Hits+
| Hits+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by Kylie Minogue | ||||
| Released | 7 June 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1993-1997 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Deconstruction | |||
| Kylie Minogue chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Original cover art | ||||
Hits+ is the second compilation album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, which was released on 7 November 2000 by Deconstruction Records. The album was the last compilation album which was released by the record label at the time, because Minogue had released her then Parlophone album Light Years (2000). The album peaked at number sixty-three in Australia on the ARIA albums chart.[1]
The album missed the top forty in the UK, only peaking at number forty-one on the UK Albums Chart. According to Minogue, the reason why it was a real disappointment was the album is seen merely as a "cash in" on the part of Kylie's former record company..
Background
It was announced that Minogue would release a compilation with her songs from Deconstruction Records. The album was entitled Hits+. There was an original artwork cover, but this was later scrapped and released another cover. The used cover is from a 1995 session made by Michael Williams, which also was used on a 1996 calendar.
"If You Don't Love Me" was originally recorded by British group Prefab Sprout for their 1992 album A Life of Surprises. The drum sample that runs throughout the whole song "Take Me with You" was originally performed on the song "Path of the Right Love" from Gloria Estefan's 1996 album Destiny. The use of the sample remains uncredited.
Composition
The compilation is made up of songs from the albums Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess. The album includes all seven singles released during the time Minogue was under Deconstruction Records but does not include the Australian only single "Cowboy Style". The international release of Hits+ contains only 15 tracks, lacking "This Girl" and just 14 tracks in the U.S. and China, where "Where the Wild Roses Grow" was also omitted.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hits+.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Confide in Me" (Master Mix, from Kylie Minogue, 1994) | 5:55 |
| 2. | "Put Yourself in My Place" (Radio mix, from Kylie Minogue, 1994) | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Where Is the Feeling?" (BIR Dolphin Mix, from Kylie Minogue, 1994) | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Some Kind of Bliss" (from Impossible Princess, 1997) | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Did It Again" (Single edit, from Impossible Princess, 1997) | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Breathe" (Radio edit, from Impossible Princess, 1997) | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (With Nick Cave, from Murder Ballads, 1996) | 3:58 |
| 8. | "If You Don't Love Me" (B-side from Kylie Minogue) | 2:11 |
| 9. | "Tears" (B-side from Impossible Princess) | 4:29 |
| 10. | "Gotta Move On" (Unreleased demo from Kylie Minogue) | 3:36 |
| 11. | "Difficult by Design" (Unreleased demo from Kylie Minogue) | 3:43 |
| 12. | "Stay This Way" (Unreleased demo from Impossible Princess) | 4:35 |
| 13. | "This Girl" (Unreleased demo from Impossible Princess) | 3:08 |
| 14. | "Automatic Love" (Acoustic version) | 4:24 |
| 15. | "Where Has the Love Gone?" (Roach Motel Remix) | 9:26 |
| 16. | "Take Me with You" (Unreleased demo from Impossible Princess) | 9:11 |
Reception
Critical response
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
Despite the commercial failure, Hits+ received positive reception from music critics, many praising it for its Deconstruction songs in a major compilation. Mackenzie Wilson from Allmusic gave it a very positive review, awarding the album four-and-a-half out of five stars. She had explained the album saying "Capitalizing on her surging popularity in the States, Arista found themselves promoting Kylie Minogue in early 2002 with the reissue of her Hits + album. This particular record highlights the cuts that made Minogue an indie darling in Europe in the mid-'90s, reflecting back on her 1994 self-titled effort and 1997's Impossible Princess. American fans might be put off just a bit, for this material is less frilly and far darker than Fever's smash single, "Can't Get You Out of My Head." But it's still stylish. Hits + is perfect for any fan, but it's also a great retrospective for those eager fans who are beginning to discover the wild musical world of Kylie Minogue."[2]
Chart performance
"Hits+" was very unsuccessful for a major compilation album. The album debuted at number forty-one on the UK Album Chart. It spent only a solo week on the charts and peaked at the same position, missing the top forty out of her compilations.[3] The album's sales in the UK of 62,000 were more than those of her album Impossible Princess (1998).
