ALLENTOWN-BD Vs. SCV

[wxologist]

Most of this review will be concentrated on the head to head match up of Blue Devils and SCV which seems to be a popular subject on this forum. However, I will first make a few comments that I think are worth mentioning.

MAGIC: If they spent as much time on marching and playing as they do on their gimmick effects they would be back in the top twelve.

SPIRIT: I am very impressed with the growth of this organization. The first two thirds of their show is innovative and visually stunning. It seems that they are being chastised for pushing the envelope, which is usually frowned upon if you are not in the top six.

MADISON: Don’t go expecting to see “A drum corps fan’s dream”. This show is a shadow of the Madison corps you love. The power is gone and excitement is gone, and all that’s left is a wheel that doesn’t even make it all the way around.

AMPLIFICATION: I only noticed amplification twice. One time was with BD, which was very effective and allowed them to create some effects they would otherwise not have had available to them. The other was of course with Boston. I thought the narration was distracting and ineffective. However, I think they should be allowed to use it if they want. If you don’t like it, or I don’t like it we should be allowed to BOO all we want. But I don’t see anything wrong with them having the option to use it.

Let me first say that there were many good drum corps in Allentown on Saturday night. But of course, when BD and SCV were performing the entire atmosphere and feel of the arena was different. Both are impressive organizations.

BD: I was able to watch the Devils practice on Saturday. This combined with there APD’s has allowed me to become fairly familiar with their program. The show has two themes which are contributing to their success. The fist is the “train” theme. Which is providing them with a powerful GE source in both music and visual. The other theme, is “Look how much better we are than you”. This is supported by a great deal of demand and exposure in all captions. These two themes combined, equal winning. It is just that simple.

This show has the most exposure visually that I have seem from them in quite some time from an execution standpoint. There are many large forms which move in unison directions creating an easy comparison from member to member. This kind of exposure would usually create a problem. But their technique is so strong that it actually helps them. It easily allows a judge to spot check ten to fifteen members in a single set, and see just how solid their technique really is.

Musically their plan is right along the same lines. Exposure is once again the key. Sections are featured with challenging passages, combined with large step size and the test of playing some of them at only a mezzo forte.

GE wise this show is over the brim. You can tell that the designers had a ball with it. All the train conventions work really well from the drum lines opening, to the accelerando section after the ballad. What really makes it clever is that the corps itself is responsible for all the ideas of the train. Never relying on gimmicks, props, or clichés.

I know there has been a great deal of negativity towards the book. This book is brilliant from top to bottom, especially the opener, which I’m not convinced isn’t one of the best I have ever heard. I hear many people complain that they are not hearing “melody”. They want to hear traditional versions of “A Train” and “Summertime”. The problem is, that’s not what BD is using those tunes for. They are only taking their motives that serve their theme to create completely new and original productions. The slow build of the opening of the show takes you on a ride of horn stabs and technical runs, not to mention the best solo work in DCI. And when you finally arrive at their first impact, the “gospel rock” section as Wayne Downey calls it, it is more rewarding then SCV’s, which they just give to you straight away. SCV won’t tease you or draw you in.

The staging is quite impressive. There never seems to be any extraneous drill. Every set of the show is working toward the development of a moment that serves their theme. Highlighted by the once again stellar guard work. They seem to know just when to throw some multi focus at you, and when to draw you in to one specific spot.

The scary part is that there is still some dirt left in there. But if it all gets cleaned out, watch for BD to get another ring. They know how to win, and they’re good at it.

SCV: It’s no mystery why everyone has been going crazy over SCV this year. They have put together a show that pulls out all the stops and gives the average fan just what they ordered. Multiple impact points powered by strong chords and one of their strongest guards in years. You cannot help but love their first impact. So much sound and power accompanied by the drill wedge we have all come to love.

The end of the show is just as strong. I loved the double ripple in the company front. Not to mention the pseudo, “Great Gate of Kiev” final impact. What is cool about this show, is that they tried to marry the old style of SCV from the 80’s and the new style that gave them the title in 99.

I’d also like to add how impressed I was with SCV on retreat. So much intensity and discipline. The drumline was so focused they were scary. There are many marching organizations out there that could learn a lot from SCV’s tradition and integrity.

All that being said, here are some reasons why they are not winning.

A. Their staging is strong. But their best section which is the drumline is often left in the shadows. They have one moment in the spot light which is tainted because it turns into a small jam session, which I am pretty sure does not belong anywhere in the music of scheherezade.

