Hrothgar15

Now that I think about it you're right. There haven't really been any other shows in DCI history that were able to tell a story without using voice. Cause if you think about it, it's not possible at all to tell a story through music.

You've got Cavies with their dark, complexly intricate "Machine" show with actual developed melodies and harmonies. Ending of course needs a little work (and is getting it) but the rest of the show is solid, they took a concept and did everything they could musically and visually with it...the program design is just so, I dunno...it's hard to describe. Refined perhaps is the best word. All the added sound effects in the pit and just all the "colors" of sound on the field during this entire show. Ballad is beautiful. Best visual program of the year. No, the show isn't an "in your face, blow you back into your seat" type of show, but it's amazing. Haven't seen Blue Devils, but they seem to be on fire this year. Need to wait for an APD to give them a further evaluation, but the clips I've heard sound like their doing the Godfather justice. Seems like a real winner from BD, can anyone who's seen them comment further? Phantom Regiment... . I'm sure many of you read my review of them from Powder Springs, so I won't repeat it. Let's just say this is probably the best show I've ever seen live. Great music, great drill, great drum corps. It's a classic already in my book. Bluecoats have a wonderful, cohesive program from what I can tell from listening to the APD. Love the opening "pre-show" introduction a la Cadets '89. Great Bluecoats-esque opener, love the second jazzy movement, beautiful ballad that ties the show together. Can't wait to see them live the 29th. Boston has a great show that I'm sure will take more than just one viewing to fully comprehend, but I look forward to it. It's a departure from their previous programs into a more mature show design, which I'm all for. Madison Scouts...the show isn't Scouts-like at all, but it's growing on me. Better than last year, even. I need to see them live to give them a fair shot. Santa Clara Vangaurd...saw the show online and it gave me shivers. I'll leave it at that. This is probably--no, is their best show since 2000. Haven't seen Crown, but heard their pretty good. Spirit has a very enjoyable show that I'll be looking forward to seeing again. Waiting to see Glassmen, Blue Knights, Blue Stars, and Colts...but I've heard nothing but good things about them this year!

You've got Cavies with their dark, complexly intricate "Machine" show with actual developed melodies and harmonies. Ending of course needs a little work (and is getting it) but the rest of the show is solid, they took a concept and did everything they could musically and visually with it...the program design is just so, I dunno...it's hard to describe. Refined perhaps is the best word. All the added sound effects in the pit and just all the "colors" of sound on the field during this entire show. Ballad is beautiful. Best visual program of the year. No, the show isn't an "in your face, blow you back into your seat" type of show, but it's amazing. Haven't seen Blue Devils, but they seem to be on fire this year. Need to wait for an APD to give them a further evaluation, but the clips I've heard sound like their doing the Godfather justice. Seems like a real winner from BD, can anyone who's seen them comment further? Phantom Regiment... . I'm sure many of you read my review of them from Powder Springs, so I won't repeat it. Let's just say this is probably the best show I've ever seen live. Great music, great drill, great drum corps. It's a classic already in my book. Bluecoats have a wonderful, cohesive program from what I can tell from listening to the APD. Love the opening "pre-show" introduction a la Cadets '89. Great Bluecoats-esque opener, love the second jazzy movement, beautiful ballad that ties the show together. Can't wait to see them live the 29th. Boston has a great show that I'm sure will take more than just one viewing to fully comprehend, but I look forward to it. It's a departure from their previous programs into a more mature show design, which I'm all for. Madison Scouts...the show isn't Scouts-like at all, but it's growing on me. Better than last year, even. I need to see them live to give them a fair shot. Santa Clara Vangaurd...saw the show online and it gave me shivers. I'll leave it at that. This is probably--no, is their best show since 2000. Haven't seen Crown, but heard their pretty good. Spirit has a very enjoyable show that I'll be looking forward to seeing again. Waiting to see Glassmen, Blue Knights, Blue Stars, and Colts...but I've heard nothing but good things about them this year!

Such common sense. I have no idea how anyone could think the talking improves the show in anyway. It is cheesy. Imagine characters spouting off, "Let's go milk the cows!" in the '87 show. How about "Flight 382 cleared for landing!!!" in the '92 show. Or maybe, "Man, I feel soooo lonely!!!" during the ballad of the '91 show. BLARING over a microphone. Ugh. It would totally destroy these great shows. They wouldn't be classics like they are now, just jokes. Kind of like this year's show.

I'm pretty sure I can post this...this is a minute or so of the middle of the Cadets 2006 Talking Feature: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QPMry7M7SH8&amp...h=Cadets%202006 Man, can those guard members talk! Especially when that one said, "But where are we!?" Holy crap you should have seen the audience reaction to that one...it was of Madison 1995 proportions! Everyone on their feet, standing O...it's moments like this that make me love drum corps, you know? Gotta love that precision and artistry displayed there. Such balance and intonation. Supposedly 20 different guard members tried out for that line but this one got it...talk about a nervewracking audition. Hope she doesn't mess up finals night! Seriously, this could be the best talking section the Cadets have had since...since...oh wait. And the talking feature definitely rivals ones from classic shows in DCI history such as, uhh... Who is their talking caption head this year anyway? Either way, it's amazing. Nothing like some words spoken into a microphone to blow me back into my seat!

