This is the next one that you should analyze: Live at Tampere version. There is much more in this performance, as far as stage work, that even the most seasoned Nightwish fan would probably find new insight after being presented by your views.
A few things: The song is about Tuomas' virtual suicide in music rather than actually killing himself as a result of the vicious fan backlash resulting from the firing of the first singer. There's a lyric version of this performance as well and it was a shame that you didn't have that version as it would have provided more context for you. The basis of the performance is drawn from Edgar Allen Poe's "Pit and the Pendulum" When you commented on them moving around, it was actually Emppu the guitarist going to check to see how Tuomas was handling it. In the past, Tuomas would have the sound engineers cut Floor's vocals from his in-ears as it was too emotional. Normally Emppu is always wandering about the stage, chatting when he has nothing to do. He was actually restrained here. That very high passage that Floor sung in a classical voice, was sung by a boy soprano in the original version. Floor keeps it light and thin, imitating that immature voice of a boy. When Tuomas slits his throat, it's exactly three minutes after the boy soprano says, "three minutes left". You're hearing Tuomas' dying heartbeat afterward. The final passage is Floor playing the role of his mother, apparently singing some of the words his mother actually said to him. Go read up on the back story, then listen to it again. Have some tissues handy.
This song is *also* about Tuomas' personal catharsis regarding the whole Tarja ordeal, however diminishing this piece to only that is doing Tuomas and the song injustice. It's not that hard to pick up on the general theme of the song without knowing any background.
I am really impressed how much of the emotion he could read from their performance anyway. He didn't miss any of the nuances, even mentions this is about a death. Well done.
@@rikvanommen9564 I believe he was correct, watch closely and you see Tuomas smile and say something to Emppu. Also after Marko was finished with his last part of the song he goes over to his friend and stands in support with him as well.
Your statement is correct: for us, Nightwish's fans, this band is THE BAND. Beyond classifications and musical genres / sub-genres. It's about energy, but mostly about emotions.Their brilliant composition / musicianship / vocals are in fact just vehicles, facilitators, helping them to transmit better energy and emotions. Very few others musicians have the talent and abilities to do that constantly at the same high level.
Well said Gabriel. Energy and emotions as a result of masterful artistic craftmanship. You can hear and feel it in almost every song. Unbelievable. Greetings!
Absolutely! Technically they are flawless and very talented but that's not why they have such a fanatical fanbase. It's because Nightwish make us feel, from watching them live it's obvious the music, the closeness of the band and the fan energy makes Nightwish feel too.
I've said this in other places and I have to agree. There are fans of other bands, fans who live and love fervently and cherish their artist's body of work dearly. But for the Nightwish Army? Nightwish is who you come back to after everyone else falls flat, or fails to connect. They fill in the gaps that you've been missing all along. Nightwish is home. And it's been such a gift to be a fan of theirs for so long. What a treasure.
At last: I was beginning to think you'd forgotten us. Thanks for bringing out even more aspects of this performance, beyond just vocal analysis. Please, PLEASE, do not be afraid of the length of The Greatest Show on Earth. We're seasoned watchers and a 45-50 minute video is perfectly fine - better, in fact, as I think a video needs to be at least twice the length of the song if there's going to be value in watching it. Go for it; stop, pause, talk, enhance the experience for us. We've all watched/listened to the song hundreds of times, we're after added value and insight. I, personally, cannot be bothered with reactors who just go "ooh" and "aah". Give us meat to chew on.
THANK YOU for being one reactor who focused on the song, visuals, vocals, presentations, performances, just brilliant. The song is so much more, worth checking out the story behind it, really nicely done, thank you.
sure but do we need to? Look at him doing that and think about it doing it yourself just for a second. My fingers immediately hurt while my voice breaks, I'm done ;-) Then see him play and sing on his double neck bass&git drives me absolutely insane...
Thank you, that was one of the best breakdowns I've seen of this song, it even brings up things I've missed, even though I've seen this dozens of times. The moments that get me in this performance are two, both at the end. One, seeing Floor turn her head to glance at Tuomas, as if to see if he's still OK. And two, when Tuomas sings along with the lyrics "try to save them all". This masterpiece is played with so much emotion from all of them, it is what makes it amazing.
"Officially" they're a Symphonic Metal band. But to us, they are their own. It's even more true with the latest album. This is my favourite Nightwish song.
Loved your reaction! I hope the length of " The Greatest Show on Earth " doesn't scare you. :) Nothing boring about Nightwish songs. There songs are more like fantastic books that you can't put down lol. I usually am sad that they end :-)
@@veronicaue180 Tampere is probably best since he likes to see cool scenery and that's something they really focused more on at Tampere. If It's just about the song itself, I acctually really enjoy the Buenos Aires version from decades since It's easier to hear the harmonies.
Tuomas the keyboardist committed suicide through poetry and music in this piece of art. He created this when he was in a very dark place when Nightwish and their first vocalist Tarja went separate ways. It was quite messy and very public. The bassist Marco and the guitarist Empu also shared the experience but Tuomas has written the text from his personal view. A few years ago he could be very emotional especially during the last minutes, not able to listen to the words. That's why the guys are walking over to him towards the end. Great analysis btw. Thank's! You confirmed a lot of things I've had on my mind and I got a few new things to think about.
I think that have become a "thing" now. I can understand that they did it in 2008, when it was still a fresh wound. But Tuomas is. mostly, over it now.
I didn't read Marko's book yet but I understood from fans that Marko is writing about this time too. Explaining that Tuomas need it to decide Tarja or boys. And all is perfectly explain in the letter , given to Tarja. So it is not difficult to guess about all.
@@yonikolova ...that letter was fully discredited by her manager with documented proof, particularly the lies of her wanting more of a payoff...and not respecting her fans (total lie..she loved her fans )she turned down many offers while in NW and wanted short , non-exhaustive tours and that made Marco mad ..that is why they dumped her, after she remained with them as a favor after 2003...vindictive and treacherous act done out of resentment and greed
Absolutely magnificent reaction/analysis. I'm so thrilled to see that you enjoyed this just as much as we do, and you're beginning to truly understand the theatrical/musical capabilities of this band. They're absolutely transcendent. They "classify" themselves as symphonic metal, and it's very flattering to hear the commentary about how metal musicians are percieved in the industry; but these guys? Nightwish? There's just no competition. There are absolutely *PHENOMENAL* musicians out there, and I don't mean to insult anyone by saying this, but there are precious few musicians who transcend genre, transcend time, transcend place, and deliver pure, distilled experiences in the way that Nightwish does. This is a band that will go down in legend. There was never an alternative option.
I love this reaction/analysis Dr. Marc! I personally like the fact that you don't do any research on most of the bands/songs before you react. It is fun watching you experience the performance as it happens and comment on what you are seeing/hearing. I think a performance should be able to tell a complete story and elicit the emotions of the audience as a stand-alone moment. This performance did that in spectacular fashion. I did not feel like I was missing anything by not knowing the back story. Knowing it will certainly enhance my appreciation for all that is going on but I thought they did a fantastic job of telling a very compelling story even to those naive to the back story. Thanks for reacting to this Dr. Marc. It was great as usual.
Well done! Please consider doing their Tampere performance of The Greatest Show on Earth, which is even longer and more impressive than this. Visually it takes it to another level, with the setting sun, and synchronized fireworks added to the techniques used here. BTW, Nightwish is timecode/clicktrack synchronized down to the 32nd note... they're literally keeping perfect time with the timecode for their pyro/lighting.
