Kiss Smashes, Thrashes And Hits CD

All tracks have been remixed for this collection.
Kiss: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick.
Producers include: Neil Bogart, Kiss, Eddie Kramer, Bob Ezrin.
Personnel: Mark St. John, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Vinnie Vincent (guitar); Peter Criss (drums, background vocals).
Unknown Contributor Roles: Eric Carr; Bruce Kulick.
Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is a compilation of Kiss's greatest hits from their '80s career. Since there weren't enough chart-toppers from that period to fill an entire album, however, '70s classics from their more theatrical days are also included, such as "Love Gun," "Shout It Out Loud," and "Rock and Roll All Nite." (Peter Criss' power ballad, "Beth," is also featured on the album, but is a re-recorded version with then-drummer Eric Carr on vocals.) This combination of classic power rock and pop-metal is what makes the record entertaining, and the album's two new tracks, "Let's Put the X in Sex" and "(You Make Me) Rock Hard," continue to display Kiss' interesting melodies. Although necessary only to the avid Kiss fan, Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is an acceptable compilation and is another good introduction to the band. ~ Barry Weber
This is an interesting compilation, in that it was put together in 1988, long after the band had unmasked and Ace Frehley and Peter Criss had departed. It's almost equally divided between '70s Kiss classics like "Love Gun" and "Calling Dr. Love" and later efforts. Many of the older tunes, like those mentioned above and the ultimate party anthem "Rock And Roll All Night" are ingrained in the consciousness of anyone who came near a radio in the '70s, but the canny hard-rock hooks gain some freshness when contrasted with the group's '80s material. Latter-day hits like "Lick it Up" and "Heaven's On Fire" employ the same infectious power-chord m.o., but the sound is definitely modernized. Ultimately, SMASHES, THRASHES & HITS serves as a pretty comprehensive sampler of several phases of the band's career.

Valley