a ghost is born
by Wilco
  • Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: Jun 22, 2004
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 140 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 130 out of 140
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 140
  3. Negative: 5 out of 140

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  1. All_ButTrU4
    May 20, 2022
    6
    Never reaching the highs of Yankee foxtrot hotel Wilco foster the captivating peaks of their debut "summerteeth". It's a spacious record that matures in the silent spaces between delicate moments of muted sadness
  2. Ricko
    Nov 9, 2015
    7
    It took me quite a while to get into "A Ghost is Born". While I still think it is a few steps below their best moments, repeated listening has changed my mind from thinking this was an average album to thinking it is a very good one.While parts of it are disappointing, this is mainly down to self indulgence on the part of the band rather than poor content. There are some good moments andIt took me quite a while to get into "A Ghost is Born". While I still think it is a few steps below their best moments, repeated listening has changed my mind from thinking this was an average album to thinking it is a very good one.While parts of it are disappointing, this is mainly down to self indulgence on the part of the band rather than poor content. There are some good moments and some great moments but a little too often the person in charge of editing has left the room and the band are allowed to flog songs the way you would a dead horse. A couple of the tracks are 25 percent longer than they ever needed to be. "At Least That's What You Said" and "Hell Is Chrome" start the album well, but the rest of the album could have been alot better and crosses the line into self indulgence. There are better Wilco records but you could be listening to far worse.… Expand
  3. DanDanReviews
    Oct 12, 2014
    9
    How 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.
  4. j30
    Sep 22, 2011
    8
    Decent 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.
  5. TheDaveHimself
    Aug 6, 2011
    9
    My 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.
  6. Boosemo12
    Jun 4, 2011
    7
    It definitely doesn't hold a candle to YHF, there's some great moments but it lacks consistency.
  7. WesM.
    Oct 4, 2008
    10
    Is it crazy that I liked this way more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot?
  8. StevenPro
    May 8, 2008
    10
    Stylus' review is spot on. This album is absolutely stunning.
  9. Joseph
    Jul 16, 2007
    8
    A true grower. Easily, Wilco's most difficult album, yet after several (for some, many) listens, the beauty of many of these songs shine thorugh and one realizes that they are among the best in Wilco's breathtakingly brilliant catalog. Tweedy's guitar playing snarls and bites throughout ("At Least That's What You Said", "Spiders (Kidsmoke)") and his lyrics are as A true grower. Easily, Wilco's most difficult album, yet after several (for some, many) listens, the beauty of many of these songs shine thorugh and one realizes that they are among the best in Wilco's breathtakingly brilliant catalog. Tweedy's guitar playing snarls and bites throughout ("At Least That's What You Said", "Spiders (Kidsmoke)") and his lyrics are as strong as ever. Not quite a step forward from YHF but certainly not a retread by any means either. The only complaint is Jim O'Rourke's production is surprisingly flat and there's a noticeable lack of dynamics throughout the records. The greatness of these songs truly shines through live, as can be heard on the superior "Kicking Television" double-album.… Expand
  10. Felix
    Jul 6, 2007
    7
    It'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.
