A Ghost Is Born

Submitted by nonesuch on
Release Date
DescriptionExcerpt

Wilco juxtaposes its fearlessly experimental side with, as the Los Angeles Times put it, “a bottomless well of melodic invention” evocative of Dylan, the Band, Hendrix, and the Beatles. U.K.’s The Guardian calls A Ghost Is Born “a dramatic, ambitious album that dares you to rise to its challenge.” Winner of the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package.

Description

2004 Grammy Award Winner for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package

On June 22, 2004, Nonesuch Records released Wilco’s A ghost is born, the highly anticipated follow-up to the Chicago band’s 2002 recording, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The new music, recorded at Sear Sound in New York City and Soma E.M.S. in Chicago, features twelve new tracks by Jeff Tweedy and company. It again features the production collaboration of Wilco and Sonic Youth’s Jim O’Rourke.

A ghost is born merges traditional rock elements of guitars, drums and keyboards with the band’s signature sonic experimentation, resulting in a record that is arguably the band’s most organic and live sounding effort to date. Much of …ghost was tracked live in the studio with co-producer O’Rourke and engineer Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan). It was mastered at London’s Abbey Road.

Wilco is Jeff Tweedy (vocals, guitars), John Stirratt (bass, vocals), Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), and Mike Jorgensen (keyboards, laptop). Multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach left Wilco at the completion of the …ghost recording sessions and the band has just announced the addition of two new members to its touring line-up: Pat Sansone (John Stirratt’s collaborator in The Autumn Defense) on keyboards, guitars and vocals and Nels Cline on guitars.

ProductionCredits

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Wilco and Jim O’Rourke
Recorded at Sear Sound, NYC
Engineered by Chris Shaw
Mixed by Jim O’Rourke
Assistant Engineer: T. J. Doherty
Additional Engineering: Jim O’Rourke
Track 8-11 (non-drone section) recorded at SOMA E.M.S., Chicago, engineered by Mikael Jorgensen (Tim Iseler, assistant), with additional recording at Sear Sound, engineered by Jim O’Rourke
Mixed at Sear Sound by Jim O’Rourke
Mastered by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road, London

All songs written by Jeff Tweedy, except tracks 2 also by Jorgensen, 7 also by Kotche, 10 also by Jorgensen/Girard, 11 also by Stirratt/Kotche/Jorgensen/Bach/O’Rourke

Design by Peter Buchanan-Smith with Dan Nadel for PictureBox, Inc.
Photography by Michael Schmelling and Peter Buchanan-Smith

Nonesuch Selection Number

79809

Number of Discs in Set
1disc
ns_album_artistid
184
ns_album_id
550
ns_album_releasedate
ns_genre_1
0
ns_genre_2
0
Album Status
Artist Name
Wilco
MusicianDetails

MUSICIANS
Jeff Tweedy, vocals (1-12), electric guitar (1, 6, 9, 10), electric lead guitar (2, 3), acoustic baritone 12-string guitar (4, 7), acoustic guitar (6-8, 10, 12), 6-string acoustic bass (11), loops, filters, synths (11)
John Stirratt, bass (1, 3, 6-10, 12), electric guitar (2), background vocals (2, 3 4 5 6), piano (4), electric rhythm guitar (5), acoustic guitar (11), loops, filters, synths (11)
Leroy Bach, piano (1, 6, 8, 12), Korg CX-3 organ (2, 8), bass (4), vibes (7), electric guitar (9), acoustic guitar (10, 11), loops, filters, synths (11)
Glenn Kotche, drums (1-12), hammer dulcimer (8, 11,12), percussion (8), loops, filters, synths (11)
Mikael Jorgensen, synthesizer (1), piano (2-5, 7, 10, 12), RMI Rocksichord (3, 6), Farfisa organ (4, 7, 12), Fenix modular synthesizer (8), stylophone (8), Serge modular synthesizer (11)
Jim O’Rourke, piano (1, 3, 4, 10), bass (2, 5), electric rhythm guitar (3, 6), ARP 2600 (3), acoustic guitar (4, 8), electric lead guitar (5), Korg CX-3 organ (7), loops, filters, synths (11), electric guitar (11)

with
Frankie Montuoro, hammer dulcimer (5)
Karen Waltuch, viola (5)
Tim Barnes, percussion (6)

Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
CD+MP3
UPC
075597980929BUN
Label
MP3
Price
9.00
UPC
075597980967
Label
LP+MP3
UPC
081227649210BUN
  • A Ghost Is Born
    by

  • 79809

News & Reviews

  • Wilco's Jeff Tweedy joined Cheryl Pawelski in conversation at a Recording Academy event in Chicago celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the band's groundbreaking album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The super deluxe anniversary edition of the album, released in September 2022, earned them the Grammy Award for Best Historical Album in 2023 as compilation producers and writer Bob Mehr the Grammy for Best Album Notes. You can watch their conversation here.

