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Shows that hold up over time


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Most things from the 80's for me it seems. I still love shows from the 90's, but many of may faves arent faves for the music, and thats what gets stuck in my head. I dont walk down the street humming a drill move :inlove: 2000's, its to early to judge yet for me.

Edited by euponitone
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Depends on what you mean by hold up. Top 12? Top 6?

I think many of the shows mentioned here would not hold up in competition today, thinking top 12 here. Not if they are done as they originally were. Especially the shows people are mentioning from the 80s. Now, while there are really great shows form the 80s and 90s, I think the advances the activity has made visually and especially in terms of sound quality in the brass lines would hold these shows back.

Now, I love me some 89 SCV and Phantom.....but those hornlines did not sound good when talking about actual tone quality and overall balance/blend.

There are some shows from the early to mid 90s that possibly could hold their own in competition today. I'm thinking BD 94, Cavies 95, Star 91 and 93....but that's about where it stops for me. After 95, there are a couple others. BD 99, most of the Cadets shows and SCV 99. Again, that's where it stops for me. I'm considering 2000-present to be the modern stuff, so I won't include those shows.

The shows that I mentioned above are the shows when I watch them that show to me that brass playing and visual demands were changing.

I believe that there are other shows that hold their own as far as entertainment is concerned however. I mean, I would kill to hear for instance: Madison 92-99, Crossmen 92, SCV 92 (just a few of my favorites). These were more of the balls to the wall drum corps shows that everyone was in to because they were loud and high energy. But as we know, entertainment doesn't necessarily factor into the overall outcome all that much, especially not anymore.

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This isn't an entire show, but the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this was SCV and Young People's Guide to Drum Corps. It was good in the '70s and '80s. With all the tempo changes built into the piece, it could be expanded for use now. Just keep that drum solo from '74, please!

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When I think 'hold up over time', I think of shows from the past that people still love today, or shows from today that I think people will still love 20 years from now. It's pretty tough to compare things from a judging perspective, considering how much judging, as well as the equipment and the activity itself has changed.

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Depends on what you mean by hold up. Top 12? Top 6?

I think many of the shows mentioned here would not hold up in competition today, thinking top 12 here. Not if they are done as they originally were. Especially the shows people are mentioning from the 80s. Now, while there are really great shows form the 80s and 90s, I think the advances the activity has made visually and especially in terms of sound quality in the brass lines would hold these shows back.

Now, I love me some 89 SCV and Phantom.....but those hornlines did not sound good when talking about actual tone quality and overall balance/blend.

There are some shows from the early to mid 90s that possibly could hold their own in competition today. I'm thinking BD 94, Cavies 95, Star 91 and 93....but that's about where it stops for me. After 95, there are a couple others. BD 99, most of the Cadets shows and SCV 99. Again, that's where it stops for me. I'm considering 2000-present to be the modern stuff, so I won't include those shows.

The shows that I mentioned above are the shows when I watch them that show to me that brass playing and visual demands were changing.

I believe that there are other shows that hold their own as far as entertainment is concerned however. I mean, I would kill to hear for instance: Madison 92-99, Crossmen 92, SCV 92 (just a few of my favorites). These were more of the balls to the wall drum corps shows that everyone was in to because they were loud and high energy. But as we know, entertainment doesn't necessarily factor into the overall outcome all that much, especially not anymore.

I tend to agree with you here .....

My only contention is that the sound produced live was not the same sound captured on the recordings. With regards to balance and blend, I would have to disagree. Tone quality, I would have to agree (overall). Where I think the shows hold up the most is in the masterful arranging. To me, this era of Drum corps was the best with regards to the actual amount of notes and the way they were arranged. Today's era does not stack up with the exception of a few corps.

Visually, from an execution standpoint, I think Madison 88, most 80's Cadets shows, BD in 86 and 88 are prim examples of great execution. I mean GREAT.

Where guard work has changed over the years there has been a serious lack of fundamentals in the current work. Guard execution is not even close to that era. Guard design and work being taught is far superior (as expected). I guess my favorite guard with the most blend of old school technique and today's design would be 92 Garfield ... that was something special.

In the end ... I find it very hard for anyone to truly judge the sound quality produced by most lines in the 80's (even on 2 valve crap bugles in the key of G). What truly hinders our recollection when listening to CD's was not the technology used or the mic's being used. Truth be told, the visual design never really took the mic placement into account. Any time a corps was spread end zone to end zone ... the mics never picked up full sound, and those were usually super impact moments in a show (90 Cadets, 91 BD, 86 BD, and a huge list of others). Those shows were designed for LIVE audiences. Mic placement picked up nastiness that can be heard even today by individual players (87 Garfield opening statement).. it just so happens we now have better post production and better mics to mask the blend of the ensemble.

My short list of shows that are still top 12 to this day in both design and execution:

84, 85, 87, 93 Garfield

90-93 Star

87 and 89 Vanguard

88 BD (ok maybe not in visual design but it would still make top 12)

I can't comment on the Bridgemen or 27th because I wasn't around back then

My short list of shows that were Modern Day top 12 design but not in execution:

88 Suncoast (NO QUESTION)

89, 91, 92 Cadets

88 Star

87 and 88 Sky Ryders

That's it .. those were truly the 4 most innovative corps back then.

Honorable mention to VK of the 80's. They were truly something special regardless of their score. Any of their shows from 87 on would be great additions to today's top 12 ... and frankly a corps like them is needed...... BADLY!

Edited by supersop
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Madison 1971, Alice in Wonderland show.

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What shows do you think have held up over the years and would be competitive today? Styles change, and things have gotten more complex visually and musically over the years but do you feel that a certain show would still work today?

I'll wait and post mine later, as I don't want to influence anyone!

Tough question, because you are asking which earlier shows would " be competitive today ". Since the judging system has changed dramatically, it would be totally unfair to judge earlier designed shows with todays competitive judging standards. The earlier DCI shows would be at a decided disadvantage. For example, these earlier DCI crowd pleasing shows were designed when the General Effect captions awarded points quite differently than this caption awards shows today. Thus, probably none of the earlier shows would do well competitively today. They would be killed on the visual judged captions, and in return would get little GE points awarded for making audiences want to throw babies for their audience musical entertainment appeal. Conversely, some high placing Corps of today would get positively buried on the GE captions of old should they have performed a well executed musical show, but one that did not connect much with an audience. For instance, would the 2009 Blue Devils have won a DCI Title under the older judging system ? Of course not. Then again, the 2009 Blue Devils would not have designed such a show if the earlier judging system with different interpretations of what is considered superior " General Effect " was in force either.

Edited by BRASSO
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