I know that Nightwish doesn't exactly feel the need to always stick in one genre, or at least that is what Tuomas has said, if I remember correctly. I did not know what the poet and the pendulum was about when I first heard it, and I think that can be a good thing at times... I read up on it later on, that it was about Tuomas virtual suicide. I knew it was about something very dark, but I had no clue how dark... To me, this song is so emotional I have a hard time talking about it. But in a good way. I listen to it a lot. I suffer from a depression and anxiety, and this song sort of for me is representing what life is living in this condition, one day you feel ok the next you're not. You go down a dark path that you hopefully find your way up from. It is comforting to know, that Tuomas made it up again after being in that very very dark place. That he wrote music to get himself out of the darkness. Floors delivery, in that last bit where she sits down, that is usually the point where I can't stop the tears, there is something so comforting about it, sort of a bit of a feel good moment, at least for me, like balm for your soul :) I just love the whole band and their performance here, this is just to me musical perfection, I love this so much
If you would like to see another side to Floor's vocals, check out 'Yours is an Empty Hope' live at Wembly Arena. She sings full on guttural during the chorus, while Marco sings the clean vocals. It will give you a deeper appreciation for her talent as an artist.
Listen to Floors Band Revamp singing Disdain 2010 live at Graspop. You will hear her in full distorsion and growling. The hole concert shows her amazing skill in every kind of singing.
Symphonic metal is what I believe it's called. But I'll admit that doesn't seem like it quite covers it all If we call music that accompanies movies filmscores, maybe they perform scorefilms? 😂
I'll take a crack at it. What kind of music does Nightwish play? Answer: Yes. Seriously, let's break it down. Metal? yes. Hard Rock? yes. Celtic/Folk rock? yes. Movie scores? yes. Movie soundtracks? yes. Symphonic? yes. Mood music? yes... Jazz? yes. So to answer your question? What do they play? Answer: YES.
Most fans called it SYMPHONIC METAL but for Tuomas (keyboard player/main songwriter) he didn't see it like that because according to him it's a film score inspired with a mix of heavy metal.
The more you listen to them , the more you realize, that they are unclassifiable, they are unique, singular, they are Nightwish. After thinking about a way to explain this to people new to Nightwish, a good name for it could possibly be Boundless Metal., maybe?
very nice video reaction, i liked the focus on the staging, it made your reaction adding something unique others reactors haven't done. About this song, it was writtenby Tuomas after the split with Tarja , the original singer, and the depression caused by the backlash he received after that. In the song , he commits suicide. Also, the song is divided in 5 "Acts". I think you would love doing a similar analisys on The Greatest Show on Earth live at Tampere. I suggest in that case to do just a bit of reasearch ( the song is about the Evolution of life on earth, the title is from Richard Dawkings book, Dawkings himself recorded some quotes in the song).
Not only do they have all these styles, but there are even more that aren't showcased in this particular song. One of my favorite elements of theirs is the pipes and the folk sounds that they played up in the album after this one. I've heard people compare them to everything from classical music to Prog metal.
Great reaction Dr.Marc!! The poet and the pendulum is a masterpiece, like "ghost love score", "dead boy's poem", " shoemaker","the greatest show on earth" are toó I love it since the first time i hear it on Anette's voice, the meaning of the song, the arrangement, the performance are awesome There are incredible musicians in the metal bands no matter the genre, the symphonic-metal is a incredible, two opposite worlds, untill now
Floor didn't write this song. The guy playing the organ did. Someone wrote about him further down. Tuomas. Floor is the beautifully, skilled medium by which he expresses what he feels to the rest of us. I always imagined she was the translator of what his heart wants to say. That kind of skill in my opinion is rare.
U nail it. Although this same consept have been said by many with various ways, but your words that u choose are closest to that what is my own idea about them👍🏻
"What genre are they?, I'm hearing it all in there" In a word, Yes. A cliche but true with Nightwish you never know what you're going to get first time or where they are going to go, Tuomas likes to play with expectations and buck the predictable.
Floor has told once she was diagnosed as having a high or hyper-sensitive personality. It seems to serve her well in her career as she not only performs the Nightwish songs, she actually feels the emotions associated with the lyrics. It is what makes her performances so convincing as people can tell if someone is putting on an act or is actually involved This song specifically is a rollercoaster of emotions as it describes the anger, the frustration, the despair, the hopelessness, and finally the recovery Tuomas went through after the band had to split up with their first female lead, a long time friend and confidante of Tuomas ( "I cannot cry, cause the shoulder cries more"). This song used to be very difficult for Tuomas to perform, though Tuomas seems to have said recently that he has mostly overcome the pain associated with it. It is why Emppu (guitar) and Marco (bass) at the end gather around Tuomas as a show of support which at the time of this recording seem to be still neccessary. It's also why Emppu earlier in the song inquired with Tuomas how he was holding up, to which Tuomas seemed to reply with "I'm okay" ( it will have been in Finnish but the reply seems to sound quite similar in Finnish and therefor will have similar lipmovements). With Floor being so sensitive I cannot imagine how much this song will emotionally drain her as she actually goes through those emotions while performing this song.
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Definitely you should check: The Greatest Show On Earth live Tampere by Nightwish! Who agrees?
What I love about this music and much of prog music is the understanding that, in order for the "highs" to feel high, you also need slower setup moments. The payoff from slow to fast, from dissonance to assonance, the dynamics, all are what make these long songs so captivating to me, and why I don't enjoy tech death or grindcore much.
I've seen this performance a dozen times and never noticed some of the elements you pointed out and discussed. Love it! Thanks for taking the time to check this out and share your analysis!
Well, Doc: you're first encounter with Nightwish was Ghost Love Score. Now you've commented on the Poet and the Pendulum there is only one thing left to do. Finish the Trilogy: The Greatest Show on Earth. Live at Tampere.
Magnificent reaction to one of the greatest songs i have ever heard. One of the things no one mentions about this is the editing. If it needs 10 or 12 seconds without a cut then thats what they do. If the music needs fast 3 seconds cuts then thats what they also do. Not something often noticed but hats off to the video team who put this together they really know how to pace the song and visuals.
"What they're doing makes them so awesome" Hmm...........they been doing this for over 20 years, its just people are only just discovering them due to TH-cam, just think how awesome and ahead of the time, musically innovative these currently highest view songs were back when they were originally released.
Thank you for Dr. Marc for reacting to this video. I love to hear your professional take on what is taking place on stage. As a music lover I can gel with the music, but it is nice to get a sense of why I love seeing NW live. The thought that Tuomas puts into every note is then carried out through the art of the live production. It is an amazing experience to see NW live.
Dr. Marc, you are -as far as I know- the first person that actually explaines (at least in your eyes) their positioning on stage and which effect that creates focally as well as musically. I did not notice this before and honoustly: it makes sense. Thank you for pointing this out, one more subscriber for the doctor !
Haha! I was fishing rainbow trout with my "Patriot Nightfish" spinning rod 🎣😄. Great analysis to this epic masterpiece. Some interesting notions about the things rarely spoken. You should study the backstory, because this song has a special emotional meaning to Tuomas (and the whole band and fanbase too). Thank you!
I love the way they flow between genres so effortlessly. Metal here, ballad there, thrash, growl, whatever they want to do. Often inside a single work.
i think you're one of the few people who noticed the heartbeat, yeah, it's dramatic, majestic, and heartbreaking. their masterpiece. and floor... brings it to perfection
I admire the thorough listen. Speaking in my own opinion, Tuomas would appreciate the attention to detail and your own personal opinion on this reaction. We all have our own Nightwish experience and this one is your own. Great job and I love it!👍🏻🤘🏻🖤
Thank you Dr Mark, interesting insights. Cinematic, dramatic, spacious. Guitar and bass, swap places quite often, but here they are actually giving emotional support to the keyboard player, who wrote this ultra-personal song. Floor uses her movements as well as her voice(s) to emphasise the emotions. The lighting, yes, Nightwish is more than the band; Crewish, the technicians, have been with them for years. The beginning of "The greatest show on Earth" will tickle you.
