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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Transcendental Blues

Universal acclaim
Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Artemis
Release Date: 06 June 2000
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Blues, Country
Summary
Also By This Artist: Jerusalem The Revolution Starts Now Townes Washington Square Serenade
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Just An American Boy
What The Critics Said
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.
Read Full Review >Billboard
Steve Earle adds yet another masterwork to his disparate collection of classics...
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Steve Earle proves again and again that he is the original alternative to the glossy side of Nashville.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
There is no doubt that his songwriting chops just keep on getting better.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Extending his winning streak to five albums, he's become a paragon of quality and musical honesty.
Read Full Review >Launch.com
This may be the Steve Earle album for people who've never been Steve Earle fans before.
Read Full Review >Spin Cycle
Some of the best music he's created since his release from prison on drug charges nearly six years ago.
Read Full Review >Sonicnet
The writing shines throughout... Steve Earle seems able to do anything he cares to.
Read Full Review >CDNow
Transcendental Blues measures up to the tough artistic standards Earle has set for himself since 1986's Guitar Town.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Transcendental Blues is an intermittently twangy, often trippy and, yes, generally transcendent outing.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 8 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.
