Although this song had been suggested to Geoff and VoicePlay many times, Geoff had always resisted. He strongly disliked this villain. But Layne convinced him that he could do an arrangement for VoicePlay that he would like. Layne is singing the bass line until his ‘burn it’. After that Geoff is doubled. (Although J None could have done it. He’s now singing bass with the Navy Sea Chanters.)
Judge Frolo is a truly sinister man but a one in a million villain. So cunning, manipulative, and unscrupulous. It contributes to what makes him such a compelling villain and why his end is tragically satisfying. I completely understand resenting him though. I'm glad that he was able to reach a point where he could perform this role, it's an incredible arrangement!
Thank you for another priceless reaction to Voice Play. Would you please put these in Voice Play covers on your list to react to ? They are : Dream On Queen In 5 Minutes ( it is a medley of Queen songs they do ) also : Carry On Wayward Son & Eleanor Rigby. Voice Play knocks these out of the ball park.
@@goodeveningstories I think the thing that always felt ambiguous about Frollo, as a villain and a person, was the question of intent. Did he know on some level that he what he was doing was immoral and evil, and just lie to himself and everyone? Or was he truly so deluded and lost to hubris that he genuinely believed that he, and his actions, were righteous? Because to me, the former option feels...a bit more evil. I _think_ he knew, at least on some level? But it's also possible that he truly thought that he was doing the right thing. Which is arguably far worse, but there's a perverted and twisted kind of innocence to it.
@@alexisgrunden1556 I wholeheartedly agree. That's always been a challenge for me in both understanding others and judging my own actions. Recognizing when someone might truly believe their actions, regardless of how cruel they might be to others (and/ or themselves in some cases), are what is truly for the greater good. It's very easy to confuse appearing righteous by proclaiming your virtuous nature publicly and actually being righteous and prove to yourself you have cultivated and maintained a true level of honor and integrity. I've been under the impression Frollo was raised in an environment that demanded he maintain a strict set of values and morals that were never his own and never fully managed to learn to control or even understand what it was he wanted for himself. Doing everything he could to suppress his own desires and thoughts, instead of addressing them honestly and learning to work through them ended up, both literally and figuratively, destroying him. That said, the context of his story is more tragic if what he truly believed that what he was doing was the right thing, but based on his Hellfire song, I remain under the impression that he, somewhere deep in his heart, knew he was doing the wrong thing and every repressed emotion and desire he kept hidden exploded in his moment of truth during the gypsy purge.
@@goodeveningstories I'm inclined to agree with you. I think the biggest hint that Frollo _did_ know what he was doing was wrong was his far. He feared Damnation...but if he truly had no doubts, if he truly KNEW that he was in the right, then surely he would not have feared Hellfire eternal. Had he no doubts, no guilt, he wouldn't have given us that musical masterpiece. Heck, we can go even further back; had Frollo truly felt no fear, doubt or shame over the death of the gypsy woman killed on the steps of the cathedral, he wouldn't have hidden Quasimodo away. I think that was why he hated Quasi; he was a living reminder of his own guilt, shame and fallibility. And he despised that.
I love that during the speaking part, you were making the same hand gesture Geoff makes at the end of his sentence for emphasis! Yep, you're a Voiceplaya!💙
I am not sure if you have seen the 'after' part of any of the videos where Geoff speaks, but brace yourself.. ..that wasn't a specific choice. That was just how Geoff speaks. Period. 😊. I don't remember if you have listened much to his solo channel, but watch Man of Constant Sorrow and listen all the way through to the end and you will see what I mean. I love how viscerally and emotionally you react and look forward to your next one
I know I’ve suggested this to you before, but I’d really like to see you react to their Hall of the Mountain King. It was arranged by Layne and leans toward his theatrical side. Through the changes in music and actions of the characters, he tells a story without words. And it is a wild ride that is a lot of fun. Please consider doing it. (By the way, they have a lot of Halloween videos, but this is not one of them!)
I believe it is Layne performing the "Burn it". He has said that he can 'technically' sing higher and lower than Geoff (if you don't count Geoff's subharmonic notes). but that it doesn't sound as nice as Geoff. And I think he tends to use the inhalation technique on those low notes like in 'Burn it', which is a technique that Geoff says he has never been able to do well, which is why he concentrates on subharmonics and occasional vocal fry to reach the low bass notes instead.
I've watched quite a few analysis vids of this, and have not heard anyone mention how brilliant it is to have Cesar be the bridge between Eli's voice and J.'s voice; amazing arrangement, every detail. Thanks for the video. Have an awesome week.
