The Smiley Smile Message Board

Just been posted on facebook that David's new solo album The Circle Continues will be released soon.

From David's facebook page:

'David's much talked about and frequently delayed CD, The Circle Continues, is done and on its way back from the manufacturers. The collection features 12 songs by David and Stephen Kalinich. There will only be a limited number of CDs printed and they will be sold first come, first serve...leave a note below if you think you will be ordering one.'

More good news for beach Boys fans, been looking forward to this for ages.

When I saw the collaborators name, I literary jumped up and smiled.

Looking forward to this, David's music, with Stephen's words... pumped!

Aye, this is good news indeed. Hope it sells very well indeed and that David's music reaches a far wider audience than ever before. He deserves success and greater recognition in his own right. Rock on!

I must be crazy, I'm not seeing it on DM's facebook page.  Either way, I will definitely be buying a copy.  I have a much greater appreciation for Dave's talents after the C50 tour and finally reading 'The Lost Beach Boy.'

I am not nvolved with Facebook, so I hope there is some availability through other sources such as Amazon.. This is certainly something that I would intellectually and emotionally and aesthetically cherish. Both Dave and Steve are bold and innnovative artists who have seen the history sorrow pain hope joy and despair. There art is ulimately redemptive, and I cannot wait to hear what they have composed together

Check out the page labelled "David Lee Marks" - it's definitely there… there are other pages bearin David's name.

well they don't sell albums through facebook so you'll probably be okay.

Aegir, thanks. I was confused by the "leave a note below" instruction in the original posting here about Facebook; I thought that was a private ordering list . I'll wait for whatever public ordering information appears.

Some clips from the album were just posted on Dave's facebook page:

https://soundcloud.com/davidlmarks/sets/the-circle-continues

Don't like it as much as his Christmas track, they seem more cut and dry, I like some parts, but as a whole, not as much. Still great though!

I gotta say, I'm impressed that he's still doing this project. I remember reading about it a while back, and I thought maybe it was cancelled. So even though I'm not so much into Dave's solo music, I'm happy for him.

The songs are pretty good but oh my god the way they were recorded/produced is unbearable.

I partially agree, speaking of that, I'm planing on making a "BB '85 recognition" thread soon!

Circle Continues is available on David's official site. Check it out: http://www.davidleemarks.com

Anyone got this yet? I ordered mine 29 December and have not even had any dispatch notice.

Same here Paulos, assuming that the delay is caused by the Christmas/New Year break and the fact that the discs ordered from the site are apparently to be signed.  I have faith still…!

Is David signing the discs? the insert? the case? 
December 29th to now is , what? , a week? I wouldn't even think about it for TWO weeks.

I know it's only been a week but would have at least expected dispatch confirmation by now.

Far too early to worry; this isn't a big set-up like Capitol; wouldn't be surprised if David and Carrie are handling mail-out if the discs themselves. I'd hang-fire – I won't worry 'til we get to month-end, honestly.   I've handled mailings and if it's not your main raison-d'etre it's a pain in the butt that takes a hundred times longer than you can ever anticipate.  The music will be worth it…

Arrived in the mail this morning.  Hope you've got yours Paulos.

It's the greatest thing since sliced bread, right?

My order is in! Anyone else?

I want to state again how much I hate the production on the preview clips. There is absolutely no way I could find myself listening to the album more than twice if I bought it.

OK I think we got it...but you might wanna post that a third time just to be safe.

The Professor is a little slow and just ordered his today. I can't hear those Facebook clips--a dead end link?  (we cannot find the page, it says).  But I look forward to it; I had the pleasure of hearing Steve lecture to my students (and thus the honor of team-teaching with him a bit), and he is a dynamic force in letters and cultural thought. I love Dave's new "found BB" site, btw; what a homecoming, making it all the more wonderful to anticipate even more of his work in a new BB album this year. As I have said before, I want to see what this 5-man incarnation of the BB can create, beyond TWGMTR.

Are we sure this isn't Phil?

Uh oh Aegir, you gotta remember that the David Marks fan club gets very offended if you mock anything about his mostly shitty sub-Eagles blues rock.

Agreed, the "Marks Mafia" is pushy around here at times....

Received my copy yesterday and gave it a spin last night, disappointed to say I am not very impressed with it. Will need to listen a few more times before passing judgement.

Just got it and listened back and forth to the airport, which conveniently means I was at 2 moments right over Dave's old house (over the monument that's there now); I know you all think I'm nuts, but there is something special, in the dead of night, alone (one way) in your car listening to a BB when you are "right there" in Hawthorne.

