Geoff was very open in his recent interview with Tara simons that voiceplay double track a lot now because they don’t sing live often. So most of the bass you heard is just Geoff double tracked and not layne
For the longest time Geoff said he wasn't doing this song. So Layne had to go out of his way with an arrangement that Geoff couldn't refuse! 🤣. The final product sounds like Frollo was created just for Geoff to sing his part! I hope you'll provide R&A for Geoff's "Jack's Lament", it's amazing!! 🤯
That section where you demonstrate how to beatbox and sing a bassline at the same time pretty much sums up why I watch your channel. I'm subscribed to a bunch of R&A youtubers and I love every single one of them for what they bring to the table individually. But this here, this is *your* field of expertise! Also very hyped for the interview with Layne!
Definitely the darkest Disney villain song. One little fact I found fascinating about the original: Tony Jay could not hit the final high note and asked Alan Menken to change the key. This song was basically the whole reason Menken himself picked "Hunchback" to be Disney's next project, and he refused to change it. Instead, he sent Jay to voice lessons until he could hit and sustain the note. Also, Disney execs worried that the whole sequence would cost them their G rating. Every single frame was analyzed, particularly the "fire spirit" of Esmeralda, to make sure nothing was inappropriate, and it was clear in every frame that she was fully clothed. However, the MPAA didn't like that the song used the word "sin." So if you listen to the original, that word is buried in sound effects, much like how Geoff's sub "sinnnnnn" gets a bit buried by Layne's perc. It still ended up being controversial; Southern Baptists boycotted the entire movie. Still, among Disney villain fans, "Hellfire" is seen as the darkest (and therefore one of the best) Disney villain songs. The animation was just the right level of terrifying to be on par with Chernabog while not crossing the line into "inappropriate for small children." Now, the THEMES... definitely not appropriate, but that's what makes Frollo the darkest Disney villain. He isn't doing this for power, riches, or to take down the do-gooder heroes. The "if I can't have her than no one shall" attitude is a horror that has ruined the lives of many women, including the teen daughter of a co-worker of mine, who had broken up with a guy and reported him to police for abuse, yet he managed to buy a gun and took her life, saying he simply couldn't handle the idea of her having another boyfriend. Her mother became a major voice in my state banning the purchase of firearms for people accused of domestic violence. It's what makes Frollo horrifying. He's realistic. We have likely already met someone just like him in our life, and we never even knew it.
VoicePlay did an amazing job with this song. The Latin both in this and the original is the cathedral choir basically calling Judge Claude Frollo a liar. It's a great touch.
That is not what the Latin means. Et tibet pater means I confess father. Cogitatione means something like contemplate this. Mea maxima culpa means through my most grievous fault. And Kyrie Eleison means lord have mercy. It is from Catholic liturgy and you are right since this takes place in a Catholic cathedral it is a great touch.
The irony is there. Frollo is singing about how righteous he is and how it is proper that he punishes others, and the Latin in the background sings about confessing one’s sins, acknowledging fault, and asking for forgiveness and mercy.
The bass line goes: Geoff sing/Layne bass, Layne sing/Geoff bass, Geoff sing/Layne bass, Layne “Burn It”, Geoff double tracked. Layne’s bass part only lasts up until he says ‘burn it’, then Geoff is doubled tracked for the rest of the song.
As always, an outstanding reaction. I don't think Geoff will disagree about this not being a favorite Disney tune. For a long time he said he really did not want to sing this one. I assume Layne may have talked him into doing it.
He felt Judge Frollo was far too into being evil for this song to be really enjoyable, or one he really wanted to remake, similar to how you and the Bass Gang redid Be Prepared... Geoff has a harder time being unappologetically evil.
@@shelleeroe7305 I mean... it's also not just evil but that "disgusting oily pervert" which I can totally understand not wanting to act out if you're the type of person who puts a lot of empathy into acting (I do that too)
9:45 You sounded EXACTLY like Mortius, that's his favorite singing technique. You even used the same hand gestures and sound effects, LOL! I guess it makes sense, what with you two both being in my top five favorite reactors (and pretty high on the list, too, though I don't want to name names...)! And great reaction and analysis as usual, Peter. I hope you had a nice time in Santa Barbara!
Great reaction!! This was just so damned good!! When I watched it the first time, I thought it was Geoff that said "Burn It", but no, that was Layne. And It was cool that Tony got to participate as the guard, but Eli voiced the guard. Completely Blown away by how epic this cover was!! It has been a long long time since I have seen Hunchback of Notre Dame. And Did you see Cesar briefly playing the air guitar?? lol
@@themelodicduo7759 Yes! It was Tony Wakim! He was in the studio that day - not surprising since he and Layne are co-owners. But there was a bit of a joke about so many VoicePlay baritones in one place at the same time.
