* * * * <i> Great Balls of Fire</i> , * * * <i> Good Vibrations</i> , * * <i> Maybe Baby</i> , * <i> Running on Empty</i> : RANK ROARS, ROCKS

* * * “RANK AND FILE.” Rank and File. Rhino. Chip and Tony Kinman have traveled quite a stretch of dusty road in their day. After debuting in the mid-’70s with the vehemently political punk band the Dils, they relocated to Texas, got fancy shirts with piping on them, formed Rank and File and in 1983 released “Sundown,” the definitive cow-punk record. Now they’re into the semi-heavy metal, arena-rock bag, and being the talented pair that they are, they do it pretty well. One amazing song, “Unlucky in Love,” which combines killer punk drumming with squealing Aerosmithesque guitars and country-Western lyrics, roars to a finish and stops on a dime. Yes, the Kinmans can rock and rave with the best of them, but I must admit to being partial to their country fare. The standout tracks, two sad and sweet ballads called “Golden Age” and “Good Times,” sound like outtakes from “Sundown.” All in all, this is an accomplished and eclectic transitional record.