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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Transcendental Blues
by Steve Earle


9.5

based on 15 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

FILM:

Just An American Boy

LABEL:	Artemis
RELEASE DATE:	06 June 2000
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Blues, Country

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly

Winding through the psychedelic title track, the ''Rubber Soul''-ish pop, the garage rock, and the lovely ''Eire meets Tennessee'' ''The Galway Girl,'' ''Blues'' is his musical road map.

Billboard

Steve Earle adds yet another masterwork to his disparate collection of classics...

Checkout.com

Transcendental Blues epitomizes musical craftsmanship; it simmers instead of sizzles, meaning it's solid throughout and has no shortage of good songs... [w]hat is missing in the mix here is Earle at his angriest...

Salon.com

"Transcendental Blues" is a deeply personal album steeped in pain and loneliness.

All Music Guide

Steve Earle proves again and again that he is the original alternative to the glossy side of Nashville.

Wall of Sound

It's not precisely rock and roll, more a summary of the stylistic fusion that has evolved over his last five albums: unequal parts rock, bluegrass, folk, Irish, and punk.

Pitchfork

Earle's music doesn't simply mirror the transcendence of its creator; it lends transcendence to the listener as well, as all excellent music will. But what truly makes this one of Earle's best records is that he refuses to be pulled down by musical decisions. It's as if he never faced a problem of whether or not to add this or that instrument, or to veer off in this or that direction. He simply had the idea and went with it.

Q Magazine

There is no doubt that his songwriting chops just keep on getting better.

Mojo

Earle has let the spook out of the closet, so he can bare his spiritual chest (as it were) with a Lennonesque honesty and a vocal delivery that increasingly resembles Tom Petty's sub-Dylan sneer.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Extending his winning streak to five albums, he's become a paragon of quality and musical honesty.

Launch.com

This may be the Steve Earle album for people who've never been Steve Earle fans before.

Spin Cycle

Some of the best music he's created since his release from prison on drug charges nearly six years ago.

Sonicnet

The writing shines throughout... Steve Earle seems able to do anything he cares to.

CDNow

Transcendental Blues measures up to the tough artistic standards Earle has set for himself since 1986's Guitar Town.

Rolling Stone

Transcendental Blues is an intermittently twangy, often trippy and, yes, generally transcendent outing.

The average user rating for this album is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Robert S gave it a9:
This should embarass Nashville. A great record.

Brian McC gave it a9:
Great stuff! Gripping melodies, intelligent writing, strong theme....it's all here! You can't lose on this one, even if you are a conservative and not politically left as Earl is.

Kabootle gave it a 10:
Excellent. One of my favorite albums

Jeff S. gave it a 9:
Would have gave it a 10 except for "The Boy Who Never Cried". This record got me through some of my own trancendental blues.

Rob P. gave it a 10:
I just bought this and I can't stop playing it. The opening track blew me away and from then on it just got better. Shades of the Byrds, Beatles, Dubliners, Johnny Cash - and then some. Do yourself a favour and by this album - NOW

Hal N. gave it a 10:
Fabulous album. Folksy, Beatles-like sounds. You can't go wrong with this gem.

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Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle

Transcendental Blues
by Steve Earle