did that a few years earlier - but he maintained the momentum.

Let's stop the nonsense about this sounding like a damaged soul-man fronting the Stooges. That's a nice sentiment but pure lazy hyperbole. The Stooges have an entirely different thing happening. These guys apply a nimble but more minimal backing with psychedelic overtones. It's primal but much more sparse, and thankfully not a mention of her taking his money or ATMs. So let's not label anyone out of the Motor City (as the bulk of this band hails from there) as the new Stooges.

But Mayer does sound ravaged. And how. Never the sweetest soul singer but always a vital one with his roots in the garage, he strains but never fails to nail these songs with an intensity and desperation that matches the playing. I'm thinking the lusting after pretty girls in "Everywhere I Go" sounds less The World's Forgotten Boy than The Planet's Horniest Old Man (with absolutely no apologies to Hugh Hefner.) Explosions anywhere above the waist seem the least of Meyer's worries on "Please Don't Drop The Bomb" and the old retrobate's not asking for his lunch money and a pensioner's concession fare on the bus home on "Why Don't You Give It To Me?"

He might be an old bloke but he sure keeps his end up on an extended funk rumble like the nearly nine-minute long "Doin' It". Shadowy, dirty and dark, turn it loose and lose yourself. The real oddity here however is the closer, a syncopated skeletal bone-jangler called "Dancin' Mood" whose playful touch seems out of step with the rest of the skanky fare.

What a dirty old man. Just the sort of man the safety-first promoters need to bring out to Australia for the East Coast (aka "White Bread") Blues Festival. – The Barman

NATHANIEL MAYER - Nonzine

At its origin point, rhythm-&-blues -- or "soul" music -- is merely a natural extension of the blues themselves. (Just listening to early Ray Charles, Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin is evidence enough that this is accurate.) Over time, however, like most genres of music, R&B has become just another watered-down offshoot of pop music. It will take more records like this one from Nathaniel Mayer to remind people of R&B's natural roots. This music comes from a place that is more raw, nasty and authentic than most anything else labeled "R&B" these days, making it that much more valuable.
Mayer, a local soul legend in Detroit, has, alas, recorded only sporadically over the years, and while his past albums have been good, they could be seen as simply the Motown sound made grungy. This album, however, is something more. In the 1960s, young blues punks of the day such as Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, and the Rolling Stones teamed up with Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf to enliven the music of those giants and create something new for the younger generation to connect with. In the same way, on this album Mayer is backed by some of the young guns of the thriving Rust Belt music scene who've been mixing the blues and garage rock into a new, exciting sound. They include Matthew Smith, who also recently backed the late, idiosyncratic bluesman Paul "Wine" Jones on his final album, as well as Dan Auerbach of the phenomenal Black Keys. The resulting album is rough, ragged, and funky and may require repeated spins before the listener can acclimate. But even beyond that, it is a noteworthy step in the development of genuinely soulful music. Mayer, Smith and Auerbach are fighting to help this music survive, and their efforts are worthy of acclaim. - Nonzine

Nathaniel Mayer live

Nathaniel Mayer live in Andoin auditorium in Spain Dec.7th 2007

NATHANIEL MAYER - Head Heritage

Julian Cope's album of the month

Review #96, May 2008 CE

Nathaniel Mayer
Why Don't You Give It To Me?

Released 2007 on Alive Records
Reviewed by Julian Cope

Side One

1. Why Don’t You Give it to Me? (5.07)
2. White Dress (3.30)
3. I’m a Lonely Man (4.39)
4. Please Don’t Drop the Bomb (2.39)
5. Everywhere (3.38)

