REVIEW: Mission of Burma, signals, calls and marches / VS /

_The Horrible Truth About Burma (Rykodisc)

- Al Muzer

This three CD Mission Of Burma reissue series (which includes "Academy Fight Song," "Trem Two," four bonus tracks and four previously unissued cuts) undertaken by Rykodisc finds original Burma producer Rick Harte's remastering job increasing the depth and clarity of this Boston four-piece's groundbreaking sound without sacrificing any of the power, energy or raw, exposed nerve the group committed to wax back in 1980, '81, '82 and '83.

Since covered by a veritable "who's who in music" that includes Sugar, Moby, Catherine Wheel, REM, the Spinanes and Soul Asylum; Burma songs such as "Fun World," "This Is Not A Photograph," "Einstein's Day," "Academy Fight Song," "Dirt," "Learn How," "Fame And Fortune," "Go Fun Burn Man," "Peking Spring," "Trem Two," "Mica" and, of course, "That's When I Reach For My Revolver," are the work of musicians, who - much like the Only Ones, Big Black or Big Star - were clearly several years too far ahead of their time to be accepted as anything but frequently-cited future influences.

Abrasively poppy, stridently poetic, aggressively artistic and stunningly loud - frequently within the confines of the same song; Clint Conley (bass/vocals) and guitarist/vocalist Roger Miller (who disbanded the group when his hearing began to go in 1983) combined a rough, Jam/Plimsouls-like pop/punk squalor with the tense edginess of a less "out there" David Byrne and the wigged guitar 'n' noize weirdness of a deep-fried Television for three albums crammed with early-'80s energy and angst-frazzled anthems that sound as immediate and vital now as they did when they first hit the 'It's not REO Speedwagon or Survivor' cut out bins back in the days when Hall & Oates ruled and dinosaurs still roamed the earth.