Customer Reviews

Above

5 star:		(106)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

members from two of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains combine on the only Mad Season album ever. Most prominent is the late layne Staley. Staley is one of the best rock vocalists of all time. Right up there not only with his contemporaries Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, but with classic rock's greatest frontmen; Robert Plant, Mick Jagger,Roger Daltry, the list goes on. Staley's unique delivery works well not only on hard rocking albums like Facelift and Dirt, but also on quieter albums such as Jar Of Flies, Sap, and AIC Unplugged. The softer side is displayed throughout this album.
This is one of the most successful side projects ever assembled, right alongside the brilliant Temple Of The Dog. After you get this album, get the VHS (not on dvd yet) performance of Mad Season Live, it shows Layne's unique gift as a live performer. We miss ya Layne.

This CD rocks.. and for those of you who only know of or have ever heard "River of Deceit" this album goes way deeper than just that track. In fact if you didn't know any better, you would think this is an A.I.C. album, it's just that good. In my opinion all 10 tracks are pretty cool in their own respects.

¤¤¤~~R.I.P Layne~~¤¤¤

Above is a must-have album for fans of Layne Staley, Mike McCready, or of course the era and the music that went along with it.

Less manic and more subtle than the archetypal Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam albums, Mad Season and Above are an incredible but at times frustrating listen. While the album as a whole is somewhat uneven, beautiful tracks like Wake Up, River of Deceit and the latin-tinged Long Gone Day showcase that incredible potential for creativity and change that seemed to be everywhere in the early '90s. Sadly, this potential was never realized as most of the important bands have either split or lost members due in large part to the daemons that drove their projects in the first place.

Still, at certain moments Above provides a glimpse into a deeper, more sophisticated 'grunge' (a stupid, inaccurate term, but it is useful here) that was never fully realized.

Mad Season is something of a Seattle supergroup with Alice In Chains lead vocalist Layne Staley joining up with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and the drummer from the Screaming Trees. The one album they made together, Above, is a stirring collection of songs that take on dark subject matters like death and addiction, but the album is not in the traditional grunge sound. There are some heavy guitar passages like in the psychedelic instrumental blast of "November Hotel" and bluesy "Artificial Red", but overall, the album has a loose, almost jazz like quality. "Wake Up" has a pounding bass with a strong vocal and "River Of Deceit" is an absolutely gorgeous song with great instrumentation. Mad Season unfortunately was a one-off project, but it would have been interesting to see where the band could have gone if they decided to make a second album.

Mad Season, the so-called "Grunge Supergroup" combines the talents of Alice In Chains' Layne Staley, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, the Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin and also features blues bassist John Baker Saunders, and Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan on a couple of tracks. This album is a masterpiece. Instead of serving as a "Layne Staley solo project," which some have referred to it as, it is a group effort all the way. The late Baker Saunders was an amazing, if little-heard bassist, and McCready, who never really got to excercise his songwriting muscles in Pearl Jam, wrote some great riffs here. Staley, as usual, is in fine form, both as an awe-inspiring vocalist and top-of-the-line songwriter and lyricist. As a matter of fact, Staley hadn't really addressed his pathos in song so clearly since his main band's "Dirt" album. Loneliness, depression, addiction and coming to terms with those problems, or attempting to, are the themes addressed in these songs. This is by no means a "feel good" album, but as with most great art, most everything Layne did came from pain. The avowed influence of classic '70's rock shared by both Staley and McCready (who both came up in the Seattle scene playing in 'glam metal' bands early on) is apparent on several tracks, like "I'm Above," which contains a killer guitar riff and a nice McCready acoustic solo. The crunchy "I Don't Know Anything," with Layne and Mike's guitar see-sawing riffs is another great track--simple, but very beautiful. Also, the collaboration with Mark Lanegan ("Long Gone Day") can't be missed, with its eerie, jazzy atmosphere and some guest saxophone by Nagalas Sin-Carne.

Mike McCready, blues-influenced guitarist of Peal Jam, friend Barrett Martin, drummer of the Screming Trees, and John Baker Saunders, a bassist friend of Mike's, got together in early 1994 to set up some informal jam sessions. The band sat down and instantly wrote the music to 'Wake Up' and 'River of Deceit.' The band new they had sparked something and it was only a little while until Mike got on the phone with Alice in Chains vocalist Layne Staley. Staley joined, with guitar in hand and a head-full of lyric ideas, and the new band's musical mix got even hotter. A Year later the band released their album, one which was completely unique from all of their other bands, and one that wouldn't be duplicated.