Side Two

1. What Would You Do? (3.28)
2. Doin’ It (8.51)
3. Why Dontcha Show Me (7.01)

This is not a parody

This Album of the Month is nothing less than an heroic act, being both an extraordinary art statement of cavernous Detroit Psychedelic soul AND a major mission of Cultural Retrieval. For, with the help of four contemporary musicians at least 25 years younger than himself, veteran Detroit R&B star Nathaniel Mayer has with this single LP lifted himself out of the worthy but Old Timer Chicken-in-a-Basket Soul Revue scene, and been delivered into the welcoming hands of the drooling and mightily entranced Underground. And believe me, kiddies, retrieving the voice of Nathaniel Mayer for our own delectation makes the musicians in question into true culture heroes; so let’s scream out major hails to the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, SSM’s Dave Shettler, the Dirtbombs’ Troy Gregory, and (most especially) to mainman and prime mover Matthew Smith. For, despite claims to the contrary, even Mayer’s recent 2004 LP I JUST WANNA BE HELD still suffered from boring, nay, dutiful sax, boring ‘authentic’ guitar tones and songs written in the Retro/Retread soul vein. Well, not anymore! Now, it’s welcome to weeping dual fuzz guitars, proto-punk garage rhythms, nuclear burn-ups of free-rock De Twat, and all topped off with a changeling R&B guy whose vocal range takes in everything from Screaming Jay Hawkins to Dionne Warwick, via George Clinton, early I-Tina, Ray Charles and James Brown by way of the Monks. WHY DON’T YOU GIVE IT TO ME? is an instant party and an instant classic, an immensely stoned groove and an exhilarating and swampy hybrid of the early call-&-answer heavy soul of Funkadelic (first 3LPs), the cacophonous Glam Soul of John & Yoko’s SOMETIME IN NEW YORK CITY, the fuzzy earnestness of early early early Bob Seger (‘Heavy Music’-period), the abandoned lyrical Free Association of Kim Fowley’s berserk Psychedelic Psoul Revue on OUTRAGEOUS, plus the murky voodoo gunk of Night Tripper-period Dr. John. Yes, from its very first sub-sub-Chocolate Watchband/very early Stones opening bars, this new Nathaniel Mayer record screams: “Here I AM!” Better still, after his aforementioned stilted 2004 album I JUST WANNA BE HELD¹, it’s enthralling to hear this veteran 64-year-old Detroit R&B singer finally united with a truly sympathetic backing band chock full o’garageheads who been raised on such errant fuzzarama garage compilations as PEBBLES 1-12, BACK FROM THE GRAVE 1,2&3, HIPSVILLE 29BC, OFF THE WALL, TURDS ON A BUM RIDE and their glorious ilk, suddenly lending Nathaniel the kind of guitar-heavy demented amphetamine yawp that forces his own performance sky high. The results are no less than immediate and spectacular. Indeed, from the moment Nathaniel Mayer nobbled me with the title track’s lyrical opening gambit – ‘You gave it to him, why don’t you give it to me?’ – well, I knew this artist would have Album of the Month just so long as he didn’t fuck up the remaining thirty-six minutes TOO much. Ja, mein hairies, this 6-month-old vinyl slab is truly one motherfucker of an album.

Side One of WHY DONCHA GIVE IT TO ME? commences with the title track, whose enormous Bats In The Belfry belltone guitar riffing and cranky leaden drums immediately sets the listener on edge, before our hero steps into the spotlight and immediately crouches down on one knee to confess his pain to his coy mistress, the half-written lyrical abandon of Nathaniel’s song-writing (spawning such couplets as “You made him a happy man all across the land”) reinforcing our suspicions that this record’s producers knew they had limited studio time in which to make this record, before the whole shithouse exploded in their faces. Next up is the Electric Manchakou-style teenage exuberance of ‘White Dress’, another work-in-progress being sketched out before our very eyes, like some wide-eyed and ageless shaman/woman cooing and billing in wonder at the opposite sex over three minutes of ‘Shake Appeal’-period Stooges replete with handclaps and endless questions. This is followed by ‘I’m a Lonely Man’, four minutes of the most shameless (and tuneless) BACK FROM THE GRAVE-stylee garage voodoo, as Nate vamps and grunts the song’s title over & over. Next up, the chorale-and-heavy-riffology of ‘Please Don’t Drop the Bomb’ is pure early Funkadelic ambient ice-rink funk, whilst Side One closes with the three-and-a-half minutes of ‘Everywhere’, which – with its boys-being-chicks backing vocals and wide-eyed asides, sounds like a wonderful hybrid of John Sinclair’s super-exuberant late acolytes the Up playing a song by Leslie West’s soul garage outfit the Vagrants. Side Two opens with the ‘Knock On Wood-styled ‘What Would You Do?’, another lost classic riff, followed by the weird West Coast 9-minute free rock of ‘Doin’ It’, whose cheese-grater wa-guitars, bubbling bass, clatter-chatter drums and belltone blues lead axe all conspire to create a wild, almost proto-Comets on Fire rush that sounds like it coulda come off any of the best Detroit rock LPs anytime in the past 40 years. No wonder this record has been filed under ‘Rock’ on iTunes. Indeed, only on the 7-minute closer ‘Why Dontcha Show Me?’ does Nate return to his sultry soul roots. Commencing with a Ray Charles-styled piano-only opening coupla verses, this exquisitely crafted and sexy song suddenly metamorphoses into a percussion-heavy bossanova somewhere between Tim Buckley’s ‘Sweet Surrender’ and Timmy Thomas’s ‘Why Can’t We Live Together?’. This record is one mind-manifesting rock behemoth, but the confidence of this final statement lifts the entire LP up even another coupla notches.

