Missing Persons
Spring Session M

THE REVIEW

If you enjoy puzzle-solving, consider the Missing Persons, a band formed in Los Angeles and active in the early '80s. Try making an anagram of their name: among the possible results, you'll find "Spring Session M," the title of their first album, released in 1982. An engaging work, whose sounds can be traced back to pop rock infused with electronics and not entirely unrelated to the new wave trends of the period.

The frontwoman is Dale Bozzio, with a sharp voice and heavy makeup, as seen on the cover. Additionally, she was (at the time) the wife of drummer Terry Bozzio. On guitars is Warren Cuccurullo, completing the lineup are Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Chuck Wild on keyboards. Pay attention to these names because four out of five come from Frank Zappa's entourage: Dale and Terry Bozzio worked with him before branching out, Cuccurullo is one of the musicians from "Joe's Garage," and O'Hearn had played with Zappa on some of his tours.

The Missing Persons are anything but a group of novices. However, in "Spring Session M," they set aside the tension of experimentation and produce a fresh and easily appealing music, with a compact and recognizable sound across all twelve tracks of the album. Many of you will remember "Destination Unknown," a hit of the time that is still occasionally played on the radio today. It was one of the singles from the album: "Words," "Walking in L.A.," and "Windows" the others, all characterized by Cuccurullo's lively and incisive guitars and Terry Bozzio's sharp percussion. Meanwhile, the versatile Dale even recalls Siouxsie in "Walking in L.A." and other aggressive voices of the period (possibly including Nina Hagen herself).

The Missing Persons: the springtime, festive, and colorful side of the '80s (from across the ocean).