Mad Season

Without a single finished song or even a name, a new Seattle band booked a surprise gig at the Crocodile Cafe in October 1994 – and 'Artificial Red' came together on stage that night. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready had met John Baker Saunders in Minnesota rehab, then invited Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, hoping sober company might help his friend get clean.

Music for Above took about seven days, blending what McCready called "some jazzy stuff, some blues, some arena rock". 'Long Gone Day' drifts on samba-style bass, xylophone and saxophone, with Mark Lanegan guesting, while 'I Don't Know Anything' hits heavier. Staley's lyrics, shaped by Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, confront addiction.

'River of Deceit' became a radio success, but clashing schedules and Staley's drug problems stalled everything. Saunders' fatal overdose in 1999 ended the group, and Staley died three years later.