Charlie Rich - Boss Man (1970)

Charlie Rich and Billy Sherrill reached a peak with The Fabulous Charlie Rich, creating a perfect middle ground between Rich's rootsier tendencies and Sherrill's country-pop leanings. Like many of Rich's records, it didn't sell, and that might have been one of the reasons its follow-up, Boss Man, was their weakest effort to date. Although there are quite a few high spots and the album essentially follows the same formula as their previous efforts, the material isn't consistent, alternating between bluesy shuffles and country weepers; both styles range from the brilliant to the boring. What's even worse is the fact that Rich himself sounds uninspired, giving competent but unenthusiastic performances. There's enough prime material to make Boss Man an enjoyable listen, particularly for Rich fans who know that he rarely comes up with consistent albums. However, it didn't have the spark of The Fabulous Charlie Rich, nor did it have the immaculate sheen of Behind Closed Doors, the country-pop masterpiece that followed Boss Man. Nevertheless, Boss Man had enough fine songs to make it an essential purchase for true Rich fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine