I loved this record immediately. It surprised me, no doubt, as it is a departure from previous stuff. But on the first listen, to the first track, when the noise started, I was thrilled. Any child of the 70's probably misses this kind of guitar playing. And I guess some people who didn't grow up in that decade miss it.

I welcome the addition of Nels Cline, have been listening to Sky Blue Sky a lot lately and absolutely love the work they're putting out. It transcends categorization to me--I think it will sound just as good in 20 years. But, as you can see from previous posts, it's not for everyone. Which is totally fine in my book.

Want to understand this album? Listen to the words to Hell is Chrome. Reviewers complaining about droning white noise, words that don't make sense, "incompetently played" guitar solos ---- It's all spelled out for you in Hell is Chrome. If you don't understand it then you need to choose something easier to listen to. Something that makes sense immediately. Something that doesn't challenge you. Something that doesn't make you wonder. Something that doesn't make you think. Please enjoy your own chrome plated hell.

This album is a masterpiece. It's simple, beautiful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Yes, even Less Than You Think - all 15 minutes of it. Maybe if you actually _listen_ to the intro of that song, you can at least try to understand why there are 12 minutes of noise. There isn't a single piece on this album that isn't exactly the way it's supposed to be.

Good job, Wilco.

Yeah, just as pretty much everyone else has said, this one is a creeper. It took me awhile to really get into their groove on this record. The goods are there, I guess it depends on how you listen to it. What really made me go back a give this record another try was hearing their live album. Theologians, Company in my Back and Hand Shake drugs are really great songs.

I love this CD but the 'noise' at the end of some of the songs really takes so much away from the overall groove. I've recommended and have played a few of the tracks for friends and always mention--'the end of this track is a disaster and will grate on your nerves!' When I play the CD I always skip -to-the-next song when the distorted mess comes up. So much potential in the CD itself. Hopefully WILCO will become enlightened and lose the nails on chalkboard endings.

I am not what you would call a die hard Wilco fan. I do like their music though. While I have only had "a ghost is born" for a few days, I must agree with the reviewers that feel let-down the by the noise-making on this CD. Noise-making has its place, but usually (here included) it just doesn't bring me pleasure. Instead, it requires patience to listen until the end of a few of the tracks.

A previous review makes the analogy between this CD and the art of Andy Warhol. But I think that Tweedy works to create great meaning and emotion, while Warhol strove to vacate art of those attributes while meditating on fame. A better comparison would be bad Abstract Expressionism from the 50's, the kind of visual noise that must have seemed smart at the time, but also kind that no one wants to view any more.

Not to over emphasize the "noise" thing. It only happens on some of the songs, and several of the songs on the CD are pretty good. However, it just feels like Tweedy is putting some distance between himself and his earlier work, and his fans. So, like "Kid A" (love Radiohead, still can't stand Kid A) it could constitute a reaction, a break from the past. I just don't want to pay to hear a reaction.

The Grammy awards given to this CD should have be a yellow flag. Grammy winning CD's are rarely the best an artist has to offer. Often, Grammys are a belated nod to talent or driven by sales. However, I will keep listening - the CD is subtle and perhaps I just need time to appreciate it.

Yep, that's right. Been a fan for a while, but this was the album in my opinion that launched them into the stratosphere of pop rock creative mastery. I'm only writing this review for all the naysayers. Yes this album doesn't have all the catchy hooks of his older albums, or the straight ahead rock twang feel, but guess what? Jeff Tweedy has evolved as a songwriter and musician and if you don't evolve too you'll keep listening to AM and think that's his peak. Sorry, but no way. I will add that it does take time to appreciate the subtle mastery of this album --- after casually listening to it for several months, I "discovered" it on a road trip through the Oregon desert. The scope and texture of this album is unlike any other I've heard, absolutely beautiful, rich, deep, poetic, melodic, creative, original, moving.... "Muzzle of Bees" and "Theologians" particularly. I guess it's personal, but I think that's their intent.

