Biography

Comprising three sisters and one brother of the Corr family — vocalist Andrea, drummer Caroline, violinist Sharon and guitarist/keyboard player Jim — the Corrs blend the music of their Irish background with contemporary pop/rock and occasional use of synthesizers. The quartet formed in 1991, and was confined to regional popularity in Ireland until 1994, when the American ambassador to the country invited the Corrs to perform at the 1994 World Cup in Boston.

The attraction led to a support slot on Celine Dion's 1996 tour, which the group joined just after an appearance at that year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Corrs' debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten (released on Lava/Atlantic in America) became internationally popular, but nowhere more so than their homeland, where the LP's four-times-platinum status made it one of the most popular debuts by an Irish group.

Talk on Corners followed in 1998, and was reissued in expanded form early the following year. Andrea Corr, who had made a small appearance in the 1991 film The Commitments, returned to acting five years later with a role in Evita. The group returned to the studio and produced a fourth album in 2000, In Blue.

Albums

• 1993 Shania Twain Mercury
• 1995 The Woman in Me Mercury
• 1997 Come on Over Mercury
• 1999 On the Way New Millenium
• 1999 Beginnings: 1989-1990 Jomato
• 2000 Wild and Wicked [Picture Disc] Neon De Lite
• 2002 Up! [International Version] Mercury

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Biography

Shania Twain's eponymous debut album is a bland set of contemporary country that demonstrates her considerable vocal abilities but none of the spark that informs her breakthrough, The Woman in Me. Part of the problem is that none of the songs are well-constructed and each leans toward soft rock instead of country or country-rock.

By and large, the songs lack strong melodies, so they have to rely on Twain's vocal skills, and although she is impressive, she is too showy to make any of these mediocre songs stick. It's a promising debut, largely because it showcases her fine vocal skills, but it isn't engaging enough to be truly interesting outside of a historical context. — Thom Owens.

Album Songs

1. What Made You Say That (Haselden/Munsey) - 2:58
2. You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me (Beach/Borders) - 2:48
3. Dance With the One That Brought You (Hogin/Peters) - 2:23
4. Still Under the Weather (Ewing/White/White) - 3:06
5. God Ain't Gonna Getcha for That (Robbins/Twain) - 2:44
6. Got a Hold on Me (Newman) - 2:14
7. There Goes the Neighborhood (Dodson/Graham/Laney) - 3:17
8. Forget Me (Smith) - 3:21
9. When He Leaves You (Reid/Robbins) - 4:21
10. Crime of the Century (Fagan/Murthy) - 3:29

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Biography

Shania Twain's second album broke down the doors of stardom for the singer, selling over four million copies by the beginning of 1996. Like many country artists of the mid-'90s, Twain's music combined country conventions with mainstream rock flourishes, creating a sound that appealed to both audiences.

The Woman in Me isn't necessarily a flawless product — the material is a bit inconsistent, and the music plays it a bit too safe — but it all sounds convincing, thanks to the dynamic charisma of Shania Twain. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Home Ain't Where His Heart Is (Anymore) (Lange/Twain) - 4:12
2. Any Man of Mine (Lange/Twain) - 4:07
3. Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? (Lange/Twain) - 4:25
4. (If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta... (Lange/Twain) - 4:30
5. The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You) (Lange/Twain) - 4:50
6. Is There Life After Love? (Lange/Twain) - 4:39
7. If It Don't Take Two (Lange/Twain) - 3:40
8. You Win My Love (Lange) - 4:26
9. Raining on Our Love (Lange/Twain) - 4:38
10. Leaving Is the Only Way Out (Twain) - 4:07
11. No One Needs to Know (Lange/Twain) - 3:04
12. God Bless the Child (Lange/Twain) - 1:30

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Biography

Shania Twain's second record, The Woman in Me, became a blockbuster, appealing as much to a pop audience as it did to the country audience. Part of the reason for its success was how producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange — best-known for his work with Def Leppard, the Cars, and AC/DC — steered Twain toward the big choruses and instrumentation that always was a signature of his speciality, AOR radio. Come on Over, the sequel to.

The Woman in Me, continues that approach, breaking from contemporary country conventions in a number of ways. Not only does the music lean toward rock, but its 16 songs and, as the cover proudly claims, "Hour of Music," break from the country tradition of cheap, short albums of ten songs that last about a half-hour. Furthermore, all 16 songs and Lange-Twain originals and Shania's sleek, sexy photos suggest a New York fashion model, not a honky tonker. And there isn't any honky tonk here, which is just as well, since the fiddles are processed to sound like synthesizers and talk boxes never sound good on down-home, gritty rave-ups. No, Shania sticks to what she does best, which is countrified mainstream pop.

Purists will complain that there's little country here, and there really isn't. However, what is here is professionally crafted country-pop — even the filler (which there is, unfortunately, too much of) sounds good — which is delivered with conviction, if not style, by Shania, and that is enough to make it a thoroughly successful follow-up to the most successful country album by a female in history. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Man! I Feel Like a Woman! (Lange/Twain) - 3:53
2. I'm Holdin' on to Love (To Save My Life) (Lange/Twain) - 3:30
3. Love Gets Me Every Time (Lange/Twain) - 3:33
4. Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) (Lange/Twain) - 3:35
5. From This Moment On performed by Twain / White Brian - 4:43
6. Come on Over (Lange/Twain) - 2:55
7. When (Lange/Twain) - 3:39
8. Whatever You Do! Don't! (Lange/Twain) - 4:04
9. If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask! (Lange/Twain) - 4:04
10. You're Still the One (Lange/Twain) - 3:34
11. Honey, I'm Home (Lange/Twain) - 3:39
12. That Don't Impress Me Much (Lange/Twain) - 3:38
13. Black Eyes, Blue Tears (Lange/Twain) - 3:39
14. I Won't Leave You Lonely (Lange/Twain) - 4:13
15. Rock This Country! (Lange/Twain) - 4:23
16. You've Got a Way (Lange/Twain) - 3:24

