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").] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine