Vs. (Remastered) [Bonus Track Version]

Mission of Burma’s first EP and 7” single had already set the Boston scene on fire, and with this follow-up a year later, their place in the post-punk history books was already clear. Their chapter was woefully short, however, as guitarist Roger Miller suffered from escalating, painful tinnitus, helped in part, no doubt, by the band’s over-the-top use of volume in their live shows. Vs. has been carefully re-mastered by A.O.H. boss (and the band’s original producer) Rick Harte.  Any murkiness resulting from their use of feedback, distortion, and high volume is gone, and the sound is bright, balanced and as sharp as a knife edge.  Benefiting not only the more, er, delicate, tracks, such as the beautiful “Trem Two” and “Dead Pool,” the cleaner sound also makes the pummeling assault of tracks like “Johnny Burma,” “Fun World,” and “Certain Fate” more acute and focused; the time shifts and tidy breaks amidst the artful maelstroms of “Learn How,” “Mica,” and “Weatherbox” give more breadth to the tunes. The first three bonus tracks here are from Vs. recording sessions, while “Ok/NoWay” was the B-side of the “Trem Two” single, and there is not a throwaway among them.