I don't get it. Was Star's show that year accepted or not accepted by most audience members? Form the audience response on the recording (plus "'92 Champions!"), I'm guessing the former. Than, and this is an AMAZING, wayyyyyy underrated show.

Cadets, definitely.

YES! What on earth would cause them to abandon that work of art? It baffles me.

WHAT was the logic behind changing the classic Madison uniform they had up into 2002? This new one is even worse and an even further departure! So many masterpieces were created in those uniforms...and they've abandoned that. It's like they're not even the same corps now. This was one of the worst moves in DCI. It sounds stupid, but part of me tells me that if they had kept the uniforms, we'd be seeing baby-throwing masterpieces like 1993-1999, today. Such a shame. Change is bad. Evoution is good. But evolution, unlike change, is based off of previous forms. And they've changed, but not evolved. To completey change one's uniform, show design...identity--it's just really upsetting. :(

The issue is easy, really. What did the '95, '96, '97, and '99 shows have in common? Music. Amazing, melodic, well-written, flowing MADISON-SCOUT-LIKE music. To think that the 2006 show could anywhere near match the energy level of those shows is a joke. Plus, it just doesn't seem like a full, cohseive product to me. I mean think of the Pirates show, or the JCS show...total packages. Now it's just, let's throw together hits and chords and call it a show. It's not very Scout-like, at all, and when a corps strays from their identity, nothing good can come out of that. I'm all for growing and changing, but corps need to look in their past, find what made their shows great, and use it for the present. What good is the past if you're not going to use it to help for the future?

Believe me, I'd rather the Cadets had chosen 4:33 as their ballad than this farce. Far more enjoyable to listen to in my opinion. :P

OHHHHHHHH...no wonder! I was almost POSITIVE I'd heard that piece from a top 12 corps before, but Corpsreps turned up nothing. Thanks for saving me from like hours of mindracking...it also explains why the Cadets added that in randomly at the end of the season, makes sense seeing as the show was western-themed. I definitely liked the new ending they put on. Anyway, back on topic.

Hmmm...Crown maybe?

I'll start. Theme from Magnificent Seven. I know Troopers did this a few years back, but who would it be suited for in the top 12? It would work for the Cadets...what do you guy think? Great piece, by the way. This brings up something that bothers me though, part of me is just thinking, quit picking some abstract story or theme first and just pick some good MUSIC to play...then tie the pieces together. Playing this piece as an opener would automatically make for a good show simply because it's GOOD MUSIC. No need to fiddle with all this "deeper meaning" stuff. Oh well...

I mean the one with the ponytail that's featured in the opener and the ballad. Let me find a pic... There he is.

I absolutley LOVED all the portions of the show that didn't include amplified vocals. But I want to enjoy the show as a whole instead of just a few parts, and I can't. As it looks now I'm going to have to digitally edit out the introduction, each "line" in the percussion feature, and the entire ballad in order t be able to blast this show from my computer like I can with every other show.

I'm not concerned with the design of the show as much as I am with all the silly amplified vocal crap. It's just bringing in things that AREN'T drum corps. Drum corps is completely unique; you never hear those sounds in any other activity. There's just so much stuff in this show that's just not drum corps. Like singing rock and roll. Or spouting off lines. That's not what I come to drum corps shows to see. Take all that stuff out and the show will be amazing. This just a bad case of pushing the envelope of the cliff and having it torn to pieces.

Yes. Now take out all the vocals and this will be an amazing show. They destroy it.

Anyone know anything about the mullet guy from 1989 Blue Devils? You know, the one with the puffy cheeks?

I don't get it. How can a show seem "out of date"? Pretty much any show from the mid-'80s onward would work perfectly today...can anyone think of any that wouldn't?

Uh...what? There're the introduction, the pit feature, right into Scythian Suite, right into Ave Maria, right into Piano Concerto, right into Mahler. How is that "too much transition music"? Can't really voice my opinion on that by naming names, so I'll just say...I think melody should come first in musical design, then everything else.

That should say, "right after the ballad." Whoops. Can we say...design, anyone? This show just reeks of awesomeness. And hmmm...they're playing what the crowd wants to hear, while retaining a mature, complex, musical book, and I think the audience is responding accordingly. Don't think I really needed a new topic for this...but the screams are such a cool effect, so much for the program not flowing well!

1991...amazing show! Who doesn't like Short Ride, anyway?

For me, I'm so disappointed with this show because the rest of the stuff, the stuff that falls within the drum and bugle corps activity, is SO good. Opener? Amazing? Closer? Amazing. Ballad without vocals? Amazing. Percussion feature without vocals? Amazing. Unfortunately, all of the non-drum corps elements in the show completely ruin it for me. This show would be one of the greatest if the pre-2004 rules were still in place, but unfortunately, it's one of the worst. It's just disappointing that pretty much everything Jay wrote has been wasted and put into a show that no matter how much I want to enjoy it, I can't. The ballad is beautiful, unfortunately it'll be a while before we hear it with the brass focused instead of a vocalist...Cadets could have done it this year, but for some reason chose not to. Pushing the envelope off the cliff and destroying it, I like to call it.