RICHARD MARX “Repeat Offender.” EMI ***

Marx is a record company executive’s dream. He’s young, good-looking, talented and has--to use one of the music industry’s favorite phrases-- multiformat appeal . Marx blends pop-conscious melody and craft with rock-oriented texture and attitude to produce a sound that suits a wide range of radio formats--and their listeners. His 1987 debut album generated four Top 5 hits and this follow-up--which rocks a bit harder overall--has several obvious candidates.

Like Kenny Loggins and Steve Perry in their prime, Marx has a sturdy, elastic voice and a knack for turning out catchy, radio-ready pop/rock songs. Among the most spirited: “Wait for the Sunrise” and the first single, “Satisfied,” which features an organ solo by Little Feat’s Bill Payne. The album also features a few striking ballads, including the moody “Angelina” and the anthemic “Children of the Night.”

The only problem is that Marx doesn’t have much to say. He really seems worked up about something on the opening song, “Nothin’ You Can Do About It,” in which he defiantly tells off a former friend who told him he’d never make it. That biting song has the ring of truth, but others seem generic. The Chicago native may be just a bit too good at turning out radio-ready fodder. Marx has the craft part of record-making down cold. But he needs to work a little on--as President Bush once put it so memorably--”the vision thing.”