I like knowing what Dave is playing, as opposed to struggling to determine what he's going on some (poorly annotated) songs on TWGMTR.

I hear some Steve Howe, early Yes-like bits, and the lyrics (Steve's) are often intense, as is the music--oddly, intentionally sour and discordant moments of angst. Yet it's all mellow and comforting as well. I am still liking "I think about you often" more , but I am enjoying it so far quite well; and it's a pleasure to have my favorite BB's signature on the CD. What a thrill for a DM fan--I feel like Dick Dale.

Well I've listened to the album a couple times now and I simply don't like it. There are only 2 stand-out tracks for me 'Anytime U.S.A.' and 'You Cry Out', the latter which is especially good and possibly the best song Dave has ever written. The rest runs from tolerable to dreck, with the last two spoken word tracks being the worst offenders. Not really sure why Dave uses that horrible guitar tone virtually all the time. All in all a massive disappointment.

He apparently always uses one guitar, plugged straight into the amp with no pedals, because that's how he likes it. That doesn't leave much room for variation in guitar tone.

I'm not sure, the tone I'm referring to has a vaguely 'tropical', reverby sound to it that I don't like one bit. Surely plugging straight into the amp would give you a grittier, more organic sound?

Ordered a copy in December, ask for it with big letters yesterday. Shouldn't have done that. Carrie Marks went ballistic.
She refused to be spoken to that way. Little did I know that SHE was the boss in the other end.

I will refund your payment rather than resend the package.
However, I am under no obligation to have to deal with rude emails or take verbal abuse from anyone. I will simply refund your money if you can not speak to me politely...I owe you nothing but $25 which has been taken care of. And I did read your email to David and he confirmed my decision not to accept your rudeness.

Guess those guys doesn't appreciate fans spending thousands on meet & greets, concerts and all kinds of merchandise and Cd's.

I think it's arrogant to behave like this and so I told her.

We all love the music and the band, right - but I'm sorry to have experienced this.
Things will never be the same again.

So let's get this straight: you hadn't received the CD you ordered in December so instead of politely sending an email to state this you sent a rude email, which you have tellingly decided not to include in your post, and you are now upset when you received Carrie's reply? As fantasy Mike Love would say 'It's a damn shame'.

You doesn't have to be blind even if you're a fan.

Paid for my David Marks cd ONE AND A HALF MONTH ago.
Starting to get tired of NOT finding it in my mailbox every day.
 
Please let me know what's happening.

Terrible rude?

Here's the respond

I sent messages to on Facebook to you a  your package was returned damaged without a readable address label to find who it belonged to and you did not respond. I will refund your payment rather than resend the package.

She send messages on Facebook?


II don't want a refund, I want the cd


2 seconds later:

Refund issued.

This IS arrogant, maybe you're used to be talked to this way. I'm not.

50/50… maybe slightly better than that in your favour. The caps and the "getting tired" could have perhaps been better judged but the response is pretty heavy, the Facebook way of going about things not the norm. 

All a shame, really…

My experience has been that all guitarists I've played with have plugged their guitars directly into their amp.

A shame also that your first posts on the board (as I now notice) have been merely to complain… Carrie will no doubt have read this already – it ought really to have been done privately.

Injustice. No reason to keep quiet about this. Coincidentally, this was the case I brought up. Might as well have been stories about traveling the length and breadth of the United States and Europe through their 50 year anniversary tour. There's however no reason not to inform others about what kind of attitude these people have to their fans and followers.

Of course, I could have brought this up in a Barry Manilow or in a Kiss forum, but it would hardly have been as adequate as bringing it up here.

So, time to get positive! We can always download it illegaly somewhere, if that's more desirable.

What sort of standard are Stephen J Kalinich's lyrics on the album?


He has collaborated with more Beach Boys than pretty much anyone in his life which considering he has written lines such as 'majesty moves through me majestically' makes him a very lucky man.

@ seop

If I read your previous posts correctly mrs. Marks replied to you, saying:
a. your package was shipped
b. your package was returned - damaged - and apparently without (readable) shipping address,
c. you were contacted (I assume because the package contained your name/address inside the package) through Facebook. An unfortunate choice? If she has your e-mail address, sending an e-mail indeed sounds like a more logical thing to do. I assume you didn't read the Facebook message (or decided not to respond).

So it sounds like a combination of bad luck with the shipping, and some miscommunication after that.

