First and Second Place Through the Years: A Survey

[supersop]

I wonder if the part you mean is the little horn ensemble part up front where the rest of the corps is building that massive diamond-type thing backfield and concert-side-left. Because if it is, I consider that one of my favorite things ever in corps. Just goes to show-different strokes and all. Which is where we agree to disagree on 84 I guess. And the 84 drill wasn't shocking to me because it was new. It was displeasing to me because it was unattractive.

Nope ... that was definitely cool. I did find it interesting that most of that drill was written that way to keep the guard integrated while they did a silk change (at least that's what it looks like to me). I'm actually talking about a good chunk of the second production. THere are a LOT of loose ends. All the stuff leading up to the countermotion passthrough ending. I can only guess it was a hard sell to the judges for a good chunk of the season.

[GMichael1230]

Don't get me wrong-they performed the crap out of it, which is why, I think, they won-but with a couple of hits excepted, like the rotating boxes and that very first surprise front near the end of the show, their drill just strikes me as unattractive. The picture at the end of the first "Maria" statement, for instance. Just not attractive to me. I'd never fault the kids, and the staff sure had them battle-ready, but on paper the show is not quite up to 83 or 85, which IMO is the real mold-breaking show.

Oh Tommy, no, no no no no no ....I just ironically got done watching 1984 top 12 high camera. my GOd, that drill was so well written and insane, and is so sweet on the eye. The opening set, the rotating boxez, mambo.....You have got to see this up top to "jog" your memory. It is truly one of the best designed total packages ever, imo.

~G~

[tommytimp]

Nope ... that was definitely cool. I did find it interesting that most of that drill was written that way to keep the guard integrated while they did a silk change (at least that's what it looks like to me). I'm actually talking about a good chunk of the second production. THere are a LOT of loose ends. All the stuff leading up to the countermotion passthrough ending. I can only guess it was a hard sell to the judges for a good chunk of the season.

Thanks for your clarification. I love the whole thing.

[FUGI]

I could not agree more. I am a band director and the one year of DCI vids we have here at the band hall is 2001 (I have tons more at home). Anyway, everytime we watch it I am amazed at Cavies winning. They definitely had a few cool visual elements in the show, but beyond that I don't get it at all.

Interesting thought: 2001 was the first year DCI implemented the "No ties for 1st" rule. So if the places were flipped (BD/Cadets 1st, Cavies 2nd) who would win?

[jake_the_hydra]

Definitely had to go with 2000 for my favorite one two. I love the Cavies and Cadets and they were both on fire that year.

For the switch, I went with 06 just cuz I'd like to see Phantom get a championship lol.

as opposed to the championship they already have?

or do you view it as half a championship?

[siLk]

really, really hard. went with 2000.

1993

personal preference, really. i see how difficult cadets program was and give 'em props for that. can't help but think star executed at a higher level, maybe because cadets show was so demanding (not that star's wasn't). i'll stick with that while blatantly disregarding the 2ndish to last set in star's show :P

Edited May 8, 2007 by siLk

[raphael18]

I picked 89 as being the best top 2

I would have reversed 1995 - I love that Cadets show, and I think that even BD has a great case for being on top. Overall, just a really great year.

[LAMystreaux]

OK, just watched 2003 top 2 since there were so many votes for it to be reversed.

At the time I was so biased against Cavies that I was just glad someone was beating them, so I was happy they did not win. But I have since been reformed.

Anyway, Cavies should have definitely won in 2003. Not only was BD's show a bit boring aside from the Cool/Take Five Jam, but they had some fairly noticeable visual dirt. Cavies on the other hand had a great package in 2003. I really feel like the music rivals that of 2002, and the visual program was of course top notch. My favorite portions are the ballad and the jam session afterwards.

2003 should definitely be switched.

[dccorpsfan]

I was going to vote 1980 for the first two questions. I found 27 show more entertaning, also.

[jjeffeory]

Sorry about not getting the first ten years of DCI in. If anyone really wants to finish that off, be my guest.

For first place ties, I included the two champions. You can vote for one of them if you feel that one of them should have won outright and then say which one in a post.

For the second place tie, I just included three corps. You can specify which of the second place corps you would have seen take it.

Enjoy . . .

Wow, what a great survey! I voted 1987, but I really think that 1989 and 1993 were two years that I have the most beef with.

In 1987, SCV was scoring scary high two weeks before finals, but Garfield's show was pretty cutting edge and clean by finals. This should have been the first tie in DCI, IMHO. Both corps were just that good in their own way.

In 1989, Phantom should have won it outright! SCV was awsome, but those solos and holes in the drill kind of took the crispness out of their show for me. I saw the show before the holes. Awesome! I just got disappointed by how much I was distracted by seeing them in the drill. I know, the holes weren't their fault, but hey, this was for the championship. The holes matter. Oh and the solos really detracted from the show, especially compared to same ( or similiar) solos the previous year from SCV. Phantom was just a "Phenom" all year. Some of the best baritone solos ever have come from Phantom ( '88, and '89). Oh and their soprano soloist was pretty "on" too! In contrast, SCVs soprano features just didn't work. The low brass "features" were awsome though!

Onto 1993. I've watched the DVDs a hundred times for both Star and the Cadets. Star was quite a bit cleaner. Star had less equipment drops in the guard. Star had a cleaner sound. Star's drill was just as hard a the Cadets. The Cadet's show was basically "To Tame the Perilous Skies" part deux... It was awsome, but I liked some of the arrangements they had earlier in the season better than what was on the field at finals. It was watered down. I noticed quite a few guard drops in the show, and a few problems with forms here and there. I really just think Star was better. The Cadets were great, but Star was better.

Just my humble opinion!

**edits relate to fixing errors. Both in grammar and content!

Edited May 9, 2007 by jjeffeory