Bob984 Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Hi, I watched from last part of Pacific Crest on.....sorry to those on before.......I was traveling........... Pacific Crest...........corps is competent and has some impact......some good potential, but this is a tough year..... Crossmen..........I thought they performed pretty well.....however, I just don't believe the musical book makes it.......... for me, visual/guard and perc. are strength of program, but I see music pushing them into 17th at this point, and I had them 17th......I had them very close to Academy, but I felt Spirit was much more solid musically... Academy.........some strong impacts, and design is much better than last year and on par with 2007..........I thought that the they were one of many hornlines to suffer from intonation issues....my guess is warming up in 100 degree heat outside, then going into an air-conditioned dome and not re-tuning........show has potential..... Spirit..........I thought they sold their program pretty well........I believe that the adjudication community does not believe the program has much depth....I disagree.....I think not only is there some great impact in the brass, but some good work stylisticly as well, with good use of bass guitar.........they are getting slammed a bit, and I am not sure why Madison.....I thought that they were much better than they were in Denver....they have a demanding program, and probably the most room for growth among those battling for the 12th spot............they are in the hunt....... Troopers.....I feel this show is well written and effective....the great news for the Troop is they have no weak section, and their best show in many a year.......good shot at finals this year, but not a lock yet...... Colts.........strong arrangements and an enjoyable package....another corps that suffered from intonation issues at times..... overall, this show is still a solid contender for finals......we will see....... Glassmen....................for me, this is the most over-rated corps in DCI. In percussion, visual, and guard, they are solid. However, the brass book is quite weak from an arrangement standpoint. Music numbers, outside of percussion, are a mystery to me. When everyone is executing, I not only do not see this show in finals, but they could fall quite a bit.......... Blue Knights....clearly a step up from a quality of sound standpoint (hornline was quite powerful with better pitch)....they have a solid visual package, and good caption balance.....how Glassmen beat them is quite a mystery......... Boston........solid show which is very entertaining...........Samson and Delilah gets me every time.....they are competent in all sections......it will be interesting to see what the potential is if they get it razor clean........ Phantom..........another corps that was significantly better tonight than last week, yet it didn't show in the score... I agree it is not a title level show visually....however, the execution was much better tonight, and the guard was working hard to communicate the program. However, musically, when on, this corps can hang with the very best.....brass demand is top shelf, and this will be quite a line next month.....percussion also will compete for the perc. title.....I think the visual dumping on them is a bit severe, and they are not getting credit for a quality music program, especially music effect......I still see them with a shot at 6th by Indy on the strength of their musical program.. Blue Stars....strength is overall package, visual, and guard.......brass and percussion are competent, but evident not at same level as Phantom, but visual is......solid corps overall........ Bluecoats.......reminds me too much of another version of BD........middle of show lulls a bit effect-wise..........they are quite competent in all segments, but the musical product doesn't move me as much as others......execution will be very strong by Indy, though..... SCV............I love this show....I think the arrangements are great, and the show flows.....I don't hear or see any real weakness in this show, and there is room for growth performance-wise.....a darkhorse.......... Crown.........show is coming, yet I still think they can max out emotion more, especially the end........no weakness here, either, and if they nail it, they can contend............... Cadets..........visual demand and construction is 2nd to none, yet they are not getting full credit......yes, they are not quite the cleanest yet, but judges are to judge WHAT and HOW, and I really do not feel in many places they are fully considering the what......this show is really growing fast in effect and performance..........perc. scores seem to be a tad low...........if they raise them and max out all other captions, they can win........... Cavaliers.....I believe they play more than last year and some others.....visual is top shelf as always..........however, musical show just doesn't have the emotion of other contenders, thus the effect numbers are a mystery........ whereas they will contend for high visual, they could finish as low as 6th or 7th in music, so I do not see them any higher than 4th at finals, and perhaps as low as 7th.......... Devils...........the good news is they are performing at a high level.....the bad news is the show doesn't stack up against the other contenders from a demand or effect standpoint....reminds me much of the "Yowza" show of 2005....... I did not think brass quality of sound was great tonight....impact was....chair use throughout, for me, becomes a cluttered distraction.........I see them being passed in the near future, and disagreed with their score/spread... GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphoquadz Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Hi, I watched from last part of Pacific Crest on.....sorry to those on before.......I was traveling........... Pacific Crest...........corps is competent and has some impact......some good potential, but this is a tough year..... Crossmen..........I thought they performed pretty well.....however, I just don't believe the musical book makes it.......... for me, visual/guard and perc. are strength of program, but I see music pushing them into 17th at this point, and I had them 17th......I had them very close to Academy, but I felt Spirit was much more solid musically... Academy.........some strong impacts, and design is much better than last year and on par with 2007..........I