The 1982 Listening Post - Mission of Burma - Vs.

 Reviewed by Chris Roberts

Released: October 11 1982 Mission Of Burma Vs. Genre: Post Punk Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Chris’ Rating: 5 out of 5 Highlights: Trem 2 Deadpool Learn How Mica Weatherbox That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate (… but please, just listen to the whole thing) Biting, anxious anthems, awash in stormy texture and effects presaged the buzzy, angular college radio sound of fellow-Bostonians The Pixies, the breakthrough success of Nirvana, and the angst of countless post-punk others. This one-and-done touchstone arrived ten years too early for the year that punk broke, but the music continues to resonate today (I heard it playing in Amoeba last weekend). Among their storied peers: more epic and decodable than The Fall, more dangerous and less jangley than R.E.M., more punk than Sonic Youth. Mission of Burma’s noisy stuff is insane—and Vs. is mostly noisy stuff. Guitarist Roger Miller’s progressions build and repeat until they explode and reset. “Secrets” reverberates in Nuggety fashion, speeds up, adding layers upon layers of feedback and screams; then the singing begins and it all starts again. “Learn How” is a downhill bike ride on a rickety bike, where you’re going faster and faster, dodging potholes, but then you hit one and wipeout into a trashcan. The industrial grade groove in “Fun World” nearly shakes vs. off the spindle. And the closer “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” … is a blast. While Vs. is a fuzzy, swirly maelstrom, there’s space to shake yer booty (“Weatherbox”) and zone out (“Trem 2”) and shoegaze (“Dead Pool”). The mission of the Burmen is to capture the maelstrom of internal conflict—the “versus” of everyday thinking, exclusive to us smartypants non-neanderthals. Issues include trust (“Secrets,” “Train”), progress (“Learn How”), faith (“New Nails”) or just getting out of bed (“Mica”). At album’s end, MOB suggests the flaws are so bad, it might be better if you just go away. To Tulsa. It’s really not that far from Boston. Need more convincing? Look at those morning glories on the cover. They’re there to hide a chain link fence, (and aren’t even doing that good a job). For unseen context, flip the jacket over— it’s a xeroxed forest filled with wolves.