J None has been promoted to sing in the Washington area with the Sea Chanters. He is singing base. So that’s a possibility for some of the bass. But Layne arranged this. If you haven’t already recorded your interview, these are some great questions for him!
Completely fair that this isn't your favorite Disney song & I'm not surprised it isn't everyone else's either. Personally, it is my favorite Disney villain song just because of how dark & real it can get. How Frollo justifies his view of his lust as Esmerelda's fault as since he's a holy man it couldn't be him. And to atone she either submits or dies is completely fair in his eyes. The internal conflict with his own desires & views through the song is so interesting to me. Also, I love a good bit of dark Disney. I think VP did an absolutely amazing cover that is currently living rent free in my head
Very well sais! He's actually a very interesting character--like all good villains. This one song shows many dimensions of Frollo. He's perfectly sincere all the way through--at that start, when he speaks of his own superior virtue, and at the end, when he sees no problem with "she will be mine or she will burn."
@@justsomeguywithnomustache6245 I find him to be similar to Gaston, where he seems so scary because most people know someone like him in real life. Obviously different traits but I'm sure most of us know at least one holier-than-thou person who condemns non-believers.
Yesssssss I've been waiting for this! The shirt made me smile, very clever. (Or should that be "clefer"? #sorrynotsorry 😅) Also made me laugh a little that you put the vipers on while Geoff was still on the highest note he hits in the entire song, but i guess it just highlights that range and how quickly he can go from one extreme to the other. (I've seen this referred to as a "Geoff bombing run", a phrase which i am unapologetically swiping for my own use because yes. Accurate.) Fantastic analysis as usual! I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but i really love the bass perspective since I'm a soprano but always trying to work on my low notes. (I have a decent range, but *very* little power below G4-ish.) I did, however, recently discover that i actually figured out subs when i was about 12! Not, mind you, because i wanted to sing low or anything; i was trying to make... wait for it... dolphin noises. In the pool. 😂 (Try it underwater sometime though, it does legitimately sound like dolphin clicks and creaks! Though admittedly probably more so when it's coming out of a 12yo girl than a grown man. 😂) Edit: Aaaand I've just realized I entirely forgot what I intended to say when I first started this comment. *facepalm* Anyway, what I wanted to say: I initially had very mixed feelings about this cover because while it's gorgeous and I could listen to it all day, Geoff's delivery in the beginning humanizes Frollo somewhat, which I find morally repugnant. The more I think about it, though, the more I like it. The Latin (which is in the original) is taken from an old prayer, the gist of which is "I'm a dirty rotten sinner and i take responsibility for it, please forgive me". Having that going on in the background sets up this back-and-forth between what the church teaches--something Frollo would know very well, being a highly educated man--and his attempts to justify and shift the blame for his behavior. (Textbook narcissist move, that.) Basically, it refutes everything Frollo says about himself from the get-go and points out what an utterly craptastic human being he really is. Geoff making him feel a little more sympathetic (somewhat confused rather than just completely terrible) seems like an odd choice, but what it does really nicely is show his thought process and the kind of twisted logic that makes him such a terrifyingly realistic villain. (When your premise is "I'm perfect" , your conclusion is never going to be "I'm at fault". Which, again, narcissist.) He has the chance to turn away from his destructive course and *chooses* not to take it, which imo makes him far worse than if he were unaware of his hypocrisy. So what Voiceplay have done is take the brilliant storytelling already present in the original (which I'm convinced that Menken wrote with book Frollo rather than Disney Frollo in mind) and amplified it, highlighting all the things that make Frollo simultaneously compelling and despicable. Which makes my little writing-nerd heart all kinds of happy. 😀
Always makes me smile to learn I'm not the only one that gets off track in a comment....but also chooses to leave the random path in comment because - it's what happened. Comments are conversation, so it makes sense to leave it in. Bravo to you!
Geoff released his Halloween special- Jack’s Lament from Nightmare Before Christmas. Both musically and theatrically, it’s one of his most complex covers to date. I’d love to see your reaction to it!
The first time I heard this I found it very disturbing. I didn’t know where it was from, but I loved the arrangement. I can never get enough of Geoff and VoicePlay. And I agree, getting to hear Layne is always a treat. Love, love how these fellows harmonize so effortlessly.
Having the closed captions on makes the latin phrases clear behind the solo singing. They have them for a reason. They certainly helped meI This is one I have now heard many times and it doesn't get stale.
I have been building up a playlist of all the reactions to it (I think I am 4 short of a hundred) because Layne really added a lot of meat to an otherwise easily set aside song.
I had never seen the movie or heard the song before Voiceplay did this version. It was absolutely mesmerizing, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've watched them do it.
