Cease to Begin

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title: "Cease to Begin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2007-albums", "band-of-horses-albums", "sub-pop-albums", "albums-produced-by-phil-ek"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cease_to_Begin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Cease to Begin
type	studio
artist	Band of Horses
cover	Ceasetobegin.jpg
released
recorded	Echo Mountain Studios, Asheville, North Carolina
genre	Indie rock
length
label	Sub Pop
producer	Phil Ek
prev_title	Everything All the Time
prev_year	2006
next_title	Infinite Arms
next_year	2010
misc	{{Singles
name	Cease to Begin
type	studio
single1	Is There a Ghost
single1date	August 28, 2007
single2	No One's Gonna Love You
single2date	February 25, 2008
::

| name = Cease to Begin | type = studio | artist = Band of Horses | cover = Ceasetobegin.jpg | alt = | released = | recorded = Echo Mountain Studios, Asheville, North Carolina | venue = | studio = | genre = Indie rock | length = | label = Sub Pop | producer = Phil Ek | prev_title = Everything All the Time | prev_year = 2006 | next_title = Infinite Arms | next_year = 2010 | misc = {{Singles | name = Cease to Begin | type = studio | single1 = Is There a Ghost | single1date = August 28, 2007 | single2 = No One's Gonna Love You | single2date = February 25, 2008 | MC = 78/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2Score = A− | rev3 = Blender | rev3Score = | rev4 = The Guardian | rev4Score = | rev5 = NME | rev5Score = 8/10 | rev6 = Pitchfork | rev6Score = 7.7/10 | rev7 = Q | rev7Score = | rev8 = Rolling Stone | rev8Score = | rev9 = Spin | rev9Score = | rev10 = Uncut | rev10Score = Cease to Begin is the second album by Band of Horses, released on October 9, 2007. This album solidified the band's sound and was a critical and commercial success, peaking at number 35 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The singles "Is There a Ghost" and "No One's Gonna Love You" appear on the album.

History

Following the release of their debut album, Everything All the Time, founding members Mat Brooke, Chris Early and Tim Meinig all left the band. Band leader Ben Bridwell recruited Joe Arnone (guitar and keyboards), Creighton Barrett (drums) and Rob Hampton (bass and guitar) as replacements, although Joe Arnone left the band prior to their 2007 tour. Robin Peringer (Modest Mouse - guitar), Matt Gentling (Archers of Loaf - bass) and Ryan Monroe (keyboards) joined the band for the tour, although only Monroe stayed for the recording of Cease to Begin. After the album's release he became a full band member.

The album debuted at number 35 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart It was also a minor hit in Scandinavia, charting in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Cease to Begin was released in Japan on July 23, 2008, by Tear Bridge Records. The Japanese version featured an enhanced video for "Is There a Ghost" plus three live bonus tracks, including a cover of Ronnie Wood's "Act Together", written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, which he recorded for his album, I've Got My Own Album to Do.

Ben Bridwell described the sound of Cease to Begin, "I guess the first record had some kind of country-ish leanings...I think there's maybe a little bit more of [that] feeling on it, a little more down-home...not so much indie rock."

The first track, "Is There a Ghost", was made available for download on the band's MySpace page on August 28, 2007, and made number 93 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The song became the band's first single to chart in the United States, peaking at No. 34 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album's second single "No One's Gonna Love You" was featured as a free iTunes download, distributed at Starbucks locations. While not being released as a single, "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" was featured in the tracklist of 2009 video game Guitar Hero 5.

Track listing

| title1 = Is There a Ghost | writer1 = Ben Bridwell, Rob Hampton, Creighton Barrett | length1 = 2:59 | title2 = Ode to LRC | writer2 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length2 = 4:16 | title3 = No One's Gonna Love You | writer3 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length3 = 3:37 | title4 = Detlef Schrempf | writer4 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length4 = 4:28 | title5 = The General Specific | writer5 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett, Ryan Monroe | length5 = 3:07 | title6 = Lamb on the Lam (In the City) | writer6 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length6 = 0:50 | title7 = Islands on the Coast | writer7 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length7 = 3:34 | title8 = Marry Song | writer8 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length8 = 3:23 | title9 = Cigarettes, Wedding Bands | writer9 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length9 = 4:35 | title10 = Window Blues | writer10 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | length10 = 4:01

| headline = Japan-only Bonus Tracks | title11 = No One's Gonna Love You | writer11 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | note11 = Live BBC session | title12 = Is There a Ghost | writer12 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | note12 = Live BBC session | title13 = Act Together | writer13 = Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | note13 = Live BBC session | title14 = Is There a Ghost | writer14 = Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett | note14 = Enhanced video

• Track 4 is named after the German basketball player Detlef Schrempf who played for Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990s, although no mention of him is made in the song's lyrics.

