Hi all,
I've been away from the forum for a little while but I'm back now with a new song:
ARE WE THERE YET?

This song is an upbeat, toe-tapping country instrumental, featuring guitars, pedal steel, horns and rhythm section.
I hope you like it.
As always comments, praise, criticism or suggestions, are welcome - but especially praise
Thanks,
Mike
The Band:
RT379:Bass, Electric, Country DoubleTime Ev 088
RT411:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Train Pickin' Ev 130
RT2110:Horn Section, Background, R&B Ev16 110\
Piano PopRootsyJohn Ev16 100 (Supertrack)
RealDrums-TrainBeat
RT1507:Pedal Steel, Soloist, CountryTrainPaul Ev16 140
RT603:Pedal Steel, Background Train Ev 130

Wow do I love your intro. Boy does that pick you up. Got a chuckle of the title. Any road trip I went on with my son that would be heard about every 10 minutes. Very cool song. Well done

Thanks Scott. I must admit I had a bit of fun with this one. There's just something about a train beat.
Thanks for listening.
Cheers,
Mike

It does trundle along at a happy speed an you've arranged things really well.

Wow! So moving I had to stand up and move, Mike. Loved the arrangement. I could close my eyes and see all of the players on stage, and they were having as much fun as I was. Man, the way you bring different instruments into the mix is inspiring. Going back for another round. Are We There Yet?

Hello Mike,

Very, very catchy this song. I did tap with my feet, so it's a good one. At the first notes I thought it was some kind of slapstick, but I think the picture of that sailing car must have played tricks with me.
The song is in a very high tempo and a lot of things happens in it. It felt as if had to look to the right for something special, then to the left for something else, but also in between. And all that in such a hurry. I got exhausted. But the mix stayed bright all the time. I didn't even missed the vocals (I like songs with them in it a bit more).

Very well done, Mike
Hans

Hello Mike ...

Super, super listen! And yes, the intro was fabulous ... sweet! Totally enjoyed this!

Nice use of the horns. And that break from 1:18 to 1"28 was so dang good ... breathed a whole new life into a song that was already breathing quite nicely. That pedal steel riff was exceptional. I think it's one of the most unappreciated and under-used instrument in the BIAB arsenal.

Really, really nice! Congrats on a super job! Indeed, entertaining all the way through.

Wishing you the best. Be safe ...

Alan

Hi Mike
Really enjoyed the trip. I can easily imagine this tune accompanying a travelling scene in a film.
Regards,
Leon

Nice title and photo!

Interesting choice of tracks and they all got along with one another quite well.

But the winner here for us is the arrangement. Superb.

Enjoyed it.

J&B

Cool, that was a nifty intro..... and what parent has't heard that from the back seat a hundred times on any given road trip. You know it's going to be a long trip when you have 8 hrs to go and 15 minutes into it you hear.... "Are we there yet?" and momma says.... y'all take a nap.....

Infectious groove and it moves along nicely and it's not predictable. Mix is bright and clear. Good job.

Mike,

Love the sound of that opening guitar! Whatever magical sauce you added to that, it WORKS!

The horns are tasty. I would guess you picked those parts carefully....

I'm also guessing that lead guitar is you playing? There is nothing listed about that. Good playing and good tone... the timing is excellent...

That pedal steel lead is maybe the nicest I've heard anyone put together. Very well done!!

The bass is JUST where it should be. The piano sounds good.

The added short breaks - piano, drums - are masterfully done. Everything about this makes it a truly enjoyable instrumental to listen to. You are really good at this!!

Excellent mix.

Enjoyable! (nothing but praise )

fj

Wow, what a song. This would be a great song for a road band to be featured on, for a big country star. Of course I'm partial to steel guitar, and of course about the best out there is Paul Franklin!!

Thanks for having a listen Marty. Your comments are much appreciated.
Cheers,
Mike
Glad you enjoyed it Ray. Thanks for listening.
Mike

Thanks for listening and commenting Hans.
Glad you liked Are We There Yet?
I wrote the song a few years ago - my old BIAB version sounds like a ballad compared to this version. I had a lot of fun creating it. I hope that rubs off on forum listeners.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for your kind words Alan.
I always look forward to your comments because it's obvious you listen intently and provide detailed and insightful responses, which is what most of prefer (and need).
Cheers,
Mike

Mike, this is great! I love arrangement and the editing. Nice guitar playing. You can't go wrong with a Franklin solo. Well put together and a fantastic listen, Tom

