JONES SHOW: SAFE FOR USE BY TEEN SET

The moms and dads who dropped their teen-age girls off at the Forum for a few hours on Friday night can rest assured they were in safe hands. English synth-pop fave Howard Jones does include a teen rebellion anthem in his set, but it goes like this: “I have my respect for you . . . / Give me a break / Let me learn it my way . . . / Look Mama I love you / But you gotta let me live my life.” It ain’t exactly the Beastie Boys.

True, Jones’ simple, soul-searching songs and bouncy, non-threatening stage manner may appear trite and innocuous by more sophisticated standards, but at least he is dealing with ethics and values. And better that the screaming pubescent set should get an introduction to pop from someone showing signs of a conscience than from, say, Duran Duran.

Other than a virulent vegetarian anthem, it was all very pleasant, often catchy stuff characterized by the four H’s--humanitarianism, humanism, hopefulness, haircuts. Not much there to engage adults--in the easy-to-swallow sentiments or hokey theatrics or mildly funky, frothy music--but then, it seemed aimed squarely at the Nickelodeon crowd, and it connected.