If Wilco's CDs were abstract paintings, I would say Summerteeth was a classic Picasso and A Ghost Is Born is more like Andy Warhol. Much as Warhol painted a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup and succeeded in convincing many people that it was art, Jeff Tweedy seems to have succeeded in convincing many people that screeching guitars, bleeps, static and feedback is great music.

There are moments on Ghost where Tweedy clearly crosses the line and experiments purely for the sake of experimentation, not to make music that anyone in their right mind would want to listen to. And, in doing so, it's obvious the guy has become a tad too full of himself. The wall of grating noise that is "Less Than You Think" comes off as a shrine to Tweedy's self-indulgence. I would be willing to bet that hardly anyone who gave this CD 5 stars has THAT "song" on their iPod, and those who do are trying too hard.

Even when the noise allows the music to get through, the songs don't stand up to those on Summerteeth, Being There, or even A.M. Unfortunately, Tweedy continues his trend of short little rockers that are meant to be clever but come off as too cute. On YHF it was "Heavy Metal Drummer," on this CD there is "I'm a Wheel", which initially grabs you but then becomes disposable with repeated listens.

I am hoping for better things on Wilco's next release, and, in the meantime, I'll be listening to their earlier stuff.

I cannot understand how people hear this cd as a 5 star album. Wilco can do so much better! What happend? Is Jeff Tweedy ok? He sounds like he has been sheltering himself in his room while chainsmoking unfiltered cigarettes. What happened to his voice? I know he's getting older, but there is a significant change. His voice sounds very thin, and he is often on the border of whispering on quite a few tracks. What happend to the Wilco that recorded "Should've Been in Love", "Hotel Arizona", "Someday Soon", "Secret of the Sea", or even "Pieholden Suite"?? There was so much substance to Wilco's past releases and the songs were a pleasure to crank up loud. This album sounds like Tweedy's cry for psychiatric care. Not one to turn up on a drive with the friends. I think some of the songs, "Hell is Chrome" being one, could have sounded a lot better if recorded circa '98. I honestly can't listen to this album anymore after trying to like it so many times. True fans need Wilco to return to form after this serious letdown by taking back their energy of years gone by and putting forth their masterpiece. They can do it, but the direction of "Ghost" is not the way.

I love A.M., but this album seems very garage-band quality. A Ghost is Born has nothing original or unique, and not much of what made me like Wilco originally. I just don't find static and feedback very enjoyable to listen to. Overall very disappointing.

This is an excellent addition in the Wilco journey. After Jay Bennett left (or was asked to leave), there was a question on how Jeff Tweedy and Wilco would handle his departure. We needn't worry. A Ghost is Born is certainly different than every Wilco album before it, but it's still challenging and is another indication that Jeff Tweedy is the best songwriter of his generation (at least I think so). I have loved every album Wilco has done (especially the Mermaid Avenue collections), and I really love the sonic assault on this album. The lead track, At Least That's What You Said, has one of the most intense guitar solos I've heard in a long time. Jeff gets "really pissed at it" (to borrow a phrase from Frank Zappa), and makes it a cross between Zappa and The Velvet Underground. Spiders (Kidsmoke) is a hypnotic song, and I really like the lengthy, much discussed Less Than You Think. The 15 minutes go by too quickly, I think. The album as a whole is very consistent and well sequenced. Tweedy is one of the few modern artists (and I do mean artist) that actually sequences his albums very well. It's almost a lost art. A Ghost is Born is definitely a step in another direction, but it's a damn good step.

Although I don't consider this to be the best Wilco CD, it still holds a special place in my heart because this CD introduced me to Wilco. If I hadn't liked it, then I wouldn't have gone out of my way to discover the rest of Wilco's music. Those people saying that this CD is terrible are most likely judging it against the awe inspiring music in Wilco's other CD's. This inhibits them from seeing that despite that this CD may not match up as well as other Wilco CDs, it's still an excellent CD.

