Nathaniel Mayer - I Just Want To Be Held (2004) Lossless

Veteran Detroit soulman Mayer had a brief taste of success in the early '60s as a teenage hit-maker, but his subsequent career has been built on his outrageous live act. Mayer, however, has a lot more going on than just his well-seasoned showmanship, as his first album in decades enjoyably demonstrates. Mayer's aggressive soul stylings are reinforced by a rocking garage-funk band that is as raw and real as the extroverted singer is, and the combination is certifiably combustible. Seven of the 10 tunes are Mayer's and most, such as "Stick It or Lick It," approach the trials and tribulations of romance from a decidedly adult perspective. The hard-driving funk of "I Wanna Dance with You" has spiky guitar punctuation over churning organ and some honking sax from Suzi Hendrix while "I'm In Love" juxtaposes pop-flavored chiming guitar work with Mayer's rawboned vocal. The one well-known cover is a gem as Mayer unleashes a primal vocal on a rambunctiously rhythmic remake of John Lennon's "I Found Out." --Michael Point