doughelvering

Celebrating Black History Month: Fan Favorites - Episode 12

We're wrapping up Black History Month with a Fan Favorites video that includes reactions to six excellent songs. As I say in the video, I am thankful for all of your participation and enthusiasm for this topic this month. We had many wonderful suggestions, some of which we included on the YouTube channel.

In this video, you'll hear:

- School Days - Stanley Clarke
- Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
- Respect - Aretha Fra...

POLL: Choosing the Next King Crimson EPL

Hi y'all...

It's time to prepare for the next Extended Play Lounge Episode. And, I think it's time to return to King Crimson. 

I've now listened to three KC albums: In the Court of the Crimson King, Red, and Discipline. (All have EPL episodes.)

I've selected five potential KC albums to choose from. Pick your preference!

The poll will be active through March 1. Happy voting!

What's Going On (Live) | Marvin Gaye (Extended Play Lounge - Ep. 38)

In this special 'Doug's Choice' episode of The Extended Play Lounge, I'm turning to one of the first records Megan and I purchased after receiving our new turntable. It's a double live album featuring Marvin Gaye and the entire What's Going On album. 

This rare 1972 performance at the Kennedy Center was the only time in Marvin's career that he would ever perform this entire album during a single concert. Sadly, we don't ha...

Exploring the Blues: Green Onions (Booker T and the MGs)

In this latest episode of Behind the Score, I'm consulting a lead sheet for the classic blues/rock tune Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs. 

In addition to a lovely story about the song's recording from Steve Cropper, I'm also including Have You Ever Loved a Woman from Eric Clapton, featuring solos by Dave Sancious, Billy Preston, and Eric. Enjoy!

Richard Henshall Interview

I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard from Haken today. It's fun to be able to speak with a musician while knowing more than a few songs of their catalog! 

I'll be making this interview public on Tuesday. PLEASE don't share this link with anyone. I'm happy to make it available to Helvering's Army ahead of the public release. Enjoy!

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Ep. 526)

I had an expectation that this episode would be blocked on YouTube, but I just couldn't pass up Jimi Hendrix as a part of our Black History Month celebration. So, here's my reaction to Voodoo Child (Slight Return). 

(Note that I heard the longer jam Voodoo Chile within the Fan Favorites Episode 3 video.)

POLL: Fan Favorites (Black History Month)

This month, we're celebrating Black History month. We first solicited suggestions from a variety of genres over on the discord server. The 21 options that are included here are the most up-voted suggestions that we received.

Please vote for up to 6 that you think should be included in our video.

(If I end up deciding to include any of these suggestions on the YouTube channel this month, I'll omit it in th...

Master List - Updated Feb. 2

Hi, friends. I've updated the Master List...here's the link!

Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) - Extended Play Lounge (Episode 37)

I'm pleased to present a reaction to all four sides of the original studio recording of Bitches Brew from Miles Davis. This album challenged my ear and musical aptitude in ways that I haven't been challenged before. It was almost entirely a first-time listen, and I'm amazed by the sounds included on this album.

I hope you enjoy!

Mandatus (R. Douglas Helvering) - Behind the Score, Episode 35

If you've ever been fascinated by the look of a music score, this episode is for you! In this episode, I'm discussing my own work, Mandatus. And, one of the major topics is augenmusik (music for the eyes...or, graphic notation). I'm pleased to take you through this little work for oboe, mezzo-soprano, and piano. It's one of my personal favorites!

POLL: The next Extended Play Lounge will feature...

It's time for a poll for our next Extended Play Lounge Episode. After starting the year with a poll of newer albums...then a very competitive poll of 70's prog albums, we're turning our attention this time to Jazz Fusion albums. Pick your preferred favorite among these five contenders!

I don't know any of the content on the Ponty & Mahavishnu albums. I know small bits of the Miles Davis album. And, I've only heard the title...

Announcing Fan Favorites for February!

Hello friends! We're going to be going live with our February Fan Favorites voting and submissions on the Discord later today. Please take a look at this short video to get the scoop.

We're celebrating Black History month all month on YT and via the Fan Favorites, and we're asking for your help in terms of recommendations. 

We're still tweaking the final verbiage...so look for the Fan Favorites channel on Discord to ...

Fan Favorites: Episode 11 (Songs from the Master List, Vol. II)

I'm pleased to release the first Fan Favorites video of 2023. We're going back to the Master List in this episode for deserving songs that haven't made it to the channel yet. It made for quite the eclectic carpool of musicians and songs. I enjoyed everything...and many of these songs were first time listens!

Renaissance - Can You Hear Me?
Joni Mitchell - Hejira
Liquid Tension Experiment - Key to the Imagination
The Ala...

Welcome to the Community - The Daily Doug User's Guide

Hey Y'all!

I'm so glad you've arrived here as part of Helvering's Army here on Patreon. In this welcome video, I take you through a tour of all our offerings here, including both on Patreon and on Discord.

Please let me know if you have any questions about our work and offerings here. We're glad you're here!

***updated video as of June 7 2024

Minstrel in the Gallery (Jethro Tull) | Extended Play Lounge Ep. 36

After a hard-fought win in the latest poll, I am pleased to present my reaction to Minstrel in the Gallery by Jethro Tull. I was quite taken with this album. On the surface, it's a lovely collection of songs and sounds. But, underneath the surface, we see a songwriter who is really questioning his past and his future amid the dissolution of his marriage. The lyrics are obtuse but personal. And, the album provided a wide-ranging emoti...

