User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 140 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 130 out of 140
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Mixed: 5 out of 140
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Negative: 5 out of 140
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Jun 4, 2011It definitely doesn't hold a candle to YHF, there's some great moments but it lacks consistency.
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WesM.Oct 4, 2008Is it crazy that I liked this way more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot?
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evilb.Jan 20, 2005
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aleSep 20, 2006
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eliasbJun 21, 2004after all the hype of YHF i was worried Wilco would come out with a dud, A Ghost Is Born isnt. It's a solid album that makes some changes to the last album and creates a couple of totally new styles as well. Spiders (Kidsmoke) is Wilco's most challenging song to date and if you let i t seep into your brain, you will be heavily rewarded.
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JMarkumJul 1, 2004although not a classic like YHF, Wilco have yet again made a remarkably strong album. The most interesting thing about this one is how difficult it is, nothing comes rather easy besides Hummingbird. I recommend.
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JonHJul 2, 2004Another wonderful album from Wilco, Since Being There They've been releasing one classic after the other, amazing band.
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JoeyMJul 6, 2004
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lucaswOct 3, 2004
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DevendraGJun 21, 2004Best of '04. In every way an equal to Summerteeth and YHF, this album is sure to please many a Wilco fan: a record that is earnest, intimate, fresh, and entirely human. Give it a few spins though, as this is definitely Wilco's most challenging release to date.
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jibinkJun 23, 2004Easy to get lost in this one, the most interesting album of the year so far...love it!
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IanRJun 24, 2004this album is amazing... another new, creative, unexpected work from wilco. more organic and warm sounding than yankee hotel foxtrot, with some amazing guitar works the likes of which have never really been seen from wilco. on par with YHF, not necessarily better but not at all worse, and entirely different.
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woJun 26, 2004I appreciate the fact that they are doing different things this time out; however, it just doesn't come across as convincingly as before. I was kind of dissappointed with it at first, and although it is growing on me "a ghost is born" doesn't show as much potential as it's predecessor.
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d.slingJun 30, 2004This one tops YHF. It may lack some of the gems that "Being There" had, but it's consistently inventive and enjoyable. My only discretion is that prolonged sonic drone on track 11.
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markfJul 10, 2004
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MookiePatookieJul 15, 2004Anyone who gives this cd less than 9 does not have ears to hear with!! Tweedy and co. stand on the shoulders of giants to produce yet another masterpiece!
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DCJul 1, 2004A solid album. The lyrics are Tweedy's usual uneven output--several gems buried in a whole lot o' "huh?"--but the work as a whole is a wonderful mood piece. It fits nicely into the background without ever allowing you to ignore it. In reality, I'd give Ghost an 8, but I bumped that up to a 10 to offset idiots who unjustly gave it a 0.
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StanleyIJul 5, 2004Sublime
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AdamKJun 6, 2005Richer and more dense than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, this album leads the way for Rock and Roll into the future; with the exception of some work by Radohead, there hasn't been as good of an album in 25 years.
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KalleLMay 31, 2006Wilco may be my favorite band - all categories. Thier last is their best!
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joelnMar 14, 2007
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StevenProMay 8, 2008Stylus' review is spot on. This album is absolutely stunning.
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EricHJun 21, 2004A delightful masterpiece. More complex than YHF, and consequently a more mature Tweedy shines through.
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BairdMJun 21, 2004
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[Anonymous]Jun 22, 2004rocks. you gotta listen to it over a period of time to get it. when you do, you realize it's amazing.
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andycJun 23, 2004wilco evolves, if you give this a bad rating you are lieing to yourself, they have melodic power, lyrical power, briliiant arrangements, original, honest guitar playing by tweedy, another wilco classic
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christophesJun 25, 2004Not as perfect as YHF but once again largely above the average... and the concurence
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SchwineyPJul 14, 2004I think its their best effort. Definitely a "headphone" record.
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stanhSep 13, 2004
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SeamusSNov 1, 2005Easily Their Most Accesable And Brillaint Album. Though its hard to compare it to Yanke Hotel Foxtrot, its easier to say that it comes together much better on first listens. Brilliant album.
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ElliottMOct 15, 2005It's a flawed album, yet it's still a perfect album. My favorite album of 2004.
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PeterFeb 6, 2005This album will go down as a classic and one of the best of the decade. I love every single track but the highlights are "Hummingbird", "Company in my Back" and "Spiders". For those people who like Wilco and were disappointed with this album, I strongly encourage you to give it a second, third and even fourth listen on a really good pair of speakers.