I never knew how into voice analysis I would be until I randomly came across your (Dan Vasc) video. And truly, I’m not here to learn, I’m here to watch your pure enjoyment and passion for what sets your soul on fire. Thank you for doing what you do.
My son requested the original and I realised it no longer impresses me after this epic Voice Play upgrade. I always love watching your analyses Peter, picking up on every layer.
At the point where you mentioned Geoff sounding like he was doing a Catholic Mass, he was doing the traditional sign for a blessing lol (on ‘God have mercy on her’)
A villian's song for Halloween was perfect. It highlights the villian's disdain for eneryone but himself and how everyone else is at fault...including God! Four of the guys can sing bass when needed. However we dont know if Caesar can or not.
I've found that I learn more stuff by watching your reaction to voiceplay before I go watch their original, which is odd but it's fun! Also at 7:58 it could also be Geoff singing the Bassline and have Layne lip sync to it, just like they did in Moana Medley with Eli and the A1 Bassline.
As to beatboxing while carrying a simultaneous bass line, there is video footage of Geoff doing just that from years ago when he worked at Universal (I believe). You can find it on one of the fan YT posts. Regarding the Layne bass line: he did contribute to the bass early in the song, other than that it is Geoff, as they usually record their harmonies and then any leads and any double tracks. For the record, J., Layne, and Eli can also reach the bass register and Eli has taken the bass line in areas of their live performances when it's called for. Im not sure how low Cesar can go, but he has a high falsetto with some power behind it. You can hear it in "Dream On". Geoff hates the lyrical message of this song so it took a lot of work on Layne's part to get this done. And we all thank him.😂 Great R&A, as always and I'm looking forward to your conversation with Layne.
VP's work and the responses from the better reactors/analysts, yourself included, helped carry me through the worst of the pandemic years, so I know I'm biased--but yeah, even accounting for that, I agree they're the best a cappella group out there at this point. IIRC you once said even when they make choices that don't work for you, they're still *interesting* choices, and I think the willingness to take risks is a big part of their appeal. Once could make a loose analogy with The Beatles in their studio years, and for similar reasons--not having to focus on live performances and touring leaves more energy for the music (and in VP's case, visuals).
I agree Hellfire isn't a song one usually goes for, but Voiceplay did such an amazing job that it's been buzzing around in my head for at least a week now. I think my favorite parts are when Geoff slipped into that deep bass on the "Tell me Maria", just had an amazing buzzy rumble, and Layne's "Burn it" was such a badass segue!
I always enjoy your R&A's because of how you experoment with the beatboxing and show us how the low notes sound live. I agree that they did an excellent arrangement and it's still not my favorite song that I'm going to put on repeat on a playlist. Also, just a funny side note. Several of us that saw your interview with Geoff still tease him about how you called him out about being a bass not a tenor. Great reaction as always! ✌️❤️🔥
Great breakdown Peter! Loved it! Geoff has has cover of Jack's Lament out now from the nightmare before Christmas. I can't wait for you to hear this one. He went all out.
I never would have guessed that Layne could have hit those notes. So I assumed it was a Geoff overlay. Thats why I love these reacts. Good job Layne lol
Geoff recently released his version of Jack's Lament from Nightmare Before Christmas. It's awesome and you'd really enjoy it! Try that one too! I'll be watching for it soon! Thank you for your great reaction! ❤🎉
Don't you think Layne actually deserved Pitt vipers for singing so low out of his usual comfort range? I know he wasn't Geoff deep but comparing him to Geoff is setting the bar too high?
As always, interesting details from you, thank you. Voiceplay are so incredibly good that you have to honor them!! Next up is definitely...Geoff Castellucci's 'Jack's Lament'!!! 🤩👍👍🫶🫶
I have been WAITING FOR THIS!!! Absolutely knew those subs from Geoff were going to call for vipers. 😁😁 What a brilliant song, and love your commentary for it as well. Definitely psyched to see the interview with Layne - I loved your one with Geoff!
8:07: "Burn it!" This of course reminds me of SUGA saying "bultaoreune" in the BTS song "Fire". (Yeah, it's the same me who just posted a comment about Thomas Tallis.)
Something a lot of folks tend to forget: JNone can cover bass, too. That's his position in the Navy group he's in at the moment. Though a good bit of what we're hearing is Geoff double tracked it's entirely possible that some of what we hear is him, JNone.
Makes you wonder if the decision to have Geoff take the lead was influenced by Tomi's cover of Hellfire (which I love). Thanks for reacting to this...The one I'd like you to react is to Geoff's latest, Jack's Lament.
If I remember correctly Geoff stated that when he was learning to do the subs, everyone in the group was playing around in doing it. It may have been Layne with those subs, but I would not doubt the layering of Geoff's vocals.
