• Record Label: Artemis
  • Release Date: Sep 24, 2002
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11

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  1. AaronL.
    Oct 7, 2002
    8
    Though provoking, honest, harsh, and beautiful. His best since "I Feel Alright."
  2. ChristopherN.
    Oct 8, 2002
    7
    Although not his best work, it's clearly an interesting album, songwise. The music itself isn't much different from other Earle efforts, but all-in-all a solid album.
  3. ChrisC.
    Oct 4, 2002
    10
    I got this off the newsgroups a couple months ago. I've been blown away by it every day since. Beyond the one controversial song (John Walker's Blues) this is a consistently strong album both musically and lyrically. Steve Earle was really pissed off about a wide variety of things and it's quite obvious throughout the first half of the album. I kinda dig this global warming I got this off the newsgroups a couple months ago. I've been blown away by it every day since. Beyond the one controversial song (John Walker's Blues) this is a consistently strong album both musically and lyrically. Steve Earle was really pissed off about a wide variety of things and it's quite obvious throughout the first half of the album. I kinda dig this global warming thing too, Steve. Thanks for having the balls to speak your mind instead of being a moronic cheerleader like Macca tried to be. It didn't work for him, and it probably won't sell a lot of records, but what a great album. Go buy this one. I did, even though I had already downloaded it from the newsgroups. I'd give him another 20 bucks right now if he showed up at my door. Best Album of 2002. At least so far. Expand
  4. JohnB.
    Oct 9, 2002
    8
    The duet with Emmylou Harris is amazing.
  5. kevinw
    Dec 1, 2003
    10
    its great
  6. BobR
    Dec 1, 2003
    10
    it sux
  7. Oregonl
    Nov 20, 2005
    9
    Some really great songs that stand for something and in this day and age of idiot music it is refreshing!
  8. MichaelL.
    Nov 28, 2002
    9
    This man is a creative genius. Rarely do you find a singer who writes nearly all his songs,this album is another great. Steve makes you listen to the words in his songs.

Awards & Rankings

Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. 80
    The eclectic, pan-genre disc opens -- as did 2000's Transcendental Blues -- as an unabashed rocker, but this time around Earle uses the heavy artillery to underscore weightier worldly themes.
  2. His most strident work in years.
  3. Blender
    80
    If you buried Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks in a graveyard for 200 years and then dug it up, it would sound like this corroded, bottom-heavy music. [#11, p.134]