Should’ve done the lyric version of this performance. You’d understand it better. Also knowing the back story would’ve been helpful. It’s so much more than just the performance.
This is symphonic metal at its best, thanks to the Metal Mozart Tuomas Holopainen, the main composer. And to bring his ceations to life he has the Valkyrie Queen Floor and all the other multitalented artists.
you asked what "moved" me?? "..we sat and talked under the same pale moon,," this brings the deep pain and tears for i lost a dear friend with whom i did sit and talk under a pale moon,, music is a powerful thing..
As much as I love Floor's voice and musicality, I am in awe of Marco going from the incredible metal growl (but well above his vocal cords (ie. wet) so isn't flogging them) at 20 minutes to then come in under Floor's soprano during the chorus with a wonderfully clean strong mixed voice at 21:49 to give real depth to the vocals. Oh and who else has that good a diction *while* doing a metal scream? You could clearly hear every word. No having to shovel the words out from under a lot of vocal fry.
The part that always gets me is the last part titled 'father and mother' (or otherway around, I forgot). The parents talking to the son, giving him comfort. Makes me emotional every time.
Nightwish is Symphonic Metal, please remember that. Symphonic Metal is probably the most unique metal genre of all musical genre due to strong classical/symphonic influences and their vocalists vocal range is crazy big. Most Symphonic Metal bands can bring their audience emotions up and down, happy and sad, angry (Poet and Pendulum is an angry frustration filled song by Tuomas Holopainen, the keyboardist, founder, composer and main song writer of Nightwish), etc. FYI, He wrote this song to describe his emotional turmoils and depression caused by the exit of the original vocalist and co-founder of Nightwish, Tarja Turunen. The song has 5 chapters, the climatic aggressive ride chapter is Dark Passion Play that became the title of the album. The chapter where Floor sat down by the drum stage is called Mother and Father which symbolizes recovery and acceptance. Song to listen next is "The Greatest Show On Earth" Live at Tampere 2016. Also react to Epica (Dutch's Symphonic Metal band) "Sancta Terra" featuring Floor Jansen, livee version Retrospect Live. Each Symphonic Metal band brings different characteristics style, Nightwish has more Symphonic Metal with Black Metal vibes. Epica is Symphonic Metal with Neo-Classical genre. There are mote bands famous in this genre, but only 1 band from US: Kamelot.
It's a reaction! Talk, pause - ADD YOUR INSIGHTS! We can watch the original video if we want it uninterrupted!!! (unless YT stupidly puts ads in the middle of it!) Guy Elliott is the boy soprano at the start. He is from St Mary's Reigate Choir School. Yes, backing track - hard to pay for a long tour with an orchestra, choir and additional solo-vocalists! ... Tuomas does "see" and "hear" the "movie and score" in his mind before writing... like an entire album is somehow downloaded into his head and then he has to sort it out and write it down.... Yes, Floor's empathy for the lyrics is outstanding... worrying too, as she is very sensitive and has admitted such.... Nightwish is their own genre... "You never know what you're gonna get" or where they're going to take you!..... the whisper "3 minutes and counting..."..... 3 minutes later, Tuomas "cuts" his head off!..... Nightwish ARE Time Lords! They always distort time for the better!.... Yes, the old Tarja "died", replaced by the one the band had to sack..... They ALL signed the letter and Tuomas took the heat for it..... Killed himself in this song instead of in real life!....... But he's better now!!!
Very interesting reaction and nice to see mention being made of the performance as a whole and not just being Floor centric. Good Job! As others have said, this song is pretty much how Tuomas dealt with the fallout from the bands split with their original singer Tarja, who Tuomas had been lifelong friends with. Marko and Emppu kept going over to him to make sure he's okay as this song is really hard for him to perform, hence why its very rarely seen.
Wow!! Finally back with Nightwish, love, love, love, looove your analysis! This song still makes me tear up every single time I hear it, background story already posted by other fans 👍Now please do The Greatest Show On Earth, live from Tampere. That, my friend, will blow you away 😂🥰👊
Excellent excellent video with lots of insights combined with it being your first time seeing it and seeing you feeling it. I've enjoyed this video very much. Thank you.
Amazing reaction without any knowledge about the song before hand. It gives another type of reaction than normally, but very interesting because of your knowledge.
Thank you! I really enjoy your technical analysis. It's so much more interesting than oohs and ahhs. I highly highly recommend that you react to The Greatest Show on Earth live at Tampere. Its a really long one, with a huge production, but it's totally worth it. I'll sit through your analysis even if it's an hour long.
Great reaction! Closest genre for them would probably be symphonic metal with some folk elements mixed in :) As for a next reaction, I recommend "Sancta Terra" by Epica (featuring Floor Jansen as guest singer)
My first time seeing you react and I found it really satisfying. I appreciate all of your insights into the production and composition as well as technical voice elements. Tuomas is more than a musician. He is a composer and artist in the highest order. Being in this genre means many haven’t been exposed to his work but as more and more people discover him, they find that this kind of artistic musical brilliance transcends the genre. My own sensibilities lay toward Rachmaninov, Dvorak, Wagner, and Tuomas is squarely at the forefront for me in the way he freshly references sounds and images and invokes feelings that are at times as painful to experience as they are beautiful. This piece in particular is enhanced by awareness of the back story as other commenters have indicated. It informs so much more of what you see happening live during the performance as well as within the lyrics and music itself. It’s truly a masterpiece.
Alvenmod Foto thanks!! I’ll be sure to do that. I’ve been mainly spending time following @Chase Carneson and @TankTheTech but this was another perspective I really enjoyed. Cheers!!
Mara Klassen Yeah, Chase and Tank are awesome, other tips would be Julia Nilon for vocals and of course Guylain Prince for lyrical analysis, both amazing!
love how different people focus on different things. Between Dr Marc, Julia, and Elizabeth, you get so many different takes. love it. NW is whatever Tuomas feels like sharing with us. his imagination is limitless, so you can't ever be complacent. No matter what it is, you know it's going to be epic. fun fact: John Williams drew a lot of inspiration from Wagner when he wrote the score for "Empire". Why he had Vader's theme play whenever he appeared on screen.
For someone who’s never listened and just let there ears and eyes experience guide them... that was spot On! Loved your insight “ musically “ speaking ... the different moods n tones interpretation was perfect. Great review
When you see them talking, it is because the song is very close to the heart of the keyboard man (tuomas, who wrote the song), and they check in on him every now and again, really cool of them
Dr M.....Nice reaction as usual. You did the music, singing, lighting, movements.......This song is all about the lyrics and the events that inspired them. The song is wonderful on its own. If you know what it is about it becomes epic. Hope you have time to look into it, worth the effort.
The background of the song is that Tuomas went through all these ups and downs after they have fired the first singer Tarja a friend of him since school time. If you watch the last scene just before the last transition you see Tuomas right hand moving like a blade to kill himself. At the end of the song Empu and Marko are supporting him also visually as the get close to him.
Thank you very much! I like the different detailed approach off your review that's all about development, transitions, tension-change, use of the lights ( f.e. mix-moment 21:53-23:10 ) , and so on. We already know everything about the story-content, so this was a fresh way of watching and listening. Thanks.
Haven't watched this yet but saw intro: Just rewind 5 seconds if you talk over important part of a song. I personally do not thumb down or bitch about it but it is easy way to keep (almost) everybody happy.
As a nightwish army brother said, "the greatest show on earth" live at Tampere is as good (if not more) as the poet and the pendulum. Really really enjoy this reaction and explanation, it help me understand why this song make me feel so much emotions every time. Great job! Greetings from Argentina
Metal as a genre is one of the most versatile. The defining features from early on were letting things sometimes get rough and overall virtuosity over each performer's instrument, including vocals. After that, there are no rules. You are there telling a story, relaying information and emotions whichever way works for what you want pass to the audience.
