ON THE LEVEL : * * * * <i> Great Balls of Fire</i> * * * <i> Good Vibrations</i> * * <i> Maybe Baby</i> * <i> Running on Empty : </i>

* 1/2”RUNNING IN THE FAMILY,” Level 42. Polydor. Given the abundance of young adults who would rather purchase than protest, yuppie pop is all the rage these days. This English quartet isn’t as mind-numbing as most of the New Age music favored by the upscale types, and there is a lush charm to several melodic mood pieces on this LP. But the band plays it so safe that it never allows a moment of spontaneous combustion. The overly rigid approach tends to hamper the soul-tinged slow songs and absolutely sinks the tracks that are intended to be funky and lively. It’s hard to think of a group that needs to be force-fed the garage thrash of the latest Replacements album more than Level 42.