Customer Reviews

A Ghost Is Born

5 star:		(156)
4 star:		(92)
3 star:		(38)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

A lot of listeners sound kind of puzzled by this album. Quite frankly, I think these people are lazy.

Its kind of incredible how much fuss is made about how this album is "out there". When I got this thing, I expected something like Amnesiac. Amnesiac this is not. Yes, initially, this album is difficult to wrap your mind around because each song is not constructed around two or three signature hooks. So you can't pay attention for ten seconds, absorb the hook, think "thats cool" and then go back to talking to your girlfriend on the phone. You have to actually pay attention for the duration of the song to get something out of it. However, once you've put in your time and listened to a song four or five times, you can appreciate this album effortlessly and these songs become really cathy and riveting--and fun. Now I can't stop listening. Its a blast.

The arrangements are much simpler than on YHF. Basically, drums, bass, guitar, piano, and some occassional help from a synthesizer. The vocals are mixed up front as they usually are in Wilco. There are a few spots where Tweedy belts, but he's usually soft spoken. If you liked YHF, you'll like this just as much--maybe more. Just put your time in. This is a really good, conventional rock album. The song structures are just a little bit more difficult to master.

I'm not particularly interested in ranking AGIB among previous Wilco releases; let it suffice to say that this record stands on its own two feet, and though some listeners may hint that it wobbles, I have the sinking suspicion that it is meant to wobble. The beauty in this album is the struggle, the thin filament that borders whispers against the screams, experimentation next to tried-and-true progressions. Just listen to the first track, "At Least That's What You Said." The break after the lyrics end, the hint at the guitar solo that merely echoes where the song has gone (seemingly in predictable circles), the following discord that is so forcibly loud (as Tweedy's voice is so soft), and finally Tweedy's solo that just takes off. The song becomes airborne with his guitar and it produces that amazingly sick and sweet feeling in your chest and you just know part of your soul has escaped you and has been carried off.....ahhhh....

Or, perhaps, for further proof of intentional contrast, listen to "Hummingbird" and "Less Than You Think" together. On the former, Tweedy's voice sounds the most familiar, stark and rusty and full of rough road, and the melodic nature of the song meshed with lyrics of wistful and learned remembrance, quite typical of Tweedy productions, is as soothing and soft as the added touches of dulcimer and viola. I can understand the Beatles references to this track, especially because of the strings, the percussion and the harmony. But the brilliance of this `simple' track is, I think, as significant as it is small. Upon Tweedy's final utterance of the word "hummingbird," the vocalization cuts off and doesn't intonate the swing of the melody - instead this is accomplished through the viola and the upswing in the vocals is merely implied (this begins around 2:25, but check in at 2:10 to get the full phrase). This is not what Lennon & McCartney would have done - the vocalization would have echoed the instrumentation at such a critical melodic point. "Less Than You Think" has already been cited as drone and white noise experimentation, etc. This track finds what other reviewers have heeded as a new voice for Tweedy, quite literally. It is more relaxed, more subdued and the song does sort of float in and out of its listener, and it reminds me a bit of Sonic Youth's "Providence" sans the CB conversation. The contrast between these tracks is what makes this album. It's honest. And as much as I loved YHF, it was a shade glossy, as if it was done to say, "Hey, here's our more studio-dependent album. AGIB reminds us of textures, of Tweedy screaming "nothing" so many times in concert while performing "Misunderstood," it's nearly impossible to understand why it doesn't bore you.

If you're searching for a neat package, A Ghost Is Born is clearly not the way to go; however, neither is this band. Wilco is about rough-around-the-edges, dirty, smoky, painful and joyous rock and roll. Musical irony and paradigms may be not be everyone's forte, but Jeff Tweedy is offering us the best we've seen since Bowie, and, some may argue, the last Flaming Lips album.

For those who think Wilco is keeping American rock music alive, a must have. Not for the faint of heart, or those fearful of change.

This album is one of Wilco's best, if not the best. But don't spend twice as much as you need to on this unless you are an avid collector. The bonus tracks can be attained via Wilco's website (www.wilcoworld.net) as a free EP if you own the basic version of the album.
That said... "Panthers" is one of Wilco's most interesting compositions and the live tracks are outstanding (as always). "Kicking Television" is an R.E.M. style rocker that is sure to please most Wilco fans.
But, for most of you, know that you'll get all of this for the same price as the original version of A Ghost is Born.