In Conclusion

And so there we have it for another month. With regard to where Nathaniel Mayer takes him next step, well, we probably shouldn’t set our hopes up too high considering Mayer’s first hit ‘Village of Love’ was way back in 1962, thereafter ambling and shambling through long periods of bandlessness, giglessness, even homelessness. However, even a perfunctory trawl through Nate’s current youtube performances suggests that this sexagenerian singer is once more enjoying himself enough to attempt to sustain what he’s currently achieving. And, on the huge evidence of this wonderful Album of the Month, we can only cross our fingers and selfishly hope that he barfs out a few more in this present stylee, before the (inevitable?) next crash. For the time being, however, we need only take a cursory glance at rock’n’roll history to feel a sense of optimism. For example, we only gotta look at Alex Harvey to see the renewal that an Old Timer could achieve just through taking on a much younger backing band. Later, at the inception of punk, mother-of-two Vi Subversa split up her cabaret duo and lead her own outfit the Poison Girls, all twenty-odd-years younger than her, and became the co-leader of the new punk alongside Crass. Unfortunately, we just have to hope that Nathaniel’s current ensemble can find time in their busy careers to stay around and keep him buoyant. What has made WHY DON’T YOU GIVE IT TO ME? so successful is the abandoned-yet-still-dignified character that Nathaniel brings to the party, so on the case that none of the producers has felt tempted to cast him as a mere eccentric outsider, a path trod by so many lesser talented or less honourably-minded mentors. Which is why this particular Album of the Month is so fucking refreshing, because – instead of recruiting as lead singer for their new project the local gangliest youth with the biggest garage rock LP collection in his basement, instead, several enlightened and currently successful rockers have come together to back a forgotten 64-year-old R&B singer, a man of undoubted song-writing talent and possessed of a genuinely extraordinary set of vocal chords, but whose luck has been intermittent to say the least. That three successful contemporary rock’n’rollers should have sought out and championed such a lost hero is heroic in itself, and Dan Auerbach, Troy and – most especially – Matthew Smith should be praised to the skies. That the chosen artist should rise to the occasion in such a manner is even more thrilling, which is why I say to Nathaniel Mayer:

“Bravo, Lord Motherfucker, and deep gratitude for laying this Righteous Thang upon us.”

Amen.

Head Heritage

NATHANIEL MAYER suffers stroke

Veteran soul man Nathaniel Mayer suffers stroke

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Detroit soul singer Nathaniel Mayer, who embarked on an unlikely comeback four years ago, is slowly recovering from a stroke that has hampered his speech and movement, his representatives said on Monday.

Mayer, 64, who was stricken on April 13, could make "a considerable recovery," according to a post on Mayer's MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/nathanielmayer).

"The X-rays reveal that the damage from the stroke was limited to a small area," the post said.

Mayer, a devotee of James Brown, enjoyed a minor hit single in 1962 with "Village of Love." But he largely abandoned the recording business until 2004, when he made the album "I Just Want To Be Held" for Fat Possum Records, the boutique Mississippi label famed for its raw sound and salty bluesmen.

He released a follow-up last August, "Why Don't You Give It To Me?" (Alive Records), helped by a crew of young punk and soul revivalists, including Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach.

Reporting by Dean Goodman / Reuters

NATHANIEL MAYER - Sailor Jerry

Nathaniel Mayer is at the forefront of a (sadly) dying breed and tonight he and his band proved why. From the first song the entire club started dancing and continued to do so for well over an hour. Nate repeatedly asked the crowd to "shake what your momma gave you" and they did not let their mommas down.

Nate and Company played the classics with a renewed vigor and the new tracks like this was their last show ever, stopping on a dime when Nate's arm raised to the ceiling. I can honestly say that this one was one of the best performances I've ever seen. The set ended with a 30 min + jam with Nate going through the crowd to grab some highlifes twice and putting a smile on faces more times than anyone could count.