  11. joeln
    Mar 14, 2007
    10
    This is by far my fave Wilco album and i have all of them, yeah "Summerteeth" is great but for me this is the album i find myself always going back to. "Less than you Think" is a freaking great song, it's just the noise for 10 minutes that people shouldnt enjoy, but the song is beautiful. "Hell is Chrome" is the best song of all time, along with "Theologains" Listen Up, AGISB is a This is by far my fave Wilco album and i have all of them, yeah "Summerteeth" is great but for me this is the album i find myself always going back to. "Less than you Think" is a freaking great song, it's just the noise for 10 minutes that people shouldnt enjoy, but the song is beautiful. "Hell is Chrome" is the best song of all time, along with "Theologains" Listen Up, AGISB is a Classic! You'll See!… Expand
  12. RJMcClaine
    Jan 9, 2007
    7
    many of the songs are fantastic: at least that's what you said, hell is chrome, muzzle of bees, handshake drugs, wishful thinking, company in my back. some are bad: spiders (kidsmoke) is 4 times as long as it should be....the divine riff just gets cloying; less than you think and the late greats are rubbish. the rest are just so-so: hummingbird, i'm a wheel, theologians. all in many of the songs are fantastic: at least that's what you said, hell is chrome, muzzle of bees, handshake drugs, wishful thinking, company in my back. some are bad: spiders (kidsmoke) is 4 times as long as it should be....the divine riff just gets cloying; less than you think and the late greats are rubbish. the rest are just so-so: hummingbird, i'm a wheel, theologians. all in all, though, it's a great collection of songs.… Expand
  13. EricL
    Oct 31, 2006
    5
    Wilco was my favorite band. Now they have a CD that I can't get through even once without skipping to somthing else. This disc goes off the deep end, and the hooks are about gone. If Summerteeth is a 10, then this is a (kind) 5. My Best of Wilco has one song from this CD ( I'm a Wheel)
  14. ale
    Sep 20, 2006
    9
    Sure, nothing's perfect, but this is my favorite Wilco album. While I love YHF, I think it was so quickly embraced by (some) critics partly because it appeared "dangerous" or "difficult" in light of WB refusing to release it (the pussies). And so there was (IMO) a bit of a backlash against AGIB, a far better album in many respects. I think all the hipper-than-thou critics bashed this Sure, nothing's perfect, but this is my favorite Wilco album. While I love YHF, I think it was so quickly embraced by (some) critics partly because it appeared "dangerous" or "difficult" in light of WB refusing to release it (the pussies). And so there was (IMO) a bit of a backlash against AGIB, a far better album in many respects. I think all the hipper-than-thou critics bashed this record because Wilco had perhaps moved to a higher commercial plain. Anyway, AGIB has some of my favorite Wilco songs on it, and though I usually skip Less Than You Think, I also don't dismiss it out of hand just because it's unconventional. A great album that fits nicely in the Wilco catalog.… Expand
  15. KalleL
    May 31, 2006
    10
    Wilco may be my favorite band - all categories. Thier last is their best!
  16. Al
    May 17, 2006
    7
    The 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.
  17. FionaE
    Feb 17, 2006
    10
    An exciting album. It was on my turntable for weeks and months without change. A firm favourite
  18. ApeRobot
    Nov 28, 2005
    10
    Possibly the most underrated album of all time. Better than YHF. Stop sleeping on this album.
  19. Alec
    Nov 20, 2005
    10
    I have come to the conclusion that A Ghost Is Born is just as good if not better than YHF. Best of 2004, for sure.
  20. SeamusS
    Nov 1, 2005
    10
    Easily 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.
  21. ElliottM
    Oct 15, 2005
    10
    It's a flawed album, yet it's still a perfect album. My favorite album of 2004.
  22. EvertonC
    Sep 7, 2005
    9
    Ethereal, human and virtual at the same time... The expected sequence for YHF, which was Wilco's masterpiece to date.
  23. matta
    Aug 26, 2005
    9
    Better 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.
