A Ghost Is Born (Deluxe Edition)

Nonesuch releases a deluxe edition of Wilco’s 2004 Grammy Award–winning album A Ghost Is Born.  The box set comprises either nine vinyl LPs and four CDs or nine CDs – including the original album, alternates, outtakes, and demos, charting the making of A Ghost Is Born – plus the complete 2004 concert recording from Boston’s Wang Center and the band’s “fundamentals” workshop sessions.  It includes 65 previously unreleased music tracks as well as a 48-page hardcover book with previously unpublished photos and a new liner note by Grammy-winning writer Bob Mehr.

A Ghost Is Born was released commercially on June 22, 2004, debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard chart.  The album, which Mehr calls ‘an eclectic array of dark ballads, upbeat pop songs, Krautrock chug, noise rock freakouts, and roots rock abandon,’ was widely acclaimed as one of 2004’s best, appearing in year-end lists of Mojo, NPR, NME, the Associated Press, The Wire, Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, and Uncut, among many others.  The album earned the band its first Grammy, for Best Alternative Music Album. The album also won a Grammy for Best Recording Package.

For the A Ghost Is Born recording, Wilco was Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Leroy Bach, Glenn Kotche, and Mikael Jorgensen; Jim O’Rourke, who mixed the band’s previous release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, co-produced the album with Wilco.  Leroy Bach left Wilco at the completion of the sessions and the band announced the addition of two new members: Pat Sansone and Nels Cline.  Sansone and Cline toured with Wilco to promote A Ghost Is Born and that lineup has remained unchanged since 2004.  As Tweedy said to Mehr for his new liner note, “Making that record, and then finding this lineup, that was the start of something – of having a band that can play anything.  That’s why, 20 years later, we’re still here and still going.”

Released: February 2025
Cat: 0075597899009       
Label: Nonesuch

Listen

Tracklist

9LP+4CD 

LP Disc 1: a GHOST IS BORN
Side A:
1. At Least That’s What You Said
2. Hell Is Chrome
3. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Side B:
4. Muzzle of Bees
5. Hummingbird
6. Handshake Drugs

LP Disc 2: a gHOST IS BORN
Side C:
7. Wishful Thinking
8. Company in My Back
9. I’m a Wheel
10. Theologians

Side D:
11. Less Than You Think
12. The Late Greats

LP Disc 3: dBpm: Outtakes/Alternates 1
Side E:
13. At Least That’s What You Said (8/13/02 SOMA-Chicago)
14. Hell Is Chrome (10/5/03 SOMA-Chicago)
15. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (9/28/03 SOMA-Chicago)
16. Muzzle Of Bees (7/15/03 SOMA-Chicago)

Side F:
17. Hummingbird (2/8/02 SOMA-Chicago)
18. Handshake Drugs (11/13/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
19. Wishful Thinking (11/1/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
20. Company In My Back (2/8/03 Hothouse-St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia)

LP Disc 4: dBpm: Outtakes/Alternates 1
Side G:
21. I’m A Wheel (August 2002 SOMA-Chicago)
22. Theologians (3/19/03 SOMA-Chicago)
23. Less Than You Think (11/11/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
24. The Late Greats (7/19/03 SOMA-Chicago)
25. Kicking Television (3/18/03 SOMA-Chicago)
26. The High Heat (2/5/02 SOMA-Chicago)

Side H:
27. Panthers (March 2003 SOMA-Chicago)
28. Diamond Claw (3/21/03 SOMA-Chicago)
29. Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard (June 2002 SOMA-Chicago)
30. More Like The Moon (2/8/02 SOMA-Chicago)
31. Improbable Germany (10/7/03 SOMA-Chicago)

LP Disc 5: Unstitched: Outtakes/Alternates 2
Side I:
32. Handshake Drugs (First Version) (6/26/02 SOMA-Chicago)
33. Hummingbird (February 2002 recorded live during tracking at SOMA-Chicago)
34. The High Heat (2/4/02 SOMA-Chicago)
35. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (February 2002 SOMA-Chicago)