I have owned this cd for almost 2 years now, and I have to say it gets more play in my stereo when I'm driving than all my other cds combined. If you're looking for a cd to turn up and rock out to this is it. "Hummingbird" "I'm a Wheel" "Handshake Drugs" "Wishful Thinking" and "Company in My Back" are all members of my favorite songs ever. I guess I got lucky having so many favorites on one album. This cd is truly fantastic. I am always amazed at how different and wonderful each Wilco cd turns out. Just when I think they can't come out with anything better they surprise me. This cd should go down in the history as one of the best in the world, in my oppinion. It is a necessary classic to add to your collection. Whether you're a Wilco fan or not, take a chance and buy this cd. It's worth it.

I've listened to all their records and A Ghost is Born is the most emotional and intense of the lot. It takes some adjusting to (anyone who says that this is a cop out is lying to themselves), but after that phase you begin to love this album in a different way than other albums of theirs. This one is darker and has a much stronger sense of emotion due to Tweedy's vocals and guitar work. A lot of these songs do individually sound better on Kicking Television, but if they sounded like that on the record it would have felt less cohesive. There is a mood to Ghost and it's absolutely perfect for late night drives, depressing times (the music can really click at those moments), and whenever your listening just needs to be mellow and genuine. This is and probably will always be Tweedy's most personal and artful Wilco record. Ghost is something to respect, and it can be extremely enjoyable with an open mind.

I am not going to lie, I am a new Wilco fan. So great, there are alot of people that are "bigger fans" than me because they have liked this band for so long, and blah blah blah, apparently that makes me less of a person. But I dont understand how anyone that has heard this album can give it anything under a five star rating. Granted its not all acoustic and not as folky as their early stuff by any means, but if you look at this album by itself then I find very little wrong with it.
My biggest complaint is the 12 minutes of feedback after "less than you think" which I just find rather unnecessary, though it does put in a nice little trance for about 10 minutes. Or the hokeyness of the lyrics and music for "I'm a wheel" which is my least favorite track, but other than that, the album is great.
The first thing that i heard by Wilco was Yankee, and I really liked it, I always hear it hailed as their best album, but I personally think that A Ghost is Born is better...ok, well maybe not better, but it is definately a close second. I can listen to the whole album all the way through and then want to listen to nothing else but the album once again. And the songs are anywhere from slow and beautiful to fast and catchy.
Personally one of my new favorite albums.

Let me say first that this is not my favorite Wilco album. In fact, I rarely listen to it in its entirety. However, I have come to praise Wilco and this album specifically for being part of the salvation of pop music.

Yes, this is a frustrating record. We are offered no less than two tracks that exceed 10 minutes in length due to random synthesizer noodling and guitar feedback exercises. Yes, Jeff Tweedy did something to his voice that makes him sound noticeably different than he did on previous records. And there are alternating moments of cacaphony and quiet whispers that frequently are juxtaposed within the same song and will have you rushing to adjust the volume one way or the other. So why do I like this record? Why should you buy this record?

You should buy this record because Wilco has created beautiful and brilliant moments on this album that no one else could or would do. You can rightly chastise Jeff Tweedy and his music for being pompous and overwrought, and this album could definitely provide plenty of supporting evidence. However, I can think of few bands that are willing to take a chance with their music and dare to be so complex with it. Yes, it doesn't always work out, but when it does it is unparalleled. Listen to the first two minutes of the lead-off track. Soft piano chords open the song then Jeff Tweedy chimes in with his most plaintive vocals. Way off way in the background an electric guitar spits out a few notes. It's the most beautiful moment on the record and in my mind makes Wilco indispensable to the world of pop music. Who else could produce such magnificent failures?

Of course there's lots of other good stuff on this record. "Theologians" and "The Late Greats" are good songs that could have turned up on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "Being There", respectively. And as I alluded to earlier, there's a lot of stuff that we could do without, but if putting up with 10 minutes of musical wanking on "Spiders" gets me the beauty of "Hell is Chrome", I'll take it.