thought that the they were one of many hornlines to suffer from intonation issues....my guess is warming up in 100 degree heat outside, then going into an air-conditioned dome and not re-tuning........show has potential..... Spirit..........I thought they sold their program pretty well........I believe that the adjudication community does not believe the program has much depth....I disagree.....I think not only is there some great impact in the brass, but some good work stylisticly as well, with good use of bass guitar.........they are getting slammed a bit, and I am not sure why Madison.....I thought that they were much better than they were in Denver....they have a demanding program, and probably the most room for growth among those battling for the 12th spot............they are in the hunt....... Troopers.....I feel this show is well written and effective....the great news for the Troop is they have no weak section, and their best show in many a year.......good shot at finals this year, but not a lock yet...... Colts.........strong arrangements and an enjoyable package....another corps that suffered from intonation issues at times..... overall, this show is still a solid contender for finals......we will see....... Glassmen....................for me, this is the most over-rated corps in DCI. In percussion, visual, and guard, they are solid. However, the brass book is quite weak from an arrangement standpoint. Music numbers, outside of percussion, are a mystery to me. When everyone is executing, I not only do not see this show in finals, but they could fall quite a bit.......... Blue Knights....clearly a step up from a quality of sound standpoint (hornline was quite powerful with better pitch)....they have a solid visual package, and good caption balance.....how Glassmen beat them is quite a mystery......... Boston........solid show which is very entertaining...........Samson and Delilah gets me every time.....they are competent in all sections......it will be interesting to see what the potential is if they get it razor clean........ Phantom..........another corps that was significantly better tonight than last week, yet it didn't show in the score... I agree it is not a title level show visually....however, the execution was much better tonight, and the guard was working hard to communicate the program. However, musically, when on, this corps can hang with the very best.....brass demand is top shelf, and this will be quite a line next month.....percussion also will compete for the perc. title.....I think the visual dumping on them is a bit severe, and they are not getting credit for a quality music program, especially music effect......I still see them with a shot at 6th by Indy on the strength of their musical program.. Blue Stars....strength is overall package, visual, and guard.......brass and percussion are competent, but evident not at same level as Phantom, but visual is......solid corps overall........ Bluecoats.......reminds me too much of another version of BD........middle of show lulls a bit effect-wise..........they are quite competent in all segments, but the musical product doesn't move me as much as others......execution will be very strong by Indy, though..... SCV............I love this show....I think the arrangements are great, and the show flows.....I don't hear or see any real weakness in this show, and there is room for growth performance-wise.....a darkhorse.......... Crown.........show is coming, yet I still think they can max out emotion more, especially the end........no weakness here, either, and if they nail it, they can contend............... Cadets..........visual demand and construction is 2nd to none, yet they are not getting full credit......yes, they are not quite the cleanest yet, but judges are to judge WHAT and HOW, and I really do not feel in many places they are fully considering the what......this show is really growing fast in effect and performance..........perc. scores seem to be a tad low...........if they raise them and max out all other captions, they can win........... Cavaliers.....I believe they play more than last year and some others.....visual is top shelf as always..........however, musical show just doesn't have the emotion of other contenders, thus the effect numbers are a mystery........ whereas they will contend for high visual, they could finish as low as 6th or 7th in music, so I do not see them any higher than 4th at finals, and perhaps as low as 7th.......... Devils...........the good news is they are performing at a high level.....the bad news is the show doesn't stack up against the other contenders from a demand or effect standpoint....reminds me much of the "Yowza" show of 2005....... I did not think brass quality of sound was great tonight....impact was....chair use throughout, for me, becomes a cluttered distraction.........I see them being passed in the near future, and disagreed with their score/spread... GB Devils: Could not agree more with every comment. I cannot even elaborate because you reflected my thoughts of them so precisely. SCV: I have the opposite opinion. I do not love the show. Yes it is clean. But it lulls so much more from piece to piece than does Bluecoats, by a long shot. The energy and tempo, when it begins to increase, just slows down again to create a somber, peaceful mood I suppose. It is great arrangement for a symphony orchestra but I do not think that show belongs anywhere in drum corps. Do not get me wrong, it is a beautiful sound, and they use dynamics brilliantly, but I feel zero energy until the last push where it seems they say, "Oh yeah, and we're a drum corps too, so we'll do a company front and hit full dynamics, ONLY MARCHING HALF TIME THOUGH! Let's not get carried away." And the drill should not be considered World Class drill. It's immaculately clean because there are so few drill sets. Like I said, would love to hear them play Copeland in a concert hall, just keep it off the field. Bluecoats: (Disclaimer: My fiancee is marching her ageout with this corps, yes I am biased, but I feel I would have this opinion regardless.) The musical product doesn't move you as much as the others because they are utterly exhausted and gave it everything they had tonight. I do not agree with the way the visual administration runs rehearsal in texas. You are right, execution should be immaculate by finals. What lull do you speak of? The ballad is in the middle of the show so of course there will