CrunchyTenor Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 (edited) First the good... As has been mantioned in many, many posts the last few weeks, the Cadets have a ton of talent on the field. The majority are holding brass instruments and percussion implements, or flags and rifles and other color guard implements. A very, very good brass sound. Balance and staging were pretty darn good. Though not as crispy-critter as the last two years, they still have an excellent percussion section. (I could have driven a truck between the notes last year, but they were a little fuzzy at times last night.) And when the guard was performing as an ensemble, they were outstanding. Now the bad... Sorry, Mike D., but we'll have to agree to disagree that the vocals added anything to the ballad. (And don't say I'm "wrong." I'm just as right as you! :P ) In fact, to me it was downright distracting. Halfway through her non-sensical, out-of-tune and babbling vocalizing, I tried to ignore her. The brass sound behind was wonderful. It sold itself. Too bad it was covered up. Now the ugly... What, if anything, did the characters add to the show? There was one very short quote from "White Rabbit" at the beginning (you all know it's an anthem to LSD use, right?), and that was it as far as a story about Alice. I've read "Alice in Wonderland," and "Through the Looking Glass." The "story" told by Cadets didn't sell that theme. It just looked like a bunch of people in goofy costumes running around. Had the corps just performed the music, and as well as they did, they might have actually scored better. I think the characters and vocalizing are hurting them instead of helping. In general... Because it was my first view, I left any preconcieved ideas, and comments read here, at home. (I did the same with BD in 98. I'd read some uncomplimentary comments before the WSS/Romeo show, but it turned out to be one of my favorite BD shows of all time.) Minus the characters and vocalizing, the Cadets were very entertaining in their own right as a brass/percussion/guard ensemble...not unlike 83, 84, 85, 87, 90, 93, 98, and 00, plus all the years in between when they didn't win. As one of the staff members of VK when we started down the path that most people recognize, I got critical of their shows when shtick became shtick for shtick's sake. There are so many ways Cadets can push the envelope in music selection and drill innovation. Characters and bad vocalizing are only holding them back. Garry Edited August 11, 2006 by CrunchyTenor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Now the bad...Sorry, Mike D., but we'll have to agree to disagree that the vocals added anything to the ballad. (And don't say I'm "wrong." I'm just as right as you! :P ) In fact, to me it was downright distracting. Halfway through her non-sensical, out-of-tune and babbling vocalizing, I tried to ignore her. The brass sound behind was wonderful. It sold itself. Too bad it was covered up. You're wrong. :P Well...as for out of tune...I DO think you are wrong. As for bbbling...the song is akin to something by Enya, so there are not supposed to be real words sung. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 actually the "singing" WAS out of tune.. and i agree, its definently holding the corps back, and covering the talent of the hornline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 actually the "singing" WAS out of tune.. and i agree, its definently holding the corps back, and covering the talent of the hornline. Actually, no it wasn't...and it held nothing back...the brass sounded great, as did the vocalist...the tune works because she is singing it, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordRider Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Well CrunchyTenor That's as Eli Wallach as Tuco's Blondie!!!! to The NamelessOne. For the sake of the corps, Back out of the way The Bad and The Ugly! drumhumorTerrance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 You're wrong. :P Well...as for out of tune...I DO think you are wrong. As for bbbling...the song is akin to something by Enya, so there are not supposed to be real words sung. I still kinda felt it distracting...it seemed like she was trying to sing words, but didn't come off as just singing vowels. The vocals in itself was distracting to me. I loved the hornline sound, and wished it wasn't covered up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 There was one very short quote from "White Rabbit" at the beginning (you all know it's an anthem to LSD use, right?) I am shocked..... SHOCKED.... by that reference to mind-altering substances. b**bs Fran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdisney Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I have to agree with Garry's assesments. This was my first viewing of them this year as well. What stunned me was that as the show ended, NO ONE clapped in the theatre. It was dead silence. As they started to troop a few people clapped, I would guess in admiration of the kids' hard work. It seemed that even Rondinaro and Dennis had trouble finding good things to say. I think the nicest thing they said was to the effect that there was a lot of talent out there but a lot to "distract" from it. For me personally, I think the characters were just too much. Seemed silly, cheesy, and ended up being pointless by adding nothing to the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF2K4 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Actually, no it wasn't...and it held nothing back...the brass sounded great, as did the vocalist...the tune works because she is singing it, IMO. Actually, I've heard numerous times she's out of tune... I've even heard some of the hornline members had been commenting on it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Sop Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I would love to see the same show without the characters and vocal to distract me. It would probably be fantastic. They marched well and musically were very noice. However after she started to sing, and given the fact that most of the camera time was spent following four people around, it was real hard to get back into the show and really enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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