Bastard Life or Clarity (2001)

It'd be easy to dismiss this Russell Crowe-led band as a vanity project from a movie star living out a fantasy otherwise unattainable. Which it probably is (despite the fact that Crowe's played with Grunt member Dean Cochran since 1984). But their Bon Jovi–meets–Midnight Oil sound is more original and accomplished than that of, say, Dogstar, and if you tune out the often-laughable lyrics and tentative vocals and try not to think about ''Gladiator'' loincloths, ''Life'' is often rewarding.