Thanks Dr. Marc. I really enjoy your break downs and I was starting to think you would never actually do this one. 2 things; 1. Please don't feel the need to rush. You will find the Nightwish Army are quite happy to watch longer reactions, we have the attention span, don't rush. 2. Please do "The Greatest Show on Earth", the live at Tampere version is my favorite. Always watch the official live version if possible, and watch to the very end... until the video ends, there are gems to found throughout. Thanks again, I enjoy the depth of analysis you offer!
So much to know about this one. In the wake of the first singer, Tarja, being "fired" by the rest of the band, Tuomas got depressed and even suicidal. So he wrote this song, while the band was without a singer, to cope with his feelings and to commit suicide musically, rather that in real life. The second singer, Anette, could not sing some parts of this song, so a boy soprano sang them and did the spoken text parts. The intro "White Lands Of Empathica", the beginning of the first slow part "Sparkle my scenery..." and the moaning at the very end, were performed by him. When Floor, the third singer, came, she would have been able, to take over all parts of the song, but the band decides, to leave the intro and the spoken text with the boy. Floor does a great job, emulating the boys sound, in his former parts. Emppu (the guitar player) and later Marco (bassist, second vocalist) are with Toumas. to comfort him, because the song is hard for him. He often lets the tech take the vocals from his monitors, during that song.
Great reaction! I for one doesn’t mind pausing and comments (even talking over to some extent) - I’m here to hear your thoughts on the music based on your experience. What can sometimes irk me is when the talking becomes more important than the music - going off on tangents where they clearly are no longer paying attention to the music. I don’t feel that has ever been a problem with your reactions because you stay focused and share the same point of attention (the music) as your audience.
This is one of those songs that has so much meaning for Tuomas and the band, that analyzing how great this song is can't be complete without that background. Not a problem with how you did this; most people don't know - particularly those who are not hardcore NW fans. However, a lot of your questions can be answered with that background, and if you have the inclination, I think you'd gain an even greater appreciation of this masterpiece with the background information, and then watching again with the lyrics. There's even an awesome reference in the spoken poetry to "three minutes and counting" and Toumas' visual representation of the words, three minutes and counting, later. Lots of good insight provided though, and I enjoyed your take on it.
The genre is symphonic metal. And they are one of the founding bands who developed it. Having been around and performing since 1996. Mixing metal with symphonic orchestral charactaristics and arrangements and combined with almost classical singing in contrast with metal. Other bands that come to mind are Kamelot (Norwegian), Epica (Dutch) and Within Temptation (Dutch). Most of the bands are concentrated in the northern part of Europe.
The heartbeats are important. They come after the “swish” of the blade pendulum across Tuomas’s neck. There are three full pumps (two beats each), followed by one final beat as the heart stops. As usual, your informative analysis has brought out many new aspects of the performance. Thanks again.
Thanks, I wrote a comment about the heartbeat not being only a connector, then I saw yours so I deleted mine. That bugged me, but I understand he went into it blind which is perfectly fine.
Hey Marc, love your reaction videos, it's great to see someone from a different music background delve into Nightwish with such an open mind and a clear appreciation to their musicianship. It would be great to see you react to "Nightwish The greatest show on earth live at Tampere", it's about the evolution of the planet, the beginning of life etc, but you need to watch it through to the ending credits for full effect. Enjoy. Troy from Australia
Ever heard of Ayreon. Many very well known hardrock and metal musicians participated on the albums. Have a look at the two live concerts: Ayreon Universe Live The electric castle live and other tales Songs: The druids turn to stone Merlin’s will (with Floor Jansen) Age of shadows (with Marko Hietala from Nightwish) The valley of the queens (from Universe, with Floor, Anneke van Giersbergen and Marcella Bovio) Cosmic fusion ( from electric castle live, with Simone Simons from Epica)
one note:from the time the child says "I have three minutes and counting" to when the pendulum swipes down at 24:33 in the video, the time elapsed in the music is exactly 3 minutes between these parts, just another attention to detail made by toumas and the band.
Nightwish is Symphonic Metal basically because they have the London Symphony and choir on a backing track on most of their songs. I just love the cello part on the third part (The Pacific). BTW, the keyboardist Tuomas Halopainen writes 95% of the music and lyrics including the orchestra and choir parts. He's known as the Metal Mozart. He's a brilliant man.
to me the best part of the song and performance is the last section. right after heart beats you see Floor, Marco and Emppu sitting in front of the drums. creating a very intimate setting. at the very end of the song you see Marco and Emppu stand with Tuomas by the keyboard. to me it's a an act of love and support for Tuomas. Nightwish definitely know how to convey the raw emotions and the love of "family"
You talk about them moving around the stage - it's all you say but also they are playing for both sides of the audience - a sort of 'Hi guys! I haven't forgotten you!' (also as others have commented, they are going to give support for Tuomas)
Never say sorry for commenting and pausing we've seen this a few hundred or maybe even a thousand times. Edit: Not really being humble here but the greatest show on earth is really representative of the name. Hopefully we'll see that soon.
If people get driven crazy by analysis videos, they should just watch the original videos. *shrug* Your analyses are some of the best and most professional on the TH-cams. i've learned so much.
![WHAT AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER !! FIRST TIME HEARING -- NIGHTWISH -- POET & THE PENDULUM [REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oFV5Y90rvJA/mqdefault.jpg)
![WHAT AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER !! FIRST TIME HEARING -- NIGHTWISH -- POET & THE PENDULUM [REACTION]](/img/tr.png)
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
The Greatest show on earth will get your attention similar to this one. Enjoy
This is the next one that you should analyze: Live at Tampere version. There is much more in this performance, as far as stage work, that even the most seasoned Nightwish fan would probably find new insight after being presented by your views.
This!!!!!!!
Yes, this would be perfect!!!
Yeah... Live at Tampere... You will not believe some of the things orchestrated into the music...
Honestly even better with the Tampere show
A few things:
The song is about Tuomas' virtual suicide in music rather than actually killing himself as a result of the vicious fan backlash resulting from the firing of the first singer. There's a lyric version of this performance as well and it was a shame that you didn't have that version as it would have provided more context for you. The basis of the performance is drawn from Edgar Allen Poe's "Pit and the Pendulum"
When you commented on them moving around, it was actually Emppu the guitarist going to check to see how Tuomas was handling it. In the past, Tuomas would have the sound engineers cut Floor's vocals from his in-ears as it was too emotional. Normally Emppu is always wandering about the stage, chatting when he has nothing to do. He was actually restrained here.
That very high passage that Floor sung in a classical voice, was sung by a boy soprano in the original version. Floor keeps it light and thin, imitating that immature voice of a boy.
When Tuomas slits his throat, it's exactly three minutes after the boy soprano says, "three minutes left". You're hearing Tuomas' dying heartbeat afterward.
The final passage is Floor playing the role of his mother, apparently singing some of the words his mother actually said to him.
Go read up on the back story, then listen to it again. Have some tissues handy.
Absolutely, the lyric version creates a completely different experience
This song is *also* about Tuomas' personal catharsis regarding the whole Tarja ordeal, however diminishing this piece to only that is doing Tuomas and the song injustice. It's not that hard to pick up on the general theme of the song without knowing any background.
I am really impressed how much of the emotion he could read from their performance anyway. He didn't miss any of the nuances, even mentions this is about a death. Well done.
How do you know Emppu was checking on Tuomas? Did he tell you that in person?
Please add the reliable source you got that from.
