* * * * <i> Great Balls of Fire</i> * * * <i> Good Vibrations</i> * * <i> Maybe Baby</i> * <i> Running on Empty : </i> : FORCE: GOOEY, GIMMICKY

* * “TOUCH AND GO.” Force M.D.’s. Tommy Boy. The idea of matching traditional street-corner harmonizing with contemporary street rhythms is terrific in theory, and it almost works on the single “Love Is a House.” But on the whole, the gooey, studio-crafted music on the third album by the New York quartet is so far removed from the street that even the silkiest smooth singing is undermined. Occasional attempts at incorporating hip-hop styles into the arrangements sound gratuitous and gimmicky. Anyway, the Force forte is definitely romantic ballads, but even then its style doesn’t stand out much from the R&B; bubble-gum of New Edition or Atlantic Starr. If you want something really smooth, try “Look, It’s the Moonglows,” the debut album by the late-’50s hit makers that’s just been re-released by Chess Records.