Haunting and yet ethereal with that awesome 'purr'. I had already loved this song, now after hearing it several times I need to say just how much more emotional he made it. Previously, I really liked the higher parts, but Geoff has changed those into an almost breath. Not that he sings it in a particularly breathy manner, but more that it is so natural it is almost like breathing. And usually, I prefer his more 'rounded' tones in his bass voice, but these more gravelly purrs feel more like a 'catch-in-the-throat' emotion. This is just gorgeous! And getting more gorgeous every time I listen to it. Visually perfect, too! Almost like the subtlety of fog.
Geoff did say that by the time he'd finished editing this one his behind was numb. But it was worth it. I am lucky in liking almost any genre - always did - so it's hard for me to have favourites, but this is so beautiful, haunting and sad.
Geoff uses such subtle methods to make us listen, and pay attention to what he sings. Low bass plus low volume causes you to focus on his voice. You absolutely cannot split your focus in that case.
There's always so much going on Geoff's and Voiceplay's videos! It's easy to get distracted. Fortunately, they're always SO GOOD we're delighted we have an excuse to watch them over and over!
Truely a hauntingly beautiful cover...I am in awe of how talented Geoff is. This cover has brought me to tears so many times. it hits so hard. Geoff brings such depth, sadness and a sort of resignation to this song. Great reaction.
My dad raised me on 80’s music, so when I saw Geoff was covering this, I about shrieked. I love the original and Geoff did such an amazing job with it.
To think Geoff did this AMAZING piece while also being the one in charge of the arrangement and all for VoicePlay's video this month. Like, you would think he would take it a little easier on one of them but no, Geoff just knocks both of them out of the park (or stratosphere as would be more appropriate for the VoicePlay song). Like seriously man! Addition: the ebb and flow, going back to a center line before the next big shift, allows for a recovery of sorts. Your ear (and emotions) go back to that baseline before going through the next big change. Kinda reminds me of roller coasters and how hey will have gaps between big drops, loops, etc. Party physics, party the body needs to physically recover. Geoff is literally doing the same thing with a song. Also, it makes the next shift in tone, range, etc. hit even harder.
I've watched Geoff's version and the original version a number of times now, and think that Geoff does a greater service to the lyrics than the original. Geoff's version is so haunting - like someone who has truly had their heart ripped out.
I don't know if you've listened to this again, but i have. There's something about it that's just hauntingly beautiful. It's grown on me more than i initially thought it would. There's a longing for and mourning of a lost love, no matter how unwise the relationship.
The original version of this song quite sexual but this is a more mature, nuanced performance. Definitely a different mood. A great tribute to Chris Isaak as singer and songwriter.
I'm reminded of a Cherokee mentor of mine who used to say, "Shouts are easy to hear and easier to ignore. A low whisper forces others to be quiet, lean in, and truly LISTEN. Soft words are weighed more carefully and remembered. So speak softly, and aim your voice low." Geoff embodies that "low whisper" in this song. Sure, we LOVE his flashy side, we love his subs and his tenor highs, his theatrics and nerdy rumor, but that low rumble, right on the bottom edge of his chest voice, quiets the room and sends up the goose bumps. This is one song I could listen to every day and not get sick of it.
BTW, about that quote: Cherokee women followed this rule. As men of the various clans shouted at one another in meetings, when the woman overseer would start to speak, she would only talk in a whisper, with her voice pitched as low as she could. Not to sound like a man (women held the TRUE power in Cherokee society) but to further soften her voice. The men had to stop squabbling, lean in, and dared not even breathe, lest they miss a word. My great-grandmother was Cherokee but hid it and "passed as White" to avoid racism. So my family lost all knowledge of the tribe. I met this Cherokee woman, a professor at my college, and I have no idea how (I'm as pale and you can get) but she instantly knew I was Cherokee. She took me in, mentored me, and I came very close to switching my major to Native American Anthropology because of her. Sadly, she passed away shortly after I graduated college, far too young. May her spirit rest with the ancestors.
It is good and it's grown on me so that now it's one of Geoff's best. Check out VoicePlay's newest "Sleeping in the Cold Below" which should have some of the bells and whistles that you love!
It’s like I’ve never heard it before. Never fully understood it. Geoff takes us to a dark but hauntingly beautiful place. Not unlike healing from a broken heart. I absolutely love this version.
