Charlie Rich

I never took Charlie's could-been-Elvis rep very seriously until I heard the passionately confident Jimmy Reed medley that opens side two of this Nashville album. What's missing is Elvis's insolent verve--Rich is sometimes soulful to a fault, veering dangerously toward mere sincerity, a clue to his Nashville success. But there's a payback in maturity and attention to musical detail. No more blues, except for a redefinitive "Since I Met You Baby," and no rock or rockabilly. But he manages to render a piece of countrypolitan mawk like "A Picture of You" at least interesting by sheer belief, and the way he sings his wife Margaret's "Life's Little Ups and Downs" makes you know what they mean by "'til death do us part." (Grade - A-)