RL Burnside’s first break came in the early ‘90s when the documentary film based on author Robert Palmer’s book Deep Blues featured R.L. as one of its highlights. Subsequently Palmer produced R.L.’s Too Bad Jim for the fledgling Fat Possum label. Along with Junior Kimbrough’s All Night Long, Too Bad Jim was one of the most important and influential blues albums of the ‘90s.

Too Bad Jim brought R.L. to the attention of post-punk musician Jon Spencer. R.L. toured extensively with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and this led to the collaboration between the two, the result was A Ass Pocket of Whiskey, a teenage party record. Ass Pocket of Whiskey made R.L an unlikely champion in the indie rock world.

In 1997 R.L. released Mr. Wizard, Fat Possum’s debut record on their new distribution label Epitaph. The album featured R.L’s hardcore touring mates, grandson Cedric Burnside and adopted son Kenny Brown.

In 1998 R.L. released Come On In, which pitted his raw blues against modern electronica, courtesy of producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliot Smith). The album was a critical and commercial success, and one of its tracks, “It’s Bad You Know,” became a respectable radio hit and was featured in The Sopranos and on its soundtrack.

In the year 2001, R.L. Burnside was still breaking down boundaries, and bringing the blues to where it had never gone before. Listen up.