Customer Reviews

Spring Session M

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I remember seeing "Words" on MTV so many years ago when I was very young and thought it was pretty weird.

I saw "Words" on MTV recently and thought it was pretty weird.

But the music on Spring Session M is so well crafted and performed such that I think it's one of the most influential albums of the period. So much music in the following years emulated Missing Persons.

I wouldn't describe this album completely as pop... I call this progressive rock. Drummer Terry Bozzio, bassist Patrick O'Hearn and guitarist Warren Cucurullo are all Frank Zappa band alumni focusing their ridiculous amount of musical talent on solid songwriting and performance.

My favorite band, Rush, must have listened to Spring Session M nonstop because they basically changed their sound so similar to what's on this record with their 1982 "Signals" effort. The drum beat on Rush's song "Chemistry" is lifted from "Mental Hopscotch" to the note. Neil Peart plays Terry Bozzio's fills. Alex Lifeson plays Warren Cucurullo's guitar lines.

And they're not without a sense of humor... "Walking in L.A." is especially tongue-in-cheek, as is "Words". I recommend this record to anyone who wants to listen to really solid song-oriented rock and while the sounds may be dated, performances and songs of this quality won't go out of style. But blue hair will. Oh well.

While not their best effort (that came later, with Rhyme & Reason), this album is still the "must have" disc. Everyone who remembers the early 80's should have a copy of this one - Missing Persons were one of the truly interesting and innovative new wave bands, and their music is worth listening to. In particular, "Windows," "Destination Unknown" and "Words" are exceptional.

I still remember the first time I heard "Destination Unknown" on MTV. It was an absolutely mesmerizing song, and now, after all these years, it still has an effect on me.

One final note: I'm glad they decided to re-release all three Missing Persons albums on CD, but I do wish they would have left them as they were originally. Tacking on extra material is silly, as none of it was good enough to make the cut the first time around, so why bother? Also, the live material at the end of "Rhyme and Reason" is really poorly recorded . . . I could have done without hearing it.

I'm supposed to say something about Spring Session M., which is definitely a "must have" MP cd since it practically showcases Dale Bozzio's unique phasing of words but forgive me, for I cannot help but react and agree with one reviewer regarding another work by this fabulous 80s rock band. Missing Persons was also very well known for their flambouyance, courtesy of Ms. Bozzio, of course and some really rockin' music, a distinguishing charateristic of most 80s stuff.For the cut "Words" alone, you simply have had ur money's worth. I happen to own the Spring Session M. cd, their Best of cd and of course...The Rhyme & Reason album (vynil format)which for me is FARRRR SUPERIOR than their Spring Session stuff. Songs like The Closer That You Get, Surrender Your Heart, Right Now & Clandestine People...WOW! I also am a proud owner of the 12 inch lp format of the single GIVE which i think is one song that marked the emergence of confident female rockers in the 80's...the likes of Martha Davis (The Motels) and Terri Nunn (Berlin). But really, it's a PITY AND SHAME that Capitol Records (big HELLO Capitol!)overlooked the re-release of Rhyme & Reason album on cd format but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be re-released probably by Cema budget records or some unknown record company in Japan. Meantime, all my Missing Persons stuff (specially Rhyme & Reason lp) are kept under lock and key. If your into guitar riffs, a little bit of synths and some out of this world vocals...try listening to MISSING PERSONS...their previous materials are almost as rare as a panda...grab em when u chance upon them and enjoy!

I bought this CD because I really love this music. I saw Missing Persons live on the tour to promote this album. What an awesome show. What an awesome sound. I still find that's true today.

However, it's CDs like these, touted as remixed (and don't get me wrong, most are good) that make me wish there was some standard in the record industry as to what "remixed" really means. Whose specifications are used for the remix? And is it remastered to simply remove tape hiss from the original analog recording? Or is it remixed to be "new and improved" sound? And if that is the case, then who decides what's new and improved?

