As comebacks go Mission of Burma’s is up there with Jesus Christ, Elvis and Johnny Cash. Formed in the late 1970s punk scene of Boston they spent a handful of years pushing the boundaries of punk, introducing melody as Husker Du were doing a few states away in Minneapolis and perhaps the only punk act at the time to have a tape manipulator.
The band, of tape manipulator Martin Swope, Roger Miller (guitar), Clint Conley (bass), Peter Prescott (drums), split in 1983 after just one EP, Signals, Calls and Marches and one album, Vs. This was no acrimomious split though, it was for medical reasons due to Miller’s tinnitus.
Fast forward to 2002, with Miller’s ears and headphone technology able to cope better with the band’s live sound they reformed and the previous two decades break melted away.
Signed to Matador they released three frantic, energetic, innovative albums that sounded as if they were some sprightly young band: ONoffON (2004), The Obliterati (2006) and The Sound the Speed the Light (2009). In 2012 they moved to Fire and released Unsound, which featured added trumpets courtesy of their comeback era tape manipulator Bob Weston, from Shellac.
There have been compilations before, but these have either focused on their pre-1983 output, such as A Gun to the Head: A Selection from the Ace of Hearts Era, and Accomplished: The Best of Mission of Burma, released by Rykodisc in 2004 ahead of OnoffON.
With this Fire Records compilation taking in the best from their pre 1983 and comeback eras this is just about the best Mission of Burma compilation out there. There’s just enough from each album and era to give a good flavour of their sound and encourage full album buying, while at the same time acting as a good collection in its own right, of some of their best singles and album tracks. Its also good to hear how they’ve evolved over the years, getting faster and harder as they grow older.
Early tracks such as Academy Fight Song show a band heavily influenced by the likes of Gang of Four and Wire, all jerky punk with melody. This is perhaps best shown on one of their most well known tracks from their early era, That’s When I Reach For My Revolver, with its infectious chorus. Its on this track where Conley’s vocals particularly shine, sounding similar to Husker Du’s Grant Hart, another singer at the time to focus on melody among the chaos. The XTC esque backing vocals on the live Peking Spring and the This Is Not A Photograph are other highlights from their early career on the first disc of this double album.
But while welcome to hear these early tracks its their comeback songs across the second disc that really stand out for me, in particular those from Obliterati. The opening from 2wice, the riff from Spider’s Web and the brilliant disco punk chaos of Donna Sumeria are my highlights.
Including tracks from Unsound, their most recent, brings the compilation bang up to date, but strangely excludes some of the best tracks from the album, such as This is Hi-Fi, which will appeal to fans of Canadian band No Means and sounds like their signature tune already.
Just two tracks from OnoffON also seems too few, but at least acts as one almighty tease to go and buy the album. And at least the two that chosen are the wonderful Dirt, with its harmonics solo and The Set Up, which has one of the best, albeit simple, riffs on the album.
Mission of Burma are one of those classic, influential bands that I’m sure many people have always meant to buy something by but never got round to. For those in that position do yourself a favour get this, get hooked then start educating yourself with their full albums, with Obliterati and Unsound arguably next on your shopping list.
9/10
by Joe Lepper
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