A Best of Us for the Rest of Us
Encyclopedia
A Best of Us for the Rest of Us is a greatest hits compilation from ska-punk band Reel Big Fish
. It was released on July 20, 2010 and sold exclusively through Best Buy
stores. It was later released digitally through Amazon MP3
and iTunes
with four bonus tracks and without the acoustic tracks.
Because the band's former label, Jive Records
, owns the master recordings of all their old material, almost all of the songs on the album are re-recorded versions. Only the last three tracks included on the first disc ("Another F.U. Song", "Party Down", and "Slow Down") are previous recordings from Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free
.
The physical album contains a second "skacoustic" disc of 14 acoustic versions of Reel Big Fish songs.
The album title is a reference to the Seinfeld
episode "The Strike" in which Frank Costanza shouts "Festivus
for the rest of us!"
Skacoustic is a digital release of the deluxe edition's second disc. The album was released on November 28, 2011 through iTunes and Amazon. It contains all twenty-two previously released "skacoustic" tracks.
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
. It was released on July 20, 2010 and sold exclusively through Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores. It was later released digitally through Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3 is an online music store owned and operated by Amazon.com. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management from the four major music labels , as well as many independents...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
with four bonus tracks and without the acoustic tracks.
Because the band's former label, Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, owns the master recordings of all their old material, almost all of the songs on the album are re-recorded versions. Only the last three tracks included on the first disc ("Another F.U. Song", "Party Down", and "Slow Down") are previous recordings from Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free
Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free
Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free is the sixth studio album from Reel Big Fish, and their first studio album since being dropped by Jive Records. It was released on July 10, 2007....
.
The physical album contains a second "skacoustic" disc of 14 acoustic versions of Reel Big Fish songs.
The album title is a reference to the Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Strike" in which Frank Costanza shouts "Festivus
Festivus
Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a way to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism. It was created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show Seinfeld, as part of...
for the rest of us!"
Disc 1: A Best of Us for the Rest of Us
Disc 2: Skacoustic
Deluxe version disc 3: The Best Songs We Never Wrote
Other Versions
A Best of Us for the Rest of Us (Bigger Better Bonus Deluxe Version) is a three-disc deluxe edition of the album released on June 21, 2011. The first disk is the same as the one from the standard version, except the two covers have been moved to the third disc and replaced with new tracks. The second disk features the "skacoustic" recordings from the standard version of the album, with a different version of "She Has A Girlfriend Now" and eight additional acoustic tracks. The third disk consists of cover songs from the band's previous albums, including two that were previously released on the standard edition of the album.Skacoustic is a digital release of the deluxe edition's second disc. The album was released on November 28, 2011 through iTunes and Amazon. It contains all twenty-two previously released "skacoustic" tracks.
Reel Big Fish
- Aaron BarrettAaron BarrettAaron Asher Barrett is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Reel Big Fish. Prior to forming with Reel Big Fish, Barrett played trombone in another ska-punk act, The Scholars, along with future Reel Big Fish bandmates Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry...
– lead vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer, organ, slide guitar - Dan ReganDan ReganDan Regan is the trombone player for the Southern California-based ska punk band Reel Big Fish. Regan has also played trombone in The Littlest Man Band with Scott Klopfenstein and currently has a hip-hop side project under the alias Black Casper.- External links :...
– trombone, group vocals - Scott KlopfensteinScott KlopfensteinScott Allen "Scotty" Klopfenstein is an American musician and a former member of the band Reel Big Fish. He plays trumpet, guitar, keyboard, and sings....
– trumpet, vocal harmonies, guitar - Ryland SteenRyland SteenRyland David-Burton Steen is the current drummer for the California-USA-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish....
– drums, cymbals, shakers, tambourine, guero, background vocals, group vocals - Derek GibbsDerek GibbsDerek Gibbs is the current bass player for Reel Big Fish, and the now defunct Forces of Evil and Jeffries Fan Club. He was chosen to replace the band's previous bass player Matt Wong, who left the band to spend more time with his family and new born child...
– bass guitar, group vocals - John ChristiansonJohn Christianson (musician)John Christianson is one of the current trumpet players in the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish in which his nickname is "Little Johnny Christmas."...
– trumpet, group vocals
Additional Musicians
- Peter Wasilewski (Less Than JakeLess Than JakeLess Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
& Spring Heeled JackSpring Heeled Jack U.S.A.Spring Heeled Jack U.S.A. was a third wave ska band based out of New Haven, Connecticut. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Ron Ragona and drummer Dave Karcich in 1991. After a short breakup, Ragona and Karcich reformed the band with a new lineup. This lineup went on to record two albums...
) – saxophone on "Trendy" - Katrina Kinzler – vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now"
- Laila Khan (Sonic Boom SixSonic Boom SixSonic Boom Six are a five-piece rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by Kerrang! as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubstep, punk and metal apart, then rebuilding them as a hyperactive hybrid"...
) – vocals on "She Has a Girlfriend Now (Skacoustic)" - Brian KlemmBrian KlemmBrian Wayne Klemm is the guitarist for the Orange County-based third-wave ska band Suburban Legends. He joined Suburban Legends in 1999, shortly before the release of Origin Edition, although he did not play guitar on the album. Klemm also briefly joined Big D and the Kids Table in 2009 as their...
(Suburban LegendsSuburban LegendsSuburban Legends are a third wave ska/pop band that formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1998, and are currently based out of Santa Ana, California.- History :...
) – additional cursing on "Another F.U. Song" - Matt WongMatt WongMatthew Wong, is a bassist and one of the founding members of the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish...
– bass guitar on "Another F.U. Song," "Party Down," "Slow Down"