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MP3 FLAC		Mad Season Above [Album] 14 March 1995 Grunge Rock Wikipedia Discogs
'Above' is the only studio album by Mad Season. It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA in the United States. Layne Staley created the artwork on the album cover and inside the inlay.
Performers: Mark Lanegan (Vocals) Mike McCready (Guitar)
Theme: The Pearl Jam Family Tree (1985-Present)
TheBigBlack Review (14 September 2024) It could be said that a grunge supergroup formed by musicians that met in rehab is doomed to fail, but it did seem for a fleeting moment that Mad Season wouldn't be a casualty. Guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam met bassist John Baker Saunders of The Walkabouts while seeking treatment, and once back on their feet they began to jam with drummer Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees. Rounding out the line-up on vocals was Layne Staley of Alice In Chains, himself recently clean. 'Wake up' opens the album in a mellow and sleepy way, not with the expected bombast of the sum of the band's parts. A vibraphone drives the songs until the magnificent climaxing guitar solo. Arguably, Staley is at his absolute best here, possibly finding a new appreciation for music as a post-rehab outlet. His voice is like the edge of a razor, slicing through the atmosphere. Although the album wonderfully showcases the vocals, it is also reminds the listener what an amazing guitarist Mike McCready is, as his warbling psychedelic guitar drives each song. He has no second guitar to compete with here as he does in his primary band, allowing him room to leave space and time his notes wonderfully. His guitar cuts the silence opening into 'X-Ray Mind', and the music now starts to sound like what one would expect from these musicians. The album ducks and weaves through multiple styles and tempos, with every song taking the listener on a different journey. This can often be a jarring listening experience, but for the most part the album manages to avoid alienating any ears. Moving between the classic rock balladry of 'River Of Deceit', an undeniable modern rock masterpiece, the album moves onto the soulful (but heavy) 'I'm Above' featuring the first song with the crooning guest vocals of Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan. 'Artificial Red' showcases some classic blues, while 'I Don't Know Anything', easily the most 'grunge' of the tracks on display, grinds its way toward the album's final moments. Lanegan reappears and is showcased on the jazz infused 'Long Gone Day'. Although the moody and lengthy instrumental 'November Hotel' has some very loud moments, the album slows down toward the end, and closes with the quietly performed 'All Alone' wrapping things up nicely. It isn't an album that reveals it's magic easily, and it takes a number of listens to unravel it's many layers. Sadly, this was to be the band's only album, and forever will be, as both Staley and Saunders were both later taken from us by their addictions.

Tracks:
(1/1) 1.	Mad Season - Wake Up (07:40)
(1/1) 2.	Mad Season - X-Ray Mind (05:12)
(1/1) 3.	Mad Season - River Of Deceit (05:04)
(1/1) 4.	Mad Season - I'm Above (05:45)
(1/1) 5.	Mad Season - Artificial Red (06:20)
(1/1) 6.	Mad Season - Lifeless Dead (04:29)
(1/1) 7.	Mad Season - I Don't Know Anything (05:02)
(1/1) 8.	Mad Season - Long Gone Day (04:51)
(1/1) 9.	Mad Season - November Hotel (07:07)
(1/1) 10.	Mad Season - All Alone (04:14)

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