What plagues this disk is the crappy, inconsistent mix. The first two tracks are missing any semblance of the POWERFUL bass drum of Terrio Bozzio. It gets better (but never quite right) on some tracks after the first two. Also missing is clarity on the cymbals. The mix on them is muddy. The rest of the disc has issues throughout. It seems as if when the cymbals are clear and not weak, something else suffers. I cannot cite a single track where everything is totally right in the mix. Just to be sure I wasn't losing my mind, I took out my mint-condition vinyl copy of this album and played it. What a difference. My vinyl copy shines! It's so much better than this shoddy product I just got stuck with.

It seems as if Capitol records just released this disc just to capitalize on the whole "retro" thing without paying much attention to quality. Shame on you, Capitol records.

I only gave this two stars because my listening experience was so negatively affected by the annoying mix. Do yourself a favor and find a good copy of this on vinyl.

I absolutely LOVE this album! I bought it when I was a senior in high school. This was one of the few new wave bands that my hard rocking friends could like, and, in concert, this band was amazing. All of the hits ("Walking in L.A.," "Words", etc.) still sound fresh today. I'm glad the reissue included "Mental Hopskotch," which is my favorite Missing Persons song. There is not a weak track on this album. A stellar debut, indeed.

Ask a diehard Zappa-band fan and you'll quickly recognize that four of the five members of Missing Persons are Zappa alums. So yes - the band is super-tight, disciplined, and bent. However, as another reviewer points out, there is an unavailable MP disk named Rhyme & Reason that, for my money, is the high point of Missing Persons' creative trajectory. Unfortunately, while the songs were pop (per the MP 'mission statement'), they had become a bit too sophisticated for general consumption and the album tanked. Now, you can't even buy the best album MP ever produced! Rhyme & Reason: The Closer That You Get - Give - Now Is The Time - Surrender Your Heart - Clandestine People - Right Now - All Fall Down - Racing Against Time - Waiting For A Million Years - If Only For The Moment. Snap it up if you can find it; it's a 5-Star platter of choice cuts.

I bought this album at a record shop after a two year search. I loved the video for "Words" and thought it complemented the song perfectly. After the first full listen of this album I realized that not only was this a great album, but a great and proficient band. The songs ebb and flow seamlessly, with strong and sublte arrangements and tones that intertwine and attract the listener into a new realm of expression and mood. The production captures the band brilliantly, allowing the sound and tones to be both scary and inviting simultanueously. The band works together perfectly, never sounding like the back drop to that woman on the cover. I have a deep fascination with Dale Bozzio's voice. She has a strutting, hiccuping voice that resonates with the music in an urgent and haunting style, like nothing I've ever heard. She also reminds me of Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner. The best songs on the album; like, "Tears", the urgent "It Ain't None of Your Business", and "Words" help create the mood and expression of the album, although all the songs are great. It burns with an understated energy that really makes demands of the listener to fully realize its potency. You might think I'm way over obsessive about this album, like it's the only album I own or something. It's just that I really love it that much. An appreciation of new wave and its aura might help one appreciate this album more, but all you really have to do is listen, I guess.

I bought this album in sixth grade and up to now it still sounds great. "Destination Unknown" just like "Words" was a big hit here in Manila. I recently saw their greatest hits CD and was frustrated when the song "Surrender Your Heart" from the same album where "Give" came, was not included. If you are a MP's fan then buy this but if you want your money's worth then go get the greatest hits album.

Dale Bozzio's voice is an acquired taste, at best. My reaction to it alternates between being bizarrely interested to being very annoyed. Still, this has a little bit of nostalgic value for me, since I used to listen to "Mental Hopscotch," "Walking In L.A." and others back in the good ole '80s.

I give it one extra star for the album title, which is a nice anagram of "Missing Persons." One

Missing Persons may be considered by some to be a cheesy one-hit wonder band, but listening to this album will put any reservations you may have about them to rest.

The hit "Words" is on here, as well as "Destination Unknown" and "Walking In L.A.", but most of the other songs are just as catchy and memorable. It's a shame this band didn't become more than just a faded memory of a decade gone by.