Ghost of a Dog

Ghost of a Dog is the second album by American alternative rock band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, released in 1990.

In the printed lyrics that accompany the album, each song has a word with a single letter missing. In order, they spell out "ghost of a dog."

The album sold about 500,000 copies. After a tour in support of the album, the band decided to take an indefinite hiatus.

Production

The album was produced by Tony Berg. Unlike on the debut, where many tracks used session musicians, the New Bohemians play throughout Ghost of a Dog.

Critical reception

The Los Angeles Times thought that "Brickell and the Bohemians band do a reasonable job of recycling the soothing elements of ‘60s pop-folk, but her own views are so childlike and her images so often pointless that it’s hard to work up any feeling for them." Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Brickell can write lyrically about the difference between the desire for romantic independence and desire itself. But just when she starts to show some grit, she’ll drift toward smiley-faced ditties like 'Oak Cliff Bra' — songs so cloying they make you wonder if Brickell underwent a lobotomy between tracks." Andrew Collins of NME wrote, "Twee? A little, but it's laced with a Lynchian fascination with death which adds a nice depth."

The New York Times declared that none of the songs recaptured the charm of the first album's "What I Am". The Chicago Tribune wrote that Brickell's "ability to write wisely about the bad stuff of romance with a marked lack of anger toward the opposite sex makes her unique and-for postmodern romantics-endearing."

Track listing

Personnel

The New Bohemians

• Edie Brickell – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Kenny Withrow – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, slide guitar, backing vocals
• Wes Burt-Martin – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals, string arrangements (9)
• Brad Houser – bass
• Matt Chamberlain – drums
• John Bush – percussion

Additional musicians

• Tony Berg – keyboards, guitars, string arrangements (9)
• Paul Fox – keyboards
• Danny Timms – acoustic piano (1)
• Jo-El Sonnier – accordion (3)
• Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards (8)
• David Mansfield – acoustic guitar (8)
• Larry Corbett – cello (9)
• Novi Novog – viola (9)
• Sid Page – violin (9)
• John Lydon – backing vocals (8)

Production

• Tony Berg – producer, mixing (5, 14)
• Chris Lord-Alge – recording
• Susan Rogers – recording, mixing (7, 12)
• David Thoener – recording
• Ken Jordan – additional recording
• Greg Goldman – assistant engineer
• Mike Reiter – assistant engineer
• Bob Clearmountain – mixing (1–4, 6, 8–11, 13)
• George Marino – mastering
• Robin Sloane – creative director
• Lyn Bradley – design, layout
• Janet Wolsborn – design, layout
• Ann Cutting – photographic tinting

Studios

• Recorded at Bearsville Studios (Bearsville, New York); The Village Recorder and Zeitgeist Studios (Los Angeles, California).
• Mixed at A&M Studios (Hollywood, California).
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)

Singles – Billboard (United States)

Notes