All the naysayers who hype the early Wilco albums and trash YHF and Ghost are the equivalent of the guy screaming "Judas!" at Bob Dylan at his Royal Albert Hall concert back in 66' when he went electric. If that guy had his way there would be no "Blood on the Tracks". Yes, early Wilco is awesome, but Wilco, like Dylan, won't be held back by your resistance to change. If you stop expecting the same No Depression schtick and approach these albums without expectations you will be highly rewarded by a group of musicians who are making amazing art on their own terms.

ahh this one's lovely. I was very dissapointed with this one at first but then...I woke up! Krautrock-prog epics. Beatlesque melodies gleefully twisted and estranged. Songs so slight they barely seem thei at first. Like scented winds. If you've got the time to listen to this a few times on headphones, the slighter tracks will slowly unfold themselves into something clever, heart rending and unclassafiable strange. Not for everyone this but for me, after all those listens I'm afriad (sorry instant pop fans) this is truly their best LP. And yes, I loved Summerteeth.
The guitar playing alone will make the hairs on your neck stand on end. The lyrics are typical Wilco bittersweet and the singing is Tweedy's most hearfelt (see tearfully resigned). Wilco forge further out into the avant garde with every release. No balloon waving back slapping Flaming Lips style antics for them. They've followed their most acclaimed but strangely not the best LP with an album that doesn't sound like anyone else, not even Wilco.
You may not be ready for it, but your kids are gonna love it.

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.

This album presents a great step for Wilco. Released 2 years after 2002's wondrous Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born presents a sound change for Wilco. The sound on this album is likened to Neil Young and Crazy Horse in the guitar sound and stylings. The production is also similar to "After the Goldrush" - witness the piano sound on "Hummingbird". The production has a very analogue feel to it, which is great. This album successfully melds sounds of 70's rock, current Indie music, and a bit of country. One of the Best Albums of 2004.

Sorry, this sounds like unfinished demo tapes.
The songs work much better on Kicking Television.

Oh, sorry... fell asleep again. That seems to happen every time I put this on. You know how everyone describes a CD by saying "this sounds like X crossed with Y?" Well, watch the 11:10PM weather forecast on a really small market local newscast (preferably where it snows a lot), then filter in a really boring AA meeting, and you'll have "A Ghost Is Born."

In many Wilco reviews, there are phrases like "takes a while to sink in" or "takes repeated listenings." That is what people say when they really mean "this sucks, but I'm going to force myself to like it, since everyone else does."

I'm a wilco fan....and I'll admit, even for me it took a few listens. Be patient, have an open mind, and you will be rewarded with one of the best albums in years. This album will grow on you like a fungus. The best album by one of the most underrated bands around. Buy it now!

I am a newly christened fan of Wilco. I have heard of the band for years now but never really gave them a listen until recently. I think the thing that changed me about them was watching the documentary " I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" about the bands making of their most highly acclaimed album to that point,Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I have still not caught the entire film from start to finish but while watching this I saw this amazing live band who had some great songs that I had never heard. For the long-time fans I can see why this album is not one of their favorites it is probably one of the reasons why I don't like their first album A.M. I can listen to some of the songs on the album but this album makes you listen very closely and also some of my favorite albums of all-time are the ones that on the first listen are not your favorite but after repeated listening the songs as well as album grows on you. I am not trying to offend anyone who is a fan of the bands early material because I am a fan of Being There as well but Wilco is like all great bands they evolve in there career and make music that will live on and on long when the band are no more. Is this album a good starting point for a person wanting to enjoy Wilco. No, it isn't a good starting point would be Summerteeth which is my personal favorite album. Or even better would be Being There. Both are good starting points and if you like those then you will probably love this album as well as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Like most Wilco albums, this one really grows on you. I didn't like it the first couple of spins. But now I am obsessed with it. Give this one a chance. It is absolutely brillinat. Beautiful, melodic songs. Experimental arrangements yet preserving the rootsy feel of a traditional rock band. Wilco is without a doubt the best band working today. You will not be disappointed with this one!