This was an evening that everyone in attendance will remember for a long, long time. - The Sailor Jerry Blog

NATHANIEL MAYER - Blues Matters

NATHANIEL MAYER
Why Don't You Give It To Me?
Alive
In this polished, hi-fidelity, production-heavy age of music, more and more of us seem to be seeking out the lo-fi, dirty, rasping, spit and sawdust side of things. "Why Don't You Give It To Me?" was recorded live in Detroit, Michigan, home of soul singer Nathaniel Mayer, quite probably on an 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, rough as it is. Mayer seems an unlikely Detroit soulman, he has none of the lightness or sweetness of the soul one typically associates with Motor Town and the likes of Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson inter alia. His sound, produced by a backing band made up of members from The Black Keys, Dirtbombs, Outrageous Cherry and The Sights/SSM, has much more in common with the black psychedelia of the late-60s - think Fugi, Black Merda, and the Temptations (when they ditched the 'classic five era' in favour of their Psychedelic Shack). Nathaniel's voice is a primal rasp, more Howlin' Wolf or Tom Waits than Smokey Robinson, and this album is a free-wheeling master-class in how to 'psychedelicise' the Blues, soul and rock'n'roll (for what many folks, though not me, widely regard as a cautionary tale, see Muddy Waters' "Electric Mud"). Highlights include 'Doin' It', a hypnotic, psychedelic freakout, with its explorative jamming providing a perfect balance to the more rehearsed, groove-based numbers such as 'Why Dontcha Show Me'. There's a freshness which pervades the album, probably because the band were still very much exploring the songs and sound at the time of recording. Qualms about a bass-heavy mix aside, this is a compelling and visceral slice of live dog-eared Blues. - Ian Kingsbury

NATHANIEL MAYER - Cleveland Scene, Your Flesh

Cleveland Scene preview :
Nathaniel Mayer hails from Detroit, the city that turned white kids on to black music. The soul shouter recently crawled out from a pile of dusty, scratched-up 45s that bear the labels of record companies that are long forgotten by everyone but the most dedicated collectors. On his latest album, Why Don't You Give It to Me?, the sixtysomething Mayer makes another stand for the Motor City's storied musical legacy — this time with punk kids half his age.

The beginnings of Detroit's punk/soul aesthetic can be traced to the records Mayer cut for the Fortune label back in the early '60s. While many of these old sides employ the time-honored practice of lifting bits and pieces from other artists' hits, Mayer's over-the-top intensity usually obliterates such comparisons. A string of regional hits culminated in Mayer's lone national triumph, 1962's "Village of Love" — an exquisite piece of doo-wop-meets-do-rag that reached the R&B Top 10. The James Brown-influenced single "I Want Love and Affection (Not the House of Correction)," now considered an R&B classic, bombed when it was released in 1965, and Mayer gradually faded into obscurity.

In 2002, Mayer performed a buzzed-about concert in his hometown. It marked the start of his comeback. I Just Want to Be Held (from 2004) was a feisty hybrid of old-school soul and garage; in turn, last year's Why Don't You Give It to Me? was a transgenerational meltdown of the musical borders. Paired with members of the Dirtbombs, SSM, and the Black Keys, Mayer delivers each song in an aged, gravel-rough voice that merges with the band's relentless sonic assaults (think the Stooges or early Funkadelic). It's a long way from his formative soul sessions in the '60s. - Duane Verth

Your Flesh Review of "Why Don't You Give It To Me?":
The first shock is the accompaniment—an unashamedly motley assortment of vintage psychedelia sans any pop affectation whatsoever, and MidWestern honky R&B ram-a-lama deluxe. A battle of the bands between Big Brother & The Holding Co. and the MC5 would have sounded like this! Production throughout is deliberately archaic; it’s all drenched in reverb, the EQ is all top or bottom with no mid-range. The feel is loose and off-the-cuff and all cuts seem like first takes. Add a six pack o’ suds and a doobie or two and you’ve evoked retro scuzz-rock heav’en on earth.

Now add in lead vocalist Nathaniel Mayer, an older African American gentlemen who’s one part blues growler, one part R&B slickster… and 98 parts nutter! His vocal attack is rubbery, petulant and errant. The man’s got decent pipes but constantly sacrifices proper pitch and inflection on behalf of emotional largesse; the results are consistently wild-ass. The pairing of this particular singer and players might sound awkward but in fact it’s inspired and alchemical. The choice of a freaky, yet non-ironic frontman keeps the end results from being a mere exercise in nostalgia. Besides, both Detroit high-energy and early West Coast psychedelia evolved from garage rock, primarily white teens drawing on indigenous R&B traditions for their ripostes to the British Invasion (which also derived from R&B and blues).

