Recorded by ethnomusicologist David Evans for High Water Records in 1979 and 1980, these are Burnside’s first recordings with electric guitar and also his first with a band. Available in vinyl for the first time. Re-mastered for vinyl and released as a 2xLP gatefold 180gm vinyl set.

Contemporary beats and modern themes like ‘Bad Luck City’, ‘Searching for My Baby’, ‘Can’t Let You Go’ and ‘Sound Machine Groove’ sit nicely longside slower, traditional material like ‘Going Down South’ and ‘Begged For A Nickel’, while R.L.’s duets with drummer Calvin Jackson on ‘Goin’ Away Baby’ and ‘Long Haired Doney’ show a marvellous empathy and interplay. Especially notable is a version of ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ with Burnside on slide guitar that, with Jackson’s help, neatly evokes the sound and feel of a fife and drum band.

Although Burnside was hailed by the 1990’s blues crowd as something of an overnight success, one listen to this disc tells you he was already forging a new chapter in the Mississippi blues tradition with these recordings. Later, he recorded with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on breakout album ‘A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey’ on Fat Possum (Townes Van Zandt, Al Green, The Black Keys) .