Above It All Again

Mad Season Above
Legacy Recordings/Columbia Records

When many think of the seminal works of the grunge-era they think of Alice in Chain’s Dirt, Pearl Jam’s Ten, Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, and certainly Nirvana’s Nevermind. Lesser known, but equally important, is the lone album by Mad Season, Above. A collection of dark, smoky, alt. rock with tinges of grunge and a heaping helping of slow-paced blues. The band was comprised of Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), and “bluesman” John Baker Saunders. Saxophonist Skerik and Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lannegan also appear on this gold-certified album.

The deluxe edition of Above is meant to honor the memory and contributions of the sadly departed Layne Staley and John Baker Saunders. It includes the entire original album with four new tracks added to the mix. The bonus tracks come from the recording sessions for the second album that was never completed due to Staley’s failing health. Mark Lanegan returned to write lyrics and provide vocals on what were determined to be the strongest songs from the leftover material. It also includes a live audio CD and DVD of the band’s April 29^th, 1995 show at The Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington.

If any album defines the nineties, it’s this one. Everything about Above is perfect, from its thoughtful lyrics and reserved, intimate vocal work, to its blues, as filtered through Seattle fuzzboxes, riffing. Staley’s voice sounds desperate and frail and his lyrics yearn for something else, it’s like hearing someone search for themselves out loud in an extremely intimate way. The way the gentle guitars and reserved rhythms move “River of Deceit” along is beautiful and when Staley sings “My pain is self-chosen/At least, so The Prophet says/I could either burn or cut off my pride and buy some time/A head full of lies is the weight, tied to my waist…” you know that it’s intensely personal. Retrospect makes it seem even moreso. The moody swing, world-influenced, “Long Gone Day” is another highlight, falling somewhere between Jarboe and the Melvins without sounding particularly like either. “Wake Up,” “X-Ray Mind,” “Artificial Red,” and the others are all equally amazing, but you get the idea.

The instrumental “Interlude” serves as the bridge to the “new” tracks. “Slip Away” and “Black Book of Fear” have a Pink Floyd flare to them but mostly they sound like a natural progression from the material on Above. “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier” is remixed here and serves as a crystal clear reminder of the greatness we lost when Layne Staley succumbed to addiction.

The live material here is excellent as well. The band sounded great live, it’s much more loose than I would have expected and they are able to take such intimate works and give them to the audience wholeheartedly without sucking any of the energy out of the room. I would have thought songs like “River of Deceit” and “All Alone” and “Long Gone Day” would be potential downers live but the band makes a spiritual connection with the audience, converging perfectly at that moment in time that makes it feel exciting and refreshing instead. When Staley’s voice and McCready’s guitar come together to open the show with “Wake Up,” you know this was something very, very connected and it sends chills down your spine.  Like a new beginning. Watching it is a hundred times better then listening to it, but both are powerful. I will admit though that Staley looks like he had begun a turn for the worst already by this time, spending most of the show not making eye contact and looking super thin physically. 

This is THE definitive moment in the Seattle music scene in my opinion and I am completely stoked to see it re-released. The live album and the newly completed bonus tracks make it that much better. If you enjoy any of the bands from this legendary scene from Mudhoney to Screaming Trees to the bigger names then  this is a must have for you. If you already own this, there is more than enough reason to warrant a second purchase.