I'm a 70's era guy and I think the decade of the 90's has been by far the best blend of technical ability, creative writing, and stunning visuals in the field of percussion. The lines and their instructors/arrangers had the balance just right.
In the 70 and 80s, we didn't have the electronics / computer programs that became available to arrangers & composers. I have believed over the last few years programs have relied on technology too much, but I still love drum corp & upset at seeing the Cadets dissolve. I'm hoping to see drum corp revitalize. I'm looking forward to the next season
It's great hearing this from a 70's era guy. I marched 92-94 and 96. By 96, you could "feel" the pull of the show design / theater thing happening. I never would have guessed how far it would actually swing toward all of the theatrics. Now that there's no percussion judge on the field, it seems the towel has been thrown in. Visual is more important than music in this activity :(
92 Crossmen.... LOVED every single minute of that show.... That horn entrance out of the drum break just added to the groove.... That corps had some serious swagger too. Easily in my top 5 all time.
Poor microphone setup in 1992 did the Crossmen dirty. I've heard from people who were there in person that Bones was a hundred times cleaner than they sound on the recording. One of the all-time great batteries.
Always admired the small person at the end of the Crossmen snare line in 1992. I was the shortest person in our high school line and was stuck at the end. Had to endure a lot of crap but did my best and worked hard to contribute to one of the best lines we had in the state.
That Madison 97 show was one of the first I ever saw live, and I can still feel the energy from the crowd. Personally 1995 is one of my favorite years for DCI ❤
Thanks! I marched with Guardsmen from Illinois 75 and 76. Flugle Bugle in 75 and soprano Bugle in 76. I enjoyed our drums and color guard. Drum corps crisp, fast, accurate, drumming. 🎉❤😊
I don't care what anyone says--musically or otherwise--there is just something about "Little Green Men" by BK that absolutely makes me regard it as one of the best drum solos ever. It is SOOOOOOOOOO freakin funky and weird. VERY cool!! Ralph Hardimon again exploring what CAN be done with a drum line
I was in the front ensemble that year... Ralph wrote that feature with a 5-5-7 groove and the corps marching quarter notes at 210 bpm (I think that was the target, can't remember!!)..When we got our mallet parts for that feature at the beginning of the summer, it took us two days to get everything to tempo.. Once it was at tempo we figured out it was the guitar riffs that he wrote amongst 7 mallet parts ( 2 vibes, 2 xylo, 2 marimba, 1 bells)… was so much fun to play!! 🎉😊😁👍🙌
It's cool seeing how the concrete hadn't quite set around what a modern drumline should be. 6 or 7 basses, 7 to 10 snares, BK with a 7-man tenor ensemble! Interesting stuff.
I feel likebabout 93 to 2001 was the most epic dci ever! When it was the most amazing old school meeting new age but before speakers and sound systems were used and it became more like broadway shows.
Back when DCI didn’t look like a bunch of dancing butterflies and peacocks. Love the professional look of years past. So glad the Cavies are holding strong to tradition.
Cry about it. Players now are better than they ever have been. Writers now are more creative than they ever have been. They’re pursuing new avenues of show design that would have been impossible in the past. If you don’t like it, then don’t watch it. They don’t perform for geezers like you.
I hear ya. I miss it too. But the above reply sums it up. It’s not for us. We are not allowed to mourn the devolution of an activity we grew up in and helped to shape because we’re geezers. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we have sacrificed an art form for spectacle.
You it’s awesome to see how far drumming has come since the 90’s. Percussionist really focused on crushing our all strokes in the olden days. now it’s definitely about finesse and single stroke speed.
And that's something I don't understand. We used to play through the drums and now us age outs are the ones that are teaching the new generation. You'd think that would have carried on, but here we are.
@@jasenswalley3985 I came out of the mylar head days so playing THRU it was a legit thing. The modern drums like evans heads have such a different rebound that you have to relearn how to play to not blow out wrists. Tinduras and kevlar changed how I had to play. In the old days we just had different goals and different judging. These days it's about how many notes you can cleanly cram down a judges throat. It's impressive the speed and crazy modulations of offbeats these kids do today. It makes me dizzy!
@@brown55061 We still played through them in the mid 90's to early 00's when I aged out for what that's worth. You're right about seeing how many notes they can play per measure now though. Sometimes it isn't even musical. Just my $0.02 here.
@@rifle2563 they're starting to come back around to doing that. Cadets this year sounded more like the Cadets of the 90's. I also thought Colts were pretty underrated.