Just the fact that Cesar and J. None have a short duet in this version makes it my favorite. I ADORE their voices together! I have a whole playlist that's just songs that have Cesar and J. None in the lineup. It also has J. None's "last" song with Voiceplay, and both his and Cesar's first songs.💙
Also his darker narrations. I would love to listen to his voice while I’m trying to drift off to sleep but some of those selections just utterly creeped me out.
Frollo was self-righteous and Geoff's portrayal of him let's us know what he finds important. J None is that portion of Frollo that is imploring Maria to protect him. Cesar blames God for making the devil. Eli is the blackest part of his soul. To me, this was such a mesmerizing, evil, and utterly unforgettable character. Very interesting final commentary. Enjoyed it.
Love this cover as well as Valhalla Calling Me! If possible, please consider reacting to another accapella group The Bass Gang. They are a virtual group who started during the pandemic finally met up for the first time last year. My favorite is their cover of Arabian Nights, along with 3 other Disney song in their collaboration at that time.
You have THE best reactions! You completely express how it makes me feel! I appreciate your actual analysis of the lyrics in pointing out the dichotomy of Frolo's heart and mind. I know they take all these things into consideration, especially in a piece like this. And I love that you actually think about these things. So few people spend time *THINKING*! Anyway, as a vocalist and musician myself, their talent is so freakin intimidating, but I never ever get tired of them! I love all their arrangements, their rhythmic complexity, and the fact that every one of them has a VAST range, not just Geoff, although his range is more remarkable because there are so few basses that can get that low, especially not with such clarity, strength, and intensity. I love how versatile each and every one of them is!
They really did a phenomenal job with this one. I highly recommend also looking into Jonathan Young's cover of Hellfire as well. Quite different, but still... quite powerful. Also, thank you for expressing your thoughts. It brings to mind Loki's sentiment that no one good is ever truly good, and no one evil is ever truly evil. Paired with the observation that humans have the capacity to be kinder than angels and more cruel than demons, and yet are able to maintain both extremes within the same person. It is what makes humans... human. Personally, I am very partial to the philosophy of the creed from the Assassin's Creed games. Nothing is true, everything is permitted. To say that nothing is true is to recognize that the foundations of our society are fragile, and that we must be shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with the consequences, whether glorious or tragic. At the end of the day, the people that I consider most dangerous are the ones who have come to terms with harming others in order to advance their own desires. People for whom truth is malleable, and who have no difficulty lying at the smallest provocation. Lies are, perhaps, one of the most dangerous things to the functioning of society, twisting people into knots and making them susceptible to the most convincing and glib liars around. Theology aside, Dante Alighieri put liars just above traitors in his Inferno because he understood just how dangerous they were. To bring it back to Frollo, though, he is a man consumed by hate. He has embraced a view that the Romany people are less than human and that for the sake of the safety of those that he is able to have power over, they must be destroyed. Fundamentally, I think part of it is down to the fact that no matter how hard he tries... they refuse to submit to him. They have their own ways, and they are not interested in conforming to his ways. In many ways, the danger that they represent is the simple fact that they are clear evidence to his "flock" that there are other ways to live, and he can't have that. Total obedience to him-err-his religion is the only way that people can be allowed to live.
Hola desde Argentina... Que excelente reacción..! entre la pasión de mostrarnos tanto las cualidades vocales como las emotivas y tú reflexión final... Genio!!! Un abrazo a la distancia! 😊
This is regarded as Disney's darkest song and VP have done a great job with it. Both Layne and Geoff are incredible arrangers. And Eli too, when he does one. Is it worth pointing out that he is actually praying to Mary/ Maria, rather than "his Lord". interesting thoughts at the end. I like your conclusions. I follow the Taoist philosophy now. I have written about what I call the 'triune brain" which we all have to deal with.
I was not familiar with the story prior to VoicePlay's cover and find that they conveyed such a complete development during this piece that I gained a good understanding of the theme. There was a lot packed into a few minutes.
Voiceplay do a great job with this! However, try listening to Jonathan Young's version. His commitment to the role is almost frightening. Great analysis and reaction!
After the "burn it" those bass sounds are Layne. I've seen someone call it throat bass and they gave a small example. It sounded about right. However he did it, Layne is a beast of a human! He's surprised me with how low he can go, he can get down to Geoff's level when he needs to.
