Canada's not just about Mounties and maple syrup.  There's Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Theory Of A Deadman, Celine Dion and Shania Twain - all of whom suffer from bad hair. 

So with Ms Dion having taken up residence in Vegas' Caesar Palace, the gleaming diamond in country music's crown that is the perfectly trim Shania Twain kicks off her shoes for a live showdown recorded in Chicago on 27 July this year, where 50,000 Yanks gathered under the stars for the open-air concert, with a spectacular view of skyscrapers in the distance. 

Now residing in Switzerland, the honoury Swiss Miss bounds onto the stage in a lemon coloured Lycra top with shiny black bottoms, dressed as if she's about to jump on a bike for the Tour De France.  More concerning is her choice of footwear - bright, yellow tie-up boots that are more Krusty the Klown than multi-millionairess superstar.  Terribly disturbing is her back-up band (bar one who is female), all looking as if they walked out of a Bon Jovi audition.  Bad hair, leather trousers and thrusting their guitars in the air - penis extension style.  And the drummer is wearing massive ski goggles.

Not that any of this matters to the ecstatic crowd who mouth the words to every song.  Ten minutes into the concert, you cringe when repeated shots of the same faces playing up to the camera are shown.  When three little girls are suddenly picked out of the audience to join the lady for 'I'm Gonna Getcha Good!', the whole affair looks suspiciously fixed as they barely hesitate when they sing a verse and a chorus word perfect and perfectly in time with the music.  Brats.

Ms Twain's voice is sensational live, as she belts out her biggest hits (I said 'hits') - 'Man!  I Feel Like A Woman!', 'Ka-Ching!', 'Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)', 'That Don't Impress Me Much' - all without wet patches under her arms.  And her make-up doesn't run either.  But boy, she uses a lot of exclamation marks in her songs.  'Nah!'  Yes, she does and that is one of them, as are 'Thank You Baby! (For Making Someday Come So Soon)', 'I'm Outta Here!' and 'Rock This Country!'.

Capturing the atmosphere on a live recording of a concert is hit-and-miss.  Some have poor picture quality (as if someone smuggled in a camcorder and hid it under their jacket), while a few just sound so hollow.  Live In Chicago looks as if it's being broadcast live into your living room.  The picture quality is impeccable and so is the camera work.  It's truly an uninterrupted concert.  

Where it disappoints is there are no bonus features, no interviews, no backstage footage and if you can't stand the music, not a lot else.  That said, there are at least 50,000 people who will disagree.
(3/5)

Release Date: 24 November 2003

Up! Live In Chicago