Side J:
36. Diamond Claw (March 2003 SOMA-Chicago)
37. Muzzle Of Bees (October 2003 Sear Sound-NYC)
38. Like A Stone (11/10/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
39. Leave Me (Like You Found Me) (6/26/02 SOMA-Chicago)
40. Losing Interest (11/11/03 Sear Sound-NYC)

LP Disc 6: Unstitched: Outtakes/Alternates 2
Side K:
41. Old Maid (6/26/02 SOMA-Chicago)
42. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (August 2002 SOMA-Chicago)
43. Panthers (October 2003 Sear Sound-NYC)
44. Muzzle Of Bees (7/16/03 SOMA-Chicago)
45. Diamond Claw (10/9/03 SOMA-Chicago)

Side L:
46. Losing Interest (7/20/03 SOMA-Chicago)
47. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (October 2003 SOMA-Chicago)
48. The Thanks I Get (6/26/02 SOMA-Chicago)
49. Two Hat Blues (March 2003 SOMA-Chicago)
50. Improbable Germany (January 2002 Pre-Production Loft session-Chicago)

LP Disc 7: The Hook at The Wang (Live October 1, 2004 at the Wang Center-Boston, MA)
Side M:
51. Muzzle Of Bees
52. Company In My Back
53. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
54. A Shot In The Arm

Side N:
55. Hell Is Chrome
56. Handshake Drugs
57. Jesus, Etc.
58. Hummingbird

LP Disc 8: The Hook at The Wang (Live October 1, 2004 at the Wang Center-Boston, MA)
Side O:
59. I’m Always In Love
60. At Least That’s What You Said
61. Ashes Of American Flags
62. Theologians

Side P:
63. I’m The Man Who Loves You
64. Poor Places
65. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

LP Disc 9: The Hook at The Wang (Live October 1, 2004 at the Wang Center-Boston, MA)
Side Q:
66. She’s A Jar
67. A Magazine Called Sunset
68. Kingpin
69. The Late Greats

Side R:
70. I’m A Wheel
71. Via Chicago
72. California Stars
73. Christ For President

CD 1: Fundamentals 1 & 2
74. Fundamental 1
75. Fundamental 2

CD 2: Fundamentals 3 & 4
76. Fundamental 3
77. Fundamental 4

CD 3: Fundamentals 5 & 6
78. Fundamental 5
79. Fundamental 6

CD 4: Fundamental 7
80. Fundamental 7

2LP:
1. At Least That’s What You Said
2. Hell Is Chrome
3. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
4. Muzzle of Bees
5. Hummingbird
6. Handshake Drugs
7. Wishful Thinking
8. Company in My Back
9. I’m a Wheel
10. Theologians
11. Less Than You Think
12. The Late Greats

2CD:
CD 1: A GHOST IS BORN
1. At Least That’s What You Said
2. Hell Is Chrome
3. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
4. Muzzle of Bees
5. Hummingbird
6. Handshake Drugs
7. Wishful Thinking
8. Company in My Back
9. I’m a Wheel
10. Theologians
11. Less Than You Think
12. The Late Greats

CD 2: dBpm: Outtakes/Alternates
13. At Least That’s What You Said (8/13/02 SOMA-Chicago)
14. Hell Is Chrome (10/5/03 SOMA-Chicago)
15. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (9/28/03 SOMA-Chicago)
16. Muzzle Of Bees (7/15/03 SOMA-Chicago)
17. Hummingbird (2/8/02 SOMA-Chicago)
18. Handshake Drugs (11/13/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
19. Wishful Thinking (11/1/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
20. Company In My Back (2/8/03 Hothouse-St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia)
21. I’m A Wheel (August 2002 SOMA-Chicago)
22. Theologians (3/19/03 SOMA-Chicago)
23. Less Than You Think (11/11/03 Sear Sound-NYC)
24. The Late Greats (7/19/03 SOMA-Chicago)
25. Kicking Television (3/18/03 SOMA-Chicago)
26. The High Heat (2/5/02 SOMA-Chicago)
27. Panthers (March 2003 SOMA-Chicago)
28. Diamond Claw (3/21/03 SOMA-Chicago)
29. Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard (June 2002 SOMA-Chicago)
30. More Like The Moon (2/8/02 SOMA-Chicago)
31. Improbable Germany (10/7/03 SOMA-Chicago)