I read Sirens, Slaughterhouse, and Cats Cradle back to back a few years ago and Slaughterhouse was honestly my least favorite of the three.
I picked up the sirens of Titan a long time ago solely bc it looks like the cosmic drama cover haha. Didn't know they were connected. Slaughterhouse is my favorite, with breakfast of champions not far behind. I thought cat's cradle was cool but didn't connect with it as much as I did the other two. Still haven't gotten to sirens though
Oh yeah, the album is heavily connected and influenced by that book. It was my favorite album before I'd ever read the book, but I definitely think reading it helped unlock another level of appreciation for it that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I want to re-read all three of the ones I read, and read his others as well. Sirens was easily my favorite, but I might have some bias towards it considering its connection with the record. I think the scope of what is going on in that, and Cat's Cradle, and how many layers there is to it all is truly impressive.
I'll make it a priority to read, then. I think Cat's Cradle has cool and similar themes to Slaughterhouse but the directness of the nonviolence angle really appeals to me. And not even nonviolence in the traditional sense, just interpreting violence differently... Idk it's just that book for me, you should def give it another chance
you definitely get an even better appreciation of the record after reading. one of my favorite connections from sirens is definitely the here i am, so glad you are part. reading that made me laugh out loud in admiration
It's hard to get pleasure reading in sometimes, majoring in English can kinda burn you out on words. But I'll def bump up sirens for this
Up late listening to Cosmic Drama and I miss Brian/Weatherbox so much. I really hope he comes back next year. I would be stoked out of my mind- it’s criminally unfair how underrated he always was...
I keep on hearing Weatherbox-esque moments in songs by other bands recently and it keeps getting me sad
It’s been about 5 years since I first heard The Cosmic Drama, and I still haven’t heard an album that I think is better than it. I’ve been returning to it quite a bit recently, as I tend to do when I find myself in a really dark place (mentally/emotionally speaking); it’s seriously therapeutic to me. Anyway, No Hands, Ask My Flashlight, and That MANN are maybe all tied for my favorite song ever.
I just realized I didn’t own Cosmic on vinyl (I own every single other release with Weatherbox on it) so I quickly ordered the blue marble variant on Topshelf Records site.
Yeah buddy! I got the swap green variant and it’s gorgeoussss. Was just listening to it yesterday while arguing with 12 year old kids on GTA online ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I really wish “Bring Me The Head of Weatherbox” was the opening track on Flies with a smooth transition (using reverb or something) to go into “Pagan Baby”. Also, yeah the drum production is lackluster. Still a great record though!
Yeah, the production isn't great on Flies-- something I noticed after reading it online somewhere, and it was all I thought about for awhile. The songwriting is still top-tier Box. This thread bump actually got me to listen to Cosmic Drama now. Flashlight is so so good. "I swear to take care of what's in front of me." Damn tho. Then that last "Make me good" of Contactus is beautiful. Terrific lyrical record and I feel that way now-- I still gotta read The Sirens of Titan someday.
Yeah I was going through my record collection last night and saw Afghan and put it on and immediately the floodgates of nostalgia were opened for me. Weatherbox is hands down one of my favorite artists of all time. Right up there with Mansions. My ex was friends with Brian (FTR: she sucks tho) and a few times I hung out with him and the rest of the dudes after their show at venues like Satellite and we played fooseball. I never get star struck after living in LA for 7 years but keeping it chill around Brian was easily one of the most star struck moments I’ve ever had. Really nice dude. Amazing songwriter. Also, I’m ordering titans on amazon later today. I need to read this book before my Cosmic vinyl comes in!
Actually it was a brief moment in an Adjy song that came up on my discover weekly playlist. Had that very typical start-stop between the guitars and drums that's present in a fair few box songs
Tbh, the only album of theirs I think is well-produced is TCD, but it is a hell of an exception bc it has some of my favorite production/mixing. Brian’s vocals are towering on that record in a way they aren’t in any of their other releases, and the drums sound incredible. I will forever wish FIAD was produced similarly. I feel like you’ve asked me for my copy of that before but idk. I still can’t really believe I managed to get a copy of The Cosmic Drama cassette... if I ever had to sell everything I own, I’d still probably hang on to that lol.
that's the only box LP release i don't have pretty sure. i know i have american art, the splatter of flies in all directions, the topshelf cosmic drama. i also have the split with big news on it. don't have the person L split or rattle
I’m pretty sure I’ve got a copy of everything. Both pressings and (one half of) a rejected test of the TCD re-press too. I’ve let go of a lot of things I regret when desperate for money (my Circa collection is a big one), but my Weatherbox and TEN records are pretty much the absolute last things I would ever sell in my collection. Also, dang. The Person L split is incredible, and it’s weird to say but “OK” is the best song on it.