bradrick Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 . . yeah, okay, I'll try to forget about the past few years the Cadets had on here. I was thinking the exact same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPEmerald Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Sorry, the 88 horn line played a harder and better book IMHO. Agree, that 88 book was the best I ever heard. I still wonder if they knew they had lost prelims would it have made a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Agree, that 88 book was the best I ever heard. I still wonder if they knew they had lost prelims would it have made a difference. Not only was 88 a better horn book (by far) but you could actually HEAR the walking bass line in the Contra's. You could HEAR the bigger impacts and multiple soloists. The pit actually COMPLIMENTED the music....not overpowered it. Yes...the drill was simpler but it COMPLIMENTED the music not simply movement for movements sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Not only was 88 a better horn book (by far) but you could actually HEAR the walking bass line in the Contra's. You could HEAR the bigger impacts and multiple soloists. The pit actually COMPLIMENTED the music....not overpowered it. Yes...the drill was simpler but it COMPLIMENTED the music not simply movement for movements sake. QFT! I wore out a cassette on just that show. Maybe my favorite jazz show EVER! Best hornline, in person, I have ever heard: aggressive, rich and flawless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael18 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) Best description of the difference I've heard yet! I will only add that part of BD's problem (as you suggested) is that the crowd (and many on these boards) may not know just how intricate and demanding the manuevers BD did this year. I witnessed about 7 different BD practices over the summer at different times and I will tell you that I was totlally shocked at the intricate effort they put into each beat. They might spend 45 minutes on 2 or 3 beats with vis techs hovering all around. There was literally no room for error in some of those moves in and around the chairs. The judges were right there and saw it first hand, and THAT I think was a big difference. But to the crowd it may have seemed effortless. On the other hand, the Cadets (and Crown to some degree) were clearly at the edge of physical capability (for any performer) and it showed (and I don't mean that in a bad way). I admit that the picture you paint above is a compelling argument for one type of demand. However, consider that perhaps the reason BD was able to spend so much time on each beat was that they simply didn't have nearly as much drill to clean in the first place. Now, I'm not saying more drill equates to higher demand, and of course quality often trumps quantity...but you still have to have a certain amount of quantity. I'm pulling this back towards the difference between demand and cleanliness. It's been a while since I looked at the sheets, but I think there is more to it than just performing your show cleanly. I was under the impression that if a group attempted more difficult drill, but performed it a bit less cleanly, then they would receive additional reward for the risk. Just as there are multiple forms of demand, there are also multiple forms of success. One can succeed competitively, and one can also succeed with the fans. The two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but those that ignore the fans pay a heavy price. If you hang around drum corps long enough, you learn that competitive success is often fleeting while success with the fans is timeless. I've been watching BD 09 over and over, sincerely trying to see what it is you are vehemently rushing into every thread to defend. There are a few moments of genuine visual demand that the corps performs very well (I do appreciate how they spelled out 1930, and had to blindly dress through the chairs)...but there are also a lot of moments where the performance is perfect, but the visual material is simplistic. The simple fact is that BD lacked the visual 'wow' moments, and as such, I simply do not understand their visual GE score at all. I'll admit that BD's show may have been written for the sheets, but corps that go that route should be prepared for the negative response that approach usually gets. At the very least, Hopkins made a point of preparing his Cadets for the fact that audiences probably wouldn't love their shows. In the same way, Madison made the efforts to explain that the success with their fans was equal, or superior, to competitive success. It all comes down to priorities, and understanding repercussions. Finally, what you term 'hate,' I see as a critical response to what is before me. I honestly don't think BD receives any undue amount of critical attention, except for that which they bring upon themselves. If you have been around these forums for any length of time, the Cadets definitely receive much more negative attention (due entirely to their show design). It has nothing to do with not respecting the members, or their abilities, but stands as an indictment of show design methods which more conservative/traditional fans simply refuse to buy into. Edited August 13, 2009 by raphael18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.