Hidden Nuggets in Charlie Rich’s Work : CHARLIE RICH “Greatest Hits”, <i> Epic</i> ***

The hits of the title are the silky ballads, including “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl,” that made Rich a country-pop star in the early ‘70s. But ironically, the selection that shows why the Arkansas native was so widely acclaimed is one that never was a commercial smash.

Written by his wife, Margaret Ann, “Life’s Little Ups and Downs” speaks of a troubled man, like Rich himself, who struggled so hard and so long to fulfill his dreams.

The singer, who was 62 when he died of a blood clot this week in Louisiana, brought to his music a soulful purity that put him in a class with such greats as Elvis Presley and Ray Charles, and he used it to perfection in his wife’s bittersweet tale:

Life has its little ups and downs

Like ponies on a merry-go-round

And no one grabs the brass ring every time.

Rich, whose style also drew on jazz and pop influences, certainly didn’t grab the brass ring every time, either commercially or creatively. Thus, his best and most popular work is spread over a series of labels, including Sun, RCA and Warner Bros.

Until someone arranges for the highlights of Rich’s work on the various labels to be pulled together in a single retrospective, this is probably the starting point for most fans, even though it only hints at the full range of his artistry.

Charlie Rich, “The Complete Smash Sessions,”*** 1/2

Mercury. These 29 tracks were recorded in Nashville in the mid-’60s for Smash Records--after Rich’s pop-rock success with “Lonely Weekends” and before the “Behind Closed Doors” breakthrough. It contains one hit of its own, the R&B-shaded; novelty “Mohair Sam,” but again the greatness is found in selections that were largely ignored at the time. The highlight is a version of the bluesy “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water” that was so stark that even Elvis couldn’t improve on it. Added delight: a previously unreleased version of a Joe South song.

Charlie Rich, “Pictures and Paintings,” Sire *** .

This was Rich’s final album, an adventurous 1992 package that leaned toward his jazz and blues instincts, featuring material ranging from “You Don’t Know Me,” an old Eddy Arnold hit, to “Mood Indigo.” Though the album seems too lethargic in spots, it ends on a masterful note: “Feel Like Going Home,” a song of farewell and regret that is one of the treasures of contemporary pop music.

The Stone Roses, “The Complete Stone Roses,” Silvertone ***.

The Roses’ fate may be in question after its disappointing U.S. tour, but the music here is from the days in the late-’80s and early-’90s when the English band’s potential seemed unlimited. While the quartet’s self-titled debut album remains the essential introduction to the Roses, this history of the band’s singles (including seven of the first album’s 13 songs) is a valuable supplement. The music documents the evolution of the group, whose approach reflected the ambition and wonder of youth as well as anyone since the early U2.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (e x cellent).