Adam Recording Double Album of New Material?
18 Songs Recorded So Far For "Go West"

Adam Marsland is working on his first album of new original material since YOU DON'T KNOW ME (released in September 2004 and recorded in spring 2003), and he may be making up for lost time by releasing a rarity for an indie artist: a double CD set.

Via his myspace blog, Adam has been keeping fans apprised of the progress of the new album, with growing excitement despite setbacks such as the theft of some of his recording equipment, computer gear and musical instruments (see below). Recently, Adam has been polling fans as to whether they thought a double album of new material would be excessive, citing the scope of the album and the number of songs underway. "I'd rather do two albums of 21 songs than one disc of 18," he wrote recently, citing concerns about people being able to absorb that much material in one sitting.

The album marks a significant break from Adam's past work. It's his first original album to be recorded digitally, and the first he is producing himself (longtime producer Steve Refling is supervising the production and mixdown of the album). It's also his first to be recorded at home, and the results have been, in the words of bass player Teresa, "close to something really amazing. Definitely Adam's best work." Adam himself has said "the new stuff blows everything else I've done away." The album has been done with the help of the entire Chaos Band, though they are more involved in some tracks than others.

The title of the album: GO WEST. Like his well-respected LUDLOW 6:18 album with Cockeyed Ghost, it's something of a concept album, with its own storyline and themes that carry through the entire record, but aren't explicitly spelled out. Adam first conceptualized the album while on tour with the Chaos Band in 2006, and sporadic recording took place later that year, in 2007, and early in 2008, but it's only in the last few months since Adam returned from tour that the project has gone into high gear.

Only a few people have heard the songs that have already been recorded (18 so far), and they run an even larger stylistic range than Adam is known for; for the first time he ventures into electronic music (with a disco tune, no less), and funk, while other songs mine dark, moody territory similar to Kraftwerk or Adam's hero, Dennis Wilson. In between, there is plenty of the pop melodicism that Adam is known for (and returning on a few songs to the hard rock sound of Cockeyed Ghost), as well as the brutally honest, sometimes dark, emotional lyricism. The storyline, which loosely follows the progression of someone's life through their 20s and 30s, touches repeatedly on themes of isolation, loneliness, and social confusion. Always willing to push the boundaries of what's acceptable in a so-called "pop" tune, one song in particular, "1 in 4," may prove to be Adam's most powerful and controversial song to date, dealing with rape, incest and post-traumatic stress disorder. Another song, "Standing in Chicago," talks about the recent death of his brother and their lifelong struggle with social alienation.

Adam's myspace page carries a March 2009 release date, though it's not certain if that's a firm date or just a projection.

Adam's Reseda home was the target of a burglary over Thanksgiving while Adam was away visiting relatives. Adam lost several prized possessions, including his Fender Telecaster and 20" IMac. Thieves also stole recording equipment but thankfully, Adam had backed up the digital music files for his new album and stowed them in another part of the house, and did not lose any recording.

Below is a list of the stolen gear. Adam is offering a $200 reward for the return of his telecaster.

1984 MADE IN JAPAN FENDER TELECASTER. Sunburst finish. "Made in Japan" stamped on neck where it is glued to the body. PICKUP SWITCH KNOB IS
MISSING. Can be identified by small diagonal ding just below (to the right of, if you have it strapped on) the bridge, halfway between that and the edge of the guitar. Custom bridge pickup. May also have a distinctive tiger skin guitar strap.

KORG X-50 SYNTHESIZER. Serial Number 00004891. 61 keys. black. there is (or was) a small piece of paper taped to the upper right of the top chassis with four lines of patch numbers and song titles handwritten on it.

DIGIDESIGN M-BOX 2. Serial number AP0646600A. v.6.8.1.

FENDER SUPRO Practice Amp.

also:
I MAC 20" INTEL CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER. Serial number W864498PVU. White, 2.16Ghz Proc., 250GB memory. The keyboard is apple and is pretty dirty.

CANON ZR800 DIGITAL CAMCORDER. Serial number 602442040853. Silver.

IBOOK G4 LAPTOP COMPUTER, Serial number (found under keyboard, system profiler has blank serial number), UV447VFRCQ. White, dirty, cover loose, 12" screen.

Adam's beloved vintage Fender Telecaster is among the items stolen in a recent burglary at his home.