@@rikvanommen9564 I believe he was correct, watch closely and you see Tuomas smile and say something to Emppu. Also after Marko was finished with his last part of the song he goes over to his friend and stands in support with him as well.
Your statement is correct: for us, Nightwish's fans, this band is THE BAND. Beyond classifications and musical genres / sub-genres. It's about energy, but mostly about emotions.Their brilliant composition / musicianship / vocals are in fact just vehicles, facilitators, helping them to transmit better energy and emotions. Very few others musicians have the talent and abilities to do that constantly at the same high level.
Well said Gabriel. Energy and emotions as a result of masterful artistic craftmanship. You can hear and feel it in almost every song. Unbelievable. Greetings!
💚 perfectly said
Absolutely!
Technically they are flawless and very talented but that's not why they have such a fanatical fanbase.
It's because Nightwish make us feel, from watching them live it's obvious the music, the closeness of the band and the fan energy makes Nightwish feel too.
Very well said my friend.. you nailed it. Greetings and keep doing it..👌
I've said this in other places and I have to agree. There are fans of other bands, fans who live and love fervently and cherish their artist's body of work dearly.
But for the Nightwish Army?
Nightwish is who you come back to after everyone else falls flat, or fails to connect. They fill in the gaps that you've been missing all along.
Nightwish is home.
And it's been such a gift to be a fan of theirs for so long. What a treasure.
At last: I was beginning to think you'd forgotten us. Thanks for bringing out even more aspects of this performance, beyond just vocal analysis. Please, PLEASE, do not be afraid of the length of The Greatest Show on Earth. We're seasoned watchers and a 45-50 minute video is perfectly fine - better, in fact, as I think a video needs to be at least twice the length of the song if there's going to be value in watching it. Go for it; stop, pause, talk, enhance the experience for us. We've all watched/listened to the song hundreds of times, we're after added value and insight. I, personally, cannot be bothered with reactors who just go "ooh" and "aah". Give us meat to chew on.
I completely agree with you. I'm here for his professional opinion on the songs. I'll stay watching for an hour of that is what it takes.
100% this was great analysis of the staging and singing, would love the same kind of insight into Greatest Show on Earth
THANK YOU for being one reactor who focused on the song, visuals, vocals, presentations, performances, just brilliant. The song is so much more, worth checking out the story behind it, really nicely done, thank you.
What genre of music are they? Yes. Everything. Welcome to the world of Metal Mozart, Tuomas Holopainen.
*metal Hans Zimmer
Progressive symphonic (HEAVY) METAL
Absolutely! But I think Metal Wagner for Tuomas' style of composing is most correctly!
@@kristiansavov6528 Wagner? I say Sibelius.
@@onearthonelegion Yeah, they are fins both, but the epic, dramatic style ... Definitely Wagner for me!
Can we talk about how amazing Marko is, screaming furiously while playing a walking chromatic bass riff at the same time?!?
He's not been called "Mr Spaghetti-fingers" for nothing!..... I think Emppu used the term, kindly, more than once!
sure but do we need to? Look at him doing that and think about it doing it yourself just for a second.
My fingers immediately hurt while my voice breaks, I'm done ;-)
Then see him play and sing on his double neck bass&git drives me absolutely insane...
He is the biggest loss for Nightwish in my opinion.
I see nightwish, I click and watch.
Please review:"The Greatest Show on Earth Live in Tampere 2015 with lyrics"
Watch to the very end - many reactors miss the last 2 minutes and they miss a very important yet short message.
Thank you, that was one of the best breakdowns I've seen of this song, it even brings up things I've missed, even though I've seen this dozens of times.
The moments that get me in this performance are two, both at the end. One, seeing Floor turn her head to glance at Tuomas, as if to see if he's still OK. And two, when Tuomas sings along with the lyrics "try to save them all". This masterpiece is played with so much emotion from all of them, it is what makes it amazing.
And her eyes are glistening, that gesture by Tomas may have taken her by surprise.
The Poet and the Pendulum: 14 minutes
The Greatest Show on Earth: Hold my beer
Well now, time for the Greatest Show On Earth live at Tampere? That one has to be played until after the end credits, they have directed it that way.
"Officially" they're a Symphonic Metal band. But to us, they are their own. It's even more true with the latest album. This is my favourite Nightwish song.
Loved your reaction! I hope the length of " The Greatest Show on Earth " doesn't scare you. :) Nothing boring about Nightwish songs. There songs are more like fantastic books that you can't put down lol. I usually am sad that they end :-)
Excellent recommendation. I think the one from Tampere is the best, but some prefer the one from Wembley.
@@veronicaue180 Tampere is probably best since he likes to see cool scenery and that's something they really focused more on at Tampere. If It's just about the song itself, I acctually really enjoy the Buenos Aires version from decades since It's easier to hear the harmonies.
@@magnuscarlsson9969 Oh, thank's! I didn't know about that one.
Tuomas the keyboardist committed suicide through poetry and music in this piece of art. He created this when he was in a very dark place when Nightwish and their first vocalist Tarja went separate ways. It was quite messy and very public. The bassist Marco and the guitarist Empu also shared the experience but Tuomas has written the text from his personal view. A few years ago he could be very emotional especially during the last minutes, not able to listen to the words. That's why the guys are walking over to him towards the end.
Great analysis btw. Thank's! You confirmed a lot of things I've had on my mind and I got a few new things to think about.
I think that have become a "thing" now. I can understand that they did it in 2008, when it was still a fresh wound. But Tuomas is. mostly, over it now.
I didn't read Marko's book yet but I understood from fans that Marko is writing about this time too. Explaining that Tuomas need it to decide Tarja or boys. And all is perfectly explain in the letter , given to Tarja. So it is not difficult to guess about all.
@@darkiee69 I think so too. But I guess they have no reason to change it and the fans like it.
@@yonikolova I haven't read it either.
@@yonikolova ...that letter was fully discredited by her manager with documented proof, particularly the lies of her wanting more of a payoff...and not respecting her fans (total lie..she loved her fans )she turned down many offers while in NW and wanted short , non-exhaustive tours and that made Marco mad ..that is why they dumped her, after she remained with them as a favor after 2003...vindictive and treacherous act done out of resentment and greed
Absolutely magnificent reaction/analysis. I'm so thrilled to see that you enjoyed this just as much as we do, and you're beginning to truly understand the theatrical/musical capabilities of this band. They're absolutely transcendent.
They "classify" themselves as symphonic metal, and it's very flattering to hear the commentary about how metal musicians are percieved in the industry; but these guys? Nightwish?
There's just no competition. There are absolutely *PHENOMENAL* musicians out there, and I don't mean to insult anyone by saying this, but there are precious few musicians who transcend genre, transcend time, transcend place, and deliver pure, distilled experiences in the way that Nightwish does. This is a band that will go down in legend. There was never an alternative option.
I love this reaction/analysis Dr. Marc! I personally like the fact that you don't do any research on most of the bands/songs before you react. It is fun watching you experience the performance as it happens and comment on what you are seeing/hearing. I think a performance should be able to tell a complete story and elicit the emotions of the audience as a stand-alone moment. This performance did that in spectacular fashion. I did not feel like I was missing anything by not knowing the back story. Knowing it will certainly enhance my appreciation for all that is going on but I thought they did a fantastic job of telling a very compelling story even to those naive to the back story. Thanks for reacting to this Dr. Marc. It was great as usual.
Well done! Please consider doing their Tampere performance of The Greatest Show on Earth, which is even longer and more impressive than this. Visually it takes it to another level, with the setting sun, and synchronized fireworks added to the techniques used here. BTW, Nightwish is timecode/clicktrack synchronized down to the 32nd note... they're literally keeping perfect time with the timecode for their pyro/lighting.
