Transcendental Blues is the ninth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 2000. It features Sharon Shannon on the track "The Galway Girl". The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

Transcendental Blues
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 6, 2000
Recorded2000
Genre
Length49:48
LabelE-Squared
ProducerSteve Earle, Ray Kennedy
Steve Earle chronology
The Mountain
(1999)
Transcendental Blues
(2000)
Jerusalem
(2002)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[2]
The Music Box[6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Pitchfork8.1/10[3]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Village Voice(1-star Honorable Mention)[9]

Track listing

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All tracks written by Steve Earle

  1. "Transcendental Blues" – 4:13
    • Steve Earle – guitars, harmonium, mini-Moog, vocals
    • Dan Metz – bass
    • Ron Vance – drums
  2. "Everyone's in Love with You" – 3:30
    • Steve Earle – electric guitar, vocals
    • David Steele – electric guitar
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
    • Tom Littlefield – vocals
  3. "Another Town" – 2:22
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, vocals
    • David Steele – electric guitars
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
  4. "I Can Wait" – 3:16
    • Steve Earle – 12-string acoustic, vocals
    • David Steele – electric guitar
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
    • Tom Littlefield – vocals
  5. "The Boy Who Never Cried" – 3:46
    • Steve Earle – 12-string Guitar, harmonium, vocals
    • David Steele – bouzouki
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
    • Strings arranged and conducted by Kristin Wilkinson and performed by The Love Sponge:
      • Kristin Wilkinson – viola
      • John Catchings – cello
      • David Angell – violin
      • David Davidson – violin
  6. "Steve's Last Ramble" – 3:38
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
    • Sharon Shannon – accordion
    • Mary Shannon – banjo
    • Liz Kane – fiddle
    • Yvonne Kane – fiddle
    • Jim Murray – gut string guitar
    • Bill Wright – bouzouki
    • David Steele – electric guitar
    • James Blennerhassett – upright bass
    • Noel Bridgeman – drums
  7. "The Galway Girl" – 3:05
    • Steve Earle – mandolin, vocals
    • Sharon Shannon – accordion
    • Mary Shannon – banjo
    • Liz Kane – fiddle
    • Yvonne Kane – fiddle
    • Jim Murray – guitar
    • Bill Wright – bouzouki
    • Dan Gillis – tin whistle
    • James Blennerhassett – upright bass
    • Joyce Redmond – bodhran
    • Noel Bridgeman – drums
  8. "Lonelier Than This" – 3:11
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, vocals
    • David Steele – resonator guitar
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Ray Kennedy – electric guitar
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
  9. "Wherever I Go" – 1:57
    • Steve Earle – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
    • David Steele – electric 12-string guitar
    • Benmont Tench – organ, piano
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums
  10. "When I Fall" – 4:34
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
    • Stacey Earle – vocals
    • Doug Lancio – electric guitars
    • Ray Kennedy – bass
    • Patrick Earle – drums, percussion
  11. "I Don't Want to Lose You Yet" – 3:22
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, vocals
    • David Steele – electric guitars
    • Benmont Tench – organ
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
    • Tom Littlefield – vocals
  12. "Halo 'Round the Moon" – 2:13
    • Steve Earle – resonator guitar, harmonium, vocals
    • David Steele – resonator guitar
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion
  13. "Until the Day I Die" – 3:22
    • Steve Earle – guitar, vocals
    • Tim O'Brien – mandolin, vocals
    • Darrell Scott – banjo, vocals
    • Casey Driessen – fiddle
    • Dennis Crouch – upright bass
  14. "All My Life" – 3:27
    • Steve Earle – guitars, harmonium, vocals
    • Ray Kennedy – bass
    • Patrick Earle – drums, percussion
  15. "Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)" – 3:51
    • Steve Earle – acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
    • David Steele – mandola
    • Kelley Looney – bass
    • Will Rigby – drums, percussion

Personnel

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  • David Angell - violin
  • James Blennerhassett - double bass
  • Noel Bridgeman - drums
  • David Davidson - violin
  • John Catchings - cello
  • Dennis Crouch - double bass
  • Casey Driessen - fiddle
  • Patrick Earle - drums, percussion
  • Dan Gillis - tin whistle
  • Liz Kane - fiddle
  • Yvonne Kane - fiddle
  • Ray Kennedy - electric guitar, bass
  • Doug Lancio - electric guitar
  • Kelley Looney - bass
  • Dan Metz - bass
  • Jim Murray - gut string guitar
  • Will Rigby - drums, percussion
  • Tim O'Brien - vocals, mandolin
  • Joyce Redmond - bodhrán
  • Darrell Scott - vocals, banjo
  • Mary Shannon - banjo
  • Sharon Shannon - accordion
  • David Steele - electric guitar, bouzouki
  • Benmont Tench - piano, organ
  • Ron Vance - drums
  • Kristin Wilkinson - viola
  • Bill Wright - bouzouki
  • Steve Earle - vocals, guitar, harmonium, harmonica, synthesizer, mandolin
  • Tony Fitzpatrick - Album Artwork

Chart performance

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Chart (2000) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 5
U.S. Billboard 200 66
Canadian RPM Country Albums 8
Canadian RPM Top Albums 28

References

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  1. ^ a b c Cusanelli, Michael. "Transcendental Review". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b c Johnson, Beth (2000-06-05). "Transcendental Blues". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  3. ^ a b Kearney, Ryan (2000-07-31). "Steve Earle: Transcendental Blues Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  4. ^ "Transcendental Blues". Metacritic.
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958.
  6. ^ Metzger, John (August 2000). "Transcendental Blues (Album Review)". The Music Box. Vol. 7, no. 8.
  7. ^ Kot, Greg (2004). "Steve Earle". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 268. ISBN 9780743201698.
  8. ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (2000-06-22). "Transcendental Blues". Rolling Stone.
  9. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000-09-26). "Afropop Worldwide". The Village Voice.