SIGNALS CALLS & MARCHES

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. 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.