Album credits

;Band of Horses

• Ben Bridwell – lead vocals, guitar
• Rob Hampton – guitar, bass guitar
• Creighton Barrett – drums

;Additional musicians

• Ryan Monroe – keyboards

;Technical personnel

• Phil Ek – producer, engineer, mixer
• Jon Ashley – assistant engineer
• Julian Dreyer – assistant engineer
• Cameron Nicklaus – assistant engineer
• Dusty Summers – design
• Christopher Wilson – photography

Singles

• "Is There a Ghost" (August 28, 2007)
• "No One's Gonna Love You" (February 25, 2008)

Chart performance

::data[format=table]

Chart	Peak
US Billboard 200	35
UK Albums Chart	148
Danish Albums Chart	23
French Albums Chart	199
Norwegian Albums Chart	18
Swedish Albums Chart	57
::

Reception

Cease to Begin received a 78/100 rating on Metacritic and appeared on many "Best of 2007" lists:

• Austin Chronicle, Doug Freeman, No. 1 album of 2007
• Delusions of Adequacy, No. 9 album of 2007
• Filter Magazine, No. 2 album of 2007
• The A.V. Club, No. 5 album of 2007
• Paste Magazine, No. 9 album of 2007
• Consequence of Sound, No. 39 album of 2007

Cover versions

• Cee-Lo Green has recorded a cover of "No One's Gonna Love You" for his 2010 album The Lady Killer.
• Renee Fleming has recorded a cover of "No One's Gonna Love You" for her 2010 album Dark Hope.

Certifications

References

References

1. "Reviews for Cease To Begin by Band of Horses". [[Metacritic]].
2. Leahey, Andrew. "Cease to Begin – Band of Horses". [[AllMusic]].
3. Hyden, Steven. (October 9, 2007). "Band Of Horses: Cease To Begin". [[The A.V. Club]].
4. Grierson, Tim. "Band of Horses: Cease to Begin". [[Blender (magazine).
5. Hann, Michael. (October 12, 2007). "Band of Horses, Cease to Begin". [[The Guardian]].
6. Worthy, Stephen. (October 19, 2007). "Band Of Horses: Cease To Begin". [[NME]].
7. Deusner, Stephen M.. (October 8, 2007). "Band of Horses: Cease to Begin". [[Pitchfork (website).
8. (December 2007). "Band of Horses: Cease to Begin". [[Q (magazine).
9. Hoard, Christian. (October 18, 2007). "Cease to Begin".
10. Modell, Josh. (November 2007). "Band of Horses: Cease to Begin". [[Spin (magazine).
11. (December 2007). "Band of Horses: Cease to Begin". [[Uncut (magazine).
12. "Band of Horses".
13. and was No. 47 on ''Rolling Stone's'' list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[https://stereogum.com/7504/guide_to_the_misguided_rolling_stones_top_albums_o/list/ Guide to the Misguided] ''[[Stereogum]]'' - December 17, 2007
14. [http://www.eachnotesecure.com/the-return-of-band-of-horses-cease-to-begin The Return of Band of Horses - Cease to Begin] ''eachnotesecure.com'' - July 20, 2007
15. {{usurped
16. [https://www.allmusic.com/album/cease-to-begin-r1209702/charts-awards/billboard-single Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost] ''[[Allmusic]]''
17. Tacopino, Joe [https://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/southern-comfort-an-interview-with-band-of-horses-ben-bridwell/columns.php "Southern Comfort: An Interview with Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell"] ''[[PopMatters]]'' - November 8, 2007
18. [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/band-of-horses-p762166/charts-awards/billboard-albums Band of Horses > Chart History > Billboard Albums] ''[[Allmusic]]''
19. [http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_B.HTM "1994–2010 > Darren B – David Byrne"] ''Chart Log UK (Zobbel)''
20. [https://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/12467/Band-Of-Horses-Cease-To-Begin ''Cease to Begin'' Ultratop entry] - ''[[Ultratop]]''
21. [https://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/bandofhorses/ceasetobegin ''Cease to Begin'' Metacritic entry] ''Metacritic''
22. (2007-12-03). "2007's Top 50 Albums: No. 39 - Cease to Begin".
23. Larry Fitzmaurice, [https://pitchfork.com/news/39333-video-cee-lo-covers-band-of-horses-no-ones-gonna-love-you-nsfw/ "Cee-Lo Covers Band of Horses' No One's Gonna Love You"] ''Pitchfork'' - July 1, 2010

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