This out-of-print compilation is a perfect CD. Mission of Burma originally formed in 1980 and broke up around 1983; during that brief run, they made a huge impact on the indie-rock scene with their intellectual songs and ferocious sound. They released only a small amount of material before splitting up, and this CD compiles most it, arguably everything worth owning.

A perfect introduction, it leads off with their classic single, "Academy Fight Song," followed by their equally classic Ep, SIGNALS, CALLS, AND MARCHES, in its entirety. Two unreleased tracks and a single (all three of which are very good) are followed by their excellent studio album, VS., in it's entirety and in the correct order - darker and more confrontational than the previous releases ("Academy Fight Song" and SIGNALS, CALLS, AND MARCHES have some great hooks packed in them), it would be their only studio album for a very long time.

After VS., the CD presents two decent tracks, a cover of the Stooges' "1970" and the original "Go Fun Burn Man," from their 'posthumous' live Lp, THE HORRIBLE TRUTH ABOUT BURMA - not the best example of their excellent stage performances, but a decent album nonetheless.

This is early, post-punk at its best. If you're a fan of Wire, Gang Of Four, the Mekons, and the Velvet Underground, this is definitely worth checking out. If you're just looking for one CD of early Mission of Burma, this is THE one to get.

BTW, Mission of Burma reunited for a few live shows in 2002 - those engagements eventually snowballed into their second studio album, ONOFFON, released in 2004, an excellent release that picks up right where they left off.

As others have noted, the CD compiles a good amount of their most critical work. If you know 'Burma and just don't have much of their recorded material, this is perfect. Their sound is a great mix of post-punk abrasion, emo-esqe vocals (80's emo, not modern scream-o), and a sense of momentum and groove. They don't really sound like Fugazi or the Ex but you can hear similar agendas. People compare them to Gang of Four which is fair and Wire which is a little less fair. As with any good music, it sounds like its era yet holds up very well to modern ears.

Also, I'm from Massachusetts and I can totally hear that sensibility that's evident on many other Boston/NE indie bands. It's a very intangible thing and hard to relate Galaxie 500, Jonathan Richman, or Morphine, Throwing Muses to each other but in my mind there is a thread. So if you tend to like that corner of the US, you'll likely be satisfied.

Only downside really is this is an old edition with some so-so 80's era CD mastering and I'm sure newer remastered editions really sound a bunch better. But this is probably the best bang for your buck if you want to pick up the essential stuff on one disk and be (mostly) done with it.