  24. RobS.
    Aug 14, 2005
    9
    A year on from its release, I consider Ghost a collection of now-classic Wilco songs. That is, it's not quite as strong an *album* as their last two, but I easily can identify seven brilliant songs on it (Kidsmoke, Hell is Chrome, Hummingbird, I'm a Wheel, Wishful Thinking, Theologians and The Late Greats) and the remaining songs, for me, range from decent to quite strong. Some A year on from its release, I consider Ghost a collection of now-classic Wilco songs. That is, it's not quite as strong an *album* as their last two, but I easily can identify seven brilliant songs on it (Kidsmoke, Hell is Chrome, Hummingbird, I'm a Wheel, Wishful Thinking, Theologians and The Late Greats) and the remaining songs, for me, range from decent to quite strong. Some music requires more than a few cursory hearings to appreciate it. It took me over a year to find my way into Summerteeth. You know that revelatory feeling you get when you decide one day to listen to a song on an album that you'd historically skipped past, only to find yourself now ga-ga for it? It's a great feeling! I probably have some ways to go with Ghost to fully get to that place where everything makes sense and the communications each song offers are received. But my first year with Ghost has me hopeful I'm going to be surprised and pleased by what I eventually find deep inside of it.… Expand
  25. StephenF
    Jul 31, 2005
    10
    This album is absolutely phenomenal. I'm internally divided over which of their last two albums is better; but one thing is for sure, this album is a great follow-up to YHF. I love how wilcos music has progressed from album to album, and a ghost is born continues that tradition. Music fans that prefer simple and predictable arrangements will not like this album, but for those of us This album is absolutely phenomenal. I'm internally divided over which of their last two albums is better; but one thing is for sure, this album is a great follow-up to YHF. I love how wilcos music has progressed from album to album, and a ghost is born continues that tradition. Music fans that prefer simple and predictable arrangements will not like this album, but for those of us that are always looking for new music that is pushing artistic boundaries this album is an absolute must. Finally the united states has an answer to radiohead.… Expand
  26. AdamK
    Jun 6, 2005
    10
    Richer 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.
  27. ChadS
    May 26, 2005
    10
    "I attack with love, pure bug beauty, curl my lips and crawl up to you, and your afternoon, and I've been puking," is the most inspired example of rock and roll poetry since Stephin Merritt wrote "On a ferris wheel looking out on Coney Island/under more stars than there are prostitutes in Thailand," from "Strange Powers". "Company in my Back" outshines anything Beck ever wrote, and "I attack with love, pure bug beauty, curl my lips and crawl up to you, and your afternoon, and I've been puking," is the most inspired example of rock and roll poetry since Stephin Merritt wrote "On a ferris wheel looking out on Coney Island/under more stars than there are prostitutes in Thailand," from "Strange Powers". "Company in my Back" outshines anything Beck ever wrote, and this is no slam on Beck. Jeff Tweedy is just better. "Wishful Thinking" is another gem. "Is any song worth singing if it doesn't help?" is a very good question. A track like "Spiders(Kidsmoke)" reminds me of how adventurous Prince once was on an album like "Sign of the Times". Listening to "Spiders" elicited the same what is this reaction I had when I first heard "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker". "A Ghost is Born" is the best rock album since Prefab Sprout's "Two Wheels Good".… Expand
  28. MicahA
    Apr 21, 2005
    10
    I have been reading all the reviews; amazon, pitchfork, etc. None of them truly capture the beauty in this album. This CD is my FAVORITE CD currently. The album spans the largest spectrum yet, and "Muzzle of Bees" shows this wonderfully; slow and methodical at the beginning, and then it moves into one of the most beautiful and melodical pieces of music I have heard in all of my life. I have been reading all the reviews; amazon, pitchfork, etc. None of them truly capture the beauty in this album. This CD is my FAVORITE CD currently. The album spans the largest spectrum yet, and "Muzzle of Bees" shows this wonderfully; slow and methodical at the beginning, and then it moves into one of the most beautiful and melodical pieces of music I have heard in all of my life. Although it is a "departure" from YFH, and the music is more spontaneus and the lyrics do lack some of the luster they once did, the critics should not be penalizing them for it. All in all, A Ghost Is Born is my favorite album of 2004.… Expand
  29. Peter
    Feb 6, 2005
    10
    This 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.
  30. MikeDot
    Jan 24, 2005
    9
    Great 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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Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Best Album of 2004
26
#26 Most Discussed Album of 2004
31
#31 Most Shared Album of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Playlouder
    80
    This time, as well as simply delivering the goods, Wilco come bearing a basket of extras.
    Read full review
  2. Tiny Mix Tapes
    100
    Unlike the first three Wilco albums and even more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born requires careful listening.
    Read full review
  3. Austin Chronicle
    78
    Ghost is not a lot of fun. Still, it's an accomplishment, because it's an angry album.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »