jthomas666

1980 should have been 27th BD Spirit Bridgemen

That show was one baby-throwing moment after another. It's interesting that as strong a show as it was, there's not much controversy over their placement--Cadets and Star were just that good. Also, in this era of chop and bop, it's always refreshing to hear a corp let the music develop--Death Hunt is very close to a note-for note transcription. But dear Lord, Fire of Eternal Glory. One of my all-time favorite moments. THAT'S the Phantom Regiment identity.

Oh yeah, if you've just watched the standard video, you only think you know how good this group was. The judge's tape lets you hear all manner of additional details. One of my all time favorite shows.

That's really between the judges and their significant others, don't you think?

Everything about that show was flat out fun.

Send them a chart graphing PRs placement over the last ten years? Video of last year's show?

I still don't like the break in FoE, and yes, the "I Am Joan" just doesn't work. Comes across as a desperate attempt to trade on past glory--as does the corps' entrance, more than just a little reminiscent of Into the Light. Agreed with the huts. It's kind of like they're trying to do a variant on Stations of the Cross or something, but it's hard to make out the visual. There seem to be lots of phasing issues (could have just been a bad recording, I guess). Having the corp change uniforms piecemeal doesn't work; there's not enough visual impact. It's not so much that Joan's story isn't being told (though it isn't), it's just that the visual elements aren't effective. I'm at a loss as to the story the Mandarins are trying to tell in SubTerra, but it's still fun to watch.

Another solid show from these guys/ Still not entirely clear on the storyline, but the corps is selling it. Absolutely love the drum feature.

1988 Blue Devils -- This is the Blue Devils show I listen to most often (along with 89) 1993 Regiment -- May have been 3rd, but a LOT of babies got thrown during this show.

This. I suppose some might complain that the music is too on the nose, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the My Shot/Rocky mash-up works--and yes, it struck me as very Crown-esque, but in a good way.

totally random, totally uninformed observations: Some good brass arrangements throughout; I already like this show more than New World. Am NOT a fan of the break in FoEG; maybe it will grow on me. The percussion book could use more variety, particularly in the battery. An auspicious start to the summer!

Good Lord, yes. They came out of the tunnel as the previous corps was finishing up, and the entire crowd went "ooooohhhhhhhhhh" Despite the finish, a truly magnificent show on all fronts.

Well, you sort of did--most of your examples were notably shorter than FOEG...but that's perhaps being too picky. Perhaps a better point to make on the subject would be to note that you were able to one example in several different shows--whereas 93 FOEG was just one of multiple works in the same show that were allowed to fully develop--hell, they played "Death Hunt" in its entirety (again, Get. Off. My. Lawn.). Crown's Finis is an outlier of sorts--it's something of a gimmick (let's see how many songs we can cram in), but Crown's arrangement makes it work. That seems to be Crown's superpower--to take goofy ideas and somehow make them work (Rach Star may be their...uh...crowning achievement in that regard).

1. I don't care what direction the activity is going, I want more emphasis on music. Also, get off my lawn! 2. They're definitely emphasizing visuals...they're just not doing it very well.

I wish PR would make a point of emphasizing the music over visuals. A lot of people have contended that approach is the remains of a bygone era--that today's design sheet make such an approach impossible. I'm unconvinced. If you took "Into the Light", as arranged in 2010, and just tweaked the visuals, you'd still have a compelling, competitive show. Respect the music. Is it harder than dumping the music into a Cuisinart? Certainly. That just makes it a challenge. And it respects PR's tradition. [dons flak jacket]

Thanks for this story. 1982 Cadets is one of my favorites, just for the music.

Exhibitors Looks like Blue Knights and DCI are it.

94 is good, but 93, imo, was on another level. That was kind of a weird year in that PR had a show that in most years would have run away with the title (seriously, the crowd had to have run out of babies to throw by the end of Fire of Eternal Glory; god only knows what they threw during Death Hunt), but that year Cadets and Star were in a league all their own.

They played the same music for 3:15. Is that even legal these days? 😈

Yeah. They could have edged past BD and Cavies for third, but something just wasn't clicking that night. Still one of my favorite shows, though.

I was at DCI South in Birmingham, and when PR came out in the all whites, the entire crowd just went ooooOOOOOOOOooooooo.

I dunno about "best", but I've always liked the drill at the end of the opener for Regiment in 89. Wild motion, culminating in an in your face company front. For that matter, a LOT of the 93 show should be considered., from the flying crabstep to fire of eternal glory to the "How in the name of God did they do THAT?" of the closing bars of Death Hunt.

I will only say that I got a whole new appreciation for PRs 2010 drum line from the field judge's tape. I heard levels of detail that just weren't there in the standard recording.

Music from "Somewhere in Time" Adventures in Time visuals inspired by The Persistence of Memory Costumes that go from the Victoria era of The Time Machine to something ridiculously futuristic.

can we get some reports on the quality of the downloads?