Loved seeing BK 93 and Madison 92 on the list. Two of my favorites from the decade. Not on the list, but I also really loved BD 90. I had a clip of the end of the feature as the startup sound for my computer back in the day. Also not on the list, but I still have fond memories of the feature from Cavaliers 90.
If you do the 80’s please show the 86 Blue Devils percussion feature! Especially focus on the snareline doing the Spyder across 10 snares….it’s EPIC😎😎😎👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🥁🥁🥁
Was hoping to see '93 SCV included. Yeah, the show overall was a creative misfire, but that battery feature really is outstanding. The bass line in particular was fire that year.
I’m an old time snare player from the 60’s. For my money,Blue Knights was the most musical. The technical prowess of Cavies,Garfield(Holy Name from my time) or Blue Devils is incredible. Regardless of when you marched,it was probably the best time of your life!!!!!
of course we start off with the reason that made me want to play quads there and then I did ♥.. that line that inspired me wasn't playing the most technical stuff but the swag was on 11
triggered! the blue knights clip made me remember an allen town show where I was watching them while flirting with a horn player from colts, then got left behind when my bus pulled out (yes we always did roll call). I hopped on a bus with them who were headed to the same show in the next city but they legally had to call my parents and tell them I was probably dead. *missing but they definitely assumed I was dead
I wanted to, 90-92 Crossmen were some of my jams. Just had so much other content that isn't already out there. I tried to pick stuff that not everyone talks about that were underrated.
hate to say it but I think the last few years drum trophies would have been in different hands if the judges could get close enough back field to hear ticks.
Just read through every comment on this video. The older I get, the more convinced I am that every, single opinion on the artistic aspects of drum corps are valid. Opinions on the *technical* aspects aren't equally valid, because understanding the technical aspects of an activity as specialized as drum corps takes years and years of involvement, leaving a small collection of judges and educators most qualified to adjudicate. But anybody who experiences drum corps has a valid *artistic* opinion about it. Really self-destructive of DCI to ignore all of those opinions in judging. Fans can (and do) base their opinions on technical execution. They can (and do) base their opinions on sheer emotion. They can base them on bias toward or against a specific group. They can base them on the flavor of ice cream they're eating. The majority of fans base their opinions on a healthy mix of artistic impressions and respect for technique. In the end, it really doesn't matter why an individual feels the way they feel about a particular work of art. Every opinion is valid. DCI has done a great deal to remove outside opinions from the judging system, but the opinions have just gone "underground." In fact, social media have become DCI's unofficial artistic judging system. Practically every post you see in Facebook drum corps groups is advocating for some artistic opinion. It happens because fans intuitively know that their opinions are valid. I think that restricting scoring to a tiny collection of band teachers with clipboards has shot competitive drum and bugle corps in the foot. The culture follows the scores, and if the scores are only issued by Joe Band-Director, then you get an entire activity being shaped by a small group of insiders whose artistic opinions are no more valid that anyone else's. Are their *technical* opinions more valid? 1,000% yes. But even a DCI judge's *artistic* opinions can be no more valid than yours or mine. For me, the restricting of scores to judges only separates drum corps from larger society. And this restriction makes drum corps appear to outsiders like just another niche hobby for nerds. But if the actual product that gets put on the field every year was responsive to the people consuming it, drum corps might evolve in to something relatable. And relatable is good, when your goal is to get more people involved. Trained adjudicators are necessary for quality control, but ultimately, when it comes to art, everybody is qualified to have their opinion heard. Personally, I think it's time to involve fans in the scoring process. It's time to hand the GE caption over to the audience.
Something about how they mic’d or produced ‘92 made the lines sound so much dirtier than they really were on the video…such a shame. Also, definitely thought ‘91 Crossmem should have made the cut…Thurston knew how to write tasty grooves.
Something we don't see anymore is drumming in the groove. Now it's like they're having a contest to see who can play more notes whether they fit musically or not.
100%, like the 2024 BD snare feature with a double shot roll lol. It's not even logical to do this on a drum and has no purpose and sounds awful. Some writers still try to musically fit the shows though so respect to those who are doing it right.
The younger people say that it’s never been better. Maybe, it’s a lot going on. But I’m I to believe If this style came back the stadiums would empty?? This used to hurt to listen too. I went to a 2017 show, while good the mics didn’t hit the same. But y’all will call me a boomer ( they’re not your problem bye ) which I’m not actually. It’s like art and architecture, just because you say it’s a thing don’t make it a thing. Both of those genres are crap at the moment. Classicism is sought when society is lost. 🤷🏽♀️ just a thought.
