When I was a lad
doing my first shift at beautiful WALF in picturesque Alfred NY there were
few records to choose from. People were still groping towards effective
distribution for non-mainstream music, the industry hadn't made any money
on aggressive new rock so this music had to traverse a new pathway. Somehow
we had got on the Ace Of Hearts mailing list or someone had donated 'em
'er what ever, they were there and so was I. So we played the shit out
of Mission Of Burmas "Signal, Calls, and Marches" ep along with a Lyres
record. It was new, it was cool, and it was good. Good in a way completely
understandable to a "rock" fan w/o adhering to the radio norms. Jesus,
think of 1980 and what was getting played, esp. the percentage of new stuff.
Even the good classic stuff was played out and those bands were going down
for the ount. So here comes Burma outa Boston with roots all the way back
to Detroit, sides ways to Cleveland and New York and currently to wads
of cool stuff. It was certainly a welcome thing especially as the new Brit
bands were going non-rock and the other new American ones were still finding
their footing. Roger Miller, MOB's guitarist, was a teen in the environs
that The Stooges and MC5 launched from. A teen w/open ears and desire to
crack open reality in the same manner those jokesters without slavishly
recreating it as past glory.
OK, enuff huffing, WHAT
THEY SOUND LIKE & WHY SOUND YOU CARE.
The live album signifies w/Stooges and Ubu covers, "1970" and "Heart
Of Darkness" respectively and another tune titled "Red" which isn't but
could've been the King Crimson song. Before you think this is just an art/math
combo they had tunes graspable, (and covered!), by simps like REM
and Moby. Non-simp covers also exist, the workman like rock'em sock'em
robot musclehead take on "That's When I reach For My Revolver" by Pegboy
for one. To me Burma take the power and dynamics of the Who's "Who's Next"
subtract the icky, dumpy and boring parts and run'em through the first
two Wire lps. and The MC5's "Gold". Of course they were as much Wires contemporaries
so you may wanna drop those couple cool Eno pop lp's, esp., the cut "Third
Uncle" in there to keep the possible possible if cleaving to reality is
really that meaningful to you. Wire does work better in the dumbo comparisons
sweepsstake and to make the possibly unknown, less so...
TUNES, TUNES, TUNES, don't forget to talk about
the TUNES!
Yeah, they had a pair of writers in the bands that split the pop vs.
rock focus but worked together or had enough of the other in'em to make
it work, a third guy wrote some cool blister rock but he was to develop
that more fully later on in the band The Volcano Suns. I don't see any
reason for you not to buy their "Bright Orange Years" record. Some of Burmas
tunes get over on hooks, some on playing & flow and some on texture.
They had a member that specifically tape loops clues you in to the
fact they were lookin' to further the early Ubu, Roxy, Simply Saucer synth
as burble/fart/groan/gossamer generator w/current technology. The Boston
band Cul-De-Sac make great use of keys in this way if you care to know
what Ubu may've done if they had went more Faust goes Americana underground
than rinky-dink art pop. Check the tape loop off the vocal track of the
"da-da, da-da' chant at the end Max Ernst, (last track on "Signals" CD,
the appended bonus 7' b-side), proof as proof, as the good doctor said.
OK, The Discs.
"Signals, Calls, and Marches". Not a throw away or single bit
of filler on here. Not as physical as they were to get down on tape later
on but the tunes are flat out great. Starting with the basic 4/6/drums
line up, w/the loops of Martin Swope, they use midtempos with a goodly
amount of space in tunes firmly pegged around active bass parts. They didn't
sound like the Minutemen but they culled some of the same crowd. This is
when you could call something "kinda new wavy" w/o throwing up. Hell even
a Gang Of Four fan could deal with this. Unlike the punk bands of the period
they were firmly romantic in their melodies and textures in a way the Velvets
or some of the tougher psychedelic bands were. I could see "Fame And Fortune"
not upsetting anyone who dug Television.
"VS."
More physical, the bass playing integrated more into the overall punch
and drive. The interest in dicking around with sound and texture becomes
more evident three tracks in on "Trem Two" but it doesn't become unhinged
from its rock mooring in the stable bass/drum pulse that weaves and bobs
through it. Also they start to get the aggro level hiked into something
the wider eared nascent hardcorps could deal with. Tunes like "New Nails",
"Mica" "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate" , "Fun World", "That's How
I Escaped My Certain Fate" and esp., the four bonus trax were easily graspable
by the more alert baldies/finheads. Actually It may not have shown a whole
bunch w/said punklys as it signified with the Homestead Records Generation,
Mach I; Naked Raygun, Big Black, Honor Role, Uzi, (H-std. did do an Uzi
ep right?), etc. who certainly were congruent/influenced by this stuff.
Then there was Husker Du who apparently thought this and PiL could help
move'm past the punk/wavo rut. I mean its not like Mould 'er Hart told
me but it sounds right. Personally I'd like to see what Karma To Burn would
do with "Weatherbox", its dif. from what they do but has a groove/chomp
they could adapt nicely.
"The Horrible Truth About Burma"
"Peking Spring", "Dumbells", "Dirt", "New Disco", "Tremelo", "Black
Board","He Is-She Is", "Go Fun, Burn Man", plus the two covers, ibid.,
aren't on the previous studio releases, although some of'm turned up on
later releases on the Taang! label. I have those on tape somewhere but
dunno the track listing although I know "Dumbells" is on the 'Forget' lp,
dig that guitar blare!
As befits a live album the tunes are rougher, pushier and a bit rowdier.
The recording isn't bad either. Even if you have the lp you might wanna
spring for this 'cause it has live versions of, "Red", "Trem Two", "Learn
How" and "That's When I Reach For My Revolver". This shows that they knew
which end of the tool to grab, so to speak. After the VS. lp these guys
had to break up cause the guitar player had gingivitus and wanted to record
an avant piano version of the Rocky and Bullwinkle theme. There is a long
and informative interview with these guys in Forced Exposure number 9.
Good luck finding it.
* * *
Craig Regala is back, and we all missed him.
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