A Real Diamond in the Rough is avant-garde musician Buckethead's 26th solo album, featuring 13 songs that last just over 40 minutes. Through the TDRS label, it was announced on April 27th for a May 1st release. The record was produced by Dan Monti, who was also responsible for drum programming and bass. Bryan "Brain" Mantia plays drums on tracks 2, 4 & 7. The album was created in dedication to Stan Diamond, who was Buckethead's legal representative. The last song, 'The Captain of EO' is another reference to Disney, a 3D film featuring Michael Jackson, whom Buckethead was highly influenced by.