DCI Classic Countdown leaves you dry.

[Lancerlady]

As an after thought, people who don't want to know the history of the activity because of narrow minded thinking, I feel sorry for you because you're missing out.

It's not about the fact that some think "Loud is better" or where ever you get this mentality that all people from the past are living there, it was a hope that some would get an understanding of where the activity evolved from in the first place and see and appreciate the history of it.

If you don't want to open your mind and hear the music and watch the drill from the 60's, 70's and 80's, that's your loss. I mean ALL the corps...I feel bad that you don't want to explore that. Cause your missing some of the best ENTERTAINMENT of the activity.

Have a nice day.

Edited April 24, 2005 by Lancerlady

[boston1977]

You tell him Lancer lady

Some people, Just don’t get it, IMO

The 1980 27 corps was one of the most Exciting, Fast and in your face corps, of

all-time. The videos just never do the corps justice,..... cluttered ? maybe just unbelievably complex and demanding, to this day. Remember this was twenty-five years ago, Should have seen what most of the other corps were doing back then, very little.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Once again, excellent point St.Mary’s, couldn’t agree more.

[LancerFi]

as well as some real thought given to visual and it's impact on the audience.

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[GMichael1230]

IT seems 27th people think this is "27th planet" rather than" DRUM CORPS PLANET", Grow up !!!!!!!!! act your age (OLD) I saw lines that" YOUR STILL BEATING BOSTON"!!!!!!! You beat them in a movie theater, good for you ---now get on with your life!!!!!!!! Did you beat Boston last year??? See what i am saying?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You should really take your own advice, maybe try to bring yourself into the present day..its ok you guys never actually beat two-seven, you are still special in your own right....but please, practive what you preach, K ??

~G~

[notelvis]

Thank you for saying it without blasting the kid personally or condescending to him.  You are absolutely correct.. and what's more.. you said it in a way that a kid might actually read it -- thank you!!

Stef

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No problem Stef. I work with young people much of the year and generally spend a week or two driving corps buses during the summer. You made a great point when speaking of learning to appreciate 70's drum corps.

I remember thinking when I marched that anything pre-2 valved bugle was just archiac and not worthy of my attention. The guys trying to tell me how great it had been were just glory seekers and hangers on.......or so I thought. I was young. I was majoring in music. I was playing the lead soprano book. I KNEW the score.

Thanks to the patience of my instructors (many having Kiltie and Trooper credentials) and a supply of Ken Kobold cassette tapes I slowly began to groove on things like the 72 Blue Stars, 74 Kingsmen and Santa Clara, 75 Madison, 76 Blue Devils, and 77 Bridgemen.

It's a process learning to appreciate what came before for the contributions that were made. Likewise, it's a process learning to appreciate some of what is being done today. Note the thread I started asking people to tell me what made the 2000 Cadets so special to them. That was a show I needed help with. I got some and it's a show I will better appreciate the next time it's on the stereo or television screen.

David

[skimannc1]

The person who "invented" and chose our flags (that cluttered up the field) "double silks" was a genius named Zingali!  That's not my opinion but fact. 

The High GE Trophy at  1980 Nationals - the show you saw - tells us that the judges must have been incorrect!

The fact that there were 2 full silks to spin at so many spots in the show will tell you that they would be heavier than 1 silk and more difficult.

It's a shame you don't have to clean weapons anymore, or you'd then appreciate it more! 

Oh, I forgot, the change in flag color, props, weapons takes up all of that cleaning time.....   

However, that IS just my opinion and I respect yours!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I never said Zingali wasn't a genius because he was. If it weren't for him we would not be where we're at today. I absolutly loved what he did for Garfield in the 80's and also for Star.

We don't clean weapons anymore? I guess I just wasted alot of time cleaning our winter guard show for the past 4 months because apparently we don't clean them. Don't understand that point because we do spend time cleaning our guard just as much as they did back then it's just the work is different and IMO harder to get as clean because of the many different angles used in today's writing.

Edited April 25, 2005 by skimannc1

[skimannc1]

You never saw them. You are basing your musings on a video telecast. The very least you could do is show a little respect towards that what built your activity for you.

Based on what you write here and in other threads previously, it leads me to believe that in my opinion, you have no clue about the shows and the activity that came before you.........

To sit their in your armchair and disect and rationalize and try to denounce the efforts and skill that was put forth in these classic shows while smugly giving us your thoughts on wether you could "handle" such shows......??

Yes all opinions are vaild, relevant and warranted, however one should really have some knowledge and respect when doling it out free of charge

....sigh

~G~

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No I never got to see them live. All I was doing was giving a review of what I saw on Thursday. I do know about some about the history of DCI and what the activity was before know. I don't clam to know a lot but I have several CD's from those days and by the way I made a point to listen to every show that I had not heard before prior to going to the show on Thursday.