I enjoyed your reaction. Loved that you highlighted the acting - VP is so great at giving you a full production. I feel like not enough people talk about it or shout it out. It's interesting what songs can evoke - feelings, thoughts, life values, ways of life... Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Love your reactions, thanks for sharing your honest emotions and musical knowledge too! What you talk about in the end of the video is much similar to the Jungian theory of individuation and integration of the shadow self, that according to Jung, its a process highly benefited by knowing multiple worldviews given by, as you said, religions or philosophies, as well as life lessons qiven mitology
I don't remember exactly where, but I heard one detail in another reactor's video that has always stuck with me. In the original version of this song, the word "sin" gets buried underneath the sound effects that come in and it fades out due to backlash from die hard religious groups predominantly in the US. They seemed to think that just the inclusion of the word would inspire children to sin. The hope was that making the word half disappear amd fade away would alleviate the criticisms. In VoicePlay's version, not only does Layne's perc come in and semi-obsure the note, just like the sound effects did in the original, but Geoff lets the note trail off, fading into the bass line he picks up to back the others during their leads. Once again, the word "sin" is obscured and fades away.
With your experience as a classically-trained singer, I really want to see you react to them doing “In the Hall of the Mountain King”. To take a famous classical instrumental piece and make it a capella was technically brilliant. Plus they hit on so many variations on the theme in the piece. It is an astounding piece of art.
The world is. But it is not unchanging. The question of what kind of change is happening. There are changes that are and could be evil. Others are definitively good. So, sitting there and acting like all things require the same amount of respect and somethings should go unchallenged. Truth is absolute. Therefore, we should attack lies and destroy it when we see it.
Its all pre mixed so, could be geoff but, Eli has been known to carry bass lines live but, these performances, post covid, are definitely created to be done live.
You just never know what kind of thought journey your going to end up taking with one of VoicePlay's videos 😅 Thank you for the reaction and analysis on this one.😊
They record multiple vocal tracks for each song, so yes, Geoff can be doing the background bass while singing the lead. Fun fact: Eli voices Frollo's aid and Tony provided the body as he happened to be on set that day.
Love your reactions! I still can't get my head around the fact that this song was in a Disney movie, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a darker one! I love Layne's arrangement and the fact that Geoff was persuaded to do it, love Cesar's 'air guitar', he's quite adept at imitating instruments! The 'guard' that appears is Tony Wakim, Layne's business partner in Pattycake Productions, although Eli provided the voice (he does a lot of voice acting outside of VP!) 😊
I went into an involved explanation of Beata Maria and sh . . . stuff like that when they transitioned power here and it all got lost. Today would seem to be your lucky day. Do me a big favor. Soak up some California sunshine for me, will ya?
Awesome stuff! I love how art (in all its shapes) is such an important and excellent tool to express all sorts of feelings, and how it can be interpreted differently by each person, it's just amazing! In stories told through music it's even more special imo, so many layers to latch onto! I lovelovelove how Voiceplay as a whole is so great at this too, they sure can tell a story! That cold and controlled fury from Geoff was really stunning! And I agree 100% with your take regarding Frollo, his actions made him the villain, thru his self-righteousness, as you said. And yes, humanity has thrived so long because, and not in spite of, our sense of community, and how we come together to help each other. Our learned (and incentivized) selfishness and mentality of self reliance, to the detriment of others, is what's breaking us, we certainly need more kindness in this world. Uncle Iroh would be proud! I don't know if you take requests or suggestions from comments, but I've been pestering everyone I know to check out Ayreon; If you enjoy some progressive rock and rock operas it would be super interesting to see your take on this project! It's really story-driven, with several excellent singers from across the metal scene, and the mastermind behind it, Arjen Lucassen, has a knack for picking singers to suit each part of the stories. I bet you'd get a kick out of "The Day that the World Breaks Down", especially the official video with some behind the scenes and trivia, it's super fun, and probably the best place to start, since it's the beginning of the story of the album The Source. The newest live version is super cool too, and for sure an achievement, to collect so many prog and symphonic metal singers and musicians, and perform That, with so many parts, they're all truly professionals! Also, yes, I'd love to see some of your musical projects too, whenever you decide to upload it! Cheers!
Voice Plays version is fantastic no doubt about it. I love it. But there is an even better version out there by Tomy P. It’s acapella as well but has so many layers done by one single person. It blows my mind every single time I hear it.
Have you heard Peter Hollen's version? It's really excellent. I'll have to check out Tomi's but given that I prefer many voices to a single voice in so many songs, I don't think VP's version will be dethroned. But I look forward to adding another to my list of favorites! Oh, and Peter does my current favorite full version of "Be Prepared," which I'm hoping Geoff or VP will do someday.💙
Yes I have but I personally think Tomys is better. But that’s just me. My absolute favorite song by Peter is Gollums song. He dose such an amazing job of capturing Gollums split personality.
@@hummingbird828 Oooh, I haven't seen that, I'll have to check it out. Peter is an amazing artist, and so much fun, too! I think his parodies alone deserve some awards!