A lot of these songs ramble and all could benefit from a bit of trimming to achieve maximum potency. But even as is—this is a healthy slap in the face to current pop orthodoxies. - Howard Wuelfing

NATHANIEL MAYER - Billboard, Blogcritics, MOKB

Billboard news :
Members of the Black Keys, Dirtbombs, the Sights and Outrageous Cherry have lent their talents to "Why Don't You Give It to Me," the forthcoming effort from soul/blues/rock singer Nathaniel Mayer. Due Aug. 21 via Alive Records, the set comes on the heels of 2004's "I Just Want to Be Held," which was the Detroit-based veteran's first full-length in 40 years.

Mayer first met the Black Keys when the garage duo tapped him as the opening act for their November 2005 tour. Mayer, in turn, recruited Outrageous Cherry guitarist Matthew Smith, Dirtbombs bassist Troy Gregory and the Sights/SSM drummer Dave Shettler as his backing band, occasionally joined by Black Keys guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach.

"People would come up to us after the show and ask, 'How long you guys been playing together?' It was two weeks! We had been rehearsing together for two weeks!" Mayer, 63, tells Billboard.com. "They're a great band, just a real different sound. It was beautiful."

After the dust settled, Mayer re-entered the studio with the same line-up and Auerbach, Smith and Shettler taking turns producing. According to Mayer, the resulting album mixes his love of funk a la James Brown with psychedelic, blues and garage. 'I'm a Lonely Man," the first single from "Why Don't You Give It to Me," is currently available via iTunes.

Most importantly for Mayer, the album serves as a good reason for him to indulge his true love, touring. "I love traveling so much. It makes coming home all the better," he laughs, adding that the band is considering recording a live album along the way. Though Mayer is still planning a tour for next month and then later in the year, he hopes the treks will include one spot that he hasn't visited since 1962: New York's Apollo Theater. Mayer has been performing since the ripe age of 15 and is best known for his 1962 hit "Village of Love," which he sang at the beloved performance hall. - Katie Hasty

Blogcritics review of "Why Don't You Give It To Me?":
My husband and I are long time lovers of the blues, especially the raw Juke Joint sounds of what we call the "Fat Possum" gang — RL Burnside and sons, Nathaniel Mayer, Asie Payton, Paul "Wine" Jones, and Fred McDowell. Always interesting and never safe, these artists define their own musical genres and pull from many different traditions.

Nathaniel Mayer has had an interesting and long career for someone who many folks have just heard of. He recorded for the grittier than Motown Fortune label in the 1960s, singing "Village of Love" (one of his only hits) at the early age of 18. Good raw funky soul music was his calling card.

Since the 60s Mayer has done some studio and back up work, but has built his career on his outrageous raunchy live act. He was rediscovered by Fat Possum in 2003/2004 which saw the release of his highly acclaimed album, I Just Want To Be Held. This was my first introduction to Mayer's howling vocals, raw steaming riffs, and over the top sexuality in such songs as "Stick It or Lick It" and "I Wanna Dance with You".

Now with the Alive Records label, this son of Detroit has recorded what is easily the best album of his career and very possibly one of the best rock/blues/soul/psychedelic albums I've ever heard. Why Don't You Give It To Me? was born after the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, and Mayer performed together at NYC's Knitting Factory and decided that they should take their scintillating steaming cauldron of music into the recording studio. Recorded in Mayer's hometown of Detroit and produced by Matthew Smith, Dan Auerbach, and Dave Shettler this album is so great, so interesting, and so difficult to categorize.

Mayer opens with the pure funk and his trademark howls in the title song, and then immediately moves the listener out of complacency and into the intense rockabilly inspired "White Dress". He pays homage to his blues roots with the classic sound of "Please Don't Drop the Bomb" and then surprises yet again with the opening jazzy riffs of "Doin' It". The reggae inspired island beat of "Dancing Move" is reminiscent of UB40. It's as though Hendrix, the Stooges, James Brown, RL Burnside, the Stray Cats, and UB40 all came together in a "best of" blend. This is an eclectic mix that works in the hands of this masterful vocalist. - Lynda Lippin

