Smashes, Thrashes & Hits

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Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
Smashes Thrashes cover.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Kiss
ReleasedNovember 15, 1988
Recorded1973–1988
Genre Hard rock, glam metal
Length51:54
Label Mercury
Vertigo (UK)
Producer Various
Kiss chronology
Chikara
(1988)		Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
(1988)		 Hot in the Shade
(1989)
Singles from Smashes, Trashes & Hits
  1. "Let's Put the X in Sex"
    Released: October 11, 1988
  2. "(You Make Me) Rock Hard"
    Released: December 1988

Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is a compilation album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was the fourth hits album overall but the second hits album released by the band in the United States ( Killers and Chikara were not released there originally). Of the 15 songs on the album, two were new compositions, and three were released after the band's unmasking in 1983. The remaining 10 were all released during the band's years in make-up.

Contents

The two new songs on Smashes, Thrashes & Hits were "Let's Put the X in Sex" and "(You Make Me) Rock Hard," which featured a similar polished production style as 1987's Crazy Nights . They were both produced and co-written by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley and were accompanied by videos that received moderate airplay on MTV. Unusual for Kiss videos, Paul Stanley never plays the guitar in either video for the new songs.

Nearly all of the songs recorded by the band's original lineup were altered in one way or another, and the Axeology website has made a detailed walkthrough of the alterations, which include a different bass line, recorded by Gene Simmons in 1975, for the song "Rock and Roll All Night"[ sic ]. [1] "Beth" was re-recorded with lead vocals by drummer Eric Carr, [2] who had replaced the original drummer Peter Criss in 1980. It was Carr's first lead vocal on a Kiss album. The cover art was done by Amy Guip and directed by Mitchell Kanner.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 6/10 [3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Smashes, Thrashes & Hits was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA on February 26, 1996.

In the United States Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is the best-selling Kiss album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking record sales in 1991 with 830,000 copies sold until March 4, 2012 [6] . [7]

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original releases. [8] [9]

North American Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Let's Put the X in Sex" Paul Stanley, Desmond Child previously unreleased3:48
2."(You Make Me) Rock Hard"Stanley, Child, Diane Warren previously unreleased3:26
3."Love Gun" (remix)Stanley Love Gun 3:31
4."Detroit Rock City" (remix)Stanley, Bob Ezrin Destroyer 3:45
5."I Love It Loud" (remix) Gene Simmons, Vinnie Vincent Creatures of the Night 3:48
6."Deuce" (remix)Simmons KISS 3:20
7."Lick It Up"Vincent, Stanley Lick It Up 3:53
8."Heaven's on Fire"Stanley, Child Animalize 3:19
9."Calling Dr. Love" (remix)Simmons Rock and Roll Over 3:38
10."Strutter" (remix)Stanley, Simmons KISS 3:38
11."Beth" (Eric Carr vocal) Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Ezrin1988 re-recording originally from Destroyer2:46
12."Tears Are Falling"Stanley Asylum 3:54
13."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Child, Vini Poncia Dynasty 4:29
14."Rock and Roll All Nite" (remix)Stanley, Simmons Dressed To Kill 2:56
15."Shout It Out Loud" (remix)Stanley, Simmons, Ezrin Destroyer 3:07
Total length:51:54
United Kingdom Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Let's Put the X in Sex"Stanley, Childpreviously unreleased3:48
2."Crazy Crazy Nights"Stanley, Adam Mitchell Crazy Nights 3:45
3."(You Make Me) Rock Hard"Stanley, Child, Warrenpreviously unreleased3:26
4."Love Gun" (remix)StanleyLove Gun3:31
5."Detroit Rock City" (remix)Stanley, EzrinDestroyer3:45
6."I Love It Loud" (remix)Simmons, VincentCreatures of the Night3:48
7."Reason to Live"Stanley, ChildCrazy Nights3:59
8."Lick It Up"Vincent, StanleyLick It Up3:53
9."Heaven's on Fire"Stanley, ChildAnimalize3:19
10."Calling Dr. Love" (remix)SimmonsRock and Roll Over3:38
11."Strutter" (remix)Stanley, SimmonsKISS3:38
12."Beth" (Eric Carr vocal)Criss, Penridge, EzrinDestroyer2:46
13."Tears Are Falling"StanleyAsylum3:54
14."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Child, PonciaDynasty4:29
15."Rock and Roll All Night" (remix)Stanley, SimmonsDressed To Kill2:56
16."Shout It Out Loud" (remix)Stanley, Simmons, EzrinDestroyer3:07
Total length:56:18

Personnel

Kiss
Additional musicians

Charts

Album

Chart (1988-1989)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [10] 38
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [11] 88
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] 65
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] 51
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [14] 13
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [15] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] 29
UK Albums (OCC) [17] 62
US Billboard 200 [18] 21

Singles

YearSingleNationChartPosition
1988"Let's Put the X in Sex"Australia ARIA Singles Chart 49 [19]
1989United States Billboard Hot 100 97 [20]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [21] Platinum100,000^
United States (RIAA) [22] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ "GET UP! and get your remix OUTTA here! – Axeology Extended". November 6, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Weber, Barry. "Kiss - Smashes, Thrashes & Hits review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  3. ↑ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 188. ISBN   978-1-89-495931-5.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Vol. 4 (4 ed.). Muze. p. 875. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
  5. ↑ "Kiss: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 27, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  6. ↑ "KISS Concert History Online - Interviews - Paul Grein". www.kissconcerthistory.com. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Barnes, Ken (February 9, 2007). "The Kiss sales report". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 3, 2007. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  8. ↑ Kiss (1988). Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (LP Sleeve). New York City, New York: Mercury Records. 836 427-1.
  9. ↑ Kiss (1988). Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (LP Sleeve). London, UK: Vertigo Records. 836 759-2.
  10. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  13. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Kiss | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Kiss Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ "ARIA singles chart history-Kiss" . Retrieved February 13, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Billboard chart history-Kiss singles" . Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes and Hits". Music Canada.
  22. ↑ "American album certifications – Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Recording Industry Association of America.
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