Greatest Hits by Shania Twain

Ok, so I am not even gonna touch the logistics of Shania's being "pop" and not country, and frankly, I don't care one bit. I like that her music is not so boot-stomping annoying that it makes you wanna put a power drill through your head. I've always loved Shania and her music and you can imagine where I was when I heard it being released: at the local Best Buy, of course.

The songs are in backwards order, sorta, depending on the way you look at it. They come from her albums, "Up!," "Come On Over," and "The Woman In Me." The first three are "Forever and For Always", "I'm Gonna Getcha Good", and "Up!", from "Up!," obviously. The first one is the soft love song that has a tender background and sweet lyrics, as in "aah!"; like "In your heart-I can still hear a beat for every time you kiss me." The next is a fun, upbeat song that has one of the most fun lines I've heard in a song. "You're a fine piece of real estate and I'm gonna get me some land" has got to be a classic somewhere! It should be noted that it is the country, not pop version. The last is a poppy, get-yo-shoe stomping funfest. Notice, I said shoe, not boot. I still think of Shania in the music video for this song, dancing around like a maniac and her curly hair looking like she just got out of bed.

The next eight are from the multi-platinum selling album, "Come On Over." I think it was released in 1999 and I still remember listening to those songs with my sister and actually liking some country for the first time. The songs include "Come On Over," "Man, I Feel Like a Woman!," "That Don't Impress Me Much," "From This Moment On," "Honey, I'm Home," "You're Still The One," "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," and "Love Gets Me Every Time." Well, the first one has the homey feel to it, with lyrics such as "Pull up a seat-take a load off your feet." You just feel nice and happy with this one, as with almost all her songs. Of course, the next is one that I constantly sing to get in touch with my feminine side. It really empowers me! ;) I always remember the third being fun with all the things that don't impress Shania. I mean, Brad Pitt doesn't impress her?? Geez, what do you gotta do to impress a woman?

The ballad, From This Moment On is quite possibly my favorite Shania song. It's just really beautiful and inspirational. I have heard it played at weddings a lot and it does seem to describe a perfect relationship. Note that this is NOT the duet with Bryan White; it's just Shania. The next is probably a boot-shaking song, so it's not my fav at all, but the line "This could be worse than PMS" is another fun one. What the hell is?? I would like to know that! You're Still The One is another of Shania's perfect ballads that had people loving her all over again. It just about gets no better than this. The seventh song in this group has the fiddles going in full force, but I like it. Of course, it does paint a picture of the male being jealous, but hey, that's what all we guys do right? Finally, the next is definitely one of those square-dance songs, but it's ok. I'm not going to complain, she's gotta please some of those die-hard country folk, know don't she?

The next six are from "The Woman In Me." They include "No One Needs To Know," "You Win My Love," "I'm Outta Here," "The Woman In Me," "Any Man Of Mine," and "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?". The first is another get-down song (no, not like rapper 'Lil Jon!) that conveys my idea exactly of a crush with lyrics like "I think I've been hit by Cupid, but no one needs to know right now." The second one is interlaced with a lot of car references that seem to have a sort of double meaning going on. "Rev it up, rev it up 'til your engine blows" and "Just go faster, faster, don't be slow" makes me think of other things. Fine, I'll get my mind out of the gutter. She just likes cars, there, are you happy?

The third makes me wanna run and hide; she's in it for the long haul with lines like "If you're not in it for life, I'm outta here!" Wow, commitment on the first date. Slow down, hun. It's another fun song. The fourth just makes me wanna find a girl like this, such as "The woman in me needs you to be the man in my arms." Very tender and sweet. Of course, everyone has heard the fifth song, in which I better pick her up on time for a date, but she can be late whenever she feels and other such double standards. Isn't this the exact situation us guys deal with everyday? Well, Shania sure knows that! Then, on the last one, Shania makes us guys feel ashamed to be with that "little Spanish flame" and says that we "better start talkin' or you better start walkin'." Typical women! ;)

The last four are from her soon-to-be released album. "Party For Two" has two versions, one with Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray fame and Billy Currington. It is a very fun, upbeat song that I am sure is going to be a hit with her fans again. "Don't" is a soft, haunting ballad that teaches us guys to be patient and "don't give up on trust." "I Ain't No Quitter" ends up the album with a sure-fire country hit. Hey, if you smoke, chew, cuss, tell bad jokes, drink it up, spit, and flirt too much, keep it up, 'cause Shania sure won't quit on your bad self!

This is a very good album and provides all the requisite hits that you'd expect. The booklet has all the lyrics printed and with pics of Shania either in the song's music video or in concert. A CD to be entrenched in any Shania fan's collection, this one is sure to please. It sure did for me.