Mad Season (band)
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Seattle , United States |
Key people | Mike McCready, Layne Staley, Barrett Martin, John Baker Saunders, Mark Lanegan |
| Products | Album: Above (1995) |
Mad Season was an American rock supergroup established in 1994, comprising notable figures from the Seattle grunge movement. The lineup featured guitarist Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, vocalist Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, drummer Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees, and bassist John Baker Saunders. Their sole album, Above, was released in March 1995. The album’s lead track, "River of Deceit", received considerable airplay, and Above earned gold certification from the RIAA by June of that year.
In 1996, Mad Season went on an indefinite hiatus due to conflicting schedules and Staley’s struggles with substance abuse. Attempts to restart the group in the late 1990s included collaborating with Screaming Trees’ lead singer Mark Lanegan as Staley’s replacement, with new material being developed. Nonetheless, the band disbanded permanently in 1999 following the death of bassist John Baker Saunders from a drug overdose; Staley passed away under similar circumstances three years later. Drummer Martin and guitarist McCready later led two brief partial reunions in 2012 and between 2014 and 2015. A deluxe box set containing a remastered version of Above alongside previously unreleased recordings was issued in March 2013.
Formation and early phase (1994–1995)
While working on Pearl Jam’s 1994 album Vitalogy, guitarist Mike McCready entered rehabilitation at the Hazelden Clinic in Minnesota, where he met bassist John Baker Saunders. Returning to Seattle, McCready and Saunders, together with drummer Barrett Martin, formed a side project. McCready was renowned for his roles in Pearl Jam and Temple of the Dog, Martin had experience with Skin Yard and the Screaming Trees, while Saunders had performed alongside blues musicians such as Little Pat Rushing and Hubert Sumlin. The trio quickly composed early versions of "Wake Up" and "River of Deceit", which would later appear on Mad Season’s only album, Above. McCready then invited his friend, Alice in Chains’s frontman Layne Staley, hoping that the project’s sober atmosphere might support Staley’s recovery efforts.
Even without completed songs or an official band name, McCready arranged an unadvertised performance at the Crocodile Cafe on October 12, 1994, which was well received. The track "Artificial Red" originated during this show. The band performed two additional concerts at the same venue in November 1994 under the temporary moniker The Gacy Bunch—a name combining references to serial killer John Wayne Gacy and television series The Brady Bunch. On January 8, 1995, they took part in Pearl Jam’s Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, delivering performances of "Lifeless Dead" and "I Don't Know Anything".
Above (1995)
Following their rising acclaim, the group recorded their only studio album and adopted the name Mad Season—a phrase McCready associated with cycles of alcohol and drug abuse. The recording sessions for Above took place at Seattle’s Bad Animals Studio, produced collaboratively by the band members and Pearl Jam engineer Brett Eliason. The ten-track record included guest vocals by Screaming Trees’ frontman Mark Lanegan. According to McCready, the musical components were completed within approximately seven days, with Layne Staley adding vocal tracks shortly thereafter. Released on March 14, 1995 via Columbia Records, Above garnered both critical praise and commercial success, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard 200 chart. It yielded two singles: "River of Deceit" (#2 on Mainstream Rock Tracks, #9 on Modern Rock Tracks) and "I Don't Know Anything" (#20 on Mainstream Rock Tracks). The album was certified gold by June 14, 1995.
Hiatus, Miscommunication, and Disbandment (1996-1999)
After their spring 1995 performances, the group entered a hiatus as members focused on their main musical endeavors. During this interval, they issued the Live at the Moore concert film, capturing an April 29, 1995, show in Seattle, and contributed a John Lennon cover to the tribute compilation Working Class Hero. In 1996, a live rendition of "River of Deceit" was included on the Bite Back: Live at Crocodile Cafe collection. By this stage, Mad Season was largely inactive as McCready and Martin resumed commitments with their respective bands, while Saunders became part of The Walkabouts.
In 1997, McCready, Saunders, and Martin sought to revive Mad Season; however, Staley's worsening health from substance abuse prevented his involvement after July 1996. They enlisted Mark Lanegan as the new lead singer and adopted the name Disinformation in late 1997. Work on a debut album commenced in 1998 but was impeded by scheduling difficulties. The effort suffered a significant setback with bassist John Baker Saunders' death from a heroin overdose in January 1999. Although no official announcement of disbandment was made, Staley acknowledged in a July 1999 interview that the band had dissolved.
Aftermath
Following Saunders' passing, McCready returned to activities with Pearl Jam and subsequently launched the side project The Rockfords. Martin briefly rejoined Screaming Trees before their dissolution in 2000 and later toured sporadically with R.E.M., also collaborating with R.E.M guitarist Peter Buck in Tuatara. Staley briefly reunited with Alice in Chains during the late 1990s but soon retreated from public view; he passed away in April 2002 due to an apparent cocaine and heroin overdose. Lanegan developed a successful solo career, collaborated with Queens of the Stone Age, partnered with Isobel Campbell on the Mercury Prize-nominated album Ballad of the Broken Seas (2006), and formed The Gutter Twins alongside Greg Dulli.
On February 28, 2010, McCready performed at Seattle’s Hootenanny For Haiti, sharing the stage with artists including Velvet Revolver, Loaded, former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Fastbacks bassist Kim Warnick, former members of Alien Crime Syndicate, Sirens Sister, and Vendetta Red bassist Jeff Rouse, as well as members of Truly and ex-Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel. The event featured covers such as Belinda Carlisle’s "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", Hank Williams’ "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", and the Rolling Stones’ "Dead Flowers". A standout moment was McCready’s rendition of "River of Deceit"—his first since Mad Season's breakup—with Jeff Rouse providing vocals.