All the performers, including Adam Marsland's Chaos Band, join Brian Wilson at the Roxy for the grand finale. Left to right: Darian Sahanaja (behind Adam); Adam (at organ), Gary Griffin, Alan Boyd, David Marks, Justyn Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Dick Dale, Brian Wilson, Brett Simons, Carnie Wilson, Diane Rovell, Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, Ginger Blake, Jeff Foskett, Al Jardine, Billy Hinsche, John Perry, Teresa Cowles, Nicky "Wonder" Walusko, Eric Vesper. Evie is behind David Marks. (photo courtesy L.A. Record)

Adam onstage at the Roxy.

The 7-piece Chaos Band at the Roxy. Left to right: John Perry, Alan Boyd, Teresa Cowles, Kurt Medlin, Adam, Evie Sands, Eric Vesper. (photo by Jorge Barba)

Seeing history: Adam jams with Beach Boys David Marks and Al Jardine (both playing his guitars!)

Sunday, October 19 was a special night in Los Angeles as three founding members of the Beach Boys, and various members of their families, came together to perform and celebrate the life of the late Carl Wilson at a star-studded show at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip. The show was a fundraiser for the Carl Wilson Foundation, marking the 10th anniversary of the Beach Boys guitarist's death.

Adam Marsland and his Chaos Band were right in the thick of things, with Adam acting as musical director for the event and Chaos being the designated house band, backing Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, The Honeys, and Carnie and Wendy Wilson of Wilson-Phillips, along with playing their own set of songs from LONG PROMISED ROAD: SONGS OF DENNIS AND CARL WILSON LIVE.

The biggest draw to the event was a set by the legendary Brian Wilson and his amazing band, which includes members of longtime L.A. pop band Wondermints. The evening had special resonance for Adam not just as a longtime Wilson fan, but as he and Kurt (as Cockeyed Ghost) did several shows with Wondermints at the Roxy in the mid '90s when both bands helped spearhead the "Poptopia" movement in L.A.

Although Adam had performed with Wondermints occasionally before they began backing Brian, and Brian Wilson Band members Probyn Gregory and Nelson Bragg have sat in with AMCB in recent years, this was the first time both complete bands have played side by side since 1996.

AMCB was asked to participate by event organizer and longtime Beach Boys sideman Billy Hinsche, who had seen the band perform several times. After checking out the LONG PROMISED ROAD album, Hinsche asked Adam if he and the band would perform at the show, and if Adam would take over as musical director.

The show had added to an already busy schedule for the band on the heels of Adam's two month tour. Beach Boys archivist Alan Boyd, who augmented the band for the Wilson shows, and former Chaos Band member John Perry, who left the band shortly after recording LONG PROMISED ROAD, both returned to the band for this show, as did percussionist Eric Vesper.

The band began rehearsing for the show a month prior, with Adam working up intricate harmony and instrumental arrangements for all the performers and coordinating the set. The band did a mini-set of songs from LONG PROMISED ROAD at its Oct. 17th Brennan's Pub performance, then convened with most of the performers for a dress rehearsal on Oct. 18th, which went extremely well.

The actual show began with a filmed tribute (put together by Alan Boyd) to Carl Wilson, followed by a set by In Bloom, fronted by Carl's son Justyn and nephew Carl. Then came a rousing set by Dick Dale, his first appearance since the beginning of the year, following treatment for cancer. Just before the show, Adam had received a guitar lesson from Dale in the dressing room.

Master of ceremonies Hinsche then introduced Adam and the band, who performed four songs from LONG PROMISED ROAD: "Long Promised Road," "River Song," "The Trader" and "Keepin' The Summer Alive." The performances went off flawlessly and got a great response from the packed house, which included Brian Wilson, who saw most of the show prior to his set.

Adam's opening comments for the set mentioned that the first Beach Boys albums he had owned were those where Carl and his brother Dennis, rather than Brian, had taken the dominant role. "Young independent musicians are still trying to figure out what Carl did in the studio," he said, to the cheers of the crowd.

The band then backed founding Beach Boys David Marks, along with Wondermint Nicky Wonder, on two songs: "Summertime Blues" and a blues original called "Big Wave," that rocked the house.

The Honeys then came out and, with Billy Hinsche, performed the Beach Boys hit "I Can Hear Music". The AMCB arrangement was faithful to the Beach Boys' version, with Kurt holding down a simple drum beat and three people playing percussion. During the a capella breakdown, eight voices in counterpoint harmony brought the crowd to its feet.

Carnie and Wendy Wilson performed two Carl-authored Beach Boys songs from the late '70s, adding their liliting alto harmonies to Adam's faithful and harmony-rich background arrangement. The last song, "Full Sail," ended with a spectacular a capella round and a final, rich five-part harmony, which again got a rapturous response.

Al Jardine's set was next, debuting two songs from his upcoming album POSTCARDS FROM CALIFORNIA, and a Beach Boys oldie, "Honkin' Down The Highway". Jardine's sons and David Marks joined him for the rollicking set, during which Jardine singled out Adam and the band for praise for their performances.

