SEARCH WARRANT: Who’s the latest member of...

SEARCH WARRANT: Who’s the latest member of rock’s Tipper Gore Fan Club? Would you believe Warrant, the hard-rock band whose new Columbia album, “Cherry Pie,” concludes with a witty number called “Ode To Tipper Gore.” Well--witty by heavy-metal standards. There’s no actual song, just a series of shouted obscenities and profane remarks culled from recent Warrant concert tapes. On the enclosed lyric sheet, the band simply says: “Freedom of speech. . . . What a concept!” We’re all for freedom of speech too, but if you’re looking for good taste, don’t expect to find any on this album. The title song (dedicated to Columbia exec Donny Ienner) is a labored double-entendre about a lively woman who has sex--apparently with the entire band.

In keeping with this theme, the record’s inside sleeve offers a photo of a comely drive-in waitress (also featured on the cover) who is pictured behind the door of an old Buick convertible in a sexually suggestive pose. The album also contains another song, “Love in Stereo,” which celebrates having sex with two women at a time. It’s enough to make you wonder: Why is sex-mongering such a hot topic when a black rap group is involved but doesn’t seem to make waves when practiced by a white rock band?