Mission Of Burma Signals, Calls, And Marches CD

Out of print on CD for three years and unavailable on vinyl since the 80s, this debut record is back with remarkable extras, including two unreleased studio tracks, a DVD of concert footage at The Space and The Underground in Boston in 1979 and 1980, and a 32-page booklet with interviews and ephemera. Vinyl is true all-analog, HQ-180 pressing. 'The moment punk turned into art' - Salon.com.

Mission Of Burma: Clint Conley (vocals, guitar, bass); Roger Miller (guitar, background vocals); Peter Prescott (drums).
This 1997 reissue includes 2 bonus tracks not on the original release.
Mission of Burma: Roger Miller (vocals, guitar); Clint Conley (vocals, bass guitar); Peter Prescott (vocals, drums).
One could argue that Mission of Burma's first 12" release, Signals, Calls and Marches, was the point where "indie rock" as a separate and distinct musical subgenre well and truly began. Mission of Burma's music had the brawn and the volume of hardcore punk, but with a lyrical intelligence and obvious musical sophistication that set them apart from the Southern California faster-and-louder brigade. Between Martin Swope's tape loops and Roger Miller's often tricky guitar lines, Mission of Burma may have seemed "arty" on the surface, but the bruising impact of "Outlaw" and "This Is Not a Photograph" made clear this band was not part of the skinny-tie "new wave" scene. And Mission of Burma were one of the first bands that gained a large enough following to attract the attention of major labels, but opted to remain on a small label of their own volition -- a move that would raise the "integrity" stakes for many acts in the years to come. Signals, Calls and Marches features Mission of Burma's best known song, the still-powerful "That's When I Reach for My Revolver," but it hasn't stood the test of time quite as well as the full-length album that would follow, Vs.; there are brief moments where the band still seems to be working out their obvious British influences, and "Outlaw" sounds stiffer than it needs to be. But Clint Conley and Roger Miller were already songwriters to be reckoned with, the band sounds passionate and powerful, and if Mission of Burma were not yet at the peak of their form, most bands blazing as many trails as this one did lost their footing a lot more often that Burma did on these six songs; Signals, Calls and Marches was as accomplished and impressive a debut as any American band would release in the 1980s. Rykodisc's 1997 CD reissue adds the band's fine first single, "Academy Fight Song" b/w "Max Ernst," as a bonus. ~ Mark Deming
One of America's most important, but most frequently overlooked, punk rock bands, Mission Of Burma released only a handful of records before it disbanded. 1981's SIGNALS, CALLS, AND MARCHES was its debut EP following a seven-inch single, both tracks from which are included on this Ryko CD reissue.
"That's When I Reach for My Revolver," built on Peter Prescott's powerful drumming and Clint Conely's heavy bass guitar, is an incisive look at the moment you realize that what you've been taught and what you know are different things. "Fame & Fortune" features a propulsive drum beat and Roger Miller's jagged guitar work, laced with controlled feedback. Another classic, "This is Not a Photograph," highlights scalding, scalpel-sharp guitars, and ends with a faked record skip. The album's last track, "All World Cowboy Romance," is a pretty, five-minute long instrumental with a number of complex strands and few of the jarring breaks that characterize some of the material preceding it. The two tracks from the band's first seven-inch include the spectacular, frequently covered "Academy Fight Song," one of the all-time high points in American punk rock.
DVD Features:
DVD content: 'Live at the Space and at the Underground, Boston, 1979-80'

Entertainment Weekly (8/01/97, p.75) - "...While some of the sharply geometric riffs and chanted vocals sound dated, the power [with which these tracks are played]...makes almost every album released today sound tame by comparison." - Rating: B+
Q (May 2002, p.132) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...Sounds utterly phenomenal, bleeding elements of free jazz, musique concrete and psychedelia into their Wire-ish post-punk soundscapes..."
Mojo (Publisher) (6/02, p.122) - "...Consistently excellent, from the raw beginnings tothe mannered middle, to the documentary robusto..."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[P]erhaps their strongest statement, opening with the brilliant 'Academy Fight Song' and the anthemic post-punk classic 'That's When I Reach For My Revolver'..."