Hi Jessi and Kate, I have been way behind on my podcasts the last several weeks.  The main reason is because myself and a friend started our own podcast!  It's not Pearl Jam themed , however it's consumed a decent amount of my week preparing for each recording.  So we now have a hit on the Dink-O-Meter for both of you.  First Jessi and now Kate!  I can't remember if I have proposed the Dink-O-Meter to you yet, but I have it as a three-tiered system: Dinky: Just your average dinky, will only skip if streaming Rinky-Dinky: Automatic skipper, even when listening to vinyl Stinky-Dinky: It's like nails on a chalkboard to you Based on Jessi's response to Parachutes, I have that somewhere between Rinky-Dinky and Stinky-Dinky.  I would have to let Jessi be the final judge on that.  For Kate's remarks to Low Light, I have it somewhere between Dinky and Rinky-Dinky, however I'm inclined to believe it's closer to Dinky because I wasn't able to note as many hot

Hi Brad and Brad, First, I hope you guys have had a Happy Holidays.  Secondly, I really enjoy your solo episodes.  They have a deejay format to them which also feels personable in getting to know each of your lives and what has influenced you to be who you are now. I hadn't taken the time to get to know Someday at Christmas until after listening to BradB's recent episode.  Pearl Jam does a great job in covering the song, and I prefer Stevie Wonder's version over the Jackson 5.  Especially, after reading the lyrics and reading some interpretations of the song.  At the time the song was released, the Vietnam War was still underway.  The lyrics seem to voice opposition to the war itself, but also express the hope for racial and economic equality.  Unfortunately, that message still resonates strongly.   Stevie Wonder was one of the artists that shaped my musical interests when I was a teenager.  I'm very glad the guys chose to cover this song for a Christmas single and have

  Hi Brad and Brad, I was a little behind on the podcast, but recently got caught up on the last 2 episodes.  This is a bit of a two-parter of an email, because I want to give my take on Riot Act and disclose my rankings of album openers. I side with Lyons that the older I get, the more I enjoy the weird.  This probably explains why I continue to enjoy Riot Act more and more as time goes on.  To me, this is the last record (before Gigaton), that the band sounds raw and emotional.  The record was released at a contentious time, being a year after 9/11 and 2 years into the Bush administration.  The thing that I enjoy the most about this record, which distinguishes it from the rest is Boom.  My impression is that this record features the "keys" more than any of their other records.  From a musical standpoint, it makes me appreciate Riot Act that much more.  With regards to the tracklist, I'll end with this.  When I listen to the tracklist from front-to-back, it flows really