A Ghost Is Born

by Wilco

Overview

Wilco's 2002 breakthrough release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, became a cause célèbre in the music press thanks to the band being unceremoniously dropped by Reprise Records (who deemed it unlistenable), and then signed by Nonesuch after the band began streaming it through their website, a novel strategy at the time. The critical and commercial success of YHF came with a reappraisal of Wilco -- they no longer seemed like that alt-country band of the other guy in Uncle Tupelo. 2004's A Ghost Is Born saw Wilco taking the experiments of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to the next level, while applying the lessons in new ways. A Ghost Is Born is a considerably warmer and more organic listening experience, and the extended instrumental breaks in several of the songs (two cuts are over ten minutes long) sound more like a group in full flight than the Pro Tools-assembled structures of YHF. Jim O'Rourke, whose post-production work on YHF played a huge role in crafting its sonic personality, produced and played guitar on A Ghost Is Born, and he encouraged Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates to explore the dynamics of their songs and refine their instrumental interplay, which had experienced an audible shift following the departure of guitarist, keyboardist, and secret weapon Jay Bennett and the addition of multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen. If Yankee Hotel Foxtrot boldly announced Wilco's sonic innovations, A Ghost Is Born feels more subtle, though no less adventurous and more sure on its feet. It was also more of a "grower" than Wilco's previous efforts, requiring more attention from the listener to appreciate its qualities, though "Hummingbirds," "Handshake Drugs," "Hell Is Chrome," and "Wishful Thinking" would all become fan favorites, and for good reasons. At the time of the album's release, the full extent of Tweedy's struggles with drug dependence and mental health during the making of the LP were not widely known, and they've since provided a subtext for the frequently haunted effect of the lyrics and Tweedy's vocals, as well as the long drone passage that closes "Less Than You Think." (The closer, "The Late Greats," rallies to close the set on an upbeat note.) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was seen as an out-of-the-box masterpiece, but that can't be said of A Ghost Is Born. In retrospect, though, it was the first salvo in Wilco's evolution into one of America's best and most adventurous indie bands, and paved the way for the steady stream of great albums that would follow. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2025
Label:	Nonesuch
UPC:	0075597899047

Tracks

Disc 1

1. At Least That's What You Said
2. Hell Is Chrome
3. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
4. Muzzle of Bees
5. Hummingbird
6. Handshake Drugs

Disc 2

7. Wishful Thinking
8. Company in My Back
9. I'm a Wheel
10. Theologians
11. Less Than You Think
12. The Late Greats

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wilco   Primary Artist
Leroy Bach   Vibraphone,Bass,Loops,Organ,Piano,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mike Jorgensen   Keyboards,Piano,Stylophone,Rocksichord,Synthesizer,Farfisa Organ
John Stirratt   Guitar (Bass),Piano,Bass,Loops,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jeff Tweedy   Guitar (12 String),Loops,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Bass (Acoustic),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Baritone),Guitar (Electric)
Jim O'Rourke   ARP Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Guest Artist,Bass,Drums,Loops,Organ,Piano,Arp 2600,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mikael Jorgensen   Synthesizer,Organ,Piano,Keyboards
TJ Doherty   Percussion
Glenn Kotche   Drums,Loops,Dulcimer,Percussion,Synthesizer,Hammer Dulcimer
Karen Waltuch   Viola
Frankie Montuoro   Dulcimer,Hammer Dulcimer
Tim Barnes   Percussion

Technical Credits

Chris Shaw   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Jim O'Rourke   Audio Production,Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Wilco   Audio Production,Producer
TJ Doherty   Assistant Engineer
Brian Lee   Mastering
Glenn Kotche   Composer
Jason Tobias   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Frankie Montuoro   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Deborah Johnson   Technical Assistance,Production Assistant
Haydn Johnston   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Bob Jackson   Mastering
Deborah Miles-Johnson   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Aaron Dalton   Studio Technician,Assistant Engineer
Dan Nadel   Design
Peter Buchanan Smith   Design,Photography
Tim Iseler   Assistant Engineer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Christopher Shaw   Engineer
Mike Jorgensen   Composer,Engineer
John Stirratt   Composer
Jeff Tweedy   Composer
Mikael Jorgensen   Composer,Engineer
Leroy Bach   Composer
Ken Waagner   Digital Supervisor
Daniel Herbst   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Stan Doty   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Mike Schmelling   Photography
Peter Smith   Design,Photography
Matt Zivich   Production Assistant,Technical Assistance
Chris Girard   Composer
Steve Rooke   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Gladys Nilsson   Drawing