Mission of Burma, The Horrible Truth About Burma (side A)

While Mission of Burma today are seen as heroes of the American post-punk underground, that status is not at all audible when listening to The Horrible Truth About Burma.  This 1985 album captures live performances from their final 1983 farewell tour, and it sounds like a document of a working band on the road in small clubs.  The sound quality is rough and midrange-heavy, and no effort was made to add polish — talking and modest applause between songs is included without editing.  It's also amazing to picture the band touring with an extra analog tape deck to document their efforts — these recordings predate any digital technology, and there was obviously no budget for an extra truck.  The performances are preserved with imperfections, but the amazing energy of Peter Prescott and Roger Miller at their best was obviously unmatchable.  Apart from the inclusion of "Peking Spring", which predates even Signals, Calls, and Marches, the songs mostly emphasize the group's more drone-y songs, without the foreground melodies of songs like "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" or "Academy Fight Song".  Martin Swope's tape manipulations behind the soundboard grow more perceptible here than they often feel on the studio albums.  I was disappointed to learn that various reissues have sought to diminish much of the album's authentic magic — in addition to beginning with an added "Revolver" and attempting a "modern" mastering job, one version of the album even edited out applause and conversation between songs!