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Sorry I've been away for a bit. I hope to be a little more involved now for awhile again! (4/14/20 UPDATE)
This little tune is a tribute to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan) who definately have influenced my musical tastes! The first verse is me envisioning Donald carrying on without his band mate Walter . The second verse is for all of us who have been around the block and are trying to keep up with current trends and happenings! The lyrics are a 15 minute throw together so be gentle on the critique lol!! Thanks for taking time to listen and keep me as part of the family here! I played everything except the horn parts and drums....couldn't pull that off! The intro horn part is a loop on my Yamaha keyboard the others are BIAB. Thanks T

BIAB
Horns - Funk 2 Part

Me
Vocals
Electric Piano
Organ
Guitars
Bass

Make It Mine
Words and music By
Torrey Bliss Copyright 2020

It just ain't the same since Walter went away
Why did he have to go
Now I'm here writing this all alone
But I'm gonna keep keepin' on
Racing the clock and the beat won't stop
And the rhythm's speedin' up with the time
I'm feeling the future bearing down on me
But I'm still gonna make it mine
Don't shake my hand don't breath on me
You know that's the way they say it's gotta be
This brand new world It don't fit me
I guess I'll find out what I'm allowed to be

Sounds good. I don't want to guess who you are honoring but it's jazzy, I can say that much. All your instruments sound great. I'm impressed. Lyrics worked well with the tune. The Beatles and Stones used to write all their classics in short time too, so you are in good company.

Hey Torrey ...

Absolutely loved it! My foot's still tapping hard and I can't make it stop. Sometimes those quick throw-together lyrics are near perfect ... that's what I get from this one. And what great backing tracks ... you're a very talented man, my friend!

Not sure who your inspiration is but the first thought that comes to mind is Walter Afanasieff. Regardless, it's a heck of a song ... had to listen to it twice on Soundclick before leaving a comment ... it was too good to interrupt on first listen.

Wishing you the very best ... so nice to hear a new one from you Be safe ...

Alan

Very cool, Torrey!

Great groove and killer arrangement.

Man, no one does this kind of track like you do. Well, I guess Steely Dan did

Best to you and yours.

nicely done liked the lyrics and the guitar work was cleverly done.

Thanks

Thanks jptjptjpt! I really appreciate that fact that you took the time to listen and comment! T

Torrey,
Aww come on- you didn`t play the drums?! The backtrack is so darn tight;a testament to the musician you are and even this guy who never really listened to Steely Dan, got the nod to their sound right away.
The lyrics sing good, that`s the main thing here and, of course you always sing with great energy.
"keep me as part of the family here!"- if there`s ever a question about that this forum is toast, sir.

Robert

Torrey,

This is absolutely outstanding! The vibe here is so authentic and the production is stellar.

Blown away by your talents...

Bob

I'm impressed with your versatility and musicianship!

This is a great "head bobber."

Great driving beat cements everything together perfectly.

Musically, this song has a lot to offer. Excellent all around.

Cool song Torrey! Great to see you again!

Thanks so much Alan for all those kind words! You are one of my favorites here and it's an honor knowing you have taken time to listen and comment! T

Hi Torrey
Noticed the word captivating among the soundcloud comments. Pretty much sums this one up for me. I too am picking up a Steeley Dan vibe and wondering if its Walter Becker you're name-checking in the opening line.
Stay safe.
Regards,
Leon

Torrey,

Excellent.

The bass and drum combination is tight and infectious.
Great bass line, Impressive sound (how did you record that?)
(what RealDrum is that???)
The organ/piano/horns grooves are all well done.
Super guitar work.
Your vocals are terrific. Nice tight harmonies.
An excellent mix.

A very cool song. Worth many listens.

Music!

Ah.

fj

Hi Torrey,

At first 'glance'I thought you recorded a car accident, but then you got loose. Strong drums and very well sung. The song has a lot of energy! But I also liked the way you ended the song. Nice!

I loved it,
Hans

Wow. Talk about a beat!!! Great song. I've no idea who your influence was, but he must have been pretty brilliant to give rise to such a brilliant song from you. So cool. Bravo!!!

Thanks Dave, I cherish your comments, especially when I consider they are coming from a musical talent like you!! T

Torrey

Amazing work. Wonderful musicianship abounds, loved all the parts you played (some wonderful guitar).
A truly excellent arrangement.
Stellar work.

Peter

Hi, Torrey !


Wonderful tune, wonderfully performed !
I couldn´t dream of putting up such
superb lyrics in 15 mins ! You are a
musical wizard Torrey ! And I always like your
vocals too !

Cheers
Dani

Thanks beatmaster! I appreciate you taking the time to listen and comment! T

Torrey,
all is in its spot, (except maybe the hihat being a little too loud/splashy).
I was chatting to someone about this band today: they were big amongst my teachers college peers in the late 70s.
You ran their vibes with a little more oomph and that worked a treat.
As expected the musicianship is top notch.

Yeah, I can hear the "Dan" shining through it.

Nice work...seriously nice. Even the vox are Steelish in nature and sound.

That ending..... cool stuff.

Love it

Me too....great SD vibe....I sure miss Becker also.
All the applicable accolades have been submitted...all of which I will echo.

Very well done....carry on.

Amazing what "four on the floor" can do to drive a tune, great song fantastic vocal brilliant guitar work Torrey.

Loved this, have always noticed the SD influence in everything you do, great one, what a talent you are!

Thanks Robert! I always appreciate your supportive comments! T

Wow great production, Awesome groove, great guitar tone, very KOOL !!!
What are you using for the Drums? Is that BIAB or some other tool?