I know that Nightwish doesn't exactly feel the need to always stick in one genre, or at least that is what Tuomas has said, if I remember correctly.
I did not know what the poet and the pendulum was about when I first heard it, and I think that can be a good thing at times... I read up on it later on, that it was about Tuomas virtual suicide. I knew it was about something very dark, but I had no clue how dark...
To me, this song is so emotional I have a hard time talking about it. But in a good way. I listen to it a lot. I suffer from a depression and anxiety, and this song sort of for me is representing what life is living in this condition, one day you feel ok the next you're not. You go down a dark path that you hopefully find your way up from. It is comforting to know, that Tuomas made it up again after being in that very very dark place. That he wrote music to get himself out of the darkness.
Floors delivery, in that last bit where she sits down, that is usually the point where I can't stop the tears, there is something so comforting about it, sort of a bit of a feel good moment, at least for me, like balm for your soul :) I just love the whole band and their performance here, this is just to me musical perfection, I love this so much
Thank you for sharing your story with us. I feel the same way about the part where Floor sits. Dr. Marc did an excellent job of reacting to this.
BRILLIANT review. 🤘🤘🤘. It is so enlightening to hear people with proper knowledge of structures of music do these reactions. Good on you brother 😁😁😁😁
If you would like to see another side to Floor's vocals, check out 'Yours is an Empty Hope' live at Wembly Arena. She sings full on guttural during the chorus, while Marco sings the clean vocals. It will give you a deeper appreciation for her talent as an artist.
Listen to Floors Band Revamp singing Disdain 2010 live at Graspop. You will hear her in full distorsion and growling. The hole concert shows her amazing skill in every kind of singing.
Symphonic metal is what I believe it's called. But I'll admit that doesn't seem like it quite covers it all
If we call music that accompanies movies filmscores, maybe they perform scorefilms? 😂
I'll take a crack at it. What kind of music does Nightwish play? Answer: Yes.
Seriously, let's break it down. Metal? yes. Hard Rock? yes. Celtic/Folk rock? yes. Movie scores? yes. Movie soundtracks? yes. Symphonic? yes. Mood music? yes... Jazz? yes.
So to answer your question? What do they play? Answer: YES.
Most fans called it SYMPHONIC METAL but for Tuomas (keyboard player/main songwriter) he didn't see it like that because according to him it's a film score inspired with a mix of heavy metal.
The more you listen to them , the more you realize, that they are unclassifiable, they are unique, singular, they are Nightwish. After thinking about a way to explain this to people new to Nightwish, a good name for it could possibly be Boundless Metal., maybe?
very nice video reaction, i liked the focus on the staging, it made your reaction adding something unique others reactors haven't done.
About this song, it was writtenby Tuomas after the split with Tarja , the original singer, and the depression caused by the backlash he received after that. In the song , he commits suicide.
Also, the song is divided in 5 "Acts".
I think you would love doing a similar analisys on The Greatest Show on Earth live at Tampere.
I suggest in that case to do just a bit of reasearch ( the song is about the Evolution of life on earth, the title is from Richard Dawkings book, Dawkings himself recorded some quotes in the song).
Not only do they have all these styles, but there are even more that aren't showcased in this particular song. One of my favorite elements of theirs is the pipes and the folk sounds that they played up in the album after this one. I've heard people compare them to everything from classical music to Prog metal.
Octo I think they have completely their own style.
Great reaction Dr.Marc!!
The poet and the pendulum is a masterpiece, like "ghost love score", "dead boy's poem", " shoemaker","the greatest show on earth" are toó
I love it since the first time i hear it on Anette's voice, the meaning of the song, the arrangement, the performance are awesome
There are incredible musicians in the metal bands no matter the genre, the symphonic-metal is a incredible, two opposite worlds, untill now
Floor didn't write this song. The guy playing the organ did. Someone wrote about him further down. Tuomas. Floor is the beautifully, skilled medium by which he expresses what he feels to the rest of us. I always imagined she was the translator of what his heart wants to say. That kind of skill in my opinion is rare.
U nail it. Although this same consept have been said by many with various ways, but your words that u choose are closest to that what is my own idea about them👍🏻
At the end Emppu and Marco we're giving Tuomas some brotherly love because Tuomas still gets emotional. This is all Tuomas.
The guitarist goes to check on the keyboardist as this is an incredibly difficult song for him about one of the darkest points in his life.
"What genre are they?, I'm hearing it all in there"
In a word, Yes.
A cliche but true with Nightwish you never know what you're going to get first time or where they are going to go, Tuomas likes to play with expectations and buck the predictable.
Floor has told once she was diagnosed as having a high or hyper-sensitive personality. It seems to serve her well in her career as she not only performs the Nightwish songs, she actually feels the emotions associated with the lyrics. It is what makes her performances so convincing as people can tell if someone is putting on an act or is actually involved
This song specifically is a rollercoaster of emotions as it describes the anger, the frustration, the despair, the hopelessness, and finally the recovery Tuomas went through after the band had to split up with their first female lead, a long time friend and confidante of Tuomas ( "I cannot cry, cause the shoulder cries more"). This song used to be very difficult for Tuomas to perform, though Tuomas seems to have said recently that he has mostly overcome the pain associated with it. It is why Emppu (guitar) and Marco (bass) at the end gather around Tuomas as a show of support which at the time of this recording seem to be still neccessary. It's also why Emppu earlier in the song inquired with Tuomas how he was holding up, to which Tuomas seemed to reply with "I'm okay" ( it will have been in Finnish but the reply seems to sound quite similar in Finnish and therefor will have similar lipmovements).
With Floor being so sensitive I cannot imagine how much this song will emotionally drain her as she actually goes through those emotions while performing this song.
Definitely you should check: The Greatest Show On Earth live Tampere by Nightwish! Who agrees?
They go to him because he wrote the song and it was very personal. They were checking on him.
If you want to see young Floor please listen to her band After Forever live at Progpower 2007 singing Dreamflight. You wont be disappointed
What I love about this music and much of prog music is the understanding that, in order for the "highs" to feel high, you also need slower setup moments. The payoff from slow to fast, from dissonance to assonance, the dynamics, all are what make these long songs so captivating to me, and why I don't enjoy tech death or grindcore much.
Dr. Marc: "Going under the water maybe?" Floor: "Tuck me in beneath the blue..."
I've seen this performance a dozen times and never noticed some of the elements you pointed out and discussed. Love it!
Thanks for taking the time to check this out and share your analysis!
Tuomas is absolutely perfectionist and with singing Floor have this amazing song absolutely another level 😍🎩💐
Well, Doc: you're first encounter with Nightwish was Ghost Love Score.
Now you've commented on the Poet and the Pendulum there is only one thing left to do.
Finish the Trilogy:
The Greatest Show on Earth. Live at Tampere.
Magnificent reaction to one of the greatest songs i have ever heard.
One of the things no one mentions about this is the editing. If it needs 10 or 12 seconds without a cut then thats what they do. If the music needs fast 3 seconds cuts then thats what they also do. Not something often noticed but hats off to the video team who put this together they really know how to pace the song and visuals.
"What they're doing makes them so awesome" Hmm...........they been doing this for over 20 years, its just people are only just discovering them due to TH-cam, just think how awesome and ahead of the time, musically innovative these currently highest view songs were back when they were originally released.
Thank you for Dr. Marc for reacting to this video. I love to hear your professional take on what is taking place on stage. As a music lover I can gel with the music, but it is nice to get a sense of why I love seeing NW live. The thought that Tuomas puts into every note is then carried out through the art of the live production. It is an amazing experience to see NW live.
Dr. Marc, you are -as far as I know- the first person that actually explaines (at least in your eyes) their positioning on stage and which effect that creates focally as well as musically. I did not notice this before and honoustly: it makes sense. Thank you for pointing this out, one more subscriber for the doctor !