MOKB review :
Using a voice that sounds like it was tuned with a rat-tail file, Mayer delivers with astonishing urgency; as if he has spotted a cuckolded husband with a .38 behind the trap set. It is heartening (and just a little frightening) to hear this veteran lothario howl, scratch and slink through songs of seduction when we would be more comfortable with him complaining about the service at Denny's. Don't think for a moment that this is a novelty record. Aside from being himself a staggering performer, Mayer benefits greatly from a backing band that, forgive me, should scare the reunited Stooges back into retirement. All members can claim superior blues/garage pedigree, but it's enough to say they play like some bad mothers. Don't believe me? Cue up "Doin' It", (any guesses as to what that's about?) which sounds like Booker T & The MG's (circa Otis Redding Live in Monterey) in a streetfight with Hendrix's Band of Gypsies. Find this record immediately and pray Nathaniel Mayer never comes courting your dear old Granny. - My Old Kentucky

NATHANIEL MAYER - Pop Matters, Sailor Jerry

Pop Matters review of "Why Don't You Give It To Me?" : Nathaniel Mayer wants your love. Specifically, ladies, he wants your love. And, um, this elder R&B statesman might want just a bit more, as evidenced by his prowling growl on songs such as “Why Don’t You Show Me?”, “Why Don’t You Give it to Me?”, and “Doin’ It”. Yes, fathers, lock up your daughters because, some 40 years after several chart-topping singles, Mayer is back—and he’s still desperate. Whereas his true comeback record and first release in a non-single format—2004’s I Just Want to Be Held—channeled Detroit’s soul side, these nine songs spend more time exploring Motor City’s garage sound. Why Don’t You Give it to Me?, the opening and title track offers a distinctive Black Keys riff from Dan Auerbach paired with a loose and dirty backbeat from the rhythm section (which features members of The Sights, Outrageous Cherry, and Dirtbombs). Then, placed high in the sonic mix, Mayer appears with his own loose and dirty snarl begging the question of the album’s title. During the garage-soul originals that follow, Mayer croons, howls, and whimpers through a varied sonic palette—the hand-clapping and jaunty “White Dress”, the shuffling slow-burn “I’m a Lonely Man”, and the psychedelics of the nine-minute “Doin’ It”. The album closes with a reggae calypso cover of Delroy Wilson’s “Dancing Mood”. By the end of these 40 minutes, you can almost smell the cigarette smoke, cheap scotch, cologne and sweat emanating from Mayer’s powder-blue polyester suit. C’mon, give the man some love.

Sailor Jerry review :
So the other day I got a package from Alive Records containing some new releases. This (Nathaniel Mayer) CD caught my attention immediately and, although I had a ton of other stuff to do, I immediately popped it in. What I heard proceeded to blow my mind.

The first and title track of the record simultaneously reminded me of both "Exile on Mainstreet" era Stones and the Stooges "Funhouse", except for that instead of a pompous, white youth pour his/her heart it out it was the gravely voice of a black man in his late 60's.

Nathaniel Mayer started of his career in the early 60's with a string of singles on Detroit's Fortune Records reaching his peak on the 1962 Top 40 hit "Village of Love." After the following (great) singles failed to do as well Nay Dog faded into mainstream obscurity. He resurfaced, albeit briefly, in the 80's only to (as another article claimed), "descend back to the ghettos of Detroit." This only fueled the legend-producing myths that surrounded Mayer.

Fast-forward to 2002: Nathanial Mayer launches an extremely unexpected (to say the least) comeback, appealing to a generation far removed from his own by working with current artists inspired by his work. I.E. teaming up with some of the heavyweights of the garage circuit. Which leads us to now.

"Why Don't You Give To Me" easily comes across as a record from 40 years back. The recording brings to mind a thrown together, live in the studio affair straddling a line somewhere between a 60's psych/garage sound and something more akin to traditional blues. The song styles themselves range from Psych, Blues, Soul, Garage, Gospel Reggae and every shade in between but are all painted in heavy coats of vulnerability and emotion as if being pulled directly from Nathaniel's soul. His voice is as gravely and war-torn as you'd expect from a 60+ year old Detroit native, but somehow the same "something" that gives Nay's voice it's "old, wise and lived through it all" qualities also makes him sound incredibly both young and forward-reaching.

The band behind the man features Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Matthey Smith of Outrageous Cherry, Troy Gregory of The Dirtbombs, and Dave Shettler of SSM and The Sights and really does an amazing job of keeping the overall vibe authentically 60's and current at the same time.

In short, even after only 6 or 7 listens, "Why Don't You Give To Me" is becoming one of my favourite records of the past few years and is quickly reaching back to become one of my favourites of any year with each listen.