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TRANSCENDENTAL BLUES
Steve Earle
(Sony)
First spin through this was awkward, but now it's through its happy 10th CD Walkman cycle.
This one's a winner, an accessible follow-up to the bluegrass project, dotted with some of the more straightforward rockers since Copperhead Road. So, in the spirit of that, let's break it down into easily digestible snippets. That all right?
The title track: sweet. I Don't Want to Lose You Yet: beautiful. Lonelier Than This: heartbreaking. Wherever I Go: infectious. All My Life: looping and rockin'.
And so on.
This feels more like a less sad sequel to El Corazon than anything. The structure is very similar, the tone less political, unfortunately. That's OK. Earle's definitely evolving into an interesting middle-aged man, fascinated by the early railroad days of country with enough whisky left over in his blood to make you bang your head when he picks up his guitar.
Steve Earle, slightly rejected by country's deep underground for being too showy, partly ignored by the mainstream because he's too damn ragged, is all right, man.
Track Listing
01.Transcendental Blues
02.Everyone's In Love With You
03.Another Town
04.I Can Wait
05.The Boy Who Never Cried
06.Steve's Last Ramble
07.The Galway Girl
08.Lonlier Than This
09.Wherever I Go
10.When I Fall
11.I Don't Want To Lose You Yet
12.Halo 'Round The Moon
13.Until The Day I Die
14.All Of My Life
15.Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)