This album is seemingly getting panned from all angles. I feel that it is significantly better than any Wilco effort to date. The lyrical message is more powerful than in previous albums, and the album feels more varied and intricate than previous albums. YHF, while excellent, doesn't have the sound and agility created until this one.

I've noticed a lot of the people panning this album seem to have been Wilco fans since their first album, A.M. Hopefully their dislike of this A Ghost Is Born is truly because of a departure from their earlier sound (and, indeed, an unwillingness to grow with a band -- I wonder if these same folks would have been screaming for "Love me do" when The White Album came out) rather than indieitis rearing it's ugly head (Indieitis, for those of you who don't know, is a disease that causes the afflicted to like a band less the more popular they become). I digress. My point is this: listeners willing to let an album take them someplace rather than blanching when it doesn't conform to their preconceived notion of what a Wilco album SHOULD sound like WILL like this album. The drone, the meandering, the unsure vocalization -- the whole thing is a masterpiece. Buy this album immediately.

I definetley agree with the people that said this album grew on them, it really does. I got it when it came out and thought it was good but it just took a few listen to get to that point. The whole thing is great, a good mix of mellow and upbeat songs. And I also totally disagree with the " this is just noise " line; this is probably the best use and placement of feedback i have heard on an album. On the other hand I do agree that "less than you think's" feedback at the end goes on a little long, ive probably listened to all of it once, but all in all this album is really good, open your ears for the perfect guitar solo on "hell is chrome."

Jay Bennett came on board after A.M and you can hear the incredible contribution he made in producing and playing in the awesome Being There and Summerteeth. However, the press blew it. Here were Wilco's Sergeant Pepper's/Abbey Road back in '96 and '99 and the press missed it. Realizing their mistake a few years later, the press helped exagerrate the whole record company firing Wilco nonsense and then rated YHF and A Ghost is Born as the greatest things they'd ever heard. Get real!! By this time, gone was Ken Coomer's relaxed drum beats and of course Jay Bennett's absolute genius (both fired), and now what you're left with is a bunch of noise with a bit of music thrown in. Spare yourself this garbage, and start from the beginning with A.M. and stop with Summerteeth or Mermaid Avenues.

this,without a doubt,is definitely one of the top albums of 2004,up there with Brian Wilson's "Smile." how can i explain why i like this album so much other than to rave about Jeff Tweedy and his artistic vision.i found it hard not to move along to the music,during it's upbeat moments,throughout the albums length.maybe i like it so much because i saw the documnetary,"I am Trying to Break Your Heart-A film About Wilco," beforehand and had also heard "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot",both of which are great.with the documentary i got to see Tweedy as he really is and how they made that record,and i automatically identified with him.Tweedy's music is a required taste i suppose and i find that very unfortunate because i don't really see why other bands like Radiohead(who i also like and am not putting down but i would think are also a required taste but are so much bigger)are much more popular.i can't help but think that this is what Kurt would be doing had he not given up or been murdered,my beliefs on him vary depending upon my mood. this music is different yes and probably won't satisfy any close-minded bully types,in which i am far from which is probably why i love this so much.you have to hear this for yourself,as well as other of his,particularly "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot".give it a chance,lay back and let your mind go and listen.

Wilco's first album, A.M., is in my top ten list of best rock albums of all time. Although I thoroughly enjoy Tweedy's next releases, Being There and Summer Teeth, every subsequent album after A.M. was a step down in quality - a devolvement into self-indulgent experimentation. The wheels started coming off with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and then it completely fell apart with this album. It's amazing how bad it is, and I've given it plenty of chances - more than it deserved. To like this album you must like anything that bears the Wilco name. Tweedy could have belched into a mic for forty minutes and he'd still get five star reviews by the hard core.

