33 years of DCI champions

[Matt_S]

'03 Cavaliers should have had a four-peat. Devils' arrangements were so idiomatically INcorrect as to be painful (Miles never reached for high notes playing Gil Evans' arrangments, and Brubeck never wrote for brass FFFF impact points).

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Well, considering how 2004 ended up, giving them the victory in 2003 would make it a five-peat.

I usually end up torn on this one. I listen to the ending of BD's closer and opener, and I think there's no question who the champion is. But I listen to the rest of the show and it almost feels like filler. Much of the Cavaliers show feels the same way, so off of just the audio, I side with the Blue Devils.

But someone mentioned earlier in this thread that more people need to go back and give Spin Cycle another chance. I couldn't agree more, except to insist that they give it a try on the DVD, especially on hi-cam, rather than just on the CD. For it isn't until you have the visual and audio combined that this show comes alive. It isn't until you watch, as well as listen, that you realize that this show never stops, that it's always communicating with you, and that what you thought was filler on the CD does indeed have direction and purpose.

If you judge the shows based on BD's standards, that the visual exists to support the music, then BD wins every time. But if you judge the shows with the Cavaliers' standards in mind - that the music and visual are both equal and vital components of any show, and that shows are meant to be experienced with both components present - well then you start to understand how the Cavaliers might have deserved the win, as well.

I think both are very high-quality shows, and my preference for one or the other often comes down to which media I have available, my CD or my DVD. I guess your own champion will depend on which standards you choose to employ. In the end, I suppose I'm fine with the Blue Devils being the champion (though my own standards would have led me to a different decision), but I do feel that the two should have been closer at the top, and a little further from third.

Edited August 29, 2005 by Maedhros

[Cardman]

02 -- As far as least favorite championship shows, this Cavalier show is only surpassed by the 98 Cadets for me.  Did this corps play above mf?  Yawn.  Only the fight club gimmick injected excitement into the show.  Yet, it was visually innovative, and the hornline was sqeaky clean, if lacking in demand.  The problem was there was not another championship caliber show that summer.  The score was a joke.  Far from the best show ever.  Scores are relative to the year and the competition, though, and no one could touch cavaliers - in any caption.

03 -- To me, this was a no contest year.  No one could touch BD in 03.  For those that thought Cavaliers executed better that year?  Uh, I didn't see it.  I saw the least well marched Cavalier show of the new millenium - especially on Saturday night.  BD had unmatched energy in 03, a better music book, and maybe the best CG of the decade so far?  Ironically, of the 01-03 time period, this was my favorite Cavalier show from a music perspective, though.  Cadets should have caught Cavies for 2nd - based on Saturday night performances.  Cadets were far cleaner on Saturday night than were Cavaliers.  None of the top 3 held a candle to Phantom Regiment in 03, though from a Music or emotion perspective, though.

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Wow, they didn't play above mf?...Um...yeah...So, I guess a corps has to blast away to deserve a championship? I can't believe you can sit there and say that this show ('02 Cavies) was "Yawn"...Reminds me of those "Action movie" fans...I didn't like "Million Dollar Baby"...."There weren't enough explosions in it..."

I think you need glasses. Go back and watch the '03 dvd. It was definitely not the worst-executed Cavies show of the new millenium, and even if it WERE, it still deserved to beat Blue Devils' visual program...HIGH CAM!!, HIGH CAM!!

well then.... Cavaliers really didnt have anything soo amazing in their show that stands out, other then when they had the circle cutting pieces off the long block with the follow the leader lines... other then that nothing was seemes extrordinarily hard...  the music wasnt that great. it was a good show none the less, but they didnt preform it as that...  their preformance was LESS then stellar, esp the guard, i'm not a guard person so i cant say for sure, but theye just looked annoying and dirty the whole show, the same goes for their playing and marching....

and then you accuse the blue devils of using things from shows past? what about the cavaliers using the diamond cutter two years in a row? what about them using their rotating 4 people show after show? their visual has been the same since 2001... its getting boring b/c you see the same kinds of moves year after year... and everyone praises michael gaines soooo much, and yea, the guy writes so #### good drill.... but tis not the best anymore like it used to be when it first came out...  i want to see him try to write soemthing for a group other the 64... its too easy doing stuff with a perfect square...