Haha! I was fishing rainbow trout with my "Patriot Nightfish" spinning rod 🎣😄. Great analysis to this epic masterpiece. Some interesting notions about the things rarely spoken. You should study the backstory, because this song has a special emotional meaning to Tuomas (and the whole band and fanbase too). Thank you!
I was a bit sceptical at the beginning to watch but I am impressed. Great analysis!
I clicked this so fast...... love it!
I love the way they flow between genres so effortlessly. Metal here, ballad there, thrash, growl, whatever they want to do. Often inside a single work.
The guys were actually checking up on Tuomas as this is a very difficult song for him. I think they are an awesome band. Nice to see you agree.
i think you're one of the few people who noticed the heartbeat, yeah, it's dramatic, majestic, and heartbreaking. their masterpiece. and floor... brings it to perfection
I always love how vocal/music teachers/professionals get gobsmacked speechless by Nightwish’s magnificence
Symphonic Metal baby! They really know their music and theory.
I admire the thorough listen. Speaking in my own opinion, Tuomas would appreciate the attention to detail and your own personal opinion on this reaction. We all have our own Nightwish experience and this one is your own. Great job and I love it!👍🏻🤘🏻🖤
Thank you Dr Mark, interesting insights.
Cinematic, dramatic, spacious.
Guitar and bass, swap places quite often, but here they are actually giving emotional support to the keyboard player, who wrote this ultra-personal song.
Floor uses her movements as well as her voice(s) to emphasise the emotions.
The lighting, yes, Nightwish is more than the band; Crewish, the technicians, have been with them for years.
The beginning of "The greatest show on Earth" will tickle you.
Should’ve done the lyric version of this performance. You’d understand it better. Also knowing the back story would’ve been helpful. It’s so much more than just the performance.
This is symphonic metal at its best, thanks to the Metal Mozart Tuomas Holopainen, the main composer. And to bring his ceations to life he has the Valkyrie Queen Floor and all the other multitalented artists.
you asked what "moved" me?? "..we sat and talked under the same pale moon,," this brings the deep pain and tears for i lost a dear friend with whom i did sit and talk under a pale moon,, music is a powerful thing..
As much as I love Floor's voice and musicality, I am in awe of Marco going from the incredible metal growl (but well above his vocal cords (ie. wet) so isn't flogging them) at 20 minutes to then come in under Floor's soprano during the chorus with a wonderfully clean strong mixed voice at 21:49 to give real depth to the vocals. Oh and who else has that good a diction *while* doing a metal scream? You could clearly hear every word. No having to shovel the words out from under a lot of vocal fry.
Getting the back story of this song will change your interpretation immensely..also the lyric version helps too
The part that always gets me is the last part titled 'father and mother' (or otherway around, I forgot). The parents talking to the son, giving him comfort. Makes me emotional every time.
Nightwish is Symphonic Metal, please remember that. Symphonic Metal is probably the most unique metal genre of all musical genre due to strong classical/symphonic influences and their vocalists vocal range is crazy big. Most Symphonic Metal bands can bring their audience emotions up and down, happy and sad, angry (Poet and Pendulum is an angry frustration filled song by Tuomas Holopainen, the keyboardist, founder, composer and main song writer of Nightwish), etc. FYI, He wrote this song to describe his emotional turmoils and depression caused by the exit of the original vocalist and co-founder of Nightwish, Tarja Turunen. The song has 5 chapters, the climatic aggressive ride chapter is Dark Passion Play that became the title of the album. The chapter where Floor sat down by the drum stage is called Mother and Father which symbolizes recovery and acceptance.
Song to listen next is "The Greatest Show On Earth" Live at Tampere 2016.
Also react to Epica (Dutch's Symphonic Metal band) "Sancta Terra" featuring Floor Jansen, livee version Retrospect Live.
Each Symphonic Metal band brings different characteristics style, Nightwish has more Symphonic Metal with Black Metal vibes. Epica is Symphonic Metal with Neo-Classical genre. There are mote bands famous in this genre, but only 1 band from US: Kamelot.
It's a reaction! Talk, pause - ADD YOUR INSIGHTS! We can watch the original video if we want it uninterrupted!!! (unless YT stupidly puts ads in the middle of it!) Guy Elliott is the boy soprano at the start. He is from St Mary's Reigate Choir School. Yes, backing track - hard to pay for a long tour with an orchestra, choir and additional solo-vocalists! ... Tuomas does "see" and "hear" the "movie and score" in his mind before writing... like an entire album is somehow downloaded into his head and then he has to sort it out and write it down.... Yes, Floor's empathy for the lyrics is outstanding... worrying too, as she is very sensitive and has admitted such.... Nightwish is their own genre... "You never know what you're gonna get" or where they're going to take you!..... the whisper "3 minutes and counting..."..... 3 minutes later, Tuomas "cuts" his head off!..... Nightwish ARE Time Lords! They always distort time for the better!.... Yes, the old Tarja "died", replaced by the one the band had to sack..... They ALL signed the letter and Tuomas took the heat for it..... Killed himself in this song instead of in real life!....... But he's better now!!!
Very interesting reaction and nice to see mention being made of the performance as a whole and not just being Floor centric. Good Job!
As others have said, this song is pretty much how Tuomas dealt with the fallout from the bands split with their original singer Tarja, who Tuomas had been lifelong friends with. Marko and Emppu kept going over to him to make sure he's okay as this song is really hard for him to perform, hence why its very rarely seen.
"The Greatest Show on Earth" live in Tampere next, please!
Wow!! Finally back with Nightwish, love, love, love, looove your analysis! This song still makes me tear up every single time I hear it, background story already posted by other fans 👍Now please do The Greatest Show On Earth, live from Tampere. That, my friend, will blow you away 😂🥰👊
Excellent excellent video with lots of insights combined with it being your first time seeing it and seeing you feeling it. I've enjoyed this video very much. Thank you.
Amazing reaction without any knowledge about the song before hand. It gives another type of reaction than normally, but very interesting because of your knowledge.
Thank you!
I really enjoy your technical analysis. It's so much more interesting than oohs and ahhs.
I highly highly recommend that you react to The Greatest Show on Earth live at Tampere. Its a really long one, with a huge production, but it's totally worth it. I'll sit through your analysis even if it's an hour long.
Great reaction! Closest genre for them would probably be symphonic metal with some folk elements mixed in :)
As for a next reaction, I recommend "Sancta Terra" by Epica (featuring Floor Jansen as guest singer)
My first time seeing you react and I found it really satisfying. I appreciate all of your insights into the production and composition as well as technical voice elements.
Tuomas is more than a musician. He is a composer and artist in the highest order. Being in this genre means many haven’t been exposed to his work but as more and more people discover him, they find that this kind of artistic musical brilliance transcends the genre.
My own sensibilities lay toward Rachmaninov, Dvorak, Wagner, and Tuomas is squarely at the forefront for me in the way he freshly references sounds and images and invokes feelings that are at times as painful to experience as they are beautiful.
This piece in particular is enhanced by awareness of the back story as other commenters have indicated. It informs so much more of what you see happening live during the performance as well as within the lyrics and music itself.
It’s truly a masterpiece.
Mara Klassen check out Marc's analysis of GLS too, awesome!
Alvenmod Foto thanks!! I’ll be sure to do that. I’ve been mainly spending time following @Chase Carneson and @TankTheTech but this was another perspective I really enjoyed. Cheers!!
Mara Klassen Yeah, Chase and Tank are awesome, other tips would be Julia Nilon for vocals and of course Guylain Prince for lyrical analysis, both amazing!