Hi. I just figured something out about this album and thought I'd share. I, like many others, was a little disappointed by this album, and found myself listening to it very little. One day I realized that it had some of my favorite Wilco songs on it. In fact, i realized, i loved most of the songs on it, so why did I still not like it as an album? Well, I finally figured it out.
Its the tracklisting. They didn't quite nail either the order of the songs on this album or what songs should be on it. So, I did some experimentation. Spiders and Handshake drugs had to go. Spiders, while good, just ruins the album. It just doesn't work. It should be its own ep or something. Handshake drugs, while still not bad, is just boring and ruins the album as well. So lose those. The next problem is having the late greats after the 12 min. nothing of less than you think. This creates many problems such as, listening through the noise to get to it, or always having to skip to it. I personally, never listened to it because of this. It was wasted at the end. So switch those two around (the empty time in less than you think bothers me less at the end - in fact it seems appropriate as the whole album slides into obscurity). Then I heard the two songs they left off the album - panthers and kicking television. These are great and work well on the album to replace the two that were taken off. I experimented and this is how the whole thing works best.
1.At least that's what you said
2.Hell is chrome
3.Kicking Television
4.Muzzle of Bees
5.Hummingbird
6.Wishful Thinking
7.Company in my back
8.I'm a wheel
9.Theologians
10.Panthers
11.The Late Greats
12.Less than you think

With the tracklisting like this I love this album as much as YHF. Try it out!
p.s. I'm still kinda tinkering with the placement of kicking tv. feel free to experiment.

Wow.
The feel of this album: it's amazing.
There's a creepy undercurrent that flows beneath even its more buoyant and upbeat songs, and a flood of imagery that often makes me suspect this is actually a subtle sort of concept album. As if the whole thing's the soundtrack to a film. Listening to it, I can see images the entire time, even when there aren't lyrics. ...Sometimes ESPECIALLY when there aren't lyrics. I have an entire "Greendale"-style movie plotted out to it in my mind, and in it, even the several minutes of droning noise in "Less Than You Think" serve an essential purpose, and are right to be there.
But I won't bore you with the particulars of my imagined movie.
Suffice it to say that "A Ghost is Born" is as visual as it is auditory. The momentum-filled drive of the guitar of "At Least That's What You Said" suggests almost right off windshield-shaped images of gray asphalt road being devoured by the front of a vehicle. "Hell is Chrome" puts bikers on that road, supernaturally conflicted ones. "Hummingbird" adds pop, "Theologians" gives you something joyous to wake up to, "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" chugs and morphs along almost into electronica--long but could be longer--and "Handshake Drugs" features some of John Stirratt's best bass playing and may be my favorite song on the album.
"Less Than You Think" is the song that almost everyone hates, because it features several minutes of a faintly pulsing drone. (Trust me, it's way better than what The Polyphonic Spree did on their first album....) This song gives some people anxiety, and makes many skip right through it, but given a fair chance, it's the way it is for a reason, and the album wouldn't be complete without it. Even I, cult-member-like Wilco fan that I am, thought it was indulgent and purposefully annoying when I first heard it, but since then I've found myself on several drives in which the drone of it just fit everything perfectly, and have found a new appreciation of it. Besides, Jeff Tweedy is a genius, and for every step of his career he's been ahead of everybody else. Trust the guy. He won't lead you astray and, given time, his (musical) choices will almost always prove to have been wise.
This is not the Wilco of the past. This is the Wilco of Moon Colony X-3454357, the Wilco of the future. A major songwriting talent present on every album up until now (Jay Bennett) has gone his own way (and he is missed), and only two members of the entire band that were around for Wilco's first album are still here for this album. It's something entirely new, but it's something good--something great, something timeless, something well worth buying.

