Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 04/16/2007
Charlie Rich had been heading toward full-blown
country-pop on his previous
Epic records, but
Behind Closed Doors is where
Billy Sherrill pulled out all of the stops and created a heavily orchestrated,
pop-oriented album. It's to
Rich's credit that he never sounds like he's drowning amid the grand production and layers of instruments -- in an odd way, he thrives. While
Behind Closed Doors doesn't have the casual eclecticism that distinguished all of
Rich's past recordings, it is an expertly crafted album -- it's easy to see why it made the Silver Fox a superstar. All of the material, from the hit singles (
"Behind Closed Doors," "The Most Beautiful Girl," "I Take It On Home") to the album tracks, are classy songs, designed to appeal to a maturing
country audience. Furthermore, the arrangements expertly walk the line between
pop and schmaltz -- the sound of
Behind Closed Doors is
the sound of early-'70s
countrypolitan and numerous artists used the record as a template for their own style.
Rich made better, grittier records, but the combined collaborative effort of the vocalist and
Sherrill resulted in a seamless, influential work -- even if it is one that earned the scorn of hardcore
country purists.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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