Clarence Clemons' first solo LP, 1983's Rescue, was an inspired updating of soul styles, highlighted by J.T. Bowen's rough, passionate neo-Pickett singing and a startlingly intense sense of purpose. Few bought it, so Clemons has taken on the vocals himself and headed straight for the mainstream. (Yes, he can sing; no, he can't sing like J.T.) This is usually a cynical business decision, but Clemons sounds just as committed playing Top Forty music; there's no detectable cynicism in his pop move.

Clemons' popularity will always be inextricable from Springsteen's, but he and his collaborators – Narada Michael Walden, Arthur Baker and Michael Jonzun have all produced different tracks – have fashioned hits for almost every format. "Temptation" champions long-distance fidelity over an insistent beat that should make it a hit on black radio; the cover of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" is a classic E Street-style ballad; and "Kissin' on U" is a far more hilarious and effective Morris Day vehicle than anything on Color of Success. Even "You're a Friend of Mine," the hit Jackson Browne duet, pop-rocks hard enough to counteract a wimpy vocal.

Clemons hasn't forgotten what made Rescue special. Nearly hidden behind Hero's pop veneer is "Cross the Line," a celebratory defense of interracial romance. Although Craig Thomas, not Clemons, sings on this track, its presence on this pop-breakthrough bid shows the Big Man won't sacrifice substance for stardom. (RS 466)

JIMMY GUTERMAN