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Missing Persons Missing in Action Review by Gary Hill I always liked Missing Persons. This is kind of an odd album, though. Mind you, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, Missing Persons used to be a band. With this album Dale Bozzio is backed by just one guy, Billy Sherwood. Now, I’ve liked Sherwood in everything he’s done, including his stint in Yes. The thing is, a lot of this music is more trademark Sherwood in all his AOR oriented progressive rock glory. Some of it, though, manages to feel like Missing Persons. Overall, I like this disc a lot. I’m just not sure how valid it is to have it under the name “Missing Persons.” Mind you, I’m sure it’s legal. I just don’t know how honest it is. None of that changes the fact that it’s quite a good disc. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Do or Die They launch right in with a fairly fast paced tune. There’s almost a psychedelic rock vibe to this thing. The instrumental section here is quite proggy.

Hello, Hello Starting with a mellower movement, this powers out for the chorus. This one really does feel like classic Missing Persons in many ways.

Walk into the Sun This energized rocker has a lot of Yes in the mix to my ears. Sure, it’s more stripped back and 1980s related, but there are plenty of Sherwoodisms here. I’d almost think of this more like Open Your Eyes era Yes with Dale Bozzio on it than Missing Persons. I really like the chorus on this a lot.

Covert Operation The arrangement on this is mostly rhythmic and electronic. It is another that does feel more like the sound we were accustomed to with Missing Persons. The instrumental section later brings this into more proggy territory.

The More We Love Much more tied to the pop music of the 1980s, this has a very electronic texture. I’m not sure it sounds like Missing Persons, but it definitely sounds like something from that decade. It’s a slow moving tune, but has some more powered up moments.

The Speed of Light Now, this rocker is very much something that’s easy to pin as Missing Persons. Still, there are Sherwood trademarks on this beast. It’s good stuff. It’s one of my favorites here. It’s among the most effective, that’s for sure.

All the Way Like “The More We Love,” this slower cut feels quite in line with 1980s music, but perhaps not so much like something from Missing Persons specifically. It’s quite electronic. It does have some modern processing on the vocals at times.

If I Gave You My Mind This might be the most unusual and strongest piece of the disc. It’s got a lot of that electronic vibe, but it feels more like something I’d expect from Missing Persons. It’s got some off-kilter little twists in the sound. It’s an exceptionally effective song.

Siren Song The music on this lands in the territory of reggae prog turned 1980s pop rock. It’s bouncy and pretty cool. It’s just not magic. It feels a little too slow to me.

Crisis in Overdrive This one definitely feels like a progressive rock number in a lot of ways. It’s more energized and laden with Billy Sherwood trademarks. Still, Bozzio’s vocals are also trademark. The combination of the two lands this one as one of the best pieces here.

Walking in L.A. (Acoustic Version) The first of two bonus tracks, we get an acoustic rendition of one of Missing Persons’ big hits. I like this one, but it takes a little getting used to. The backing vocals are a bit odd, but also kind of cool.

Hello, Hello The closing number is another bonus track. This time we get a radio edit of a song on the album proper. It’s much more electronic. It actually feels even more like Missing Persons to me like this. I think I like it better like this. It might be the best track here.

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