Above (Columbia ’95) Rating: B+
With Alice In Chains on temporary hiatus, Layne Staley joined forces with some of Seattle’s finest (guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, talented drummer and multi-instrumentalist Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees, and the unknown John Baker Saunders on bass) for an ad-hoc supergroup a la the prior Temple Of The Dog. This gave Staley a chance to show off his songwriting skills (Jerry Cantrell is Alice’s prime songwriter) while giving McCready more of a chance to strut his stuff (sans Stone Gossard), particularly on the jam-based instrumental track “November Hotel.” And though it could be argued that Mad Season lacks the phenomenal chemistry of their parent bands, Above is well above average on the whole. For example, “Wake Up” begins the album with a slow, moody burner that gradually builds in intensity, boosted by Staley’s powerful vocal performance. “X-Ray Mind” is a groove-based track on which Staley duets with himself (via multi-tracking) to make up for Cantrell’s absence, a strategy that also works well on the loose, laid back (but at times also pretty heavy) “I’m Above,” the song from which this album takes its title. The unplugged “Long Gone Day” likewise has a loose, groovy vibe, helped in part by Martin's inventive percussion, while “River Of Deceit” is a wonderfully melodic downer that got plenty of airplay back in the day. So did the brooding droner “Lifeless Dead” and “I Don’t Know Anything,” a hook-filled hard rocker that churns along with an Alice In Chains-like intensity. The pretty, keyboard-based “All Alone” provides a sleepily satisfying if underdeveloped finale, though it also exemplifies the albums primary weaknesses, namely an over-emphasis on mood and at times a lack of focus, plus some of these songs plod a little too much for their own good; for example, “Artificial Red” starts slowly and never really gets going. On the whole, Above moves along at its own unhurried pace, and the album’s considerable commercial success made me fear that perhaps my beloved Alice In Chains would be heard from no more. Alas, Mad Season has since been silent, as each of its members went back to their perspective meal tickets, suitably refreshed from the experience.