Brian Wilson and a truncated version of his famous band closed the show with a mix of Beach Boys hits and songs from his new acclaimed album THAT LUCKY OLD SUN, after praising the band and Alan Boyd in particular for their set. Al Jardine joined Brian for "Help Me Rhonda," and then all the performers, AMCB included, took the stage to perform "Barbara Ann."

The night was judged a huge success by all concerned, and Adam Marsland's Chaos Band received high marks for their work on behalf of the show. "We were just thrilled to be a part of it and work with all these people that I have admired for so long," said Adam. "Thank you Billy Hinsche for giving us the chance to show what we can do."

Click here to read Adam's blog about the show.

Scenes from the road: Adam and and in Philadelphia (top); Adam and Teresa with Peter Tork (middle); Adam rocks out in Tucson and NYC (bottom)

After 7 1/2 weeks on the road performing on his first national tour in five years, Adam Marsland is back home in L.A. and back with the Chaos Band. Starting July 26 and finishing on September 14, Adam's Summer 2008 Tour compised a total of 37 shows as well as 4 media appearances. Adam had only toured twice since 2003; a three week tour with the Chaos Band after the release of YOU DON'T KNOW ME, and a two week Chaos Band tour in 2006 with Alan Boyd performing the Dennis and Carl Wilson set. Both tours were focused in the midwest. This tour, behind the DAYLIGHT KISSING NIGHT album, was the first full-scale tour Adam had launched since retiring from solo touring in 2003.

Although the tour was successful in meeting expenses, refocusing attention on Adam's songwriting and garnering substantial press (thanks to Adam's publicist at inmusicwetrust), as well as extremely good CD sales, it was "one of the roughest tours I have ever been on," Adam said. An extensive remodeling at Adam's house disrupted tour planning just before leaving, making for confusion and disorganization once the tour started, and the first week Adam became ill with the stomach flu, soldiering through several shows alone while he fought off the bug.

Teresa joined the tour in Kansas City, and the tour was starting to find its footing when, just minutes before taking the stage in Chicago, Adam received word that his eldest brother had died suddenly in California. This forced cancellation of two shows as Adam flew back to the west coast to preside over the funeral, and then back east for a second service. Despite the tragedy, Adam resumed his schedule and completed the tour. His misadventures continued on the trip back as Adam nearly lost his car on a flooded Texas road, only escaping by tearing off the rear bumper of his car.

Despite an exhausting and emotionally draining trip, the tour served to position Adam for the release of an album and subsequent tour next year, with the benefit of more lead time and better organization. "I was able to focus on my own songs in a way that I wasn't able to do five years ago, and it resulted in a lot more CD sales," Adam said. "The best shows on the tour were really, really good. My goal is to use what I've learned to focus on those kind of shows the next time around."

The high point of the tour, Adam and Teresa both agree, was a week of shows in the northeast with drummer Jon Braun and keyboardist Charlie Zayleskie. This tight band played a powerhouse series of gigs, including a memorable six-piece concert opening for Monkee Peter Tork, culminating in a triumphant homecoming gig at the Labor Day Picnic in Greene, N.Y., Adam's hometown and the site of his first-ever gig years ago. The local mayor introduced the show, presenting him with a proclamation from the village welcoming him home. His mother and many childhood friends were in the audience, and his surviving brother sat in on guitar for "The Foghorn." His first piano teacher even surprised the band onstage, playing keyboards on "The Big Bear." It was one of the best shows of the tour and "made the whole thing worthwhile." Both Adam and Teresa have expressed an interest to tour with this "east coast Chaos Band" again in 2009.

Follow Adam's adventures on the road (and, if you like, contribute to the blog and tour) here.

Check out video of Adam on tour in Denver and the band's homecoming show in L.A.

March 18, 2008 saw the release of Adam Marsland’s long-awaited compilation CD DAYLIGHT KISSING NIGHT: ADAM MARSLAND’S GREATEST HITS. As the first album containing new original material from Adam in four years, as well as the first to be marketed to mainstream retail outlets since 1999, no one was sure what would happen.

Nobody expected what DID happen -- fueled by a massive word-of-mouth campaign, the album made Amazon’s Top 40 best-selling CDs on the strength of pre-orders, and stayed in the top 20 rock chart until Amazon revealed they had run out. The few retailers that had ordered the CD far enough in advance also quickly sold out.

