Corps vs. Original music

[Cardman]

I generally like Metheney music much better when it's being performed by a corps.

I'll second this. Can't stand to listen to Metheney unless it's drumcorps.

[gimpy]

Don't get me wrong, Metheny writes awesome music.. it's just that those original compositions kinda sound dated and muzak-y to me (especially Beat 70).

[jwillis35]

Not to "diss" the great performing ability of these drum and bugle corps and how many have taken great literature and arranged it to perfection for field purposes, but I have NEVER heard a corps perform an arrangement of something that made it better. The original music, IMO, is always best. After all, it's what drew the corps to the music in the first place. You don't think the corps chose the music because it was average or crappy?

I love when a corps performs something and because of that I have to go look up the original work. I think that is cool! But the original music is always best, and if you didn't know it before hand, I find it thrilling to look up once introduced through drum corps.

[wvu80]

Let It Be Me.

Spirit of Atlanta, 1978, 1979, 1980

Edited July 26, 2010 by wvu80

[bawker]

I hated Gavorkna Fanfare until I heard the Cavaliers play it in 1992.

There's lots more I could add, but that one is probably close to the top. . . and I gotta disagree with you regarding the original source music, jwillis35. Liking something that a corps does with a piece of music better than the original work is no different than preferring someones cover of a pop/rock song to the original.

[mobrien]

Agree that Russian Christmas Music in the band version is a little lethargic, but would choose Cavaliers '75 arrangement over the SCV '87 treatment.

[Tez]

All the Rocky music from Bluecoats 2008.

Wild Horses from Crown 2007.

[tommytimp]

Not to "diss" the great performing ability of these drum and bugle corps and how many have taken great literature and arranged it to perfection for field purposes, but I have NEVER heard a corps perform an arrangement of something that made it better. The original music, IMO, is always best. After all, it's what drew the corps to the music in the first place. You don't think the corps chose the music because it was average or crappy?

I love when a corps performs something and because of that I have to go look up the original work. I think that is cool! But the original music is always best, and if you didn't know it before hand, I find it thrilling to look up once introduced through drum corps.

I agree with your last statement, disagree with the first. If I hear something played first by corps (and there was a LOT of that in my early days) and I go to the source, the source does not always kick it in the way thecorps does. There's merit in all music, and attention must be paid to the source material, but No Chick Corea performance, live or studio, of "La Fiesta" kicks your teeth in like BD did in 1984 (or Muchachos did in 75). Just an example. Another: Had the theme music to "The Cowboys" opened with the AWESOME rimshot-fest Troopers pulled in 1981, the world would be an even better place.

Downside: Crown's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Yicch.

[Tez]

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" - Cavaliers 2005

[DCPatio]

The Doxology never sounded this good in church.

That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw the title of this thread. Completely agree.