Drum corps from 60 and 70's is when I started. I prefer G Bugles and do not like seeing amplification and stringed instruments on the field. That is theatrical not drum corps
I'm a 70's era guy and I think the decade of the 90's has been by far the best blend of technical ability, creative writing, and stunning visuals in the field of percussion. The lines and their instructors/arrangers had the balance just right.
In the 70 and 80s, we didn't have the electronics / computer programs that became available to arrangers & composers. I have believed over the last few years programs have relied on technology too much, but I still love drum corp & upset at seeing the Cadets dissolve. I'm hoping to see drum corp revitalize. I'm looking forward to the next season
It's great hearing this from a 70's era guy. I marched 92-94 and 96. By 96, you could "feel" the pull of the show design / theater thing happening. I never would have guessed how far it would actually swing toward all of the theatrics. Now that there's no percussion judge on the field, it seems the towel has been thrown in. Visual is more important than music in this activity :(
92 Crossmen.... LOVED every single minute of that show.... That horn entrance out of the drum break just added to the groove.... That corps had some serious swagger too. Easily in my top 5 all time.
Agreed! 90-94 Crossmen were a special group of Percussionists. Many went on to become great instructors. ❤
I really liked that show too!
Poor microphone setup in 1992 did the Crossmen dirty. I've heard from people who were there in person that Bones was a hundred times cleaner than they sound on the recording. One of the all-time great batteries.
Totally agree. Still rockin to their groove 30yrs later. 😄
Always admired the small person at the end of the Crossmen snare line in 1992. I was the shortest person in our high school line and was stuck at the end. Had to endure a lot of crap but did my best and worked hard to contribute to one of the best lines we had in the state.
90's DCI was IMO the tops for DCI. Some excellent shows back then.
I marched in 89’ the end of the park and blow era! 👊🏾
That Madison 97 show was one of the first I ever saw live, and I can still feel the energy from the crowd. Personally 1995 is one of my favorite years for DCI ❤
Some of those drums were beautiful too. Love the black and the white hardware.
Thanks! I marched with Guardsmen from Illinois 75 and 76. Flugle Bugle in 75 and soprano Bugle in 76. I enjoyed our drums and color guard. Drum corps crisp, fast, accurate, drumming. 🎉❤😊
I don't care what anyone says--musically or otherwise--there is just something about "Little Green Men" by BK that absolutely makes me regard it as one of the best drum solos ever. It is SOOOOOOOOOO freakin funky and weird. VERY cool!! Ralph Hardimon again exploring what CAN be done with a drum line
I was in the front ensemble that year... Ralph wrote that feature with a 5-5-7 groove and the corps marching quarter notes at 210 bpm (I think that was the target, can't remember!!)..When we got our mallet parts for that feature at the beginning of the summer, it took us two days to get everything to tempo.. Once it was at tempo we figured out it was the guitar riffs that he wrote amongst 7 mallet parts ( 2 vibes, 2 xylo, 2 marimba, 1 bells)… was so much fun to play!! 🎉😊😁👍🙌
i wish DCI music was accessible after the season was over. I would love to learn these :,)
Saw Madison in Tupelo, MS 97, man those were the days
It's cool seeing how the concrete hadn't quite set around what a modern drumline should be. 6 or 7 basses, 7 to 10 snares, BK with a 7-man tenor ensemble! Interesting stuff.
And 95 Scouts was like 8 tenors if I remember right??
Don't forget Madison marching 8 tenors in 96. That's 8 more people keeping the chiropractors in business lol
And sometimes corps simply could not get enough good players in those days. 93 had 3 "6-man" snarelines in the top 12. A different era for sure :)
Cavies 1993 is a big omission. That drum feature coming out of the Gillingham piece was epic
Awesome video!
I feel likebabout 93 to 2001 was the most epic dci ever! When it was the most amazing old school meeting new age but before speakers and sound systems were used and it became more like broadway shows.
Back when DCI didn’t look like a bunch of dancing butterflies and peacocks. Love the professional look of years past. So glad the Cavies are holding strong to tradition.
Cry about it. Players now are better than they ever have been. Writers now are more creative than they ever have been. They’re pursuing new avenues of show design that would have been impossible in the past. If you don’t like it, then don’t watch it. They don’t perform for geezers like you.
I hear ya. I miss it too. But the above reply sums it up. It’s not for us. We are not allowed to mourn the devolution of an activity we grew up in and helped to shape because we’re geezers. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we have sacrificed an art form for spectacle.
@@benjiboy9907 ass 🧢 much.
@@reynolds727Indeed
@@benjiboy9907they are so good now they need microphones on the horns and organ pedal tones. 👊🏾
Thanks for making this!
This video is great! 92 and 97 were epic years. I think the BK 93 solo was probably the last stand-and-jam in history, and it was amazing.
