Bydloyoho

Hmm, you just can't compare them, IMO. The '91 show was hard and fast and challenging but it was fairly faithful to the Sebesky and Kenton with musical development over time. It essentially breaks cleanly into three clear main sections. The '10 style is that really mixed up, blenderized stuff that BD have been doing for a few years where there is little development, recognizable snatches come and go, begin and are interrupted and reappear for a fraction of a second only to immediately change key and so on.

Nothing wrong with having a style and sound. It makes them distinctive.

Oh my God, The Blue Stars - why was I not informed? Great, great show in the making.

Yep, not focused. A shame as the Cavaliers show sounds great, would have loved to see it properly.

Just watched the Cavaliers show properly - WOW! Love it! Is it just me or is this the year of really entertaining shows?

For me: (in no way comprehensive) -Phantom's last chord: The way it lingers - AWESOME -Cadets: The show show seems really entertaining and well-conceived but that crazy fast march in the middle of the show is fantastic. It's as good as last years ending, and they're only about 7 minutes in! -Bluecoats: Big, big sound from them this year. OH yeah, Madison really solid!

HIGH FIVE! Thought this for years. Movement 2 would work too. In shortened form.

An incredible rumination from Mr. Hopkins. I completely agree with his assertion that: "Music has been relegated to a role of accompanying a succession of visual statements". The winning show of 2009 makes almost no sense musically, just a series of hit points with no development. Incomprehensible to the casual listener. I'm not just aiming this at BD, by the way, but it is telling that that is the current reigning 'format' for a winning show.

Eh? The running man logo is one of the most distinctive, original, and appropriate I have ever seen. It's a true emblem of the Cadets as they are today and features an actual member and chance moment in their history - they ARE their members. Changing it seems like change for the sake of change. Shame really, the replacement will most likely not be as good. Would Nike or Apple drop their logos? Hardly.

That's fine, but I presume they are willing to talk about doing a deal, no? Ask to give them a demo over videoconference (see GoToMeetings.com) and show them why it's cool. I'd love to see such an app and would definitely purchase from iTunes.

Heard the latest Field Pass? Everything was GREAT!

Funny, I was listening to it the other day and was wondering which corps would do it justice. Probably Crown or SCV I'd imagine. Probably SCV. Phantom would do a good job, I'm sure. Devils (not that I think they'd touch it) would probably intersperse it with The Rake's Progress and Symphony of Pslams...and a little Gershwin!

He also described the Lucas Oil stadium as "boomy" and "awful sounding".

That Roland thing looks great actually, assuming you can create your own sample sets for it.

That's great news! No KKRRYSSSTALLL's