Wilco is one of the few bands I expect to save popular music every time they release an album. Since every album they've made has been better than their last, and they scraped the edge of real greatness on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, my expectations for this album were probably a little ridiculous.

Equally ridiculous, probably, is writing a review this soon after an album has been released, considering that it took me weeks to absorb Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But I think it's worth a try, since I've been living with these songs - in some form - for quite some time, since the band is good enough to stream them off their website. It's also easier to get acquainted with A Ghost is Born, because - other than a few self-consciously experimental tracks - the songs might be most direct Tweedy has written since Being There.

That's what's odd and, for me, a little disappointing about this album. In YHF, there were barely any songs I liked right away, just strange wisps of melody and words that caught my attention. And they grew in stature the more I listened to them, until the whole album seemed to fit together. It felt like an album that came to the band waiting to be made. On A Ghost is Born, there were a handful of songs that I liked right away: At Least That's What You Said, Hell is Chrome, Muzzle of Bees, Hummingbirds, I'm a Wheel, a few more. The strange this is, the more I listened to them, the less interesting they became.

I might have an idea why this is. YHF seemed like such a cohesive album because the production seemed to go hand in hand with the strange song structures, where many of the songs seemed like fragments of other songs squeezed together: within that context, the strange instrumentation, dissonance, bits of faint radio frequencies, and long silences made sense. Here, the experimentation feels foreign to the songs. There is no reason for Spiders (Kidsmoke) to last for ten minutes. It goes nowhere. The riff repeats, and Tweedy keeps soloing: the textures are not interesting enough (like, say, in Sister Ray) to hold my attention, and at the end the track justs end. And the less said about the ten minutes of silence at the end of Less Than You Think, the better.

One of the truly wonderful things about this album, though, is the production and arrangements. There are wonderful touches scattered throughout: the piano gently rolling up during Muzzle of Bees, the crunchy guitar on I'm a Wheel. In fact, the best moments of the album often come during the instrumental parts of the songs, like the breaks on Muzzle of Bees or the beautiful guitar solo on Theologians. Unfortunately, there's no feeling of balance on the album: the solos don't feel like part of the song. The guitar breakdown at the end of At Least That's What You Said comes out of nowhere, and goes on for three minutes for no particular reason. Some of them are startingly inventive, but often they just drag, and kill any momentum the album starts to build towards the middle, as if the long silences didn't do it anyway.

Too many long jams are often the work of an artist running slightly low on creativity - see for example the last Malkmus album. And the songs aren't nearly as strong as on the past two Wilco albums. Too many rely on aimless minor key wistfulness instead of strong melodies - see, for example, Hell Is Chrome or Less Than You Think - and are rescued only by Tweedy's wonderful voice or the inventive production. Handshake Drugs, I think, might be the most boring song Wilco has ever written. The lyrics have a few moments of startling poetry (my subject line, for example), but don't feel as close to Tweedy's heart as even the most obscure moments on YHF.

And now, praise where praise is due. I enjoy this album a lot. Despite all the criticism, other than Handshake Drugs, I think I enjoy every single song on this album for at least part of its running length. Company In My Back is a masterpiece: the entire album is worth buying just for that song: the lyrics, the beautifully melancholy drive of the chorus, everything - it's part of the brilliant album that everyone wishes these guys had made. Muzzle of Bees and Hummingbird and both favorites, and Late Greats is a fun tune to end the album with. I'm a Wheel is at least lively.

This album has echoes of genius, and is worth buying for them alone, but I don't think it'll be regarded as one of the truly special ones in Wilco's career. Hey, maybe they'll save popular music with their next album, just like Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Blur, Spoon, and the Pixies...

When I first heard Yankee Foxtrot, I was gassed immediately. From the very first seconds of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" we knew right away how big this was.

"A Ghost Is Born" is different. And I think we settle into a mindset on first listen to a new record and it colors the way we feel about it each time thereafter. We let that opinion hold us back on subsequent listens.