The first thing noticable after a listen through of "Above" is that it was different. Alice in Chains this is not. Although Layne's vocals do sound like they're from a AiC album, and although they do stop this from sounding like Pearl Jam, that is not to say this sounds like Alice in Chains. Mike's guitar playing is strictly his own, most of which sounds as though it could come out of Pearl Jam. From the Vitalogy-sounding guitar of 'River of Deceit' to the screeching of 'I Don't Know Anything', Mike uses all of his talent to create a sound he hadn't done in Pearl Jam yet. The bass of Baker is exceptional. Having played with blues artists such as Little Pat Rushing, Hubert Sumlin, Sammy Fender, and the Lamont Cranston Band, he and Mike both had an idea to the stylings of music and they incorporated as much as possible into the album. The blues influence really shines, though, in the jazzy 'Artificial Red'. A song that is one of the best on the album. The percussion is also very nicely done. With not only drums, but bongos, congas, and marimbas, Martin does a very nice job setting an atmosphere along with a beat. He also contributes a bit of the Cello to some of the songs.

The vocals of the album are confident and Staley uses his range beautifully in songs like 'Im Above' and 'Wake Up'. Also contributing vocals is Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan on songs 'Long Gone Day' and 'I'm Above'. With these years being arguably Staley's best he shines bright on all 10 tracks. Still the genious in the album comes straight from the instruments and it is proven in the 7 minute instrumental 'November Hotel'. The song shows the best of all 4's musical talent. With the crazy effects of Mike, the furious beat of Barrett's toms, the constant moving bass line of Baker, and Staley's constant riffs, this song is really the icing on the cake of the album. It shows the talent this band had. It showed what each individual member could accomplish and proved that this side project wasn't a side project, it was a superband.

Sadly Mad Season's first album would be it's last. With all four members heading back to their roots and their old bands, time would be slim for a new album to be made and sadly, Staleys death would stop it entirely. Fortunately we have this album, which shows of different sides of all four artists. Maybe having only one album is better. If there were two would we really recognize the genious in this? I don't know, but this album's style, originality, and uniqueness makes it well deserving of 5 stars.

For those of you who buy this album expecting to hear all the heavy guitar work and anger that makes up most alice in chains albums and some Pearl Jam albums, you may be in for a suprise. Before listening to this album, understand that it is completely different than anything both of these bands have ever made. And by saying that, it is a killer album. Maybe not quite as good as ten or dirt, but still, listening to Above is total bliss. Layne Staley's vocals have never sounded better. He has to be the greatest vocalist of the 90s. Mike Mc Creedy's guitar work is excellent, and the songs just plain rule. buy this album if you like any of these bands. You won't be dissapointed. Don't buy this album however if what you want is a hard and heavy album with lots of distortions, cuz you won't find much of that here.

Unlike many other artists, Layne Staley's art is life changing for those who listen to it. Listening to Mad Season you can hear hope. There's definitely melancholy, pain, confusion, regret, nostalgia, the list goes on. But you didn't have to look hard to find the hope he had for himself. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. I've never heard a greater display of talent than Layne Staley. He is the greatest singer in rock music & in my opinion, the greatest singer in music overall. I've yet to hear so much emotion in someone's voice. His lyrics are superb. He always knows the right way to say things & even if you haven't been through the same things as him, you find a way to relate to pretty much all of it. Also, the music really lets him show off his versatility. He could sing anything & do it justice. The other thing that's really great is you get to see how much of an influence Layne had on AIC. Jerry Cantrell is one of my top 3 favorite guitarists & a great songwriter, but I still found his solo work to be a little boring. It's odd, but I really couldn't feel much soul. That isn't the case with Mad Season. Even though Layne is the one that shines on this album, we can't forget or ignore the other members. This is the most unique album I have ever heard. These boys are the Quentin Tarantino's of music. Barrett Martin's drums are nothing short of incredible. Especially on "X-ray Mind". That intro is one of the best I've heard. His style is very unique & he really knows how to get you air-drumming. Mike McCready's guitars are also really unique. They remind you of `60s & 70s style rock. I can't think of a song that he doesn't sound exceptional in. His stand-out solos in "Artificial Red" & "Wake Up" really know how to kick arse. I love how in "Artificial Red" it sounds as if Layne & the guitar are having a conversation. You'll only be able to understand after you hear it. The bass work by Baker is also awesome. I don't know about you, but in some bands I can't even notice a bass player exists. Mad Season is definitely not one of those bands.

There's a real chemistry between all the members. They all actually seem really satisfied & happy to be playing together (you can REALLY see it in the live tape that's out there). It's a nice change since you see so many bands breaking up over little arguments or just not getting along. I know they weren't recording & touring for decades or anything, but my point is they enjoyed themselves & you can tell.