As for being an armchair fan I would beg to differ from that. I spend no less then 3-4 weeks a year on tour volunteering my time, I also spend many hours going to camps to learn how they teach and also talking to many of the best in the business one on one to get all the knowledge I can. No I am not an armchair fan. Once again you have questioned me which is why I made the comment about whether I could perform a show or not. It just so happened Lancerlady questions wheter I could play the solo. She's the one that opened that can of worms. I don't come on here and question your abilities or how involved you are in DCI I just accept that that's your opinion and you are intitled to it as I am mine. And if you go back and read my original post I do respect the begining of the history of DCI. I love nothing more then to put the early corps in my cd player and crank it up. One of my favorite CD's is the Spirit CD.

[glory]

The one thought most prominent in my mind walking out of the theater Thursday night was how much the performances improved over the 28 years we saw. As good as the 70s and early 80s corps were in their day, they can't compare with the more nuanced, more complex, more proficient performances from SCV on.

Now mind you, I saw my first drum corps show in 1973. McArthur Park and Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor are two of my all-time favorite tunes. I knew Zingali in the 70s. And 27th was my original "favorite" drum corps.

It was fun to hear Kingsmen blast out Artistry in Rhythm (which, by the way, is overdue for some D1 repetoire). Madison, BD, 27 and Spirit all provided thrills. But none of those shows would be competitive head to head with any of the serious efforts since SCV 89.

No, I'm not saying those corps were lousy or that they don't deserve our respect. What I am saying is the evolution displayed on the screen Thursday represents not just a progression in time but a progression in achievement. It seemed ever so clear how the 74 Kingsmen and 75 Scouts were left behind by the 76 Blue Devils. Each of those corps likely deserved its championship. Yet in the space of just three years, the level of achievement required to win that championship had increased.

And it would continue to increase. Good as they were, 76 BD wasn't comparable to 89 SCV. Nor was 89 SCV as good as 02 Cavaliers. All were champions, to be sure, but each newer show added to the achievements of the past to raise the standard beyond the competence of the years before.

HH

Edited April 25, 2005 by glory

[skimannc1]

I don't think that anyone is questioning that the activity has evolved. I also don't think there is any way I could handle marching today's drills and still have the wind to play......but that comes from being middle-aged and out of shape.

Your post is bringing you heat because you've made a couple of assumptions. The first assumption is that you can adequately assess the nuance and sound quality of a drum corps show you have seen only on the screen at a movie theatre. Big mistake. I know you've probably experienced seeing a modern drum corps show at finals and then later seeing the packaged DCI production on PBS some weeks later and wondered how in the world those production guys had managed to miss filming all the things you remember as making that show so great. This is the same principal.

You are entitled to your opinion but I question whether your opinion is qualified.

The second assumption you make is that the literature available for corps to play is vastly superior to what drum corps were putting on the field 25 years ago. It's different today and arrangers toss in new little tricks that two-valved instruments can produce. These are sometimes tasteful and sometimes just gimmicks. The trend toward snippets of source material layered in unusual ways is an original and modern concept. Again, some corps do that real well (a la Blue Devils a couple of years ago) and others (to remain nameless) do not.

I'm sure that you really didn't mean to suggest that the literature many drum corps have been playing for some 50 years was inferior to things being performed by modern corps.......particularly since many modern corps are utilizing the same source material that other corps did a generation or two ago. Again, you are entitled to your opinion but be a little sensitive to your audience when you use it.

David

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was just stating what I saw that night. I know it was much different live and I would have done anything to have seen some of those corps live.

I didn't say anything about the literature being performed. I actually like what they played back then just as good if not more then what they do today. I think you got mixed up with what I was saying about the guard.

[skimannc1]

Skimmanc and Leiko --

I'm sorry you guys are getting plowed under here.. There are a lot of people who are from the era you weren't really fond of and it seems they take your opinions really personally.

I can see your points -- and I'm willing to bet that you can appreciate it for what it was (the older shows).. recognizing that what you were watching was among the best offerings of that stage of evolution in DCI.  Appreciating it.. recognizing it's impact and importance in the development of the activity today -- that's one thing.. and it does not necessarily go hand in hand with "liking" it.  You can see the contribution -- even "appeciate it" -- and still not like it. 

I just Ease up on the kids a little, guys.  They may be right or wrong about the shows being "easy" or "lacking" -- but they are just stating an opinion!

Jeez.

Stef

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you for saying it without blasting the kid personally or condescending to him.  You are absolutely correct.. and what's more.. you said it in a way that a kid might actually read it -- thank you!!

Stef

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Stef you are right on with my thinking just because I don't like something or state an opion about something doesn't mean I don't respect it and appreciate it. I totally respect everything that has happend before, I just wish people would respect what is happening today as well, instead of turning their back on the activity that continues to do the same things that they were taught back in the begining.

By the way I wish I could consider myself a kid but I don't think my age would allow that. The fact is that anyone who aged out in 1980 could only be 14 years older then me. You can do the math on that one.

Edited April 25, 2005 by skimannc1