Kiss "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (Japanese Edition)"

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.

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". "Beth" was re-recorded with lead vocals by drummer Eric Carr, 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.

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original releases.

1. "Let's Put the X in Sex" Paul Stanley, Desmond Child previously unreleased 3:48
2. "(You Make Me) Rock Hard" Stanley, Child, Diane Warren previously unreleased 3:26
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, Ezrin 1988 re-recording originally from Destroyer 2:46
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

Additional musicians

Peter Criss – drums on "Love Gun", "Detroit Rock City", "Deuce", "Calling Dr. Love", "Strutter", "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Shout It Out Loud"

Ace Frehley – lead guitar on "Love Gun", "Detroit Rock City", "Deuce", "Calling Dr. Love", "Strutter", "I Was Made for Lovin' You", "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Shout It Out Loud"

Vinnie Vincent – lead guitar on "I Love It Loud" and "Lick It Up"

Mark St. John – lead guitar on "Heaven's on Fire"

Anton Fig – drums on "I Was Made for Lovin' You"

Vini Poncia – keyboards on "I Was Made for Lovin' You"

Dick Wagner – acoustic guitar on "Beth"

Bob Ezrin – piano on "Beth"

Eddie Kramer - keyboards on "Love Gun"

Phil Ashley – keyboards on "Let's Put the X in Sex" and "(You Make Me) Rock Hard"