Mission of Burma had two full-length studio LPs on Ace of Hearts Records and they have been remastered by original producer Rick Harte and re-isuued (with bonus tracks) on Matador. So, to give the shows a twist, they'll be playing the first album "Signals, Calls and Marches" Friday and the second album "Vs."
"Without a doubt," says Miller, "we wouldn't be doing it without the re-release. I'm much more interested in the present than the past. Last fall, we played five shows and didn't play 'Revolver' or 'Academy' (Burma's best-known songs). We played songs from the 'Obliterati" album and brand new stuff. That was our thrust (in part because) we were aware the reissues were going to come out. We're learning the songs we haven't played in 25 years. They sound fine. But if it wasn't for us playing them, I wouldn t go back and listen to them."
Because the early albums were short - by today's CD standards - Burma will be playing what Miller terms "oddball" material, songs from their live album, "The Horrible Truth About Burma" and two songs, "Devotion" and "Execution" they started in 1980, but never finished. Now, they're finished. They're in the same vein of "Academy."
Burma, which will have just returned from a European tour where they supported Shellac, still can't be considered a full-time band. Miller puts it this way: "We haven't stopped yet, and when we did those five shows last fall, the impression given to us was we're the best band we've ever been. We're certianly less erratic than we were in '82. We're consistent and more cheeful, but we still play plenty of chaotic stuff."
New album? Who knows? Miller says he's got five songs ready to go, but the band is not high on making plans."We just fall into things," says Miller.
 

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