Transcendental Blues

Transcendental Blues
Studio album by Steve Earle
Released	June 6, 2000
Recorded	2000
Genre	Country rock [1] bluegrass [1] pop [2] garage rock [2] roots rock [3]
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 [4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	A− [2]
The Independent	[6]
Mojo	[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]
Pitchfork	8.1/10 [3]
PopMatters	8/10 [8]
Q	[4]
Rolling Stone	[9]

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.

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. Cusanelli, Michael. "Transcendental Review". AllMusic .
2. Johnson, Beth (June 5, 2000). "Transcendental Blues". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 6, 2018.
3. Kearney, Ryan (July 31, 2000). "Steve Earle: Transcendental Blues Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 7, 2018.
4. "Transcendental Blues". Metacritic .
5. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857125958.
6. Perry, Tim (June 9, 2000). "The Independent 2000 Album Reviews". The Independent . Retrieved November 10, 2025.
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. Staff, PopMatters (June 20, 2000). "Steve Earle: Transcendental Blues". PopMatters . Retrieved November 10, 2025.
9. Puterbaugh, Parke (June 22, 2000). "Transcendental Blues". Rolling Stone .