If all this was unknown to you, and if you get the feeling something's going wrong with your order, of course you as a customer have the right to ask about it. But if I read your messages, my first impression is that you should have been a bit more tactfull than what you did. My advise is to try and imagine first how you would react if you got a message like the one you sent as a first reminder. You might not have had the intention to be rude, but it definitely can come across like that.
I'm not telling Carrie Marks opinion on this matter here, it's  just my interpretation. I can tell you though that she's a great lady, who takes a lot of time for the fans. Just read the Carrie Marks thread on this board.

O, and you might want to check te board rules (on the welcome section of this board) before you start posting... yes, one can be critical overhere, but as some members already pointed out, you're not exactly making a gracious start on this board. It is not considered polite to post private messages.  And if your next post is a link to an illegal download you can expect trouble here. (but I assume you were just kidding about that, right?)

Of course. It's no where to be found ;)

I realize that my tone could be perceived as a bit negative. I think nevertheless that Mrs Marks should behave somewhat more professional above those who actually are their "employer" - the fans that keep this business in life, year after year.

I also realize, after being bombarded with rebuttal here, that I'm probably the only one here who's been treated unfairly.
And that's nice. On your behalf, I mean.

No need to continue this.
Thanks for your love and endless support.

As I recall my CD shipped from New York state. It arrived within a week of ordering. It didn't ship from Hawaii where I believe the Marks live. It has David's autograph on the cover.

Nice CD! I can't believe some of the comments on this thread. Anytime U.S.A. could easily be recorded by the Beach Boys. Alan Jardine and Alan Boyd make guest appearances among others. The CD packaging/sleeve/cover is really nice, too. David sounds great.

No problems with payment or delivery here.

If you're a Beach Boys fan this CD should be part of your collection.

 

There was a CD returned in the mail - damaged. There was no address label and no way of knowing who it belonged to other than guessing it was one of many people who ordered from Scandinavia as per the return to sender stickers.  My friend here,  Svien Erik, had posted a facebook message on David's fan page looking for his CD so when the package arrived damaged, I replied on Facebook to try to match the missing CD with the right person. I was very polite and apologetic about it. However, the fact he thinks the Beach Boys' wives are somehow under his employ speaks volumes to where this guy's head is at, and in hind-sight, that is exactly how he treated me...like an angry boss scolding a secretary for poor job performance.

Svein has now sought out a public message board and signed up for an account for the sole purpose of cutting and pasting from multiple private exchanges and re-assmbling them out of context in a poor attempt to paint himself as the innocent victim of my having gone "ballistic" for no reason other than my pure love of hurting puppies and being mean to loyal Beach Boys fans. Meanwhile, had this guy even been remotely polite, I would have refunded his money AND re-sent him a CD for the inconvenience. But I have no problem being the bad guy when it comes to telling someone who is grossly out of line to bugger off on David's behalf and I make no apologies for choosing to refund his money rather than be SHOUTED AT IN CAPS - especially when the answer was in his inbox the whole time!


Moving on...

Paulos:  I am sorry you don't like the CD. I have heard complaints of his guitar not sounding surfy enough but I cant recall another complaint about him sounding "too surfy." I guess Murry Wilson rubbed off on him after all.  I will admit, the CD is not everybody's taste as David is the type of artist who likes to experiment with all sorts of sounds...he really got off on playing cello on this CD, for example. But I appreciate that you can express your opinion in a polite manner...even if it is not all rainbows and kitties.

Anyway, the final master did not come out exactly like David's initial vision for the project so he is is sending out free MP3 versions of the CD to everyone who purchased it on his website. Expect them (or a link to them) in a week or 2 via the email address used to order the CD.  Perhaps you may like his personal mixes better as they are a little more intimate...headphones in the dark kind music. If not, there are many people who didn't get copies of the CD since it was a limited pressing and I would be happy to set you up with someone who would be happy to buy it from you.  We certainly don't want any reasonable people being unhappy with their purchase.

Those of you who did not get the Circle in time, or who have been turned off my some of the reviews on here...these tracks co-written with Stephen Kalinich will evetually make there was to iTunes as part of David's 2 disc compilation called Making up for Lost Time.

Lastly...thank you SloopJohnnyB! :-)

This long-awaited album will be quickly followed up with the release of Making up For Lost Time, in February 2013, a multi-disc collection which will include David’s catalog to date. 


So... Will this be available as a physical CD as well, or iTunes only? I'd definitely buy the physical thing, if it's coming out.

Blooming marvellous!  Nice one Carrie, appreciate the human touch every time.

… and I thought "bugger off" was an English expression.  :lol

Lots of folk will appreciate the MP3 gesture which is beyond generous.