This isn't my normal style of music, but something about that lion's purr / grizzly bear growl just feels like a warm hug, and that's making it my current favorite of his full-length works (favorite Short is Further on up the Road, which feels like a similar style honestly). I wouldn't necessarily want all of his music to sound like this, but I'm really glad that this one exists the way it does!
I love his version. For me, it's the favorite "Solo Geoff" work (where "I see fire" still is my favorite "Multiple Geoff" cover😇). Maybe I'm wrong, but I think, this one is also the very first song by Geoff, where he stays low for long parts/nearly the whole song. Normally he hits us with one "Dragonbreath" note or he sings shorter parts in the basement.🤗 - Get well soon again with your voice and thank you, Mortius! I'm always looking forward to your reactions. Every time I see a new VP/Geoff video, I have in mind: "Oh, that's cool! I'm curious what Mortius will say to that!" 😄👍
Amazing reaction. You didn’t know what was coming so you were able to enjoy the journey. Other reactions I’ve seen, the reactor was literally bouncing in their chair waiting for the high notes, and this version is so much more than that. I love this song, but initially I didn’t like it more than High and Dry either. Now, I love it so much more. ❤
I wasn't familiar with the song either (though the melody of the chorus did ring a bit of a bell in my head), but I was also blown away by this cover (the physical reaction I had to it on the first watch, well, it was a lot 😅), and I was very much waiting for your reaction/analysis of it, and you did not disappoint!
I’ve tried to come up with the right adjective for this. I’ve thought of haunting, stunning, heart wrenching, and none of them really summit all up. Another reactor mentioned the word seductive and even though it’s a song about a broken relationship, it fits.
Hola desde Argentina Mortius!!! Una propuesta... Explotamos los dos al oir a Geoff?... Aun en una canción tan triste te da una emoción y hasta felicidad escuchar algo tan hermoso... Te felicito por tu reacción! Un abrazo a la distancia!❤
Annnnd at 9:10 we have the "F=Geoff's Range Eyeroll!" I'm always on the lookout for it! (Pun intended). I love your reactions Mortius, you make me notice more than I see myself. I'm surprised you haven't heard the original of this, it's been in a lot of movies and still gets a lot of radio play. It has a really cool video too. Well worth checking out., Chris Isaak has a lovely voice. But, per usual, my love of Bass voices makes Geoff's version edge out the original in my book.
Lordy Mortius, sometimes you make me feel sssooooooo old, Chris Isaak is a pretty important artist from the 80's[edit-and 90's]. (My joints are creeking so loud)
So this song is performed in the original key, and the original artist sang it in the highest octave that Geoff sings here. The only thing that I think is really missing from this cover is a casualty of Geoff’s huge range. Isaak’s voice has his head voice transition right where the “No I-IiiiiiiiiiIIIII don’t want to fall in love” jumps up the interval on “I”. That sort of yodelly break gave the chorus a very pronounced cry effect that is one of the defining characteristics of the song. Not gonna lie, I miss that. But Geoff otherwise gave a haunting and beautiful performance of this piece.
I am not sure but the "distortion" that you mentioned sounds like an effect that you can get by skipping a bow on a violin string but lower, like a cello.
I agree with you, Moetious. I've never heard of this song and wasn't particularly impressed with it, not my style either I guess, but the more I listen to it... It's growing on me. 😏
It was a wonderful cover, and after a few listens I'm getting closer to putting it up there. I do however know the original very well, which kinda changed it all for me. So, you should consider checking out the original to see how much Geoff changed in it
Being a big fan of the original, Geoff did an out of this world cover of this song. I prefer his version over the original, and I still love the original.
Seriously though... Wicked game... Listen to Chris isaak version. Then this... Then Diana Ankudinova... Chris Isaak did this (his most famous song) and Blue Hotel... I'm in UK so those are the ones I know... But I love both those original songs...
To REALLY appreciate the artistry that Geoff employs on this cover. you owe it to yourself to hear the original by Chris Isaak. Isaak's range is remarkable for a male singer of the late 80's, and his yodel tone on the high notes at the end is an instant flashback to my youth. Geoff captures more emotion with tecnique and style, but you will think that Isaak actually lived it on a dusty highway in the American southwest.
