Thoro-Fair

** GEORGE THOROGOOD. “Born to Be Bad.” EMI-Manhattan. George Thorogood’s records are the Volkswagen Bugs of rock ‘n’ roll: They aren’t fancy, but they sure are dependable. But the line between reliability and boredom is narrow, and with his latest Thorogood has crossed the line. While the Delaware rocker’s gravel-edged vocals and sturdy beer-hall blues licks are somewhat entertaining on songs like “Highway 49” and “I’m Ready,” there’s nothing on “Born to Be Bad” that wouldn’t fit perfectly on any of his other discs. A little growth would probably make this record more interesting to the general public, but its consistency should please his longtime cult audience.