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Okay, since you asked me, I think it was lame that the Cavaliers used the "diamond cutter" move two years in a row. It really sucked. I didn't mention this before, but Blue Devils not only used the same "Run around the cymbal rack and whack" move two years in a row, but they did it TWICE in the second year....LAME. If it's so easy to write drill with a perfect square, why don't you do it? I have written drill before, and there's nothing "easy" about it... You seem to be a Cavies-hater. I don't hate any corps. I love them all. I only dislike certain shows. Lighten up.

Blue Devils marched a much more complex/exposed drill in 2003, based on sets designed to enhance maximum musical impact, utilizing transitions as support of music, actual technique, and execution. BD stepped up their velocity in 02 also along with playing much more demanding music.

Cavaliers offered us their typical awe inspiring drill, however, notice the down time, notice the feet when the brass plays their most exposed parts, notice they rarely offer two different tempos and style of marching at one time as the Blue Devils do this often, to full effect. Notice intervals during transiton, notice intervals during rotations.

Guard integration also goes in favor, again, to the Blue Devils, always on the move, in the mix and never just "background" . Also, moving, quite frequently while excecuting their most demanding content.

Visual storytelling of the music this year is close, Cavies "spin" quite a bit, fitting their theme, but the Blue Devils are masters of presenting their music visually as well as aurally. Their drill is very clever, full of suspense/release and written to enhance the entire musical score, not just brass, but the three main components, working together, as one giant, flowing unit. They are basically untouchable, Cavaliers being their closest rival.......

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Michael, I couldn't disagree with you more. You are too biased, anyway. I could have put lots of negative comments "slamming" the Devils '03 show, but I refrained. I could have said "Look at the Devils' easy drill", or whatever. You pointed out several things about the Cavalier's show that were "less than perfect". I could have done the same for Blue Devils, but what's the point? It's apples and oranges. It doesn't matter. I disagree with you. I think you are completely wrong. You think I am completely wrong. Neither one of us is going to convince the other that they are wrong. In my opinion, The Cavaliers deserved to win the championship in 2003, and this is how I will ALWAYS feel. You will feel the Blue Devils deserved their championship, and you will ALWAYS feel that way. These are OUR opinions, and we are both right. That's why they are called "opinions".

Well, considering how 2004 ended up, giving them the victory in 2003 would make it a five-peat.

I usually end up torn on this one.  I listen to the ending of BD's closer and opener, and I think there's no question who the champion is.  But I listen to the rest of the show and it almost feels like filler.  Much of the Cavaliers show feels the same way, so off of just the audio, I side with the Blue Devils.

But someone mentioned earlier in this thread that more people need to go back and give Spin Cycle another chance.  I couldn't agree more, except to insist that they give it a try on the DVD, especially on hi-cam, rather than just on the CD.  For it isn't until you have the visual and audio combined that this show comes alive.  It isn't until you watch, as well as listen, that you realize that this show never stops, that it's always communicating with you, and that what you thought was filler on the CD does indeed have direction and purpose.

If you judge the shows based on BD's standards, that the visual exists to support the music, then BD wins every time.  But if you judge the shows with the Cavaliers' standards in mind - that the music and visual are both equal and vital components of any show, and that shows are meant to be experienced with both components present - well then you start to understand how the Cavaliers might have deserved the win, as well.

I think both are very high-quality shows, and my preference for one or the other often comes down to which media I have available, my CD or my DVD.  I guess your own champion will depend on which standards you choose to employ.  In the end, I suppose I'm fine with the Blue Devils being the champion (though my own standards would have led me to a different decision), but I do feel that the two should have been closer at the top, and a little further from third.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(although I believe Cavaliers have the better musical show...) Thank you for giving your opinion without "slamming" a corps, and giving positive input for the shows you did not prefer. If you review my post you will see that I try to do the same. Of course, even with my disclaimer, I wound up offending certain people, and they just had to respond...