Color in Your Life (CD Reissue)

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Missing Persons

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I am the ultimate Missing Persons fan. I saw them live once in the eighties and twice in the nineties. I even got to shake Dale's hand at a concert in '96 and she joked with me from the stage. I must strongly disagree with the reviewer who said this album was weak. It is my favorite Missing Persons album. The songwriting and melodic structure are exceptionally strong and Dale's vocals are as unique and interesting as ever. Why do I love this album so? Well, I think it is less gimmicky sounding than the others and Dale stopped doing the hiccup effect with her voice. Don't get me wrong, I love everything Missing Persons has done, yet I think Color In Your Life is the least dated sounding material in their catalog. This album just seems to vibrate with postivity and energy. I really enjoy the way Dale's lyrics became more upbeat and life-affirming with each album. "We can go against the flow...do just what we wanna do....A flash of love...you changed my everything..." Terry's strong use of percussion and Dale's effervescent personality always put a smile on my face. I've had this CD playing when friends who are over a decade younger than me are in the room and everyone always says, "Who is this? This music is great." Highly recommended.

This 15-track reissue (released in 2000) of Missing Persons' third full-length album, 1986's Color in Your Life, not only includes the original nine songs, but it also contains six additional bonus cuts. The bonus material consists of two previously unreleased studio pieces ("Hot to Cold," "It's a Must") and four selections recorded live in 1981--"Words," "Destination Unknown," "Mental Hopscotch," and the Doors' "Hello I Love You." All of the material on this reissue is in a dance-oriented pop rock musical direction. The musicianship is skillful, the songwriting is good, and the sound quality is taut. There's a nice, well-balanced mixture of guitar and keyboard playing. Concerning the original nine songs, I find them all to be enjoyable and upbeat. Dale Bozzio does an attractive and energetic job with her vocal delivery. Terry Bozzio's drumming is talented, tight, and crisp. Examples of songs that I like are "Face to Face," "We Don't Know Love at All," "Go Against the Flow," and "Boy I Say to You." The vigorous, danceable "Face to Face" displays tuneful, flowing keyboard work. The melodious, pleasing ballad "We Don't Know Love at All" doesn't have Dale Bozzio handling the lead vocal duties; the singing, which is smooth and ambitious, is performed by a man (the CD booklet doesn't say who). The sprightly "Go Against the Flow" showcases a guitar solo from Warren Cuccurullo that sports an interesting, strange tonal quality. The drum-driven, spirited, and spacious "Boy I Say to You" exhibits breezy, atmospheric guitar flourishes from Cuccurullo. As for the six bonus cuts, I find every one of them to be worthy. The gratifying and steady "Hot to Cold" contains snappy drumming from Terry Bozzio and nice lead vocals from Cuccurullo. "It's a Must"--an unfinished instrumental--is also pleasing. The live tunes are satisfying and vivacious. The CD booklet includes an informative five-page essay on the band. The song lyrics aren't included. Three color photos are contained--one of Dale Bozzio singing, another of Terry Bozzio playing the drums, and one of Cuccurullo playing the guitar. I like the CD cover illustration; the black-and-white photos of the members of the group look cool. The backcover of the CD booklet shows an identical illustration of the CD cover. The disc is just over 63 minutes. This album is solid and lively.