A Best of Us for the Rest of Us
A Best of Us... for the Rest of Us is a greatest hits compilation from ska-punk band Reel Big Fish.
| A Best of Us... for the Rest of Us | ||||
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| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | July 20, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Ska punk | |||
| Label | Rock Ridge Music | |||
| Producer | Aaron Barrett | |||
| Reel Big Fish chronology | ||||
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Due to the band's former label, Jive Records, owning the master recordings of all their old material, almost all of the songs on the album are re-recorded versions.
Despite frequently being called a compilation, the release only features 20 reissued tracks. 58 of the tracks are either all new versions or complete re-recordings of previously released material. Some of the reissued tracks have noticeably been remastered as well. Only a single song ("Are You Sure This is Cool") saw its debut here, and it had been recorded in 2007, but was previously unavailable.
Coincidentally, A Best of Us... was released mere months after Skaboy JFK, another ska hits compilation by Reel Big Fish's former Jive Records labelmates and then-current Rock Ridge Music labelmates the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, which also featured several re-recordings of earlier songs due to the same conflict over master recordings.
The album title is a reference to the Seinfeld episode "The Strike" in which Frank Costanza shouts "A Festivus for the rest of us!"
Release History
July 20, 2010: The album was initially released, and sold exclusively through Best Buy stores in physical formats. It featured 2 discs, and contained a total of 36 tracks.[1]
October 12, 2010: The first disc of the album was released digitally through Amazon MP3 and iTunes with 4 added bonus tracks.
June 21, 2011: The album was re-released with 3 discs as A Best of Us... for the Rest of Us: Bigger Better Bonus Deluxe Version. This edition was also exclusively a physical release. It features 35 of the 36 tracks from the 2010 edition, and adds another 24 bonus tracks, totaling 60.
November 28, 2011: A digital edition of the second disc from the Bigger Better Bonus Deluxe version was released on its own through iTunes and Amazon. Prior to this release, the "Skacoustic" disc was exclusive to the physical copies. It was later released on vinyl as well.
May 15, 2012: A digital edition of Bigger Better Bonus Deluxe Version was released on iTunes with 64 of the 65 tracks from the previous versions, plus an additional 14 tracks. The only track excluded from this final release is the acoustic version of "She Has a Girlfriend Now" featuring Laila K of Sonic Boom Six, which is only available on the initial 2010 physical release. Later editions swap this track with a version of the song featuring Nicole and Simone Olivia of Tip the Van.
Versions
A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us (2010, CD)
- Disc 1: A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us (22 tracks)
- Disc 2: SKAcoustic (14 tracks)
A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us (2010, Digital)
- A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us (26 tracks)
A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us: Bigger Better Bonus Deluxe Version (2011, CD)
- Disc 1: The Singles (23 tracks)
- Disc 2: SKAcoustic (22 tracks)
- Disc 3: The Best Songs We Never Wrote (15 tracks)
SKAcoustic (2011, Digital)
- SKAcoustic (22 tracks)
A Best of Us for the Rest of Us (Bigger Better Deluxe Digital Version) (2012, Digital)
- A Best of Us... For the Rest of Us (78 tracks)
SKAcoustic (2016, Vinyl)
- SKAcoustic (22 tracks)
Track listing
Disc 1: A Best of Us... for the Rest of Us
All tracks are written by Reel Big Fish (except where noted otherwise).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sell Out" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Take On Me" (Originally by a-ha) | 3:19 |
| 3. | "Beer" | 3:51 |
| 4. | "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (featuring Katrina Kinzler) | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Everything Sucks" | 2:53 |
| 6. | "Trendy" | 2:38 |
| 7. | "I Want Your Girlfriend to be My Girlfriend Too" | 2:48 |
| 8. | "In the Pit" | 2:43 |
| 9. | "The Set Up (You Need This)" | 4:19 |
| 10. | "Somebody Hates Me" | 3:24 |
| 11. | "You Don't Know" | 3:15 |
| 12. | "Suckers" | 3:39 |
| 13. | "Where Have You Been?" | 4:00 |
| 14. | "Good Thing" | 3:24 |
| 15. | "Ban the Tube Top" | 3:08 |
| 16. | "Don't Start a Band" | 3:18 |
| 17. | "Your Guts (I Hate 'Em)" | 2:01 |
| 18. | "Another F.U. Song" | 1:03 |
| 19. | "New Version of You" (New Version) | 3:20 |
| 20. | "Party Down" | 4:07 |
| 21. | "Slow Down" (Single Version) | 4:20 |
| 22. | "Brown Eyed Girl" (Originally by Van Morrison) | 3:03 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 23. | "One Hit Wonderful" (New Demo Version) | 4:16 |
| 24. | "Snoop Dog, Baby" (Live in Fullerton, CA) | 3:47 |
| 25. | "Are You Sure This Is Cool?" (Instrumental, Previously Unreleased) | 3:30 |
| 26. | "Another F.U. Song" (Clean Version) | 1:04 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "All I Want Is More" | 2:40 |