I like Geoff so much. But Wicked Game for me = Diana Ankudinova. The craziest, most unique voices of our time, i mean unique, her timber is unlike anyone else. Like a strong coffee either you like it or hate it. Singers, reactors, vocal coaches all state the same they never ever heard anyone with such a tone. DIANA ANKUDINOVA ( Диана Анкудинова ) Wicked Game (Age 15 yo) th-cam.com/video/ojRs0Jc2N_c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6Kq8rNA79N5YLk0n
Haunting and yet ethereal with that awesome 'purr'. I had already loved this song, now after hearing it several times I need to say just how much more emotional he made it. Previously, I really liked the higher parts, but Geoff has changed those into an almost breath. Not that he sings it in a particularly breathy manner, but more that it is so natural it is almost like breathing. And usually, I prefer his more 'rounded' tones in his bass voice, but these more gravelly purrs feel more like a 'catch-in-the-throat' emotion. This is just gorgeous! And getting more gorgeous every time I listen to it. Visually perfect, too! Almost like the subtlety of fog.
Geoff did say that by the time he'd finished editing this one his behind was numb. But it was worth it. I am lucky in liking almost any genre - always did - so it's hard for me to have favourites, but this is so beautiful, haunting and sad.
Geoff: Breathes
Mortius: 🤯
(just jokes, great reaction!)
Geoff uses such subtle methods to make us listen, and pay attention to what he sings. Low bass plus low volume causes you to focus on his voice. You absolutely cannot split your focus in that case.
There's always so much going on Geoff's and Voiceplay's videos! It's easy to get distracted. Fortunately, they're always SO GOOD we're delighted we have an excuse to watch them over and over!
You make me feel old. Wicked Game was released in 1989.
Don’t know if people know this, but Geoff was actually hit e1 f1s and lower with chest which is extremely impressive!
Truely a hauntingly beautiful cover...I am in awe of how talented Geoff is. This cover has brought me to tears so many times. it hits so hard. Geoff brings such depth, sadness and a sort of resignation to this song. Great reaction.
My dad raised me on 80’s music, so when I saw Geoff was covering this, I about shrieked. I love the original and Geoff did such an amazing job with it.
To think Geoff did this AMAZING piece while also being the one in charge of the arrangement and all for VoicePlay's video this month. Like, you would think he would take it a little easier on one of them but no, Geoff just knocks both of them out of the park (or stratosphere as would be more appropriate for the VoicePlay song).
Like seriously man!
Addition: the ebb and flow, going back to a center line before the next big shift, allows for a recovery of sorts. Your ear (and emotions) go back to that baseline before going through the next big change. Kinda reminds me of roller coasters and how hey will have gaps between big drops, loops, etc. Party physics, party the body needs to physically recover. Geoff is literally doing the same thing with a song. Also, it makes the next shift in tone, range, etc. hit even harder.
I already loved this song and Geoff made me love it even more. He once again managed to give us a different perspective on a song.❤
This is Geoff weaving a magical spell and we're all ensnared from the first notes.
I've watched Geoff's version and the original version a number of times now, and think that Geoff does a greater service to the lyrics than the original. Geoff's version is so haunting - like someone who has truly had their heart ripped out.
I find this is true with most Geoff and vp work. They feel the lyrics
Totalmente de acuerdo... Tiene tanto sentimiento en su modo de cantar y su voz... Te parte el alma y solo queda dejar que las lágrimas sean libres...!
I don't know if you've listened to this again, but i have. There's something about it that's just hauntingly beautiful. It's grown on me more than i initially thought it would. There's a longing for and mourning of a lost love, no matter how unwise the relationship.
The piano part is as haunting as the rest. I just love the whole thing. As you say, it grows on you.
The original version of this song quite sexual but this is a more mature, nuanced performance. Definitely a different mood. A great tribute to Chris Isaak as singer and songwriter.
Thanks Mortius! Still, I can’t believe you aren’t familiar with the original. You’re a young pup:)
@@martymiller9802I'm much older than Mortius, and I'd never heard the song (I have heard of Chris Isaak though).
@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 I didn't recognize the song by name, but did when I heard it. (never been a Chris Isaak fan)
He really knows how to punctuate those moments in an arrangement, doesn't he? Great reaction!
I'm reminded of a Cherokee mentor of mine who used to say, "Shouts are easy to hear and easier to ignore. A low whisper forces others to be quiet, lean in, and truly LISTEN. Soft words are weighed more carefully and remembered. So speak softly, and aim your voice low." Geoff embodies that "low whisper" in this song. Sure, we LOVE his flashy side, we love his subs and his tenor highs, his theatrics and nerdy rumor, but that low rumble, right on the bottom edge of his chest voice, quiets the room and sends up the goose bumps. This is one song I could listen to every day and not get sick of it.
