* Sly & Robbie

FRIENDS

(EastWest)

Here is (arguably) reggae's mightiest rhythm section doing what they do worst: streamlining reggae into mainstream pop. Fifteen songs, and only two ("You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" and "Night Nurse") boast memorable melody and lyrics. But the worst weaknesses are vocal. Guest singer Mick Hucknell of Simply Red turns the exquisite erotic lassitude of Gregory Isaacs's "Night Nurse" into a sexless and simpering ditty. An equally puzzling cameo comes from UB40 frontman Ali Campbell's thin and reedy voice.

The best moments are Sly's & Robbie's. The flirtation with hip-hop beats on "Friday" is winning, and there's a killer bass line giving an edge to the campy "Theme from Mission Impossible." Still, listen closely and you'll pick up on an unsettling sameness, a blandness in the mix. At the very least, this pair of reggae vets need to find some new "friends" to hand the vocals to.

-- Norman Weinstein