“Greatest Hits Volume 1” (Arista Nashville) – Phil Vassar

Some might consider it a bit presumptuous to release a greatest-hits compilation as only the fourth CD of your career.

But what makes this 15-song collection different is that it includes not only the hits that have elevated the Lynchburg, Va., native into contemporary country’s upper echelon – including a stint as a judge on USA Network’s “Nashville Star” – but also his interpretations of several songs he wrote that others made famous.

Vassar adds a major dose of pop and tinges of rock to his piano-laced foundation in two Jo Dee Messina chart-toppers, “Bye Bye” and “I’m Alright,” as well as “My Next Thirty Years” (Tim McGraw) and “Little Red Rodeo” (Collin Raye).

Not that Vassar needed other people’s help once he became established in Nashville, given the string of his own hits featured here, such as “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Six-Pack Summer,” “Carlene,” “Last Day of My Life” and the anthemic “American Child.”

Every song you’d expect to be on a Phil Vassar greatest hits effort is here, as well as three new songs, including his latest release, “Twenty One.”

All feature a fairly unique sound that recalls the favorites of Vassar’s youth – an array of piano players ranging from Elton John to Jerry Lee Lewis, from Bruce Hornsby to Billy Joel.

Vassar, the headliner at the 2001 Springfield Fair, has carved out a satisfying niche in the country music world since that initial Maine appearance by blending autobiographical material and fantasy to take listeners from childhood through adolescence and into middle age.

That’s what Vassar is approaching right now, and based on the stories he tells through his music, overall it’s been a good life.

And a good listen, too.