Search - Burning Airlines :: Mission: Control!

The Best Rock Record You'll Never Hear On the Radio

saeder_krupp@hotmail.com | Aliquippa, PA United States | 12/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this record based on all the good reviews I heard from friends. After the first listen, mostly unpleasant thoughts ran through my mind. After the second and third listen, however, I was hooked.This is NOT record of J. Robbins the Jawbox hero, but that of J. Robbins the super-producer. It has the same self-destructive, yet beautifully melodic sound of Jawbox, but adds a pop-rock feel into it's already interesting musical stew. Songs like "Wheaton Calling" are totally radio-friendly, but will NEVER get airplay due to the albums creative use of time signatures and melodies."Scissoring" is one of the best examples of this. The song is filled with an interesting use of guitar harmonics, Bill Barbot's tight bass playing, and a killer riff-filled second half. Modern radio will never embrace it, though, and I guess that's a GOOD thing.While every track is worth it's weight in gold, the standout tracks remain the crazy opener "Carnival," the wonderfully weird "Crowned," the ultra-catchy "The Escape Engine," and the wonderful epic "3 Sisters." Also check out "pacific 231" for pure musical ability. Pete Moffett is a monsterous drummer, and he, J. and Bill show us how it's done on that track. All in all, Mission: Control! was a wonderful surprise. If you like infectious punk-pop that is totally refreshing from the norm, pick this up. You will be pleasantly surprised."

Modern and Classic at the same time.

Omer Belsky | Haifa, Israel | 08/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Burning Airlines's debut album Mission:Control is an extremely impressive album - it is innovative and unique, and in the same time it works as a classic rock album.I have never heard anything by any of the band members in their former enterprises, but the album stands very well on its own. The singing, guitars, drums, etc, are all first rate, but it is the song writing that makes this album truely unique, as far as I'm concerned.Songs like Carnival or Wheaton Calling demonstrate rock song writing at its best - singing about 'the gap between love and pornography' shows that the Band know their Punk background, but can ascend it. Tthey can also write the fast, creepy choruses of Alternative music ' Repeat * 10, you're happy again, sinking where you lay' is cynical and funny at the same time.The Alternative Pop elements are there - you have to love the way they sing/scream 'Crowding the Candy Corona-TION' in Crowned.The mere ability to say some of these lyrics deserves an award, let alone singing them 'The taste of bitter fictions, the ring of contradictions that sing to me' is among the easier ones, but a favorite of mine.This album is filled with great songs, from the fast Carnival to the fun of crowned through slow, beautiful melodies of songs such as '3 Sisters'. It also has some cool bits from Orson Well's take of Kafka's The Trial, which are humerous in a dark, rock'n'roll way - it almost feels like an injoke.Only rarely do I find a band whose stuff I really like, and they're often long gone before I notice them... but I fell in love with 'Burning Airlines'... and I'm gonna wait for the next album... and for a tour somewhere close :-)"

Brilliant. Fabulous.

Omer Belsky | 07/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jawbox fans will enjoy. Imagine if XTC were an angrier, heavier, noisier band. "Identikit" is just a hair better than "Mission: Control.""