Partial Reunion
On May 23, 2012, surviving members Mike McCready and Barrett Martin reunited at Seattle's Showbox Theatre during McCready's annual benefit concert for Crohn's disease. They were accompanied by Loaded vocalist Jeff Rouse and The Rockfords bassist Rick Friel.
Later in 2012, Martin, McCready, and Duff McKagan joined forces with singer Jeff Angell and keyboardist Benjamin Anderson to create the album Walking Papers. This collaboration motivated Martin, McCready, and McKagan to revisit unreleased material from Mad Season. By July 2012, Martin confirmed that Mark Lanegan would contribute vocals for a forthcoming Mad Season release.
In October 2012, Barrett Martin revealed plans for a Mad Season box set containing a remastered version of Above, a surround sound DVD of the Moore concert, previously unreleased live recordings, and three tracks featuring lyrics and vocals by Mark Lanegan. These songs originated from sessions intended for a second album that was halted due to the deaths of Baker and Staley; one track was co-written by Peter Buck.
Legacy Recordings issued an expanded deluxe edition of Above in April 2013. This three-disc set includes the remastered studio album, the John Lennon cover "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier," unreleased tracks from the unfinished second album featuring Lanegan’s vocals, the "Live at the Moore" performance available on CD, DVD, and vinyl formats, along with previously unreleased full concert videos from Seattle venues and radio broadcasts.
Mad Season reunited once more for "Sonic Evolution" alongside the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on January 30, 2015, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Chris Cornell stepped in for Staley on vocals while McKagan played bass. Additional vocal contributions came from Kim Virant of Lazy Susan and Jeff Angell of Walking Papers. The concert was recorded and released on August 28, 2015, under the title Mad Season & The Seattle Symphony - Sonic Evolution / January 30, 2015 / Benaroya Hall, which reached number four on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart.
New material
In July 2015, Martin revealed via Facebook that he was working on new Mad Season recordings alongside McCready and McKagan. This collaboration evolved into the project The Levee Walkers, which issued "Freedom Song" and "Tears for the West" in 2016 featuring vocalist Jaz Coleman, followed by "All Things Fade Away" in 2017 with singer Ayron Jones.
Musical style
McCready characterized the tracks on Above as a blend of "jazz-inflected pieces, blues, and arena rock." Prior to its release, Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic observed that the album "resembles a fusion of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, merging Alice’s intensity with Pearl Jam’s '90s reinterpretation of 1970s guitar rock." Staley’s lyrics conveyed his internal battles, with Martin noting that Staley approached his music as a spiritual endeavor. During the songwriting phase, Staley drew inspiration from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, which influenced the album’s overall mood.
Songs such as "I Don't Know Anything" highlight a stronger blues presence, whereas "Long Gone Day" features jazz components including samba-inspired bass lines, xylophone, and saxophone arrangements.
Staley is credited with all original lyric writing, focusing on themes of addiction and personal hardship. Screaming Trees’ vocalist Mark Lanegan provided guest vocals on "I'm Above" and "Long Gone Day," co-composing their music alongside McCready and Martin. Lanegan also penned lyrics for three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition: "Locomotive," "Black Book of Fear," and "Slip Away." Additionally, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck co-wrote the music for "Black Book of Fear" with McCready, Martin, Saunders, and Lanegan.
Official members
- Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) – drums, percussion, cello, upright bass (1994–1999, 2012, 2014–2015)
- Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) – lead guitar (1994–1999, 2012, 2014–2015)
- John Baker Saunders (later part of The Walkabouts) – bass (1994–1999; deceased 1999)
- Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) – vocals, rhythm guitar (1994–1997; deceased 2002)
- Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, later with Queens of the Stone Age) – vocals (1997–1999; deceased 2022)
Additional personnel
- Skerik – saxophone, percussion (1994–1995)
- Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) – vocals (2015; deceased 2017)
- Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses) – bass (2015)
- Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) – drums (2015)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | CAN | NOR | SWE | UK | |||
| Above |
|
24 | 51 | 65 | 24 | 46 | 41 |
|
Singles
| Track | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | Associated Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alternative |
US Mainstream Rock |
Canada |
Canada Alternative | |||
| "River of Deceit" | 1995 | 9 | 2 | 68 | 8 | Above |
| "I Don't Know Anything" | — | 20 | — | — | ||
| "Long Gone Day" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" indicates singles that did not enter the charts. | ||||||
Official music videos
- 1995 – "River of Deceit"
Videos
| Year | Description | Peak Position on US Charts |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Live at the Moore
|
24 |
Additional appearances
| Year | Track | Compilation or Album Title | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" | Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon | Hollywood |
| 1996 | "River of Deceit" (live version) | Bite Back: Live at Crocodile Cafe | PopLlama |
| 2017 | "Ascension" | The Singing Earth | Sunyata Records |
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Mad Season (band)
- 1994 establishments in Washington (state)
- 1999 disestablishments in Washington (state)
- Alternative rock groups from Washington (state)
- American blues rock musical groups
- Columbia Records artists
- American grunge groups
- Musical groups disestablished in 1999
- Musical groups established in 1994
- Musical groups from Seattle
- American musical quartets
- American rock music supergroups