BTW, about that quote: Cherokee women followed this rule. As men of the various clans shouted at one another in meetings, when the woman overseer would start to speak, she would only talk in a whisper, with her voice pitched as low as she could. Not to sound like a man (women held the TRUE power in Cherokee society) but to further soften her voice. The men had to stop squabbling, lean in, and dared not even breathe, lest they miss a word. My great-grandmother was Cherokee but hid it and "passed as White" to avoid racism. So my family lost all knowledge of the tribe. I met this Cherokee woman, a professor at my college, and I have no idea how (I'm as pale and you can get) but she instantly knew I was Cherokee. She took me in, mentored me, and I came very close to switching my major to Native American Anthropology because of her. Sadly, she passed away shortly after I graduated college, far too young. May her spirit rest with the ancestors.
This and his High and Dry cover give me very similar vibes, and I love them both.
Good call!
We’ve been trying to get him to cover this song for years and it was completely worth the wait!
It is good and it's grown on me so that now it's one of Geoff's best. Check out VoicePlay's newest "Sleeping in the Cold Below" which should have some of the bells and whistles that you love!
Great reaction
I always impress by Geoff vocal range
I can t wait to see your reaction to new voiceplay song
It’s like I’ve never heard it before. Never fully understood it. Geoff takes us to a dark but hauntingly beautiful place. Not unlike healing from a broken heart. I absolutely love this version.
Yep. This video from geoff made me cry.
Do I regret it, nope
This was really fun to watch, but Mortius' reactions always are🥰.
This one is very reminiscent of his high and dry cover, and i love it. Its so intimate but also sad and haunting 😊💜💜
This isn't my normal style of music, but something about that lion's purr / grizzly bear growl just feels like a warm hug, and that's making it my current favorite of his full-length works (favorite Short is Further on up the Road, which feels like a similar style honestly). I wouldn't necessarily want all of his music to sound like this, but I'm really glad that this one exists the way it does!
I love his version. For me, it's the favorite "Solo Geoff" work (where "I see fire" still is my favorite "Multiple Geoff" cover😇).
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think, this one is also the very first song by Geoff, where he stays low for long parts/nearly the whole song. Normally he hits us with one "Dragonbreath" note or he sings shorter parts in the basement.🤗 - Get well soon again with your voice and thank you, Mortius! I'm always looking forward to your reactions. Every time I see a new VP/Geoff video, I have in mind: "Oh, that's cool! I'm curious what Mortius will say to that!" 😄👍
Tye original is also so beautiful!! Would be worth a reaction! But Geoff’s cover is incredible as always ❤
Came here to watch you lose your mind. Was not disappointed.
This cover is just so good.
Amazing reaction. You didn’t know what was coming so you were able to enjoy the journey. Other reactions I’ve seen, the reactor was literally bouncing in their chair waiting for the high notes, and this version is so much more than that. I love this song, but initially I didn’t like it more than High and Dry either. Now, I love it so much more. ❤
I never heard of the artist or the song. Didn't matter, of course, because it's Geoff's voice(s), arrangement, and vision.
As for the added sound effects: Geoff’s covers of “Sound of Silence” and “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” have plenty of added “sounds”.
I wasn't familiar with the song either (though the melody of the chorus did ring a bit of a bell in my head), but I was also blown away by this cover (the physical reaction I had to it on the first watch, well, it was a lot 😅), and I was very much waiting for your reaction/analysis of it, and you did not disappoint!
Thank you for the R&A Mortius. It’s impressive how descriptive Whhaaa can be.
I’ve tried to come up with the right adjective for this. I’ve thought of haunting, stunning, heart wrenching, and none of them really summit all up. Another reactor mentioned the word seductive and even though it’s a song about a broken relationship, it fits.
Hola desde Argentina Mortius!!! Una propuesta... Explotamos los dos al oir a Geoff?... Aun en una canción tan triste te da una emoción y hasta felicidad escuchar algo tan hermoso... Te felicito por tu reacción! Un abrazo a la distancia!❤
Annnnd at 9:10 we have the "F=Geoff's Range Eyeroll!" I'm always on the lookout for it! (Pun intended). I love your reactions Mortius, you make me notice more than I see myself.
