"The Woman In Me" is still the watershed country (yes, country) album of the 1990s and still Shania's best album to date. The hit songs are pure, unadulterated fun. Nothing more, nothing less. There a pair of weak tracks but they are completely overshadowed by the horde of chart-toppers.

"Any Man of Mine" is a perfect example of how to write crowd-pleasing, danceable, and catchy country songs without making them novelty tunes (e.g., "Achy Breaky Heart") or crossover fluff. Its harmonics, hooks, and staccato drums STILL make people move after nearly a decade but it maintains an authentic, even flagrant, country style.

The ballads are touching, the light-hearted tunes (especially "No One Needs to Know") actually lighten the heart, and the [fast] songs really kick. And "God Bless the Child" is a haunting autobiographical coda.

The reason TWIM remains Shania's best is that it picks one style per song and sticks with it. Much of her later efforts try to graft incongruent genres into single songs ("Honey I'm Home" has pop verses and country choruses, for example) to schizophrenic effect. It makes it easier to re-mix for each market but hurts the music.

If you must own a Shania CD, make it this one.

Following the failure of her major label debut album, Shania opted for a different sound for this follow-up album. Matt Lange became her producer. They each wrote one song alone and co-wrote the others together. The album has a sound that appeals to a lot of people who don't normally like country music, yet this is still a country album at heart and there are at least a couple of songs here that would sit comfortably on a traditional country album, as I will explain.

There are several high quality ballads, particularly Home ain't where his heart is anymore (the story of love gone sour after several happy years) and the heartfelt title track. Nevertheless, the tracks that I like best are the two up-tempo songs that set Shania on the road to superstardom - Any man of mine (in which Shania explains exactly what she expects of her man, but she sings it in a fun way so you know she's not quite as demanding as she at first seems) and Who's bed have your boots been under (another fun song, this time questioning the faithfulness of her man), both of which remind me of the kind of song that Loretta Lynn was so good at in the late sixties and early seventies. Indeed, the song that follows those two, If you're not in it for love I'm outta here (doubting the motives of a potential suitor), would also have suited Loretta in her prime.

There are, of course, many other fine songs on this album, which sold well over ten million copies in America. It was also my first Shania album although the British public generally didn't take much notice of her until the release of Come on over - and even then, after it had been remixed for the European market.

My favorite Shania album is her flop (untitled) debut album, but this one and Come on over are both masterpieces in their own ways. These three albums are very different from each other and you certainly need eclectic musical tastes to enjoy all three.

This album has a great mix of ballads and country rockers. Take "If You're Not In It For Love", one of her best known songs, has a great beat that has terrific hooks and sticks in your head for a long time after. "No One Needs To Know", a song from the "Twister" soundtrack, is probably the best song on the album with its unique lyrics and sound. This album is excellent but it does have its shortcomings. There is a few filler songs here including "If It Don't Take Two" & "Raining On Our Love". But with most of the songs so good, a few filler can be forgiven. Her newest album, "Come On Over", is filler free as every song could be a hit. Get that album first and then this.

I have always liked Shania Twain's music and singing, but I never got around to buying any of her albums until recently. I waited too long! I've seen a few of her videos on VH1 and MTV before, but didn't think much of it until I saw and heard the video for "Any Man of Mine". She sings that song so well and it stuck in the back of my head long afterwards. From that point on, I said to myself "I have to get the album that song is on." (Yes, she also has an unbelievable body!)

For country music, I only like female singers. Most male singers sound all the same to me, except for Garth Brooks. He has an exceptionally unique voice which stands out from the rest of the men. Shania Twain has an OUTSTANDING, POWERFUL voice which is really shown in this album and in 'Come On Over'. Her lyrics can best be described as sassy, with so much realness to them that it's almost stunning, especially in 'Come On Over'. When I hear her voice, I am reminded that life is good for those who want to live it and that life is good, in general. It's all in her super-powerful voice. When I hear her sing, I'm also reminded that "everthing's okay". Her music has a lot of pop and rock influence in it, which I also love about her music, especially since she collaborated with her husband/producer, "Mutt" Lange, in writing and making this (and the next) album. Lange is a producer for many Rock and Hard Rock bands like Def Leppard and Bryan Adams. The rock is there in songs like "Any Man of Mine", "You Win My Love", and especially in the 'rockin' the house down' "If You're Not In It For Love (I'm Oughta Here!)" That song is almost a Rock n' Roll song! But, don't be confused. This is still a country music album. But it's much more of a country music album than her next album, 'Come On Over', which transcends into the pop genre! Of course, that explains why her videos got airplay on MTV and VH1. Shania Twain is like an all music singer! Whatever musical category you like, you will hear it in Shania Twain's music. Sarah McLachlan's voice has power, too, but Shania Twain's voice has power in a totally different way.

Very few CD's come around that are jammed packed with hits. "The Woman In Me" is one of them. Every song on here is listenable, even the ones that never made radio are just as good as the hits. I can listen to this CD straight through. The ballads are great, the dance tracks are great. I don't know what she does but it works and it works well. I don't have "Come On Over" but I believe other reviewers when they say that this one is better because it would take a lot to match this album. I truly recommend this CD to everyone. This is not your typical country CD, it's very mainstream and accessible musically. I love it!