The difference between the first two Eddie and the Hot Rods albums provides a textbook illustration of the motive for and the dilemma faced by punk rock. On their first album, Teenage Depression, the Hot Rods brought back that most important rock & roll ingredient, conviction, with a vengeance. They traveled on electric-guitar power chords and looked to such sources as the Who for inspiration. On their live versions of Townshend's "The Kids Are Alright" (a punk anthem if there ever was one), and the Mysterians' "Ninety-Six Tears," Bob Seger's "Get Out of Denver" and a "Satisfaction"/"Gloria" medley, the Hot Rods sounded more like such original punk-rock bands as the Shadows of Knight and the Music Machine than any of their New Wave peers.

But even though the band's energy and conviction came through on that debut album, the group was unable to arrive at a comfortable studio sound. Producer/lyricist Eddie Hollis (the Eddie who ghosts the band like a latter-day version of Procol Harum's Keith Reid) achieves that sound on Life on the Line, but unfortunately the Hot Rods don't sound like they mean it anymore. And, in the end, it's Eddie's material that has to be blamed. Only one song, the terrific "Do Anything You Wanna Do," comes across as well as the group's statement of purpose from the first album, "Get Across to You." Hollis sums up the rocker's lifestyle with the lines, "Tired of workin' day jobs with no thanks for what I do/I'm sure I must be someone, now I'm gonna find out who." The rest of the record is just a less-effective, undistinguished rehash of the same sentiment. Graeme Douglas, who was added to spice up the lead-guitar sound, does burn out several good leads (particularly on "Beginning of the End"), but he ends up making it sound like an acid-rock group, which is hardly what this band needs. (RS 257)

JOHN SWENSON