Kiss "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (Japan, Mercury Records, PHCR-1146)"

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"

Kiss "Gene Simmons"

Gene Simmons is a 1978 solo album by Gene Simmons, the bassist and co-vocalist of the American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. Reaching number 22 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, it was the highest-placing of all the four Kiss solo albums. Mainly a hard rock album, it also features choirs and string arrangements on some songs, as well as incorporating various musical genres including Beatles-inspired pop, 1970s funk, and rock and roll.

Although he is the bass player in Kiss, Simmons played mainly electric and acoustic guitars on the album, leaving the bass duties to Neil Jason. The album features guest appearances from well-known musicians, including Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Donna Summer and Cher. Though an unknown at the time, backing vocalist Katey Sagal would go on to a successful television career.

Simmons re-recorded "See You in Your Dreams" because he reportedly was not happy with the way it was recorded on Rock and Roll Over. Simmons said that he covered "When You Wish upon a Star" because he related to the song and was a fan of Disney movies. "When I first heard that song I could barely speak English but I knew the words were true. Anybody can have what they want, the world and life can give its rewards to anyone".

On the original CD release in 1988, [826 239-2] the first two songs are split incorrectly. The introduction that leads into "Radioactive" is split at the 51-second mark while the rest of "Radioactive" and all of "Burning Up with Fever" are played in the second track. However, the track listing of the cover lists the two songs as two separate tracks. The rest of the CD is split correctly. The 1997 remastered edition fixes this mistake with "Radioactive" and "Burning Up with Fever" being split as two separate tracks. The introduction played before "Radioactive" is left in as part of the song.

The album reached number 22 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, making it the highest-placing of all the four Kiss solo albums of 1978. It was certified platinum on October 2, 1978, having shipped 1,000,000 copies. AllMusic gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and called it an "unpredictable yet ultimately enjoyable release."

Track listing

All tracks written by Gene Simmons, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Radioactive" 3:50
2. "Burning Up with Fever" 4:19
3. "See You Tonite" 2:30
4. "Tunnel of Love" 3:49
5. "True Confessions" 3:30

Side two

1. "Living in Sin" (Simmons, Sean Delaney, Howard Marks) 3:50
2. "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide" 4:12
3. "Man of 1,000 Faces" 3:16
4. "Mr. Make Believe" 4:00
5. "See You in Your Dreams" 2:48
6. "When You Wish upon a Star" (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) 2:44