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MicahAApr 21, 2005
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RobS.Aug 14, 2005
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EvertonCSep 7, 2005Ethereal, human and virtual at the same time... The expected sequence for YHF, which was Wilco's masterpiece to date.
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FionaEFeb 17, 2006An exciting album. It was on my turntable for weeks and months without change. A firm favourite
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AlMay 17, 2006The songwriting on this album simply isn't up to par with that of Summerteeth or YHF. The first two tracks are the best on the album (and there are a few other nice bits), but the white-noise crap towards the end of the album is a total turn off. You can express yourself a lot better by choosing good songwriting over dissonance.
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RJMcClaineJan 9, 2007
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JosephJul 16, 2007
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FelixJul 6, 2007It's an average album; Less Than You Think is the worst song in the album followed by Late Greats. Only about half the songs on the are good, including the excellent Wishful Thinking and Company In My Back.
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JohnNov 29, 2004
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MattSJun 21, 2004Surpasses anything Tweedy & co. have done in the past. Just as good or better than YHF. A great rock album from one of the greatest American rock bands.
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JesseDJun 23, 2004While not as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, its still a masterful album by a masterful band.
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jimcJun 23, 2004
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TomRJun 23, 2004Inspiringly great. Like Charlie Kaufman's "Eternal Sunshine.." is to "Adaptation", "A Ghost is Born" is to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I didn't think either artist could create something as strong there previous efforts. Lucky for us they did. Enjoy!
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CharlesMJun 23, 2004I actually like this CD far more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. While I found their last CD to hectic, I found "A Ghost Is Born" to be a brilliant mixture of whimsical elements and lyrical brilliantless. If you like mellow, sincere, and peaceful music...this is the perfect CD for you.
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BMorganJun 27, 2004This album just lacks the energy of their previous efforts. The album moves on at a sleepy pace. My biggest complaint is that Jeff Tweedy's voice sounds tired and thin with very little emotion behind it. However, the good does out weigh the bad. The musicianship is top-notch.
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DavidCJul 14, 2004
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H.EkadjajaJul 16, 2004Wilco continues their hitting streak with a stellar record. Like YHF, the "poppish" songs keep you hooked long enough to find the beauty in the more pensive pieces. The eccentricities of some of the tracks (mainly "Less Than You Think") have not resonated with me yet, but I would not be surprised if it "clicked" someday down the line.
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JohnTAug 17, 2004I totally agree with Joey M. while this album was a bit hard to grasp on the first few listens, luckily I was smart enough to not every dismiss a Wilco album! soafter I had played through it a couple times I started to recognize the beauty, and I think I would have to say that 3, 6, and 10 are my favorite songs on this masterpiece!
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AlecNov 20, 2005I have come to the conclusion that A Ghost Is Born is just as good if not better than YHF. Best of 2004, for sure.
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ApeRobotNov 28, 2005Possibly the most underrated album of all time. Better than YHF. Stop sleeping on this album.
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MikeDotJan 24, 2005Great album, but it requires more than one listen. What originally seems like drawn out nothingness is actually interesting and artistic. Very new, yet vintage at the same time.
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ChadSMay 26, 2005
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StephenFJul 31, 2005
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mattaAug 26, 2005Better than their first two releases and almost as good as their two masterpieces Summer Teeth and YHF, this is an amazing album, but one that definitely requires careful and repeated listenings to fully appreciate.
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Aug 6, 2011My second favorite Wilco record, right behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Jeff Tweedy never ceases to amaze me. Great **** record filled with classic songs. There is definitely that "noise" from YHF and it's wonderful. "Wishful Thinking".. goddamn.
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Sep 22, 2011Decent follow up to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. There's moment of musical bliss, but than there moments of over-indulgent noise that detracts from it's high points.
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Nov 9, 2015
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Oct 12, 2014How is a ghost born? Someone dies, of course. This is the outlook of this album, taking terrible things that happen in life and making them resolve hopefully, all these thoughts swirling around a character on the border of madness.
Awards & Rankings
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This time, as well as simply delivering the goods, Wilco come bearing a basket of extras.
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Unlike the first three Wilco albums and even more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born requires careful listening.
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Ghost is not a lot of fun. Still, it's an accomplishment, because it's an angry album.