  • Wilco’s 2007 album Sky Blue Sky is now available in a limited-edition two-LP, sky-blue vinyl release; you can take a quick look inside here. The Gold-selling album made year’s best lists from Rolling Stone, Uncut, Mojo, BBC Radio 6 Music, and more. “Near perfect,” said Spin. Featuring the band that was assembled after the release of 2004’s A ghost is born, Sky Blue Sky was the first studio album from a lineup that has remained the same to today: guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter Jeff Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, percussionist Glenn Kotche, keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, and avant-jazz guitarist Nels Cline.

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  • About This Album

    2004 Grammy Award Winner for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package

    On June 22, 2004, Nonesuch Records released Wilco’s A ghost is born, the highly anticipated follow-up to the Chicago band’s 2002 recording, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The new music, recorded at Sear Sound in New York City and Soma E.M.S. in Chicago, features twelve new tracks by Jeff Tweedy and company. It again features the production collaboration of Wilco and Sonic Youth’s Jim O’Rourke.

    A ghost is born merges traditional rock elements of guitars, drums and keyboards with the band’s signature sonic experimentation, resulting in a record that is arguably the band’s most organic and live sounding effort to date. Much of …ghost was tracked live in the studio with co-producer O’Rourke and engineer Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan). It was mastered at London’s Abbey Road.

    Wilco is Jeff Tweedy (vocals, guitars), John Stirratt (bass, vocals), Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), and Mike Jorgensen (keyboards, laptop). Multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach left Wilco at the completion of the …ghost recording sessions and the band has just announced the addition of two new members to its touring line-up: Pat Sansone (John Stirratt’s collaborator in The Autumn Defense) on keyboards, guitars and vocals and Nels Cline on guitars.

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Jeff Tweedy, vocals (1-12), electric guitar (1, 6, 9, 10), electric lead guitar (2, 3), acoustic baritone 12-string guitar (4, 7), acoustic guitar (6-8, 10, 12), 6-string acoustic bass (11), loops, filters, synths (11)
    John Stirratt, bass (1, 3, 6-10, 12), electric guitar (2), background vocals (2, 3 4 5 6), piano (4), electric rhythm guitar (5), acoustic guitar (11), loops, filters, synths (11)
    Leroy Bach, piano (1, 6, 8, 12), Korg CX-3 organ (2, 8), bass (4), vibes (7), electric guitar (9), acoustic guitar (10, 11), loops, filters, synths (11)
    Glenn Kotche, drums (1-12), hammer dulcimer (8, 11,12), percussion (8), loops, filters, synths (11)
    Mikael Jorgensen, synthesizer (1), piano (2-5, 7, 10, 12), RMI Rocksichord (3, 6), Farfisa organ (4, 7, 12), Fenix modular synthesizer (8), stylophone (8), Serge modular synthesizer (11)
    Jim O’Rourke, piano (1, 3, 4, 10), bass (2, 5), electric rhythm guitar (3, 6), ARP 2600 (3), acoustic guitar (4, 8), electric lead guitar (5), Korg CX-3 organ (7), loops, filters, synths (11), electric guitar (11)

    with
    Frankie Montuoro, hammer dulcimer (5)
    Karen Waltuch, viola (5)
    Tim Barnes, percussion (6)

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Produced by Wilco and Jim O’Rourke
    Recorded at Sear Sound, NYC
    Engineered by Chris Shaw
    Mixed by Jim O’Rourke
    Assistant Engineer: T. J. Doherty
    Additional Engineering: Jim O’Rourke
    Track 8-11 (non-drone section) recorded at SOMA E.M.S., Chicago, engineered by Mikael Jorgensen (Tim Iseler, assistant), with additional recording at Sear Sound, engineered by Jim O’Rourke
    Mixed at Sear Sound by Jim O’Rourke
    Mastered by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road, London

    All songs written by Jeff Tweedy, except tracks 2 also by Jorgensen, 7 also by Kotche, 10 also by Jorgensen/Girard, 11 also by Stirratt/Kotche/Jorgensen/Bach/O’Rourke

    Design by Peter Buchanan-Smith with Dan Nadel for PictureBox, Inc.
    Photography by Michael Schmelling and Peter Buchanan-Smith