Personally, I didn't find the entire album tom my tastes; curate's egg – some great stuff, some I couldn't get a handle on. I found Stephen's spoken-word tracks to be my least favourite moments, I'm afraid… but that won't put me off Making Up… really looking forward to it.

Looking forward to hearing David's own mixes and hearing the album with fresh ears so to speak.

I guess this means it's too  late to order the CD?

Bgas: It was a limited run and they all sold out. But, I will sell you Svein's copy if you don't mind the fact its been posted to Norway and back.  Email me.

John: Spoken Word is not everyone's cup of tea and I understand that. On the flip side, Col. Bruce Hampton, who is considered one of the founders of the modern jam band scene  and a guru to bands like Phish, thinks the Benediction is the best thing released in 30 years.  We don't control what moves us musically or spiritually, and to me...that is the beauty and wonder of the Beach Boys...collectively, their wide appeal reaches people who like all sorts of different genres.  Its all good. To someone.

Jukka: Making up For Lost Time will be will be released in both physical format and iTunes for those who wish to pick & choose from the lot. David has been sick for a couple of weeks so it will be closer to spring before its out...but he's recorded basic tracks on about 12 or 14 songs since he's been home from the tour. Disc 1 will be previously released material from the Circle Continues and I Think ABout You Often and Disc 2 will be his new stuff. 

Thanks for your responses Carrie, although I didn't like The Circle Continues I look forward to Making Up For Lost Time as I have enjoyed all of Dave's work prior to The Circle Continues, especially the Marksmen collection.

You're welcome, Carrie! David took the time to step off the tour bus after the BB50 show in Pittsburgh, PA to sign autographs. I was walking back to the parking garage and came upon the shuttle bus waiting on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. David was very kind to sign an autograph for me. Great memories and a great show!

Looking forward to Making Up For Lost Time! Please let us know when the physical format is available for order. I'll be watching the website for new info, too. I hope David gets well soon! Take Care and thanks!

Mail on the way! 
HooBoy!  Sickness is everywhere...  spent a few days in the hospital last week for some unknown ailment( I think it's spread by a secret cabal trying to stop the proliferation of BBs music) 

Now that's a really nice gesture. I'm not a particular fan of David's solo music, but there's not many people who'd do that.

Hey, I love it!

The guitar sound reminds me of pre-stadium REM, specifically the track Harbour Coat from the  Reckoning album and it's cool to hear a BB related release that isn' t a BB or BW covers album.

The guitar playing is just ace and drumming from Dennis Diken made my day.

52 states really grooves and I 'm able to relate the style and feel of these songs to the various contemporay indie type bands I listen to when not spinning BB tomes.  I'm looking forward to hearing the new mixi, but still appreciate the songs and vision as originally released.

Good one, David!

Is the Marksmen stuff or any '70s recordings going to be on this upcoming disc ?

That would be cool!  Like to find the Marksmen tracks, myself. 

that too, but sorry I actually meant Moon stuff !

The Marksmen CDs sold out but the tracks are all available on iTunes.  I am not sure the demand is there to justify a 2nd pressing.   EMI owns both the Moon & Colours but they have licensed the masters out to Cherry Red Records in the UK so the entire Moon and Colours catalog is available on CD...check amazon or cherryred.co.uk

Making up for lost time will have the Circle Continues & I Think About You Often on one disc and new material on the second disc in the form of both totally new songs and new versions of songs he's already recorded.

Thanks again!

I don't know about the demand; I know that 3 CD set( was it available on LP?)( the Lost Years)  sounds like a dream set( and I kick myself for not buying it! )
edit: found this old Smiley thread addressing the Lost Years( not sure when it dates from):  http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=5006.0;wap2
Even this one I missed:  David Marks & the Marksmen: The Ultimate Collectors Edition 1963-1965    
Ahh well, Someday....

I am loving the first cut, Sail Away, with Dave and Al singing some tight harmonies together, suspending the resolution until the comforting major kickes in. I find plenty of delights on the album.  Putting separately-written poetry to music is an ancient art, and it emphasizes the discursive lyric content over the basic groove, but thse men have done it brilliantly, creating a dynamuc relationship between the urgency of the lyric and the strain and, alternately, elegance , and bluesy feel of the music. This is work from the mind and heart of two who have been there and back.

BYW: on Rhapsody, which some of us have, the 2-volume Marksman album/collection is there; so is ITAYO, so it's great for the Sandisk (ipod) on the go.
Best to CM and DM himself; I am looking forward to the new cuts. And I hope Dave has saved something for the next BB album (the Professor is ever hopeful).

Any news about Making Up for Lost Time?