AMG Review of Behind Closed Doors [Bonus Tracks]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Charlie Rich finally had a genuine hit with Behind Closed Doors, an exceedingly lush expansion of the sound he had essayed with producer Billy Sherrill on his first Epic albums. Here, Sherrill ups the ante considerably by adding layers of strings and choirs, and the two move the material toward the mainstream. The key to the record's success is that Rich's signature blend of country, jazz, blues, rock, and pop retains its character throughout it all, resulting in an album that's a twin peak: the pinnacle of Sherrill's countrypolitan sound, while standing as one of Rich's great albums. The hit singles -- "Behind Closed Doors," "The Most Beautiful Girl," "I Take It On Home" -- deservedly receive most of the attention, but the record is filled with great songs, including two from his wife Margaret Ann ("A Sunday Kind of Woman," "Nothing in the World (To Do With Me)") that stand as highlights. Throughout it all, Rich delivers the kind of shaded, nuanced performances that earned him a devoted cult -- a cult that might not cherish Behind Closed Doors as much as some of his other records because of its lushness, but if that lushness introduced a new audience to the wonders of Charlie Rich, it can't be bad at all. [The 2001 CD reissue features remastered sound and four bonus tracks, one of which was previously unreleased ("I've Got Mine").]