The new CD represented a big gamble -- a lavish full-color booklet, with pictures and lyrics, a sumptuous remastering job by Earle Mankey, seven tracks newly recorded or reworked, 20 songs in total -- all list priced at $5.99. The idea was to appeal both to Adam’s newer fans from myspace, the LONG PROMISED ROAD album and fans of the Chaos Band’s live shows, and reinterest the older listeners from the Cockeyed Ghost days, encouraging them to pass on extra copies to people who didn’t know the music. The CD’s release coincided with Adam’s return to full-time music making. It couldn’t have started off better!

Order DAYLIGHT KISSING NIGHT from amazon.com

Adam and Teresa (top left) perform with legendary drummer Hal Blaine and other members of the legendary "Wrecking Crew" in downtown L.A. in June 2008. Julia Fordham is on lead vocals; musical director Shawn Bryant is to her left.

Adam shares a laugh with Hal Blaine (left) and Don Randi (right) in the studio as Anny Celsi looks on.

Adam trading guitar licks with the legendary Jerry Cole, at one of his last recording sessions before his death in 2008.

(photos courtesy Kerry Getz and Shawn Bryant)

Jamming With Legends:
Adam (and Teresa!) in the studio
and onstage with Phil Spector’s
“Wrecking Crew”

Adam’s resurgent career as a studio musician recently got a big boost as he spent two days in the studio cutting tracks side by side with Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers Hal Blaine (the most recorded musician of all time, with 35,000 tracks to his credit) and Don Randi. Also on hand was legendary session guitarist Jerry Cole (Byrds, Raiders) in one of his last ever sessions -- the guitarist behind "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Tequila" and countless other songs passed away earlie this year --as well as Nelson Bragg from Brian Wilson’s amazing band. Producer Shawn Bryant had brought them all together to recreate their classic sound for the soundtrack of his upcoming surf documentary, “Makaha.”

Adam played acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, and Hammond B-3 organ for the session, which covered a number of songs that the Blaine, Randi and Cole -- members of the famous “Wrecking Crew” stable of musicians that dominated the West Coast recording studios in the 1960s -- originally played on, including “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Surf City,” “California Dreamin’” and “Be My Baby,” on which Adam got to play four-handed piano side by side with Randi and got to trade (and learn) licks with Jerry Cole. At a later session, Adam arranged the complicated backing vocals for some of the songs and took part in the singing along with fellow Chaos band member Teresa Cowles.

The colloboration took another step further, first in front of a Celebrity-studded audience at NAMM, and then in June at an outdoor concert in downtown L.A. following a screening of Denny Tedesco (son of guitar legend Tommy Tedesco)'s new documentary "The Wrecking Crew." At both shows, Adam was on hand to sing and play guitar/keyboards while Teresa added vocals and percussion. Among other performers were British diva Julia Fordham, guitarist Kerry Getz and two of Don Randi's children on lead vocals. Bassist for the downtown show was Chuck Berghofer of "Barney Miller" and "Boots Were Made for Walkin'" fame.

"To be up onstage with these legends immediately after watching a movie that justly lauded them for their accomplishments was both an honor and incredibly intimidating," Adam said. "I've gained so much knowledge and confidence being around these guys and working with them," further thanking Shawn Bryant, who he first met playing with Anny Celsi, for bringing him in to the gig.

There is talk of further Wrecking Crew appearances -- with Adam and Teresa on board -- in the fall after Adam returns from tour. Stay tuned!

Adam's other recent adventures have included a trip to Ohio with members of Tripsitter to perform Beach Boys tunes at a private party, and a steady gig with roots-pop singer Kaz Murphy, in a crack band that includes members of Fountains of Wayne, The Posies and Gigolo Aunts. He's already got a busy schedule waiting for him (and other members of the Chaos Band) when he returns from his own tour in the fall.

Hear the MAKAHA versions of "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and "Monday Monday" featuring Adam and Teresa.

left to right: Don Randi, Jerry Cole, producer Shawn Bryant, and Adam

Lilli Oldfield, Vocalist on “You Don’t Know Me” Passes Away at Age 46

Bay Area vocalist and friend of the Chaos Band, Lilli Oldfield, fell victim to liver cancer in January 2008.

Lilli Oldfield sang on two tracks on Adam’s 2004 YOU DON’T KNOW ME album and was invited to join the Chaos Band in its early incarnation. She had a long career as a singer and guitarist, most notably backing John Cale and as one of the Screaming Divas. She also was a sought-after clothing designer who got her start designing outfits for Heart.

The band put up the previously unheard 6-minute version of “What The Hell,” featuring Lilli’s soulful belting on the outro, as tribute to Lilli. On March 1st, friends of Lilli’s held a memorial celebration of her life in Mill Valley, California.