One of the first hits compilations assembled of
Jimi Hendrix
's catalog,
Smash Hits
remains one of the best, since it keeps its focus narrow and never tries to extend its reach. Basically, this album contains the songs everybody knows from
Hendrix
, drawing heavily from
Are You Experienced?
, plus adding the non-LP
"Red House,"
"51st Anniversary,"
and
"Highway Chile."
Those non-LP selections may still make this worth seeking out, even if they've appeared on subsequent hits collections, but the main strength of
is that it contains the best-known big-name songs in one place. Maybe not enough to make the collection essential, but still enough to make it a representative, accurate sampler. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine