Scott

A couple points regarding tenors... First, it might be true that the Devils (and Float) were responsible for the first "snare book" parts for tenors, but SCV in 1980 paved the way for the "bongo tenor" sound so popular today when they fielded four sets of high quads and four low. (Which even today was an awesome idea and I remain amazed that nobody has done it since because it adds so much more musical depth to the battery). Also, if you listen to the quad solos in "Stone Ground Seven" you'll hear all sorts of snare stuff being played on the quads. Secondly, I think one of the saddest aspects in tenor evolution is the complete loss of a gutsy, deep tenor sound as best exemplified by the Ludwig "Power Toms" with sound projectors used by corps in 1978 and 79. The Power Toms actually had a full (not cutaway) shell that really gave resonance and body to the sound. Today's cutaways may help projection, but they destroy the sound in my opinion. If you listen to Phantom's shows both those years, you'll hear an absolutely beautiful, truly "tenor" tenor sound. (The writing in "Malambo" in '79 was as good as it gets--even by today's standards!) It kills me to think that so many people today ridicule a lower tenor sound as "flub-a-dubs" and other epithets. For certain types of music, it is far superior to bongo-quints. And by the way, why are we still calling them "tenors" today? They really should be called "altos" or "soprano drums." Because they sure as heck aren't in the true "tenor" range! Scott