A Dozen Roses/Greatest Hits (1991)

Chris Hillman, a founding member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, was one of the early synthesizers of country rock, a style of music he continues to practice with the Desert Rose Band. But whether the country-rock sound isn't as fresh and inventive as it used to be, or whether Hillman just doesn't have the talent to be a front man — either as a vocalist or songwriter — the Desert Rose Band has never been anything but the most marginal of groups. Even its Greatest Hits are pleasant but utterly forgettable ditties, all of which deal with the predictable ins and outs of romance. Things pick up when Hillman borrows songs from other writers (like John Hiatt's ''She Don't Love Nobody'') and sings duets with Emmylou Harris (''Price I Pay''). Otherwise, the Desert Rose Band offers only the stalest of bouquets.