Thanks for having a listen Leon. I appreciate your comments.
Cheers,
Mike
Thanks Janice and Bud. Glad you liked my song and arrangement.
My son described Are We There Yet? as "rollicking" and suggested the song would go well with an "outrageous Tarantino saloon fight".
Stay safe,
Mike

A delightful, energetic track, expertly conceived and assembled!!! Very cool in every way!! Take care. Greg

Thanks for your comments Herb.
There's something relentlessly appealing about road trip/train songs - a driving force, you could say.
Is it the 'rocking' or the 'rolling' that just keeps these songs moving?
I loved doing this one. I'm glad you like it too.
Stay safe,
Mike

Thanks Floyd and Tommy for your kind words.
No, I'm not "playing" the guitar. I transcribed/programmed Kontakt's Session Guitarist Electric Sunburst Deluxe. It's a neat VSTi that allows you to input slides, hammer-on, pull-offs and all sorts of effects.
Whenever we use a VSTi, I guess we always go for authenticity. So I'm very pleased that the guitar melody sounds real to your expert and experienced ears.
Re the pedal steel solo, I agree; Paul Franklin is a whiz.
Often when using RealTrack solos, I have to audition many tracks (and cut and paste) to come up with a solo I'm happy with. But with the Paul Franklin solo, most of it came out in one go.
The horns were a bit more work. I auditioned and cut and pasted many tracks to get what I wanted.
Thanks again guys. I really appreciate your comments.
Stay safe,
Mike

Wow, this was very ambitious but you pulled it off nicely. I usually approach instrumentals with some reserve but this one definitely got my attention and kept it throughout. For me it had a seventies-eighties TV show theme quality to it. Gotta say the steel guitar was the star for me, but it was 'all good', as they say.

Thanks for having a listen and for your kind comments Ronnie.
I agree with you about Paul Franklin; he is a gem.
Cheers,
Mike

Echo all the positive comments--very happy music! The between-the-sections add-in's and fills are so cool!! Listening early Sunday morning, it did more to wake me up than my strong coffee!! I'm there!!

Thanks Greg.This was a bit of a change of pace for me but I enjoyed doing it.
Cheers,
Mike

Nice! Guitars sound really good, especially that opening guitar. All the instruments sound great actually.

But the star here is the production and the arrangement, really well done!

Mix sounds great also, good job.

WOW, what great use of RTs!

You had me from the first measure! Love those horns! The stops were perfect also. Super mix!

Thanks TuneMonger for your comments. For those of us who don't sing, instrumentals are our main creative outlet so I'm glad you got past your 'reserve' about instrumentals and enjoyed my piece.
Cheers,
Mike

Yup, heard by parents worldwide....." DAAAAAAAD, are we there yet ? I need the toilet, I'm thirsty. ROFL.

Super duper piece of music, great work

Thanks for listening Tano Music. I certainly appreciate your positive comments.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Dave. I love hearing your music and I love hearing your comments.
Stay well,
Mike

Thanks for your comments Mario. I agree those horns set the song up really well.
For us retired musicians/composers, RealTracks have changed our lives.
Cheers,
Mike

Mike,
nice fast tune you composed. Some very cool passages and detail. Nice work!

I would point two things that caught my attention. I think Horns can be a little louder. Also a transition at 1:20 from piano to guitar might need some sort of accent, a drum roll or held note? Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

Great fun Mike. Excellent arranging and playing.

Hello Mike,
Excellent lead guitar sound. Very rhythmic and very catchy song. Pleasant listening.

Best regard

DEro13 alias JaniJackFlash

Missed this the first time around. Glad I got a chance to hear it this time around.

Exactly as described: upbeat, toe-tapping country instrumental.

I was completely sold on the Electric Sunburst. Nicely done!

This was really fun to listen to.

Thanks Graham. Glad you liked it.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for listening and for your kind comments Misha.
Glad you liked Are We There Yet?
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for listening Chris. I am enjoying your latest offerings.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for having a listen Dero13. You comments are much appreciated.
Cheers,
Mike

That is a fun one!

Obviously there's that driving rhythm throughout and everything complements, but I wonder if the drums couldn't be a bit louder.

And yes, those guitars are sweet, but I really like what you did with the piano - it sits perfectly. Good job.

Be well.

Thanks David. Glad you liked the song. I can heartily recommend the Electric Sunburst. It has a few little quirks with RealBand but it's very versatile and sounds great.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for listening Scott.
Yes, I wouldn't mind the drums being a bit louder but that would be at the expense of something else. Which instrument gets pushed to the back - the piano, bass, guitar?
Mixing, for me, is always a bit of a Sophie's choice!
Thanks for your comments.
Stay safe,
Mike