I love every track on this album. I can never listen to just one song. I can't resist not listening to it start to finish. Here's why each one stands out for me:
-"Wake Up" is an overall great track. Layne's vocals are really touching & make you ache. The lyrics are honest & really fit the music. It actually sounds like waking up.
-"X-Ray Mind" has awesome drums & bendy guitar. The lyrics are easy to relate to since you can find your own meaning in them other than the one that exists.
-"River of Deceit". Great vocals & painful lyrics. Really makes you want to read "The Prophet" (something you should do if you like reading).
-"I'm Above" has a really great chorus. The whole song sounds very 60s. Reminds me of The Doors.
-"Artificial Red" is an amazing blues song. Layne's vocals & lyrics are just... Wow! I can't believe more people don't talk about this song. One of my favorites.
-"Lifeless Dead" has cool guitar work. I like how in the beginning it switches which sides you hear it on your speakers. Awesome scream in the chorus & the guitar just before the chorus is quite memorable.
-"I Don't Know Anything" is a simple song. You can easily relate to the lyrics.
-"Long Gone Day" is the most unique track on the album & one of the most unique songs I've ever heard. It's very bluesy & jazzy with a certain Latin vibe. The lyrics totally hit the spot. Layne & Mark Lanegan's voices complement each other well.
-"November Hotel" doesn't get annoying or old like a lot of other instrumentals. You don't even notice it's 7 minutes long & everyone participates. Starts off with light drums & guitar, but before you know it everybody's rocking out & there's chaos. Maybe chaos isn't the right word since nothing clashes. Everybody's doing their own thing, but the sounds come together & form a masterpiece.
-"All Alone". A really simple & mellow song with a constant pace & few lyrics. Anybody could come up with these lyrics. It's just "we're all alone". But Layne makes them sound genius; as if they're something special. The music makes you feel alone. This is the stand-out of the album that turns out to be the perfect way to end things.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that this album is the sht. This band is the sht. If you don't already own this, you need to. You don't have to like any specific genre. You don't have to like any of the member's main bands. You don't have to be in a specific mood to want to listen to them. You just have to like listening to music. You won't be disappointed.

Rest in peace Layne & Baker.

P.S.: Everyone should also download their cover of "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier". It was on some soundtrack. Sounds really smooth & polished. & sorry for the extra long review, but I couldn't help myself.

This album features vocalist Layne Staley (of Alice in Chains), guitarist Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam), bassist John Baker Saunders, and drummer Barret Martin (of The Screaming Trees). I love Pearl Jam and I really love Alice in Chains (I've only heard one Screaming Trees song) so I had to check this out. This CD was made right after the final Alice in Chains album and was the final album Layne Staley ever recorded although he didn't die until 7 years later. This is really his farewell album though. In Alice in Chains, guitarist Jerry Cantrell wrote a majority of the lyrics. Staley wrote almost all the tracks on "Jar of Flies", a few songs on "Facelift", one of the best songs on "Dirt"
(Angry Chair), and AIC's biggest hit "Man in the Box". On this album, Staley writes all the lyrics which gave him a chance to show how sad and alone he was. Staley was an extremely talented guy. He had a very unique voice that allowed him to sing hard rock tunes and then mellow songs like on here. His voice also expresses the pain he was going through, you can literally hear it in his voice. His lyrics are deep, dark, and painful. And he drew the cover of this album. Mike McCready has always been a talented guitarist and does some of his best work on this CD. Martin is a gifted drummer and along with Saunders creates a great rhythm section. But don't mistake this for an Alice in Chains album, because it's not. AIC was a hard rock band who mostly created hard rock jams. Every song on Mad Season is mellow, although a few are fast paced. This is a great change though and I love this CD.
Here are the tracks and some comments on each one:

1. Wake Up-5/5-Really mellow. Layne Staley sings it with a lot of pain in his voice.
2. X Ray Mind-5/5-It's not as mellow as the previous song, but it's great. It's really catchy.
3. River of Deceit-5/5-I read on an Amazon listmania thing, someone called this "possibly the saddest song ever recorded". I don't know about that, but it's definitley a sad song. Probably the saddest lyrics Layne Staley ever wrote.
4. I'm Above-5/5-This song is great. Really good drumming and guitar playing is awesome. The chorus is the best part of the song.
5. Artificial Red-4/5-This song is good, but it's the weakest on the album so far.
6. Lifeless Dead-5/5-Awesome! Totally awesome. Staley's cadence in the song is perfect, the lyrics are weird but good.
7. I Don't Know Anything-5/5-The most rocking song on the album. The drumming is really good, showing how talented he really is.
8. Long Gone Day-5/5-Has a simalar beat to the songs "Voodoo" & "Serenity" by Godsmack. This song was written and recorded long before those songs, but there is a simalarity.
9. November Hotel-5/5-This is one of the best instrumentals I've ever heard, it's freaking awesome!
10. All Alone-5/5-There's barely any lyrics, but this is probably the saddest song on the album.

Mad Season isn't better than Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam, but they were really good and had a lot of potential to become great. This first album is evidence of that, since every song is amazing. Any fan of Layne Staley should love it.

GRADE: A+

mad season isn't just some other side project, they were an amazing glimmer of light. only 1 cd, and that was all, but i think it should stay like this. side bands like mad season who only produce one album, produce one album for probably the purpose of making it an amazing stand out, so you could look back and say "man, that band was truly amazing"

"wake up" in my opinion is the best track here, even if it is an opener. it introduces you to the soft and hard side of "above" and the lyrics are emotionally grabbing, you understand staley. and "all alone" is a great closer, few lyrics, and just a slow goodbye after the storm. sort of like a door closing on grunge.

layne staley was truly an amazing artist, r.i.p layne.