My top 7 of All Time

[FTNK]

In no particular order...

1985 Cadets:

The 1984 show was great; the 1985 show was another level in terms of complexity and sophistication. A great hornline that played with both power and subtly. The fast drill in the end of Jeremiah and Candide really set the standard for the future of the activity from a visual standpoint, building on the shows before it. Fantastic performance level of a show that was truly ahead of its time (in a good way).

1975 Madison Scouts:

The definitive 70s drum corps IMHO. Full of attitude, and with some of the greatest solo work ever. Madison at their very best: Powerful, confident, and full of showmanship.

1999 Blue Devils:

Just as 1975 Scouts is Madison at their best, I feel the 99 BD corps and show is Blue Devils at their best. A great show performed at the highest level--and with tons of swagger. Every section has this killer attitude and achieves with engaging work. The color guard is out of this world, and the ballad is truly great.

1996 Phantom Regiment:

This has to be one of the most determined performances of all time. The amount of emotion that oozes through this show, even on video 12 years later, is epic. Of course, the fantastic music of Shostakovich helps that. Great, great hornline. This show is like a force of nature: building momentum (especially in the 3+ minute introductory statement) and just deliberately, methodically reaching a climax.

2004 Cavaliers:

The best of a long string expertly crafted shows, this show combines the trademark visual fireworks, subtly and musicality of the Cavaliers since 2000 with a program that is entertaining and exciting. This show is permeated with exciting and clever moments, and like the other shows on this list, is performed at the highest level by all sections.

1993 Star of Indiana:

What can I say about what is probably the most talked-about show of all time? A landmark of total corps integration; the hornline's staging and innovative body movement blends with the guard, the subtly of the brass approach blends so well with the percussion. Truly daring programming performed by one of the all-time great corps. The hornline combines fantastic power with amazing blend and sophistication.

2005 Cadets:

I think the word "talented" is overused in general and especially in the context of drum corps. That said, this could be the most talented corps The Cadets have ever had. The show has so much creativity and interest, and the corps absolutely sold the show. The "Liquid" movement is a phenomenal display of control, power, and athleticism from start to finish. The ballad is simply the best-designed ballad ever. Performance level doesn't get any higher than this.

What are your top shows, and why?

[hrnguy500]

Some great selections.

In regards to "most talented" comments made about corps. I think it is overused as well. How do you know they are "the most talented". I'm guessing some people (not you OP) just assume because of the score that they were the best ever. Frankly, unless you marched that year or were on staff you really can't say whether corps X is the most talented ever IMHO.

Let me think my top 7 over more before posting.

[KakkoiiOtaku]

I believe there is already a thread about this:

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...howtopic=116126

[doyle079]

I believe there is already a thread about this:

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...howtopic=116126

no see this one is different because its only 7, not 10... duh

[contrajedi8]

Geez, I can only pick 7?

Well.

1976 Blue Devils- imo, this show defines the 1970's

1984 Garfield Cadets- i think this show really pushed drum corps over the edge so to speak

1989 Santa Clara Vanguard- imo, this show defines drum corps

1994 Blue Devils- bd at their best

1999 Santa Clara Vanguard- my personal fav of all time

2000 Cadets- to me, this is the first push into the "modern era"

2005 Cadets- on first viewing, I was rather unimpressed. then I was all like, this show kicks ###.

[Sam98]

1) 27th Lancers, 1979. Pushed colorguard to new levels of excellence and their take on the "Rockford File" became one of the most copied drum corps motifs for several years.

2) Blue Devils, 1980. The total package: great hornline, great drums, great guard and a polished repitoire.

3) Phantom Regiment, 1981. The original "Spartacus" show was one of the first I had seen that used one central theme throughout a program.

4) Garfield Cadets, 1983. The Z-pull, the excellent colorguard and a great musical book kicked off a new dynasty and performance standards for drum corps.

5) SVC, 1987. The Vanguard redefines its image as showmen with a show that was really audience-centered but executed extremely well. A great theme and recognizable music start the push into Broadway-style shows that will carry them through the next several years.

6) Garfield Cadets, 1987. A change of composer (from Bernstein to Copland) brought with it a smaller drumline, a heavily ballet-influenced guard (including a male solo dancer in a traditionally all-female guard), a show featuring a break-apart company front and a curtain call signalled yet another change in direction for drum corps.

7) Star of Indiana, 1991. What else is there to say that hasn't been said about this historical show? Possibly the most difficult drill and horn book ever brought this group to a DCI title that hadn't been won by Blue Devils, SVC or Garfield since the late 1970s.

[skajerk]

Transferring my list from the other thread...

1. 1985 - Suncoast Sound (A Florida Suite)

2. 2008 - Phantom (Spartacus)

tie 2008 - Carolina Crown (Finis)

4. 1984 - Suncoast Sound (the Vietnam show)

5. 2007 - Carolina Crown (Triple Crown)

6. 1985 Garfield Cadets (Jeremiah Symphony/Candide)

7. 1986 Suncoast Sound (Adventures In Time)

-----------------------------------------------------

8. 1986 Blue Devils (Channel One Suite/Conquistador/Spanish Fantasy/Chick Corea Suite)

9. 1985 - Phantom (Symphonie Phantastique)

10. 2007 - Bluecoats (Criminal)

[MikeD]

Boy, seven is a tough number...so many great choices...

