Singular lack of success for Crowe's album

Russell Crowe may be the darling of Hollywood but music fans are rather less impressed with his talents, it seems.

The Oscar-winning actor's lesser known pastime is performing as a front man with his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.

But, last night, it emerged the group's latest album, Bastard Life of Clarity,had been unable even to scrape into the UK top 100, having reportedly sold a mere 156 copies.

The 37-year-old New Zealander may be on course to win a second Oscar, this time for his performance in A Beautiful Mind, but he is unlike to be carrying off a Grammy this year.

However Crowe, who has a reputation for ill-tempered outbursts was said to be unworried by the album's poor performance.

In suitably poetic style his record label Resolution/Gruntland Records, said: "Clarity is a personal journey through issues close to Russell's heart. He would rather people got into it because they had discovered it for themselves. The record has had a healthy first week of sales for an album that has not had a big hyping campaign."

The actor, the company said, did not want to push his folk-rock group's CD at the same time as promoting his portrayal of schizophrenic Nobel Prize winner John Nash.

Crowe recently atttracted negative media coverage for losing his temper at a Bafta party where he won a Best Actor Award. Furious a poetic contribution had been cut from television coverage, he insulted BBC producer Malcolm Gerrie.

Crowe – singer and guitarist – has a long history of song writing with the Australian band that includes lead guitarist Dean Cochran, bass guitarist Garth Adam, drummer Dave Kelly, singer Dave Wilkins, and trumpeter Stewart Kirwan.