* * * * <i> Great Balls of Fire</i> , * * * <i> Good Vibrations</i> , * * <i> Maybe Baby</i> , * <i> Running on Empty</i> : TUNEFUL TAYLOR

* * “THUNDER.” Andy Taylor. MCA. If you’d used Andy Taylor’s work with Duran Duran and Power Station to predict the sound of the guitarist’s solo debut, you’d have guessed wrong. Sure, a couple of tracks carry a bouncy metallic, Power Station-like crunch. But teamed with ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones (who co-wrote, co-produced and played on the album), Taylor has crafted a remarkably tuneful, varied record where melody reigns over fierce riffing. In fact, it’s the softer material--like the chugging, lovely “Night Train”--that tends to work best. That’s partly because slow songs are better suited to Taylor’s singing style, and because the album’s big splashes of instrumental color help keep the subdued passages interesting. If the lyrics were stronger, “Thunder” could have been an even more pleasant surprise.