Mine in alpha order:

27th Lancers 80 - my personal favorite corps ever outside of The Cadets

Blue Devils 76 - defined the 70's to me.

Cadets 97 - love the Year of the Dragon.

Cadets 05 - might be the best performing corps I've ever seen

Cavies 02 - Have to have a great Cavies show for the visual revolution they led...loved this show.

Crown 04 - This is one of my all-time favorite shows; Crown is my favorite corps of the 21st century.

Regiment 96 - Just a great program in every way to me. I need a Regiment show on my list, and it's this one or 03.

I think it's too early to pick a show from 06-08. Regmient 08 has a shot to replace someone on that list, as does Cadets 07 and Crown 06.

[spartan117]

My top 7 in order of "least" favorite to favorite

7. 95 Scouts - What can I say, this was the second show I saw, and fell in love with the hornline.

6. 89 SCV - Such an awesome show

5. 00 Cadets - Did some amazing things in that show.

4. 89 Regiment - Loved that show.

3. 04 BD - Has some of my favorite music ever in that show.

2. 03 Regiment - Absolutely love the music, even though they were not "very" clean visually.

1. 08 Regiment - Saw this show at Allentown and was completely blown away by how difficult the drill was and how musical the hornline was.

[notelvis]

OK........I've got 7....my list for today. My criteria for narrowing this down was that the show had to really speak to me in some way and it had to be a show that I actually saw LIVE. There have been some great shows (from the 70's for instance) that I only experienced on video and for a list such as this that's not good enough.

In chronological order newest to oldest -

2004 Cavaliers - I loved this show. It was everything the Cavaliers have been for the past decade but with recognizeable James Bond themes. As my college band director used to say in the methods classes training future band directors. "When someone says to you 'I know what I like' they really mean 'I like what I know'. Think about where your support comes from and who you're programming for."

1995 Madison Scouts - This show was so powerful and so exciting......and the corps playing it so obviously bought completely into the program. This corps sizzled from the moment they came into sight approaching the stadium and I just loved the electric buzz that Madison created that year.

1993 Phantom Regiment - The crab walk drill thing which Phantom brought out in this show was ultra cool and the ballad 'Flame of Eternal Glory'.............marvelous. A neighbor of mine growing up was also a music professor at the local college.....he was a pianist. Anyway, Dr. Adams had relatives in Jackson, MS, was in the neighborhood, and came to the 1993 semifinals out of curiousity. It was his first live drum corps show. He was impressed by the 17th place corps and as the evening wore on his wonderment grew. When Phantom moved into the push on that ballad Dr. Adams jaw dropped and he gasped "Ohhhhhhh Mercy." That describes 93 Phantom better than anything I think.

1988 (Yes 1988) Santa Clara Vanguard This show pretty much encapsulated everything Santa Clara had always been up to that time. I loved the book and without debating the reasons, I feel like the 88 SCV was a better, jucier, more lasting for the ages horn show than the 89 show.

1984 Garfield Cadets This was the ultimate production of West Side Story and also pretty much the best example of 'state of the art' drum corps at that time. Great horn line. Great drill. Great dum corps.

Here's where it gets personal -

1982 Memphis Blues Brass Band I LOVED this corps and I loved this show. It was likely the pretty uniforms, the pretty flags, the pretty closer. I saw this corps early in the summer at a DCS show in Spartanburg, SC and.....pardon the pun MB3 folks.......Could not help falling in love with this corps. I was in summer school at the hometown college (working ahead thank you!) and I spent the next day pouring through the DCI Contest Guild paper (remember those?) identifying EVERY show the Memphis Blues were in that I could get to for the rest of the summer. I saw this corps five or six more times and then in November I made the trip to Brunswick, TN to audition for the Memphis Blues because I wanted to be part of that myself.

1982 Defenders Another unusual choice BUT I really enjoyed this show. I saw it a few times in places like Cullowhee, NC and Sevierville, TN while chasing the Memphis Blues. About five years ago I was doing some yard work and set up the boom box to keep me company.......outdoors, cranked up loud. Then, suddenly, the 1982 Defenders came on. I stopped raking and listened. Then I listened to it again.....and again. The show I liked became one I loved and I have a theory why this is. The Defenders by that time had scratched into the top 20 by imitating show design elements borrowed from the more successful corps of the era. There's a little Blue Devils, a little North Star, a little 27, a little whoever in this show. It is an entertaining and faithful reproduction of what I loved about late 70's and early 80's drum corps.......all in one package.

Oh crap......I've already used my 7. Can I drop the 2004 Cavaliers and replace them with the 1981 27th Lancers?

Edited September 24, 2008 by notelvis