Search - Mission of Burma :: A Gun to the Head: A Selection From Ace of Hearts

Tsk tsk, Rykodisc

Eironic | 09/02/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While Rykodisc did the world a favor in 1997 by reissuing MoB's Signals, Calls & Marches, Vs. and The Horrible Truth About, this CD feels like just a blatant effort to cash in on MoB's surprisingly well-received reunion.



To add to this, this isn't even that decent of a sampler. Naturally, all three of Clint Conley's big "hits" are here (as too Roger Miller's "Fame and Fortune," which Graham Coxon also uber-faithfully covered in addition to "...Revolver"). However, it seems they tried to be "fair" to both Conley and Miller in terms of the number of songs, as opposed to the quality of songs, so the selection of Miller's songs ends up hurting. The clumsy "Fun World" instead of the brilliant and seering "Secrets"? Who made that call? And if they felt to need to cull two of Conley's songs off of The Horrible Turth About album, or include the rather uninteresting "All World Cowboy Romance" (co-written by Conley and Miller), why couldn't they get Miller's classic "Max Ernst" on here somehow? Granted, "Max Ernst" was only a b-side originally, but a sampler like this ought to benefit from hindsight, which means there's no good reason for it being excluded, as it, perhaps better than any other MoB song, encapsulates what Miller had wanted to acchieved with the first round of MoB's existence. It may be one song, but if you know MoB, you know this sampler's lacking significantly without it.



I give this 3 stars because it's MoB, so the music's still above par, regardless of my objections about track selections. But for your money, you're really far better off investing in either the Rykodisc reissues of the Signal, Calls & Marches EP and the Vs. album (but preferrably both). Not only will you get a fuller experience of MoB, both CDs have bonus tracks and the original (and superior) artwork that make them a better bargain than this."

Decent-but-skewed sampler from a profound legacy

Careful Critic | Lexington | 05/28/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"
This appears to be a solid sampler of Burma's original body of work (with only one glaring omission) which will listen well for one kind of audience, but fail for another to live up to Burma's legacy.



To be clear, the original body of work included only two singles "Academy Fight Song" and "Trem Two," one ep Signals, Calls & Marches, one full-length album Vs., and one live testament The Horrible Truth About Burma. So this sampler collects 2/3rds (14 of 21) of the original studio releases, missing only 2 cuts from the ep, 3 from the lp, and both singles' b-sides. (Also missing: three more stout extras from the current Vs. release.)



For a listener inclined toward pop hooks, this collection really gathers them up, and probably makes a higher-density/value purchase than Signals, Calls & Marches. For "punchy and catchy," nothing's missing here except a couple that don't wear so well over time anyway (Outlaw, OK/No Way, New Nails). And, to its credit, there's enough of Burma's sublime side here to beckon a new listener to investigate further. (Contrary to reviewer below, I think All-World Cowboy Romance and Fun World are both genius, on par with Trem Two and Weatherbox.)



But for someone inclined toward elaborate innovation, this collection does Vs. a disservice, and would be advised to skip this for that. The most glaring omission here is Vs.' opening scorcher, Secrets, which warms up the aural stage for perhaps the most challenging and rewarding album ever made. If that's what you're looking for, the re-sequence of its material here will pale by comparison.



So this recommendation is pretty clear-cut. If you're inclined toward aggressive-but-catchy postpunk (that has inspired generations of music ever since), go ahead and try out all these eggs in one basket. But if you're seeking the height of ambitious progpunk, aim straight for Vs. to hear Burma at the peak of their powers. (In particular, their rhythmic innovation will shine brighter in that original set list.) You could then get Signals, Calls & Marches later, and never have needed this collection to begin with.



But as introductory samplers go, this one seems pretty effective to me, representing both sides of the band, but with an emphasis on "hooky" that overshadows Burma's true legacy.



...



Individual sampling recommendations for new listeners:

Pop/soulful: That's When I Reach For My Revolver (then Fame & Fortune)

Aggressive/stampeding: Learn How (then Fun World)

Hypnotic/mesmerizing: Trem Two (then All World Cowboy Romance)

Sublime/elaborate: Weatherbox (then Einstein's Day)

Joyous/energetic: That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate (then Mica)



Or go find Secrets on the Vs. page, which represents almost all the values listed above, to hear as nutshell of an attitude for that record as it offers."