Ghost doesn't start with the beguiling and beautiful like Yankee did. It doesn't immediately intoxicate. In fact, the first track, "At Least That's What You Said" is understated to the point of a whisper... dark, distant. Hardly the kind of thing a "commercial" artist wishing to please would open an album with. But it's also an understated, crafty mirracle of a song. When it breaks down into a guitar jam midway through, you start to wonder where this album is taking you (and you should!). It has remarkably vulnerable lyrics and sets an intimate tone. It surprises you. And if you let that flow over you, it's nice to have an artist who doesn't hand you candy and turn cartwheels for you. This album is all about countering expectations, and there are a lot of surprises here that reveal only on repeated listening. Look at how many reviewers reveal theyu didn't get it at first. Expectations. Let them go and enjoy this fine record.

Some of Wilco's best songs are here, such as the resplendent "Hell Is Chrome". Or "Muzzle Of Bees" with it's delicate guitar playing and weird tones. "Hummingbird" is glitzy pop with a lyrical metaphor that's bright and clever. Some of Tweedy's best writing ever, lyrically, is in these songs, and many of the songs are built around ideas you'll find in his book of poetry. It's fascinating to watch a line from one of his poems evolve into "I'm A Wheel" and rock out on this album. Jeff Tweedy's singing is quiet, vulnerable, never better.

"Handshake Drugs" may be my favorite Wilco song just to listen to. It just swings. It has a weird, sleepy lope to it that's just incredibly compelling. It's much better than the dingier version that appeared on "More Like The Moon".

There is some weirdness. "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" is a good song I've heard Tweedy do live on accoustic guitar, and this weird Euro-Tech approach is a little odd to me. But when it explodes into Sonic Youth like crunch for the second half I fogive them for the indulgence. Weird, over indulgent, a little out of place, but it rocks and again... surprises.

And "Less Than You Think" with it's 10 minuites or so of feedback and noise is... an acquired taste. Tweedy claims he finds it quite beautiful to listen to. I'm trying. I respect the experiment, and chopping it off to end the album with the whimsical "Late Greats" is perverse, funny and inspired. I love the abrupt snap that ends the album. Would an executive recommend this kind of thing? No. Do we care.

One of the things I love about Wilco is that each time I listen to Yankee or Ghost, a different song seems to assert itself and reveal it's brilliance. Wilco is not for people who listen to a record once and make up their minds. You're sure not going to get "Less Than You Think" the first time around. Not sure many of us can listen to it more than once though.

Overall, uneven, if you care about things like that. And more than occasionally, brilliant. We aren't radio priogrammers. We're fans of bold, interesting and challenging music. I believe Wilco is going to offer that each time out, and "A Ghost Is Born" is a great and worthwhile record to sit with and explore until the next one.

Coming after 2002's hyperbolically praised Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (which, in the interests of full disclosure, I like a great deal but didn't go nuts over), Wilco's first followup album was bound to generate some controversy, and A Ghost is Born certainly hasn't disappointed in that regard. That said, I'm sort of puzzled by the negative reaction to this album on this site by so many of Wilco's apparent down-from-day-one fans--judging by some of the things I've seen written, you'd think we were talking about John Mayer-style "sensitive male" filth or something. Even worse, many of the negative reviews go a long way toward proving that criticism isn't always critical, relying on simple-minded non-arguments like "it's boring," or "it doesn't sound like their old albums." Try harder next time, guys. Granted, this album is definitely far from perfect: I do sort of miss the aching, creaky croak that Tweedy used at a few points on YHF, as his vocals here generally take on a more hushed, reflective tone that sort of floats into and out of the mix. And yes, a couple of the songs here are too low-key to be of much consequence. But in the end, A Ghost is Born is another diverse and likably weird effort from some of modern music's more interesting experimentalists.

Overall, I found A Ghost is Born to be very much in the vein of YHF, namely excellent, intriguing meta-pop heavily tinged with rock and country influences, with the occasional curveball thrown in for good measure. Sure, it might not sound like all that much at first, but the effect of this album is gradual, revelling in nuance, detail, and unconventional song structures whose impact you probably won't catch the first time around.