Sir, you taught me something I didn't know yet (theater-technical and a bit about nudging), thank you so much.
love how different people focus on different things. Between Dr Marc, Julia, and Elizabeth, you get so many different takes. love it. NW is whatever Tuomas feels like sharing with us. his imagination is limitless, so you can't ever be complacent. No matter what it is, you know it's going to be epic. fun fact: John Williams drew a lot of inspiration from Wagner when he wrote the score for "Empire". Why he had Vader's theme play whenever he appeared on screen.
For someone who’s never listened and just let there ears and eyes experience guide them... that was spot On! Loved your insight “ musically “ speaking ... the different moods n tones interpretation was perfect. Great review
When you see them talking, it is because the song is very close to the heart of the keyboard man (tuomas, who wrote the song), and they check in on him every now and again, really cool of them
Dr M.....Nice reaction as usual. You did the music, singing, lighting, movements.......This song is all about the lyrics and the events that inspired them. The song is wonderful on its own. If you know what it is about it becomes epic. Hope you have time to look into it, worth the effort.
The background of the song is that Tuomas went through all these ups and downs after they have fired the first singer Tarja a friend of him since school time. If you watch the last scene just before the last transition you see Tuomas right hand moving like a blade to kill himself. At the end of the song Empu and Marko are supporting him also visually as the get close to him.
Thank you very much! I like the different detailed approach off your review that's all about development, transitions, tension-change, use of the lights ( f.e. mix-moment 21:53-23:10 ) , and so on. We already know everything about the story-content, so this was a fresh way of watching and listening. Thanks.
Haven't watched this yet but saw intro: Just rewind 5 seconds if you talk over important part of a song. I personally do not thumb down or bitch about it but it is easy way to keep (almost) everybody happy.
I like your comments, very smart and interesting. Thank you!
As a nightwish army brother said, "the greatest show on earth" live at Tampere is as good (if not more) as the poet and the pendulum.
Really really enjoy this reaction and explanation, it help me understand why this song make me feel so much emotions every time.
Great job!
Greetings from Argentina
Metal as a genre is one of the most versatile. The defining features from early on were letting things sometimes get rough and overall virtuosity over each performer's instrument, including vocals.
After that, there are no rules. You are there telling a story, relaying information and emotions whichever way works for what you want pass to the audience.
Thanks Dr. Marc. I really enjoy your break downs and I was starting to think you would never actually do this one.
2 things;
1. Please don't feel the need to rush. You will find the Nightwish Army are quite happy to watch longer reactions, we have the attention span, don't rush.
2. Please do "The Greatest Show on Earth", the live at Tampere version is my favorite. Always watch the official live version if possible, and watch to the very end... until the video ends, there are gems to found throughout.
Thanks again, I enjoy the depth of analysis you offer!
You have not even played and I already loved your video, that's setting proper expectations. Here's your like good man.
So much to know about this one.
In the wake of the first singer, Tarja, being "fired" by the rest of the band, Tuomas got depressed and even suicidal. So he wrote this song, while the band was without a singer, to cope with his feelings and to commit suicide musically, rather that in real life.
The second singer, Anette, could not sing some parts of this song, so a boy soprano sang them and did the spoken text parts. The intro "White Lands Of Empathica", the beginning of the first slow part "Sparkle my scenery..." and the moaning at the very end, were performed by him.
When Floor, the third singer, came, she would have been able, to take over all parts of the song, but the band decides, to leave the intro and the spoken text with the boy. Floor does a great job, emulating the boys sound, in his former parts.
Emppu (the guitar player) and later Marco (bassist, second vocalist) are with Toumas. to comfort him, because the song is hard for him. He often lets the tech take the vocals from his monitors, during that song.
Great reaction! I for one doesn’t mind pausing and comments (even talking over to some extent) - I’m here to hear your thoughts on the music based on your experience. What can sometimes irk me is when the talking becomes more important than the music - going off on tangents where they clearly are no longer paying attention to the music. I don’t feel that has ever been a problem with your reactions because you stay focused and share the same point of attention (the music) as your audience.
This is one of those songs that has so much meaning for Tuomas and the band, that analyzing how great this song is can't be complete without that background. Not a problem with how you did this; most people don't know - particularly those who are not hardcore NW fans. However, a lot of your questions can be answered with that background, and if you have the inclination, I think you'd gain an even greater appreciation of this masterpiece with the background information, and then watching again with the lyrics. There's even an awesome reference in the spoken poetry to "three minutes and counting" and Toumas' visual representation of the words, three minutes and counting, later. Lots of good insight provided though, and I enjoyed your take on it.
The genre is symphonic metal. And they are one of the founding bands who developed it. Having been around and performing since 1996. Mixing metal with symphonic orchestral charactaristics and arrangements and combined with almost classical singing in contrast with metal. Other bands that come to mind are Kamelot (Norwegian), Epica (Dutch) and Within Temptation (Dutch). Most of the bands are concentrated in the northern part of Europe.
I read analysis and I was ready for the pauses.
The heartbeats are important. They come after the “swish” of the blade pendulum across Tuomas’s neck. There are three full pumps (two beats each), followed by one final beat as the heart stops. As usual, your informative analysis has brought out many new aspects of the performance. Thanks again.
Thanks, I wrote a comment about the heartbeat not being only a connector, then I saw yours so I deleted mine. That bugged me, but I understand he went into it blind which is perfectly fine.
Hey Marc, love your reaction videos, it's great to see someone from a different music background delve into Nightwish with such an open mind and a clear appreciation to their musicianship. It would be great to see you react to "Nightwish The greatest show on earth live at Tampere", it's about the evolution of the planet, the beginning of life etc, but you need to watch it through to the ending credits for full effect. Enjoy. Troy from Australia
Ever heard of Ayreon.
Many very well known hardrock and metal musicians participated on the albums.
Have a look at the two live concerts:
Ayreon Universe Live
The electric castle live and other tales
Songs:
The druids turn to stone
Merlin’s will (with Floor Jansen)
Age of shadows (with Marko Hietala from Nightwish)
The valley of the queens (from Universe, with Floor, Anneke van Giersbergen and Marcella Bovio)
Cosmic fusion ( from electric castle live, with Simone Simons from Epica)
one note:from the time the child says "I have three minutes and counting" to when the pendulum swipes down at 24:33 in the video, the time elapsed in the music is exactly 3 minutes between these parts, just another attention to detail made by toumas and the band.
The birds flying across the screen evokes something approaching as though the birds are being startled into flight, leading us into Marco's diatribe.
Nightwish is Symphonic Metal basically because they have the London Symphony and choir on a backing track on most of their songs. I just love the cello part on the third part (The Pacific). BTW, the keyboardist Tuomas Halopainen writes 95% of the music and lyrics including the orchestra and choir parts. He's known as the Metal Mozart. He's a brilliant man.
to me the best part of the song and performance is the last section. right after heart beats you see Floor, Marco and Emppu sitting in front of the drums. creating a very intimate setting. at the very end of the song you see Marco and Emppu stand with Tuomas by the keyboard. to me it's a an act of love and support for Tuomas. Nightwish definitely know how to convey the raw emotions and the love of "family"
You talk about them moving around the stage - it's all you say but also they are playing for both sides of the audience - a sort of 'Hi guys! I haven't forgotten you!' (also as others have commented, they are going to give support for Tuomas)
Never say sorry for commenting and pausing we've seen this a few hundred or maybe even a thousand times.
Edit: Not really being humble here but the greatest show on earth is really representative of the name. Hopefully we'll see that soon.
24:24 he says while talking over an important part of the song. Yeah, it does help, I agree.
If people get driven crazy by analysis videos, they should just watch the original videos. *shrug* Your analyses are some of the best and most professional on the TH-cams. i've learned so much.
Thee meaning behind the composition makes everything clear. Look it up, dude.