be a lull in effect. I keep trying to find a clip online of BD's version of Children's Hour of Dream so that I can respond to those who accuse Coats of stark similarity to them. Could you help me out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob984 Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Devils: Could not agree more with every comment. I cannot even elaborate because you reflected my thoughts of them so precisely.SCV: I have the opposite opinion. I do not love the show. Yes it is clean. But it lulls so much more from piece to piece than does Bluecoats, by a long shot. The energy and tempo, when it begins to increase, just slows down again to create a somber, peaceful mood I suppose. It is great arrangement for a symphony orchestra but I do not think that show belongs anywhere in drum corps. Do not get me wrong, it is a beautiful sound, and they use dynamics brilliantly, but I feel zero energy until the last push where it seems they say, "Oh yeah, and we're a drum corps too, so we'll do a company front and hit full dynamics, ONLY MARCHING HALF TIME THOUGH! Let's not get carried away." And the drill should not be considered World Class drill. It's immaculately clean because there are so few drill sets. Like I said, would love to hear them play Copeland in a concert hall, just keep it off the field. Bluecoats: (Disclaimer: My fiancee is marching her ageout with this corps, yes I am biased, but I feel I would have this opinion regardless.) The musical product doesn't move you as much as the others because they are utterly exhausted and gave it everything they had tonight. I do not agree with the way the visual administration runs rehearsal in texas. You are right, execution should be immaculate by finals. What lull do you speak of? The ballad is in the middle of the show so of course there will be a lull in effect. I keep trying to find a clip online of BD's version of Children's Hour of Dream so that I can respond to those who accuse Coats of stark similarity to them. Could you help me out there? BD played "Children's Hour of Dream" in 1996...and there are similarities with Bluecoats........not saying 'Coats are doing it bad, because they are not, but 96 was also a title year for BD........... SCV.....no problem that you do not like their show, but many do, and the arrangement translates to the original score quite well...I don't think the drill is bad, and in fact is pretty demanding in that they almost never stop...........also, SCV, I believe, was the first to do Appalachian Spring in drum corps, and us older fans (lol) remember that........... enjoy the rest of the season! GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coloradocorp Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) Good review. As for BD - I sure hope the judges don't pull the same garbage with them as they have in some past years - i.e. give them top scores all thru the season then at finals decide - nah they aren't that good and push them down to 2nd or 3rd. 'That stinks' is putting it nicely and questions the entire DCI scoring methodology and fairness. If BD is not the best corp - the judges should say so NOW and not mislead BD ( and other corps as well ). Personally - judging has long been suspect IMHO. Word on the street for a few weeks is that it is already a done deal for finals - 1 - Crown 2 BD 3 HNC 4 Cavaliers - if it turns out this way - I'll really have an issue with DCI judging veracity. Edited July 19, 2009 by coloradocorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blooomom Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Good review. As for BD - I sure hope the judges don't pull the same garbage with them as they have in some past years - i.e. give them top scores all thru the season then at finals decide - nah they aren't that good and push them down to 2nd or 3rd. 'That stinks' is putting it nicely and questions the entire DCI scoring methodology and fairness. If BD is not the best corp - the judges should say so NOW and not mislead BD ( and other corps as well ). Personally - judging has long been suspect IMHO.Word on the street for a few weeks is that it is already a done deal for finals - 1 - Crown 2 BD 3 HNC 4 Cavaliers - if it turns out this way - I'll really have an issue with DCI judging veracity. Then why have finals! If you think everyone should at the same place, why not just stop now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Godzilla! Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Word on the street for a few weeks is that it is already a done deal for finals - 1 - Crown 2 BD 3 HNC 4 Cavaliers - if it turns out this way - I'll really have an issue with DCI judging veracity. Word on the... Which street are you talking about, and why aren't you gambling if this is true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coloradocorp Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) [ Edited July 20, 2009 by coloradocorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coloradocorp Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) [ Edited July 20, 2009 by coloradocorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Good review. As for BD - I sure hope the judges don't pull the same garbage with them as they have in some past years - i.e. give them top scores all thru the season then at finals decide - nah they aren't that good and push them down to 2nd or 3rd. 'That stinks' is putting it nicely and questions the entire DCI scoring methodology and fairness. If BD is not the best corp - the judges should say so NOW and not mislead BD ( and other corps as well ). Personally - judging has long been suspect IMHO.Word on the street for a few weeks is that it is already a done deal for finals - 1 - Crown 2 BD 3 HNC 4 Cavaliers - if it turns out this way - I'll really have an issue with DCI judging veracity. This might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on DCP, and that is saying a LOT! No corps is guaranteed a win finals night based on placements on previous shows. Ask 93 Star about that, where I believe the first show of the entire season they didn't win WAS finals night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medeabrass Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Word on the... Which street are you talking about, and why aren't you gambling if this is true? ummm ever heard of Crazy Street? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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