B. The ballad section of the show is stagnant. I’m not sure what they are trying to get across and I don’t think they are either. This section seems to have a lot of pointless drill, and an out-dated impact which sounds more like “The Red Poppy” than the SCV of late.

C. Their horn sound while being loud and powerful, tends to lack blend and often sounds top heavy. I am not blaming this on the players. In fact the bari's were smokin that night in their features. It seems that many of their impact chords have voicing issues. So the bari's get buried and all we hear are the trumpets.

D. Most importantly when it comes to heads up with BD they are outmatched every step of the way. The design is less accessible for the judges. Their marching technique can sometimes get muddled, especially at small intervals and faster tempos. And their horn book lacks the range of dynamics that can boost your GE score.

Finnally, I must say I was suprised to hear far more cheers than boos when BD won. That was a smart crowd at Allentown.

[SCVFan222]

At least other people are finally able to see what I have been saying all summer.

Great Review and very true!!!!

[Dmiggles]

Oops... Look below

Edited July 26, 2004 by Dmiggles

[Dmiggles]

Great review. Real honest!! especially on the technical stand point of everything. I totally agree that both these corps do their job well... I think most people judge the two based on their taste and not for what they are... two totally different approaches to drum corp entertainment.

Edited July 26, 2004 by Dmiggles

[hsreed]

BD: There are many large forms which move in unison directions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like follow the leader to me.

Needless to say, I don't feel the same way you feel. I think BD has great individual tech, but their drill is relatively simple. Their video from a couple weeks ago was 2 minutes. In that two minutes, they marched follow the leader for 30 secs, then merged two arcs (which they created via follow the leader) via a fill-in the gap move, than went to a scatter-not very difficult in my opinion. Also they sound like a big band with a couple screaming trumpet soloist.

I think they're great and they have great talent year in and year out, but I find this show lacking difficulty. I also think that Wayne Downey's writing ability allows notes to fall out of the horn-huge plus. Awesome and difficult sound parts just seem to flow.

SCV on the otherhand does not have the same talent level throughout the line, but their show far exceeds BD's show in difficuly and entertainment in my opinion.

So then it comes down to what's more important: cleanliness or difficulty with a little dirt. I'm old school, so I truly prefer clean. Over the past several years I have come to accept some dirt in exchange for difficulty-that's what DCI was spoon feeding me. Now all of a sudden clean is back in?

I'm also biased, so I prefer SCV.

[VanguardDevil2569]

I agree, BD has one of the easiest shows in the top 12. I'm pretty sure had they given the show to BD-C (Div 3) they would play it just as well, if not better. What would you expect from such an amazingly easy show.

I also agree about BD sounding like a big band. A corps playing jazz shouldn't sound like a big band, what the #### is wrong with this guys? They've got everything ### backwards.

[cage]

I agree, BD has one of the easiest shows in the top 12. I'm pretty sure had they given the show to BD-C (Div 3) they would play it just as well, if not better. What would you expect from such an amazingly easy show.

I also agree about BD sounding like a big band. A corps playing jazz shouldn't sound like a big band, what the #### is wrong with this guys? They've got everything ### backwards.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, I think this might be going a little too far. I do think there is more demand in SCV's show, but come on I think you are over the top in this assessment. I guess our local elementary school could be close to as good from your evaluation. Let's wake up and realize that there is a lot of demand in BD's show.

[BingeCorps]

hsreed

wxologist:

BD: There are many large forms which move in unison directions.

Sounds like follow the leader to me.

Your ignorance is showing. He's talking about constant forms that move one direction as a whole. He's right. Its easy to spot technical mistakes in these sets. Unfortunately for SCV, there aren't any.

Thanks, long time listener, first time caller.

Edited July 27, 2004 by BingeCorps

[usmpiano]

I agree, BD has one of the easiest shows in the top 12. I'm pretty sure had they given the show to BD-C (Div 3) they would play it just as well, if not better. What would you expect from such an amazingly easy show.

I also agree about BD sounding like a big band. A corps playing jazz shouldn't sound like a big band, what the #### is wrong with this guys? They've got everything ### backwards.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Paragraph 1) That's just plain silly...

Paragraph 2) If a corps is playing big band music, they SHOULD sound like a big band. A big band is the second best sound in the world (next to a great G Hornline wailing at ffffff). For corps, their sound is very thin, and top heavy. However, that is the sound they want, and they do it well.

[melomom]

All I can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I finally

understand what my daughter has been telling me since we

saw SCV and BD at the Walnut show. I see the light. LOL!