The following was provided by “The 74 Historian”
WHAT THEY WERE
SAYING ABOUT US THAT YEAR
You can't please everyone, but based on the early-season reviews
it was apparent that we weren’t pleasing ANYONE. We received a mix of
lukewarm receptions and back-handed compliments, but it's interesting to note
that the further east we went, the more favorable the reviews became.
"The
Kingsmen are back in the thick of things. The 1974 show is all new and is a
completely different style from what this unit has become identified with.
Bobby Hoffman has done a credible job applying the new, difficult music to
drill and the rifle work is great. The banners made noticeable errors but by
mid-August, this corps will have to be considered one of the favorites."
Greg Jewell at DCI West, Drum Corps
World, July 19
"Having
not liked the opener of Mambo when
I first heard it last winter, the song from West Side Story has grown to be one of my favorites. The
production of Symphonie Fantastique has some weak spots in the arrangement but the drill covers them very
effectively. The
"There were some fine drill patterns
shown, including the flag/rifle "grabber" used in the 1973 opener.
The main complaint I had was the misuse of the American section-it may as
well not have even been there! The flag and guard was parked in the right
front corner before the start and never moved a muscle until it was time to
leave the field…possibly the relatively low (7.2) GE M&M score was at
least partially cause by this obnoxious snub. Musically, it's pretty hard to
get caught up in this year's program. There's some Bernstein and a lot of
Berlioz; a very technical program, to be sure, but its appeal is
limited." Fred Lopez at DCI West, Drum
Corps World, July 26
(Apparently,
Mr. Lopez wasn't bothered by the fact that
"The
Orange Kingsmen have a completely new show. It is
the type of show you have to see several times to really appreciate, it grows
on you." David Crouch at
"The
Kingsmen, THE corps at
Dave Warble at
DCI West, Drum Corps World, August
9
"This
year's apparent sleeper is
Jane Boulen at
DCI
"Kingsmen
displayed a beautifully well-balanced show from a musical and drill
standpoint. DMs Garrison Kean and David Bandy had the corps working with
colorful precision as their 32G/45H/23P spread OTL from the back in three
sections onto the field. Entire field is used with H/FF on wings, mix to
center and imaginative angular drill develops. Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz is used by the corps with two
movements extracted for the field presentation. Unusual rifle swings and
curtsy are seen with spread horn drill behind the percussion. Deft R/FF work
on the centerline stands out before the backline has a curtain of H/FF open
up to admit the drum line. Stan Kenton's wild Artistry In Brass (sic) is the winning concert as the corps
covers 70 yards in their formation. Corps moves at the gun into circular mass to a concave 80 yard lines,
closing spectacular winning work with So
Very Hard To Go and the fans didn't want them to go." H. Worth Ake
at World Open, Drum Corps News,
August 21
"Going on
last, and the winners of the show were the Anaheim Kingsmen.
With
45H/23P/20FF/10R/2DM/1CGC, they came OTL to an
excellent arrangement of Mambo from West Side Story. Production of Symphonie Fantastique features the
familiar flag and rifle spin on the fifty, just as marvelous as ever. Concert
of Artistry In Rhythm is a magnificent number. The closer of The Sabbath contains flag and solo
work that really added something to the show. The final fanfare is powerful
and rousing. Congratulations to
"If an
upset were to happen, I would have bet very heavily on the Kingsmen. In fact,
I placed this corps number one and feel if DCI Nationals had been two weeks
later, the Kingsmen would have been the big winner! Their opener doesn't
quite have the grab it should, but is still a spectacle. The movement into
two semi-circles looks nice. What's missing in the first few bars is more
than made up for by the time Mambo is finished. The chimes on Symphonie
Fantastique are so very, very beautiful. R and FF work on Tubular Bells is breath-taking! Some
double-tempo marching looks great. Concert of Artistry In Rhythm has a fantastic burst of power on the end but
isn't as alive as the rest of the show. Closing formations were just great.
My bias for this corps probably shows through, but I think they have more
excitement than any other unit going. Nevertheless, the Kingsmen finished a
close a close third with an 88.55." Mac Gunter at DCI, Drum Corps World, August 30.
"Going on
last as the winners of prelims and the defending champions were the Anaheim
Kingsmen. This corps is cool and precise where
"Finishing
2nd in prelims and appearing 9th tonight were the
Kingsmen of Orange, CA. The corps' ever-present style and grace in M&M,
combined with Bobby Hoffman's' drill, exemplifies, to us, the true meaning of
military bearing in Drum Corps. The corps' OTL of Mambo from West Side Story epitomizes this particular corps" trait: it is exciting, dynamic and
corps is in constant motion. We were again amazed by the number of things
that the Kingsmen guard can find to do with their flags, rifles, etc, they
are constantly moving and still never gets the impression that things are
being overdone. Another aspect of the corps' drill show: although Mr.
Hoffman's drill calls for many spread patterns not once throughout the show
is there a shade of a tempo problem and thus displaying a degree of
professionalism in horn playing usually associated with another corps from
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