Transcendental Blues

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 Steve Earle
Released	6 June 2000
Recorded	2000
Genre	Country rock, Alternative country, Folk rock, Americana
Length	49:48
Label	E-Squared
Producer	Steve Earle, Ray Kennedy
Steve Earle chronology
The Mountain (1999) Transcendental Blues (2000) Jerusalem (2002)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	86/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A–[4]
The Music Box	[5]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
Pitchfork	8.1/10[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Village Voice	[9][10]

Track listing

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

• 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

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

1. "Transcendental Blues". Metacritic.
2. Cusanelli, Michael. "Transcendental Review". AllMusic.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958.
4. Johnson, Beth (2000-06-05). "Transcendental Blues". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
5. Metzger, John (August 2000). "Transcendental Blues (Album Review)". The Music Box. Vol. 7 no. 8.
6. 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.
7. Kearney, Ryan (2000-07-31). "Steve Earle: Transcendental Blues Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
8. Puterbaugh, Parke (2000-06-22). "Transcendental Blues". Rolling Stone.
9. Christgau, Robert (2000-09-26). "Afropop Worldwide". The Village Voice.
10. Christgau, Robert. "Transcendental Blues Review". Robertchristgau.com.