The 90s was the best of drum corps, just my .02. 97 BD battery was on fire.
Amazing how much air time the timpani were getting back then
You it’s awesome to see how far drumming has come since the 90’s. Percussionist really focused on crushing our all strokes in the olden days. now it’s definitely about finesse and single stroke speed.
And that's something I don't understand. We used to play through the drums and now us age outs are the ones that are teaching the new generation. You'd think that would have carried on, but here we are.
@@jasenswalley3985 I came out of the mylar head days so playing THRU it was a legit thing. The modern drums like evans heads have such a different rebound that you have to relearn how to play to not blow out wrists. Tinduras and kevlar changed how I had to play. In the old days we just had different goals and different judging. These days it's about how many notes you can cleanly cram down a judges throat. It's impressive the speed and crazy modulations of offbeats these kids do today. It makes me dizzy!
@@brown55061 We still played through them in the mid 90's to early 00's when I aged out for what that's worth. You're right about seeing how many notes they can play per measure now though. Sometimes it isn't even musical. Just my $0.02 here.
@@jasenswalley3985have you seen boston? Cadets? They are playing thru that drum!
@@rifle2563 they're starting to come back around to doing that. Cadets this year sounded more like the Cadets of the 90's. I also thought Colts were pretty underrated.
Miss this 🥹
Loved seeing BK 93 and Madison 92 on the list. Two of my favorites from the decade.
Not on the list, but I also really loved BD 90. I had a clip of the end of the feature as the startup sound for my computer back in the day.
Also not on the list, but I still have fond memories of the feature from Cavaliers 90.
I'm sorry, but Drum Corps was MOST exciting back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. I don't know what they're doing now!!
Gay SHIT
Technically the kids still have loads of talent, but it just feels kind of underwhelming...and too gimmicky.
I marched early 90s ina West Coast corp...always wished I could have marched with The Crossmen between 90 to 93.
If you do the 80’s please show the 86 Blue Devils percussion feature! Especially focus on the snareline doing the Spyder across 10 snares….it’s EPIC😎😎😎👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🥁🥁🥁
Was hoping to see '93 SCV included. Yeah, the show overall was a creative misfire, but that battery feature really is outstanding. The bass line in particular was fire that year.
I’m an old time snare player from the 60’s. For my money,Blue Knights was the most musical. The technical prowess of Cavies,Garfield(Holy Name from my time) or Blue Devils is incredible. Regardless of when you marched,it was probably the best time of your life!!!!!
'93 Cadets quads were just on fire the whole show.
Agreed, wish I could have gotten into DCI one year sooner so I could have seen the 93 shows live.
of course we start off with the reason that made me want to play quads there and then I did ♥.. that line that inspired me wasn't playing the most technical stuff but the swag was on 11
triggered! the blue knights clip made me remember an allen town show where I was watching them while flirting with a horn player from colts, then got left behind when my bus pulled out (yes we always did roll call). I hopped on a bus with them who were headed to the same show in the next city but they legally had to call my parents and tell them I was probably dead. *missing but they definitely assumed I was dead
You got to include Crossmen 1991 drum feature.
I wanted to, 90-92 Crossmen were some of my jams. Just had so much other content that isn't already out there. I tried to pick stuff that not everyone talks about that were underrated.
@@trulinegraphics Completely fair, totally get it, perhaps "Underrated Groovy DCI Drumline Features"? 🤣 Appreciate your feedback
92 Crossmen is GOATED
That was sooo dirty even at finals. Cool solo, but those rolls were all dirt.
6:14 now I know where that blue devils 2022 part comes from
Happy VHS memories
Nice list a few obvious omissions. Crossmen 90/91. Cavaliers 93. Cadets 94. And the big one BD 90’
I love Star's white on white Premiers, and Blue Knights white on blue Premiers.
I feel like early 90's and late 90's are two different beasts. Either way, 90's drumlines were FIRE
You are not the only one...and I think the late 90's started the "dark times" in my mind....then 2000 came along and my faith was restored.
Fabulous true Drum Corp Trademark why it's Name and Fame is Driven by the Drum Line !
The judges should still be on the field.
hate to say it but I think the last few years drum trophies would have been in different hands if the judges could get close enough back field to hear ticks.
What were they feeding these kids in ‘93?? Damn
Just read through every comment on this video.
The older I get, the more convinced I am that every, single opinion on the artistic aspects of drum corps are valid. Opinions on the *technical* aspects aren't equally valid, because understanding the technical aspects of an activity as specialized as drum corps takes years and years of involvement, leaving a small collection of judges and educators most qualified to adjudicate. But anybody who experiences drum corps has a valid *artistic* opinion about it. Really self-destructive of DCI to ignore all of those opinions in judging.
