Grains of Sand (1990)

Grains of Sand is a compilation consisting mostly of outtakes that never made it onto Carved in Sand, this popular British band's previous, similarly titled album — and unfortunately you can plainly see why they didn't. Even though a couple of tracks, particularly ''Mercenary'' and ''Tower of Strength,'' are refreshing in their echoes of the folkie and Eastern-mystic sides of Led Zeppelin, the rest of the record ranges from forgettable to out-and-out embarrassing. In the embarrassing category are the nursery rhyme-like ditty ''Mr. Pleasant,'' the ham-handed, maudlin power ballad ''Kingdom Come,'' and worst of all the mock-symphonic ''Sweet Smile of Mystery,'' which might just be the most misguided sonic blunder since the overblown rock operas of the mid-'70s. C-