POLL: Extended Play Lounge - ep. 36

For our next Extended Play Lounge, I'm returning to our Master List and selecting some progressive rock albums from the 1970s that have high numbers of recommendations.

For ELP: I only know Take a Pebble and Lucky Man

For GG: I've only heard The Advent of Panurge & Knots

For Jethro Tull: I don't know any songs from this album

For Kansas: I think I only know Dust in the Wind

For Supertramp: I think I ...

The House, The Street, The Room (Gentle Giant) | Behind the Score - Episode 34

First up for our Behind the Score series in 2023 is The House, The Street, The Room from Gentle Giant. This song is from their second album, Acquiring the Taste. 

I found this song to be closer to a composition I might see performed on a concert stage by a modern ensemble than one I might see performed at a rock show. It's melodic contours, harmonic twists, and mathematical layering are all quite sophisticated, and I had a...

Master List of Pending Recommendations

The Master List has recently been updated. Here's the link!

This list is mainly fed by our Recommendations Portal on the Discord server. We encourage our patrons to make a recommendation or two a month...and I typically go through our recommendations monthly to update the list.

January 2023 Fan Favorites POLL

I'm starting out our 2023 Fan Favorites series by turning to our Master List for songs that have been waiting patiently for me to listen to them. I've assembled 18 songs from a wide variety of bands, styles, and eras. 

Vote for your 5 most-preferred choices!

I'll include the top vote-getters in the video later this month. This poll ends on January 11. Happy voting!

If you'd like to sample these...

Affinity (Haken) - Extended Play Lounge, Ep. 35

For our first Extended Play Lounge of 2023, we're listening to Affinity, the fourth album from Haken. This is the third time Haken has been in the lounge, and I've become quite a fan. Although this album isn't a concept album, the themes are consistent and coherent. And, after listening to this album, I have a new favorite Haken song. :)

ThrowBack Thursday episodes start tomorrow on YouTube

We're happy to report a new weekly episode series for 2023. On Thursdays each week, we'll release a 'Throwback Thursday' episode to YouTube. These will all be pre-recorded reactions from our 2022 Patreon videos. So, for tomorrow, we're starting with the #1 vote-getter in the first Fan Favorites, The Cinema Show by Genesis from Seconds Out. We'll mostly be pulling from Fan Favorites videos, but EPLs and Behind the Score episodes could...

POLL: Choose the Next Extended Play Lounge (Ep. 35)

We're now looking ahead to the first Extended Play Lounge Episode of 2023. And, for this time around, I'm asking for your help to choose among these 5 albums that I have recently received and am eager to hear.

All of these recordings are relatively new...the oldest being BBT's offering from 2009. 

So, vote for your top preference! May your selection win!

This poll will be active through January 2, 2023.

N...

2022 Highlights and Best Moments

Here's the Highlight Reel for 2022! Enjoy!

A message of support for the community

Hello all,

I'm offering this short statement of support following events that happened on the Discord server last night. 

I'm sad to say that there was an individual spewing hateful and pointed rhetoric toward others. I'm personally sorry for this happening, and I'm voicing my continued commitment to civility and respect here.

As a result, the person spewing these hurtful things has been banned from our Patreon...

Olias of Sunhillow (Jon Anderson) | Extended Play Lounge (Ep 34)

In this final Extended Play Lounge episode of 2022, I am pleased to listen to Olias of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson for the first time.

I do have a book of sheet music to this album, and I'll be looking through it with curiosity now that I've heard the music. But, I'm glad that I decided not to use the score while listening. Jon's soundscapes are immersive enough to leave the score aside for the first listen.

It was great to...

A Curated Choral Christmas - Vol. 1

Yesterday, on our discord server, I presented about an hour of some of my favorite choral music selections and performances for the Christmas season. I was asked to make the recording available, and I'm happy to do so here. 

The Daily Doug Live - Episode 33 (Dec. 17, 2022)

This was a fun all-tier hangout at the end of the year. We had a lively discussion and listened to music by Eric Gillette, Al Di Meola, Steve Hackett, and D'Virgilio, Morse, & Jennings. 

For those that aren't in the Council of Dougs tier, we gather like this via zoom twice monthly. I hope you'll consider moving up to the Council of Dougs tier to get this perk every month!

Thanks for your support and participation...

Life on Mars? (Bowie) meets My Way (Sinatra) - Behind the Score (Ep. 33)

After the realization in the last Fan Favorites video that David Bowie's Life on Mars? has a fascinating back story and history with My Way by Frank Sinatra, I just HAD to take some time to look further into this connection. 

So, this Behind the Score includes both songs, as we compare their similarities and contrasts musically and lyrically...and revel in the fact that they're both based on the same source material.

The Daily Doug Live ALL TIER Hangout this Saturday!

Hey y'all! It's been a wonderful year, and I'm so thankful for all of you for your support and participation as members of Helvering's Army. 

As is now tradition, our last Council of Dougs Hangout of the year is open to all Patrons. Twice a month, our top tier patrons gather with me via zoom for a 2-hour hangout to discuss the latest Daily Doug content, music and related topics, and we listen to great tunes together. This ...

AC/DC: Back in Black Reaction & Analysis

Episode 497 was blocked on YouTube, so I've made it available here. I hope to have it unblocked soon! In the meantime, enjoy some classic AC/DC!