| 17. | "The Fire" | 3:04 |
| 23. | "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (live) (featuring Rachel Minton) | 5:01 |
Disc 2: Skacoustic
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sell Out" | 3:56 |
| 2. | "Beer" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Take On Me" (Originally by a-ha) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "She Has A Girlfriend Now" (featuring Laila K of Sonic Boom Six) | 3:04 |
| 5. | "Another F.U. Song" | 1:03 |
| 6. | "Your Guts (I Hate 'Em)" | 1:55 |
| 7. | "Suckers" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Where Have You Been?" | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Don't Start A Band" | 3:17 |
| 10. | "S.R." | 1:37 |
| 11. | "241" | 2:41 |
| 12. | "The Kids Don't Like It" | 3:24 |
| 13. | "Scott's A Dork" | 3:04 |
| 14. | "Nothin'" | 2:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 4. | "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (featuring Nicole and Simone Olivia of Tip the Van) | 3:33 |
| 15. | "I’m Cool" | 3:30 |
| 16. | "Everything Sucks" | 2:58 |
| 17. | "You Don’t Know" | 3:15 |
| 18. | "My Imaginary Friend" | 3:23 |
| 19. | "I'm Her Man" | 4:04 |
| 20. | "Good Thing" | 3:22 |
| 21. | "New Version of You" | 3:21 |
| 22. | "One Hit Wonderful" | 3:41 |
Disc 3: The Best Songs We Never Wrote
| No. | Title | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take On Me" | a-ha | 3:19 |
| 2. | "Brown Eyed Girl" | Van Morrison | 3:03 |
| 3. | "Kiss Me Deadly" | Lita Ford | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Boss DJ" | Sublime | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Boys Don't Cry" | The Cure | 2:16 |
| 6. | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins | 2:40 |
| 7. | "Nothin' but a Good Time" | Poison | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Monkey Man" | Toots & the Maytals | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Veronica Sawyer" | by Edna's Goldfish | 3:23 |
| 10. | "Give It to Me" | The J. Geils Band | 3:01 |
| 11. | "Stray Cat Strut" | The Stray Cats | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Unity" | Operation Ivy | 2:43 |
| 13. | "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" | Morrissey | 2:25 |
| 14. | "Talk Dirty to Me" | Poison | 3:42 |
| 15. | "We Close Our Eyes" | Oingo Boingo | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61. | "Authority Song" | John Mellencamp | 2:54 |
| 62. | "Brown Eyed Girl (Skacoustic)" | Van Morrison | 3:03 |
| 63. | "Hungry Like the Wolf" | Duran Duran | 2:53 |
| 64. | "Keep A Cool Head" | Desmond Dekker | 2:13 |
| 65. | "Mama We're All Crazy Now" | Slade | 2:15 |
| 66. | "The Long Run" | Eagles | 3:35 |
| 67. | "Twist and Crawl" | The English Beat | 2:35 |
| 68. | "Won't Back Down" | Tom Petty | 3:07 |
| 69. | "Another F.U. Song" (Clean Version) | 1:04 | |
| 70. | "Are You Sure This Is Cool?" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:30 | |
| 71. | "Cannibal" (Re-recorded) | 6:19 | |
| 72. | "Down in Flames" | 4:48 | |
| 73. | "Good Thing" (Ska Version) | 3:26 | |
| 74. | "The Kids Don't Like It" | 3:21 | |
| 75. | "One Hit Wonderful" (New Demo Version) | 4:16 | |
| 76. | "Cheer Up" (Live in Fullerton, CA) | 4:26 | |
| 77. | "Snoop Dog, Baby" (Live in Fullerton, CA) | 3:47 | |
| 78. | "S.R." (Masters Version, Live in Anaheim, CA) | 8:33 |
Personnel
Reel Big Fish
- Aaron Barrett – lead vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer, organ, slide guitar
- Dan Regan – trombone, group vocals
- Scott Klopfenstein – trumpet, vocal harmonies, guitar
- Ryland Steen – drums, cymbals, shakers, tambourine, guero, background vocals, group vocals
- Derek Gibbs – bass guitar, group vocals
- John Christianson – trumpet, group vocals
Additional Musicians
- Peter Wasilewski (Less Than Jake & Spring Heeled Jack) – saxophone on "Trendy"
- Katrina Kinzler – vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now"
- Laila Khan (Sonic Boom Six) – vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Skacoustic)" (First Version)
- Brian Klemm (Suburban Legends) – additional cursing on "Another F.U. Song"
- Matt Wong – bass guitar on "Another F.U. Song," "Party Down," "Slow Down," "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Live)," "Another Day In Paradise," "Unity (Live)," "Cheer Up (Live)," "Snoop Dogg, Baby (Live)"
- Ali Tabatabaee (Zebrahead) - vocals on "Unity (Live)"
- David Irish (Trash Monsters) - gang vocals
- Nicole and Simone Olivia (Tip the Van) - vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Skacoustic)" (Second Version)
- Stephanie Allen (Tip the Van) - trombone on "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Skacoustic)" (Second Version)
- Rachel Minton (Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer) - vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Live)"
- Tatiana DeMaria (TAT) - vocals on "Talk Dirty to Me"
References
- "Reel Big Fish detail A Best of Us for the Rest of Us. Punknews.org. June 23, 2010.
External links
- A Best of Us for the Rest of Us (deluxe digital version) at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
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