Wilco has done some good albums, especially during the Jay Bennett era. This album ranks with A.M. as their weakest. Try Summerteeth or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Wilco tries some new stuff here that is very experimental.
Some tracks are very, very weak (Company In My Back, Wishful Thinking) but the other songs are just fantastic. It's surely no "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" but it's a very enjoyable nonetheless. I say this as an avid Wilco fan who is not afraid to try new stuff (unlike...some people reviewing this album!)

At Least That's What You Said - 8/10 Very bluesy and moody.
It goes from whisper-quiet guitar and piano to the full band pounding away.

Hell Is Chrome - 10/10 Even more bluesy than its predecessor, it creeps up on you but never attacks you. Very original lyrics.

Spiders (Kidsmoke) - 9/10 What the hell? It's so crazy, sloppy and original I have to give it a nine.

Muzzle of Bees - 10/10 An extremely beautiful song. I can't believe it. Wilco has done it again.

Hummingbird - 10/10 Amazing. Breathtaking. Just listen to this and MOB and you dont need to listen to most (i said most) of the rest of the album. Wow.

Handshake Drugs - 8/10 Quiet and a little dull, but nonetheless good.

Wishful Thinking - 6/10 lame.

Company in my back - 5/10 The most retarded lyrics I've heard in a long while.

I'm A Wheel - 9/10 great rocker!

Theologians - 10/10 Really great song. I don't know what else to say. This actually contains the line "a ghost is born"

Less Than You Think - 8/10 Nice slow, low pitch piano ballad. I actually sat through the 15 minute drone. Jeff is challenging the listener with this one.

The Late Greats - 9/10 Alone it's okay, but to fully enjoy it you have to listen to the drone first. It's a cool feeling...after a while of just noise, the pretty pop music comes as a relief to your ears.

This album is chock full of artistic expression. I dare you to try it. You've never heard anything like it.

peace

I really like Wilco. Being There, Summer Teeth, Mermaid Avenue and YHF are all worthy of four or five stars in my book. This album has it's moments but it simply doesn't compare to those albums.

After repeated listening I feel like this record comes across on one hand as smarmy and pretentious and on the other hand as self-loathing and indifferent. Yikes! Did I just say that? Well its true. Those traits lend themselves to the generally disappointing vibe this record creates. Specifically where this album really fails me are the things that I love most about the previous Wilco records: 1) musicianship 2) cohesion and 3) songwriting.

First, there are at least three dreadful guitar solos present on this record. I didn't think I could tell the difference between a good solo and a bad one, but that was before I listened to this record. I don't expect master solos but some of the guitar work here could make bloodhounds howl.

Second, there is intentionally little in the way of cohesion with AGIB. Tweedy appears to be undoing our preconceived notions of what a Wilco record should sound like, which could be a good thing. But he does this in such a way leaves one with a disappointing listening experience. Between bad solos and the generous use of static and sometimes juvenile lyrics, I find myself hitting the forward button all too often.

Third, of all the things Jeff Tweedy is known for songwriting is his forte. There are some gems here but there are also some very bad ones, particularily towards the last few tracks. There are some songs that just feel like half-hearted Kinks impersonations. It's not that Tweedy's apparent desire to expand (or confuse) the popular notion of what a Wilco song should sound like is a bad thing, it just that it feels like he doesn't care about some of the songs on his own record (if that makes any sense).

But he obviously cared about some of them as there are some very good tracks here. Muzzle of Bees is one of them:

"the sun gets passed from sea to sea
silently
and back to me
with a breeze blown through
pushed up above the leaves
with a breeze blowing through
my head upon your knee

half of it's you
half is me"

Those are the type of lyrics Jeff is known for. Probably about half of the songs hold well lyrically.

In a year of listening about five songs really stand out to me. I've been meaning to rip this to my pc and add the songs I like to my hard drive. In my humble opinion that is a good way to go. As I said earlier, most of their previous records are worthy of a four or five star rating. Ghost simply does not compare to any of the previous Wilco records, not even AM, which gets three stars in my book. There's just too much that's awry with this record.