I think I can agree that "Hellfire" isn't my favorite tune to reach for when I just want to listen to some Disney music - dark subject matter, pause in the middle for voice acting, not especially catchy or earworm-y. That being said, it is ABSOLUTELY my favorite Disney song to see/hear people do covers of, because no matter the stylistic interpretation, "Hellfire" always draws out the artist's theatricality and intensity. I've not yet seen a "Hellfire" cover that didn't go the absolute hardest the artist was capable of - it's just not that kind of tune.
completely random, but the place behind you looks almost exactly like the layout of an apartment a friend of mine lived in back in 2006-2007 in Charlotte, NC.
2:03: "At the start of this piece, it's much more speech-like." Interesting. To me, the start sounds like church, sort of a 16th century chant. Like Thomas Tallis.
9:27 there’s plenty of bass techniques he could be doing, throat bass I don’t believe can go as low as G1 but he might be doing inhale singing. Or it might just be multitracked. Just to name two others, he could be doing: Subharmonics (a lot of beatboxers know subharmonic just because of the difference between true fold subs and false fold subs, which is throat bass) Vibration bass (basically an extension of throat bass) My best bet is inhale singing or just multitracked
Hey, Peter, I don't know if you're renting or if you own this place in Arizona. I watch your videos and see the kitchen and, oh dear, it is so poorly designed. If you have the ability to change it, please start by moving the fridge. Coming in thru the outside door forces a person to walk thru the "work triangle" -- not to mention having to dodge the appliance because it partially blocks the entrance -- plus it would be good to have at least 15" of countertop next to the fridge for unloading groceries and for pulling out food to be prepared for meals. I can't see the whole layout so I'm not sure, but I'd guess the logical place for the fridge is on the wall next to the door. I'm sorry this comment is not about music; it's just that I see the background and cringe. (I'm not a professional, I've just remodeled enough kitchens to know.)
ok, I have to ask. If F2 is a low F, then what is an F1? (I will spare you the many jokes I made about what it might be, since it actually is a serious question...)
I feel the same about this piece. It really is epic, but for some reason it never compels me to listen to it willingly. VP's strange is fire, though. Hellfire, to be precise.
All of the bass line is actually Geoff singing and Layne is just lip syncing it. I was in a live stream of there’s a little while back and people kept asking who sang the bass line when Geoff solos and they said that he just double tracks with a bass line and a solo while someone lip syncs in the music videos.
This guy said that Diana Аnkudinowa's voice was a result of digital modulation and I've hated him ever since!!!!!!!!! I expect him to say that Dimash's voice is also the result of digital modulation and this will kill me for good!
Thank you for this video🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 this video was the one I recommended and I don’t know if you knew this but Mea Culpa is Latin for My Fault and Maxia Mea Culpa means My great Fault
GAHHH I'm picking up on so much more this time around with your analysis. I listened to this a couple times on my own right when it came out, and somehow I didn't pick up on Geoff's moving bass line, or Cesar's freaking guitar riff XD Thank you for your insight and explanations. Jaw. Dropping. XD Hugs and love from California!
Layne is theoretically capable of hitting a G1 (though he might have to use ingressive phonation to do it), but for the official studio audio, they probably multi-tracked Geoff for some of the lowest notes, because they can. For live performances, when they do them, they tend to have somebody else pick up the bass line when Geoff has lead (e.g., Eli in Moana and Little Mermaid, probably Layne here), although they do use a pre-recorded background track of Geoff's bass line for Oogie Boogie's Song. Eli's highest belt that I'm aware of, is in Valhalla Calling. And lo, it is insane.
The song needed 2-3 repeats to grow on me, but now I love it. It’s really sinister 😈 From the videos, your analysis etc. I already knew that Layne does crazy amazing beatboxing (and singing etc.), but to learn that you can hum/sing and beatbox at the same time and then you showing that sooo casually (like “oh, let me try this… yes, that’s definitely how Layne did it…”) BLEW MY MIND 🤩🫠 I love your videos 🤗
Yeah, Layne definitely does some ingressive/throat bass, and Geoff is definitely multi tracked at times, but figuring out which is which is beyond me 🤣🤣
Loved Geoff in the lead and the really dow there in the end! Great job Guys and I think the theatrical sing is what sets Voice Play aside from any other a cappella group. It just might the their signature sound… but I love it!😊❤
When they increased the tempo for the back and forth solo ("It's not my fault!") the increased tempo gives that section a more 'frantic' energy- similar to a mind frantically searching for an excuse on why they feel desire for a gypsy woman 😉. I enjoyed the musicality of this arrangement. I bought better headsets because of you so I could hear all of what you're hearing. Love seeing your reactions, I appreciate the music a lot more after watching them! Keep up the great work, Peter