Much as with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or either Shins release, unpredictability is a major key to this album's appeal, as the songs here generally eschew quick payoffs and big choruses in favor of intricate arrangements and subtle dynamics. And while you might not think it in light of some of the aforementioned moaning on this site, Wilco finds a way to work guitars into virtually every song on this album. Granted, they're often used as something of a complimentary instrument, but they're in the forefront an awful lot as well. More to the point, the use of guitars here is frequently brilliantly done, especially early on: check out the screaming, feedback-laden solo that follows the subdued opening to At Least That's What You Said; the eloquently understated lead that culminates the steady, chorus-less buildup of Hell is Chrome; and the pounding riffs and swirling noises interspersed between the hypnotic drone of Spiders.

Later on, things get a little bit more pop-oriented, but not at all to the album's detriment. If anything, the more straightforwardly catchy stuff has only gotten better since YHF. That album's Jesus, Etc. marked Wilco as experts in the non-sappy use of strings, and this album's Hummingbird takes them even further in that direction, incorporating heavy doses of guitars, violins, and piano for a chamber-pop sound that never spills over into Belle and Sebastian-style wussiness. Hummingbird isn't the only bastion of quirky pop goodness here, either: witness also the twangy Handshake Drugs; the forceful, lilting Company in my Back; and the bouncy, uptempo Theologians. Tweedy & Co. do flex their rock muscles a bit in the album's later going as well, albeit very much on their own terms, as the thrashing I'm A Wheel and the tongue-in-cheek The Late Greats didn't find their way to any corporate-rock stations I know of.

So, yeah. I don't think all of this album is great, but every track here is listenable in its own way, and almost everything is at least good (and even the lesser tracks are somewhat interesting). So, in the all-time pantheon of albums, I would put this one below Joy Division's Closer but above Nickelback's Silver Side Up. In other words, it's neither the best album of all time nor the worst. Where exactly it does fit is up to you to decide.

I imagine it must have been very difficult for Tweedy & co. to produce this album.

When you release what is, in my opinion, the best album of '02, and arguably the

best album of the decade, how can you follow up with another album? It took Wilco

balls to release A Ghost Is Born.

Wilco has expanded since their last album. A Ghost Is Born is much more piano

centered than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; at least 3 tracks begin with solely hammered

piano chords. I never fully understood why some album reviews were so deep and

philosophical, but one review I read said that whilst YHF looked outside at the

world, AGIB focused inwards. Somehow this is true, in a profoundly

misunderstandable way, whatever the hell that means.

The first track is a soft, mellow song, and about 2 minutes in the song picks up,

becomes upbeat and faster, and Tweedy solos the remaining 3 and a half minutes.

This was apparantly to show how suddenly Tweedy's migranes would come on. The last

12 minutes of track 11, Less Than You Think, feature a static radio hiss and what

could be called a feedback symphony. Supposedly this is what Jeff Tweedy heard

during his migranes. Whilst it's interesting to listen to once, the less said

about it, the better.

Regarding his solos, Tweedy says: "I was much more confident. To be honest, I felt

a lot freer. I was actually inhibited about my playing for many years, so I think

there was some effort to let it all hang out. It took me a long time to realize

that it's ok that I don't sound like Jimmy Page." The solos in this album are

amazing, to say the least. Very emotional and creative, exploring and covering new

ground.

Jeff Tweedy is an amazing songwriter. There's not much else to say. Where the

lyrics seem mediocre at best on paper ("When the devil came / he was not red / he

was chrome and he said / come with me"), the arrangements of the song and the music

more than compensate for the lyrics; they contribute to them.

Hummingbird is one of the best lyrical songs I've ever heard, hands down.

Some nonsensical lyrics like those in I'm a Wheel ("Once in Germany someone said

nein") only contribute to the upbeat nature of the song.

Although more so in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but also applicable to A Ghost Is Born,

Jeff Tweedy's cigarette choked, raspy voice is amazing; appealingly melodious. He

sings like he's dreaming in slow motion.

I've only had this album for less than a week, but even after hearing it 15+ times

it has grown on me more and more each time. It is nearly as good as Yankee Hotel

Foxtrot, and in my opinion surpasses A.M., Being There, and Summerteeth. The way

Wilco has progressed is interesting to experience. The differences between A.M.

and A Ghost Is Born are many.