I'm surprised you haven't heard the original of this, it's been in a lot of movies and still gets a lot of radio play. It has a really cool video too. Well worth checking out., Chris Isaak has a lovely voice. But, per usual, my love of Bass voices makes Geoff's version edge out the original in my book.
Lordy Mortius, sometimes you make me feel sssooooooo old, Chris Isaak is a pretty important artist from the 80's[edit-and 90's]. (My joints are creeking so loud)
So this song is performed in the original key, and the original artist sang it in the highest octave that Geoff sings here. The only thing that I think is really missing from this cover is a casualty of Geoff’s huge range. Isaak’s voice has his head voice transition right where the “No I-IiiiiiiiiiIIIII don’t want to fall in love” jumps up the interval on “I”. That sort of yodelly break gave the chorus a very pronounced cry effect that is one of the defining characteristics of the song. Not gonna lie, I miss that. But Geoff otherwise gave a haunting and beautiful performance of this piece.
Sorry we are late. We were chatting with Geoff.
This one is one of my favorite geoff covers to date. And idky but like it’s just- so tasty and my ears love it.
Those low notes shook my bones!
It's the end where he's sitting in silence that always hits me in the gut.
Mortius vous me faites vivre cette merveille de Geoff comme je le ressens... Merci à vous
Geoff is awesome!!!!!!
Thanks 😊
I am not sure but the "distortion" that you mentioned sounds like an effect that you can get by skipping a bow on a violin string but lower, like a cello.
I agree with you, Moetious. I've never heard of this song and wasn't particularly impressed with it, not my style either I guess, but the more I listen to it... It's growing on me. 😏
It was a wonderful cover, and after a few listens I'm getting closer to putting it up there. I do however know the original very well, which kinda changed it all for me.
So, you should consider checking out the original to see how much Geoff changed in it
i’m surprised you didn’t know this one ❤
Mort ... you really should check out Chris Isaak his songs can rip your heart to pieces
How do you not know Wicked Game???!!!! It’s an amazing song. If you like Bardcord, check out Hildegard von Blingin’s cover. It’s spectacular as well.
Being a big fan of the original, Geoff did an out of this world cover of this song. I prefer his version over the original, and I still love the original.
You don't need that brain, Mortius. Just let Geoff melt it...😅
I get a real Lo-Fi feel for this one
Seriously though... Wicked game... Listen to Chris isaak version. Then this... Then Diana Ankudinova...
Chris Isaak did this (his most famous song) and Blue Hotel... I'm in UK so those are the ones I know... But I love both those original songs...
To REALLY appreciate the artistry that Geoff employs on this cover. you owe it to yourself to hear the original by Chris Isaak. Isaak's range is remarkable for a male singer of the late 80's, and his yodel tone on the high notes at the end is an instant flashback to my youth. Geoff captures more emotion with tecnique and style, but you will think that Isaak actually lived it on a dusty highway in the American southwest.
You need to see the original video from the 80s. I think you'll appreciate it. :)
I think if you go listen to the original you may end up even more impressed.
So: Did you like it or not? What I understood was: If I liked it, I would like it. But I don't... 😮🤔
😊
I like Geoff so much.
But Wicked Game for me = Diana Ankudinova. The craziest, most unique voices of our time, i mean unique, her timber is unlike anyone else. Like a strong coffee either you like it or hate it.
Singers, reactors, vocal coaches all state the same they never ever heard anyone with such a tone.
DIANA ANKUDINOVA ( Диана Анкудинова ) Wicked Game (Age 15 yo)
th-cam.com/video/ojRs0Jc2N_c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6Kq8rNA79N5YLk0n
👍👍👍😍
Do we know what notes he was hitting?
IMO the best cover done of this song was by H.I.M. Geoff's cover is good, and the original is good, but H.I.M. just did an amazing job on theirs
You ought to listen to the original just to see the difference.
This is one of my favorite Geoff covers - although it’s almost too much bass (did I say that?)
Dude Chris Isaac, Wicked Game is a show stopper/panty dropper in 1997 ish
you would love the original
💔❤🩹
Loved your reaction Mortius!
For contrast, here's Puddles doing a cover of the same song:
th-cam.com/video/zGaqQiKYOF4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=h4ZOFtM_J3y4V3eH