BDCorno Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) What is a "big long moment"? Apparently you've never had one, so I guess we couldn't adequately explain it to you! [ba dum pssst] Edited July 11, 2011 by BDCorno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastGuard Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Alex, You presume a lot when speaking for most fans. I disagree with you entirely. But more importantly, your argument is petulant. Recognizing whining is very easy, but still the whining gets annoying. But, you remind me of a politician that does not have an answer, so refers abstractly to "most" people or most of my constituents. Take it up a level... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 At the risk of being serious (as opposed to my clearly tongue in cheek original post), your observations of "BD's book" belies the intent of the designers (IMO). I figured that the 10-second fragments are no accident. They've been doing that for years. So when these longtime friends and collaborators at BD begin to put a design on the field, my guess is that they often finish each other's sentences. ....and maintain the 10-second sentence length in the process. 10 second segments is your's and others description, valid to you but not the way many others see it. Perhaps....if these "others" are traveling at nearly the speed of light. Otherwise, 10 seconds is 10 seconds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Call it whatever you want. "Elevator music" or whatever. I loved BD when I saw them at Clovis on 6/24. I have been a BD fan since the mid-80s and this is one of my favorite music books ever. I have to laugh at the notions that 3rd or 4th place is a failure, and that it's time for Downey and company to pack it in. I'm so glad Wayne didn't quit after Blue Devil failures such as 1988, 1993, 1995 and 1998. To each our own, but I'd much rather read gushings about shows and corps that you DO like. I know, right? Most people (and corps) would be ecstatic with 4th place in THE WORLD in most things, yet some people consider that failure? I'm not the biggest fan of BD arranging since '94, but they're a fine organization. Wayne is one of the best in the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 The OP topic is confusing to me. Elevator music is a way of arranging songs to make them bland. You can't say that Bacharach is elevator music, although it certainly can be arranged and performed as such, as could the music Crown, Crossmen, Cavies, Boston, Madison, Bluecoats, and Phantom are playing this year among others. I think Bacharach is an inspired choice for BD. After being bored by BD 2009 and very unhappy with (the second half of) BD 2010, I was really excited about this show and the musical lineup. Having seen it at the theater and on Fan Network, I like the show a lot, but I'm a little let down on the details. Visually, the cubes are great, but the rest of the props until the very last set just feel like a distraction to me. As for the arrangements, obviously from a textural point of view they are just luscious and BD plays the hell out of it. But I don't really understand why they are chopped up in the way they are. The major musical quality that pop music like Bacharach has over most forms of music is the ability to develop from an intro to a killer chorus in just a minute or two. Perfect for drum corps! Just look at Bluecoats' opener. But for example, you take a well known song with a really well composed opening-verse to chorus sequence like Say a Little Prayer and then you play a couple of variations on the chorus, then throw to a solo for half a verse, then back to the chorus in half time. What? In the same amount of time you could have done the same variations in a way that was truer to the original song and in my opinion more effective musically. I'm sure it's totally intentional and I'm sure there are great artistic reasons for how it's cut and pasted that someone can opine on. I'm sure challenging the audiences expectations about the well-known material is part of the purpose. But in some ways it feels like an attempt to get some hits in from well-known material without having to spend the time to develop it correctly. Chorus! Chorus-variation! Okay, throw in that verse of development just so we can get it over with. Wait, that's boring, don't finish it out--one more chorus variation! So is it cheap or is it so artistic I'm just too dumb to appreciate it? Well, either way, I don't like the show as much as I hoped I would, but I still like it, and I can't wait to see it live next weekend. Edit: now that I typed this up I see audiodb made my point more generally and concisely: Pretty much. Though last year they did have a relatively extended segment of "Laura" that I just adore, that developed the song pretty faithfully, and then right when it was hitting its climax, things started going downhill. Well, this is how I feel about their show this year too. Thanks for the post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I figured that the 10-second fragments are no accident. They've been doing that for years. ....and maintain the 10-second sentence length in the process. Perhaps....if these "others" are traveling at nearly the speed of light. Otherwise, 10 seconds is 10 seconds. Or it's just possible that they have a frame of reference for what they're listening to and fragments aren't fragments at all, just way points to the next musical picture. As for me, I haven't personally reached the point where I can be so dismissive of drum corps designs as you and distill them into a phrase like "10 seconds". I hope I never reach that point, I honestly do. Perhaps someday someone will describe your work or art in such a snarky manner. I really need to heed my own signature more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 If that's elevator music, maybe I should open up my ears more when I'm in them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Apparently you've never had one, so I guess we couldn't adequately explain it to you! [ba dum pssst] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) Alex, You presume a lot when speaking for most fans. I disagree with you entirely. But more importantly, your argument is petulant. Recognizing whining is very easy, but still the whining gets annoying. But, you remind me of a politician that does not have an answer, so refers abstractly to "most" people or most of my constituents. Take it up a level... usually people who use the term " most people " speak for noone although that term is used alot on DCP its almost as bad as the sureys that people think actually show the big picture....NOT Also the term used "I call it like I see it" is also a term used by bad judges when they CAN'T justify what they have said or done.... Edited July 11, 2011 by GUARDLING 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Alex, You presume a lot when speaking for most fans. I disagree with you entirely. But more importantly, your argument is petulant. Recognizing whining is very easy, but still the whining gets annoying. But, you remind me of a politician that does not have an answer, so refers abstractly to "most" people or most of my constituents. Take it up a level... How about some more credible sources talking about City of Glass: "It's bullsh##". -- Buddy Childers "Well I'll tell ya, it was either the greatest music the band ever presented, or the biggest pile of crap we ever played, and I still don't know which." -- Stan Kenton (attribution via Joel Kay) Maybe those guys knew what they were talking about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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