Come on Over [Australia Bonus CD] - Shania Twain

With Come On Over, Shania Twain positioned herself in the upper echelon of country music as a female counterpart to Garth Brooks' mega-selling pop legacy. The influence and input of husband/producer/co-writer Robert John "Mutt" Lange cannot be overstated, with his unique melodic panache and slick production techniques in evidence with each passing note of this album. His accomplishments here and on Twain's last effort are no less revolutionary in their pop sensibilities than his transformation of Def Leppard from a blues-based bar band into international superstars in the 1980s. Lange knows that even weak lyrics can come across as sincere when matched with a catchy hook, and Twain's energetic performance elevates such songs as "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" and "Love Gets Me Every Time" from passable fluff to infectious pop anthems. Together they pack Come On Over with 16 concise cuts that summarily best most artists' greatest-hits albums. There truly isn't a single mediocre track on the album, leaving the field wide open for constantly changing individual preferences. Twain's duet with Bryan White is the kind of epic ballad Celine Dion and Bette Midler are famous for, but without the overbearing melodrama of songs like Midler's "From a Distance," it seems natural and less forced than her adult contemporary peers are capable of. Despite the presence of a couple more ballads, the album is given over mostly to uptempo rockers, of which "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" and "Rock This Country" are two of the best. With a running time of precisely one hour, Come On Over lacks a single minute of inessential listening for even casual country music fans. [Come on Over is also available in a release with added bonus tracks.] ~ Jeremy Ulrey, All Music Guide