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Biography

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Album Songs

1. Two Hearts, One Love (Sabu/Twain)
2. I Lost My Heart When I Found You (Sabu/Twain)
3. (Don't Gimme That) Once Over (Sabu/Twain)
4. Hate to Love (Sabu/Twain)
5. Wild and Wicked (Sabu/Twain)
6. Send It With Love (Sabu/Twain)
7. Bite My Lip (Sabu/Twain)
8. Luv Eyes (Sabu/Twain)
9. Rhythm Made Me Do It (Sabu/Twain)
10. Half Breed (Capps/Dean)
11. For the Love of Him (Sabu/Twain)

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Biography

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Album Songs

1. Bite My Lip (Sabu/Twain) - 2:42
2. Wild and Wicked (Sabu/Twain) - 3:09
3. Send It With Love (Sabu/Twain) - 3:44
4. (Don't Gimme That) Once Over (Sabu/Twain) - 3:49
5. Hate to Love (Sabu/Twain) - 4:04
6. Luv Eyes (Sabu/Twain) - 3:41
7. I Lost My Heart When I Found You (Sabu/Twain) - 4:20
8. The Rhythm Made Me Do It (Sabu/Twain) - 3:47
9. Two Hearts, One Love (Sabu/Twain) - 3:38
10. Half-Breed (Capps/Dean) - 3:13
11. For the Love of Him [Dance Mix] (Sabu/Twain) - 5:15
12. For the Love of Him (Sabu/Twain) - 3:35

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Biography

When Up! was released in November 2002, Shania Twain revealed in one of many promotional interviews that she writes far more songs than can fit on her records and that she hides any personal, introspective songs she pens, not even playing them for her husband and collaborator Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Now, this is certainly a psychological quirk worth exploring, but it also suggests why Twain's albums are such brilliant pieces of mainstream pop. Anything that doesn't fit the mold is discarded, so the album can hum along on its big, polished, multipurpose hooks and big, sweeping emotions.

This is Super-Size pop, as outsized and grandiose as good pop should be. And, unlike the work of most pop divas, where the subject matter is firmly about the singer, none of the songs on Up! are remotely about Shania Twain, the person — let's face it, she's never faced a situation like "Waiter! Bring Me Water!," where she's afraid her guy is going to be stolen away by their hot waitress. No, these songs have been crafted as universal anthems, so listeners can hear themselves within these tales.

Just as cleverly, the songs are open-ended and mutable — always melodic, but never stuck in any particular style, so they can be subjected to any kind of mix and sound just as good. (Indeed, Up! was initially released in no less than three different mixes — the "Red" pop mix, the "Green" country mix, and the "Blue" international mix; sometimes the differences in mixes were so slight, it sounded like nothing was changed, but each mix revealed how sturdy and melodic the structure of each of the 19 songs was, and how they were designed to sound good in any setting.) True, the sheer length of the album could be seen as off-putting at first, since these 19 tracks don't necessarily flow as a whole.

Then again, part of the genius of Up! is that it's designed as a collection of tracks, so the album is durable enough to withstand years on the charts, producing singles with different textures and moods every few months. Time revealed Come on Over as a stellar pop album, and the same principle works for Up!. Upon the first listen, singles seem indistinct, and it seems like too much to consume at once, but once you know the lay of the land, the hooks become indelible and the gargantuan glossiness of the production is irresistible. In other words, it's a more than worthy follow-up to the great mainstream pop album of the late '90s, and proof that when it comes to shiny, multipurpose pop, nobody does it better than Shania Twain. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Up! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 2:52
2. I'm Gonna Getcha Good! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:29
3. She's Not Just a Pretty Face [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:49
4. Juanita [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:50
5. Forever and for Always [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:43
6. Ain't No Particular Way [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:24
7. It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:19
8. Nah! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:08
9. (Wanna Get to Know You) That Good! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:33
10. C'est la Vie [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:42
11. I'm Jealous [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:05
12. Ka-Ching! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:20
13. Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come... [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:00
14. Waiter! Bring Me Water! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:19
15. What a Way to Wanna Be! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:36
16. I Ain't Goin' Down [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:57
17. I'm Not in the Mood (To Say No)! [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:25
18. In My Car (I'll Be the Driver) [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 3:16
19. When You Kiss Me [Red] (Lange/Twain) - 4:08
20. Up! (Lange/Twain) - 3:13
21. I'm Gonna Getcha Good! (Lange/Twain) - 4:33
22. She's Not Just a Pretty Face (Lange/Twain) - 3:39
23. Juanita (Lange/Twain) - 3:50
24. Forever and for Always (Lange/Twain) - 4:51
25. Ain't No Particular Way (Lange/Twain) - 4:26
26. It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing (Lange/Twain) - 3:32
27. Nah! (Lange/Twain) - 4:05
28. (Wanna Get to Know You) That Good! (Lange/Twain) - 4:28
29. C'est la Vie (Lange/Twain) - 3:36
30. I'm Jealous (Lange/Twain) - 4:09
31. Ka-Ching! (Lange/Twain) - 3:32
32. Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come... (Lange/Twain) - 4:01
33. Waiter! Bring Me Water! (Lange/Twain) - 3:37
34. What a Way to Wanna Be! (Lange/Twain) - 3:32
35. I Ain't Goin' Down (Lange/Twain) - 3:43
36. I'm Not in the Mood (To Say No)! (Lange/Twain) - 3:23
37. In My Car (I'll Be the Driver) (Lange/Twain) - 3:11
38. When You Kiss Me (Lange/Twain) - 3:56