Thanks Bob! I always appreciate your comments! T

Thanks Scott for your kind words! T

Thanks VideoTrack for your kind words! I really appreciate it! T

Caught those Steely Dan vibes immediately. Excellent production, great performance. Those guitar solos were really smokin'. A top notch production.

Torrey,
Super-Funky-Cool!
Pro arrangement and excellent playing! Loved the vocal feel. Enjoyed it much! Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Great Job! I'm sending a PM link to something you might like.

Impressive! I do believe you've outdone yourself and that is no small feat. All the tones are so spot on and I loved the lyrics and the adlibs too.

Torrey Bliss...

Are you certain that you didn't release this song to the public years ago before you became the hit parade, Billboard Top 10 superstar performer you are now ???

Man, as MC Hammer said in his hit song, "You can't touch this." I know I can't, at least. It's too hot. Might burn myself. From that 'get your a** on the dance floor' intro, to the cool-down ending, the song's got so much musical energy bursting out of it that it's the musical equivalent of watching a 747 flying low over nieghborhood rooftops.

Not only do you get your Steely Dan props, but you also channeled the late Robert Palmer by way of those sharp, blues-inflected growls and ad-libs you dropped into the track. Hell, while we're at it, I'll even give you some Bootsy Collins and/or George Clinton props on that tip!

Your musicianship is unimpeachable, period, like one-man-band, man. If it only took you fifteen minutes to write the 'throw-away' lyrics, then you've only raised the bar for yourself by yourself. Next time, you gotta do 'em in five, got it???

You know this is damn good, right? Come on, now. Don't be shy. Five stars, dude, and one more just to make it an even number.

LOREN/'bluage'

Thanks David!

Thanks Leon! I edited my post after you commented stating it was about Becker and Fagen! Those guys were musical geniuses that we can only try to emulate! This was my feeble attempt at that! T

Thanks for all of that Floyd!
I recorded the bass direct (hot input level) into my interface and the through a nice bass preset in GR5. The drums are DOD. I usually like to use the Realdrums because I feel they have a warmer sound but I needed that 4 on the floor beat that this set offered. T

Thanks Hans! I always appreciate your comments! T

Who's this? is it Torrey Dan or Steely Bliss?
This is terrific. A great tribute and a wonderful original song. Love the backing - the pumping bass is great.
You won't have to worry about getting any criticism about your lyrics; the whole Steely Dan catalogue is full of indecipherable lyrics.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks James! As I have now explained in an update to my post, this tune is meant to honor the musical geniuses Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker! I could only hope to create something that was similar to what those great artists did! Thanks so much for the listen and kind words! T

Thanks Peter for the positive feedback! I appreciate it! T

Thanks Dani for your nice comments! I appreciate it! T

Man, the harmony is definitely Steely Dan. Outstanding in so many ways, Torrey. That bass is especially cool. I got to spend a week with Chuck Rainey back in 2002. Amazing. He woulda loved this, too.

Thanks Ray! I also noticed the prominent hihat in the chorus parts but since it was wrapped up in a loop with the other drums I was limited in what I could do. I have since went back and rolled off some of the highs during those parts to help a bit. T

I'm late to this party but extremely glad that I came. Everything already has been said but I will add that this is a perfect in your pocket groove. Your mix is outstanding and so is your guitar. Sweet sound on the axe man.

Torrey,

Always love hearing your stuff . . . and this one is no exception. Musically, a compelling, smoking tribute to Steely Dan—you’re at the top of your game on this production. For a 15 minute throw together, the lyrics work just fine to me—if you didn’t mention it, no one would have noticed!
Really slick!

With humble regards,

Deej

Thanks Herb for the listen and comments! I appreciate it! T

Thanks chulaivet1966! I appreciate it! T

Thanks Brian for your comments! I appreciate it! T

Hey Torrey, another great song! I think it's all been said many times by others. So, my short version is, love the guitar, love the song!

-C.Aaron

Thanks Elliott for listening and commenting! The drums I used for this project were Drums On Demand. As I said to Floyd, I prefer the sound of BIAB'S RealDrums, but needed the "4 on the floor" sound this set offered for this song. T

Thanks Ed Z for listening and commenting! I appreciate it! T

Thanks Misha for your comments! I appreciate it! T

Wow! We are too late to add an accolade that hasn't already been offered multiple times. Janice listened to a lot of Steely Dan and has gotten Bud to appreciate them (he was lost in bluegrass land when they were big).

You assuredly nailed their feel - both permutations of them. Their music for us has always been classy and sophisticated so even bigger kudos to you for capturing them with your great arrangement and playing...playing dang near all of it

And those harmonies!

This is a showcase on the showcase forum!

J&B

Thanks for the listen Tommy, I appreciate it! T

Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment Josie! I appreciate it! T

Thanks Loren! I appreciate so much you taking the time to listen and comment as extensively as you do! Your kind words mean a lot to me! T

Thanks for all of that Mike! I certainly do appreciate it! T

Thanks man for all the kind words! That must have been awesome meeting Chuck Rainey! Anyone who's worked not only with Steely Dan but Aretha and Quincy must have had some stories to tell! T

Thanks Mario! I appreciate all that! T

Thanks Deej! I appreciate your kind words! T

Great track!! Walter is definitely smiling at this!!! Like you, I'm a huge fan of the Dan! I love their pure creativity! For films, it's Joel and Ethan Coen, and for music, it's the DAN, all the way! You did a fine, fine tribute!!! Take care. Greg

HearToLearn,

Thanks for listening and commenting! I appreciate it! T

Thanks J&B! I always appreciate your comments! T

Thanks for all of that Greg! I appreciate it! T