POP STARS ***** Great Balls of Fire **** Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door *** Good Vibrations ** Maybe Baby * Ain’t That a Shame

SKID ROW “Skid Row.” Atlantic * 1/2

Nasty three-chord rock ‘n’ roll with streetwise lyrics. . . . Sound familiar? Well, so do the 11 generic songs on this highly unoriginal LP. This New Jersey-based quintet can’t even imagine the musical intricacies and sharp insights that make a band like Guns N’ Roses so interesting. “Piece of Me” does have a driving riff, and the chorus to “Makin’ a Mess” does grab you by the throat, but that’s it for the good stuff. Skid Row is everything that’s ordinary about hard rock, and yet this album is selling like hot cakes.