AMG Review of Complete Limelight Sessions

Charlotte Dillon
All Music Guide

The Complete Limelight Sessions by Shania Twain is put together from early demo songs that were remastered and polished up a bit for this 2001 album. The 17 tracks on this offering were recorded during 1989 and into 1990. This was before Mercury Records had signed Twain to a contract, when she was still pretty much an unknown, working hard to provide a suitable living for herself and her orphaned siblings. The songs on this album are a little different than the country tunes fans are used to from Twain. These are more dance or pop/rock, but still the daring and heart of the young star shine through. There are a number of bootlegs out there that carry these songs, but they don't match the better quality of this recording -- not that the quality of this one is way up there. "It's Alright," "Send It With Love," and "For the Love" are a few of the highlights from The Complete Limelight Sessions. All in all, this is a decent collection of Shania Twain's early work, and her most loyal fans will find it worth having in spite of more than a few flaws. It also comes with the bonus of a few rare photos of Twain from those early days.