AMG Review of Bedroom Classics, Vol. 1

Andy Kellman
All Music Guide

Few singers could have kicked off Rhino's Bedroom Classics series as fittingly as Teddy Pendergrass, but this is the umpteenth time he has been anthologized; it's not as if the planet has been starving for a strong summation of his baby-making material. That said, a good deal of care was used in putting this particular compilation together. While not as thorough as 2003's Anthology (The Right Stuff), it's a fine introduction -- despite the fact that it's built around a theme. (After all, the bedroom was Pendergrass' theme.) Plenty of enduring songs are here, including "Close the Door," "Joy," "It Should've Been You," "Hold Me," and "This Is My Last Time."