At Least That's What You Said, Hell Is Chrome, Muzzle of Bees, Hummingbird,

Wishful Thinking, Company In My Back, Theologians, and The Late Greats are in my

opinion the most impressive songs, yet every song contributes to the completeness

of the album in its own way. This is one album I can listen to the entire way

through (save the last part of track 11). The one thing I hate is that I cannot

experience it for the first time again.

If this were stolen I would by it again, no questions asked. It's worth buying in

the first place. I haven't been this excited about an album for a long time.

This band never stops. Every c.d. is more powerful than the one before. I admit I'm a total fan, but I have hated every new Wilco c.d. when it came out. I was nervous when I first sat down to listen to Ghost is Born. And my fears were realized. I hated it. The techno sound of "Spiders," the astoundingly long piece of noise at the end of "Less than you Think," the absence of recurring catchy coruses, the moving songs that end when you want more... I was despondent. Was this the end of Wilco? But then, on second hearing, on third hearing,on fourth hearing, Tweedy and Wilco pulled me into their mad and beautiful whirlwind. Astounding guitar riffs, complex instrumentation, and yes, really really catchy tunes, even if they are not packaged in a linear commercial way. And layers of meaning thrown in the mix. Listen to this album, and keep listening. Wilco gives us the best of both worlds--Rock and Roll experimentation combined with music that will make you want to dance.

Long review short, this isnt really a follow up to Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, an excellent work in it's own right. A Ghost is Born is a different album, that while it rides the wave of success from YHF, is very different in terms of style. This should not be a surprise, this is a fairly standard Wilco masqurade.

That said, A Ghost is Born is a strong contender for the best album of 2004. Less cohessive in terms of absolute style than YHF, A Ghost is Born seems to jump across the boundry of many different genres and bring back the essense of each to incorperate in different tracks. The heavy playback to 70's psychadelic rock through out this album is welcomed by open arms on my behalf.

In an album of what I feel are stand out tracks, it's hard to find several key tracks to recommend to those interested in previewing this album before making the purchase. Even so, I would recommend purchasing this album and giving it due playtime before judging it's worth - as many others have agreed, it may take an handful of listens to appriecate it for the masterpeice that it is. Alot of the negetive reviews seem to come from people who were expecting to be blown away on the first listen - I find that I'm more blown away each listen, albeit a bit underwhelmed at first. However, some of my all time favourite albums, including The Flaming Lip's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots have required the same break in period, so this came as no shock.

That said, I'd just like to add some finishing remarks, and declare that the third track, Spiders (Kidsmoke) is needlessly dispised. Measuring almost 11 minutes in length, I find that it's 11 minutes of music bliss - with the blistering guitar chorus sown in with bits of lyrics and oddly-charming-but-seemingly-random guitar work for the final six and a half minutes of the track. You cant help but turn it up and help the rest of the near-by world rock out.

A Ghost is born is an excellent album that just needs some time to warm up to. Once you have, I have little doubt you'll agree - this is likely to be the best album of 2004. Whether or not it's Wilco's best album will largely be a matter of personal tastes: with such a vast array of sounds in their library, it's hard to call one 'better' than another when they are all distintly different.

Wilco is the premier country-alternative-pop-rock-art-avantgarde band.

Whatever that means. I think it would just be easier to say that they are a band with no specific genre, and they are one of the best bands working in the world today.

That said, A Ghost Is Born is, if not exactly a masterpiece like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, at least a stellar album.

The opener, At Least That's What You Said starts off slow, but builds up into a mid-tempo rocker. Another track worthy of mention is Spiders (Kidsmoke). It starts as a one-chord beat, but as soon as Jeff Tweedy strains the notes on the guitar, it turns into a great dance rock song.

Most of the other tracks are excellent as well (especially Handshake Drugs and Hummingbird), but be aware that there are a few clunkers (I'm A Wheel, Less Than You Think, The Late Greats), but it doesn't detract from this already fantastic album.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes Sonic Youth, R.E.M., Uncle Tupelo (who are also a great band), or anyone who likes art-country-alternative rock.

If you like this album, why not listen to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Being There?