Fans can (and do) base their opinions on technical execution. They can (and do) base their opinions on sheer emotion. They can base them on bias toward or against a specific group. They can base them on the flavor of ice cream they're eating. The majority of fans base their opinions on a healthy mix of artistic impressions and respect for technique. In the end, it really doesn't matter why an individual feels the way they feel about a particular work of art. Every opinion is valid.
DCI has done a great deal to remove outside opinions from the judging system, but the opinions have just gone "underground." In fact, social media have become DCI's unofficial artistic judging system. Practically every post you see in Facebook drum corps groups is advocating for some artistic opinion.
It happens because fans intuitively know that their opinions are valid.
I think that restricting scoring to a tiny collection of band teachers with clipboards has shot competitive drum and bugle corps in the foot. The culture follows the scores, and if the scores are only issued by Joe Band-Director, then you get an entire activity being shaped by a small group of insiders whose artistic opinions are no more valid that anyone else's. Are their *technical* opinions more valid? 1,000% yes. But even a DCI judge's *artistic* opinions can be no more valid than yours or mine.
For me, the restricting of scores to judges only separates drum corps from larger society. And this restriction makes drum corps appear to outsiders like just another niche hobby for nerds. But if the actual product that gets put on the field every year was responsive to the people consuming it, drum corps might evolve in to something relatable. And relatable is good, when your goal is to get more people involved. Trained adjudicators are necessary for quality control, but ultimately, when it comes to art, everybody is qualified to have their opinion heard.
Personally, I think it's time to involve fans in the scoring process.
It's time to hand the GE caption over to the audience.
You gotta admit, the uniforms were better then. Although hot AF😂😂
As far as grooviness, we’re missing a few early 90s phantom and Cavies, and most groovy of all, 98 Crossmen
I love Crossmen ‘98. The tenor parts for the opener sounds like it’s almost entirely played on the spock drums.
Something about how they mic’d or produced ‘92 made the lines sound so much dirtier than they really were on the video…such a shame. Also, definitely thought ‘91 Crossmem should have made the cut…Thurston knew how to write tasty grooves.
91 Crossmen...Jaw dropping.
Something we don't see anymore is drumming in the groove. Now it's like they're having a contest to see who can play more notes whether they fit musically or not.
100%, like the 2024 BD snare feature with a double shot roll lol. It's not even logical to do this on a drum and has no purpose and sounds awful. Some writers still try to musically fit the shows though so respect to those who are doing it right.
You're missing 1990 Velvet Knights. Seriously. Big miss on that one.
I don't think I have ever seen that show, shockingly. I will have to try to track it down. Thanks for the heads up.
That first one is a groove. Who wrote that one??
I believe Mark Thurston wrote the crossmen 92 drum book
Too the mic placements weren't figured out really well. Many of these lines were waaaaay cleaner than the recordings allow
I marched this era so this brings back so many memories and also reminds me of how shitty the audio engineering was then.
95 VK shoulda been up in this!
Pretty cool like it but didn't see anything from 92,93 and 95 VELVET KNIGHTS those years had some good Drum Line's
I only had vids of VK up to 92. I saw them live at my first show in 94 I think. But yes they had some good stuff!
95 was a good year for the line
Seriously forgot Velvet Knights 1990?!?!?!?!? Seriously?!?! Especially using the descriptor "groovy".
1999 madison was as groovy as it gets.
Baseline feature was changed on finals day as far as the story goes
The younger people say that it’s never been better. Maybe, it’s a lot going on. But I’m I to believe If this style came back the stadiums would empty??
This used to hurt to listen too. I went to a 2017 show, while good the mics didn’t hit the same. But y’all will call me a boomer ( they’re not your problem bye ) which I’m not actually. It’s like art and architecture, just because you say it’s a thing don’t make it a thing. Both of those genres are crap at the moment. Classicism is sought when society is lost. 🤷🏽♀️ just a thought.
Bring back Premier drums
Drum corps from 60 and 70's is when I started. I prefer G Bugles and do not like seeing amplification and stringed instruments on the field. That is theatrical not drum corps
What even is groove?
When your head starts nodding on the beats they are throwing down, THAT is when it's groovy ;-)
Back when they knew his to tune drums. They really sound awful now. Especially my beloved bass drums.
Just wanted to say your profile pic is awesome. Capt Chaos to the rescue lol, and yes the new tuning methods of basses sound too tight and slappy.
When men were men.
Nobody like plates in lines anymore bring em back loose the synths n gennys