The Rest of the Best


The Rest of the Best is a two-volume compilation by Swedish rock band the Cardigans, released on 6 September 2024. It features 36 tracks, including B-sides, alternate versions, demos and soundtrack features spanning the entire career of the band. The Rest of the Best is the third B-side compilation by the Cardigans, superseding The Other Side of the Moon released in 1997 and the Best Of released in 2008.

Background

In 2019, the six studio albums of the Cardigans were remastered and in February of that year UMG reissued them on vinyl. The remasters also appeared on streaming platforms. In the following year, the band continued touring and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity due to their song "Step On Me" becoming viral on TikTok.
In February 2024, test pressings of a compilation of the band with the working title The Rest of the Best started appearing on Discogs and were later posted by the band on social media. In July, the compilation was officially announced and made available for pre-order.
The volume was compiled by the Cardigans and remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in New York City. The artwork is a collage of photographs of the band taken by Martin Bogren.

Content

The compilation includes B-sides, alternate versions, demos, and soundtrack features, for a total of 36 tracks. The first volume includes 20 tracks recorded between 1993 and 1996, where the second volume includes 16 tracks recorded between 1997 and 2005. It supersedes the band's two previous B-side compilations, The Other Side of the Moon released in Japan and Australia in 1997, and Best Of released in 2008, containing the tracks "The Boys Are Back in Town", "Mr. Crowley", "Iron Man ", and "Cocktail Party Bloody Cocktail Party", previously only released on the former.
The tracks "Das Model ", "For What It's Worth ", "Communication ", "You're the Storm ", and "You're the Storm " were previously only available as B-sides or on promo records, whilst the track "Great Divide " was previously unreleased.

Track listing

All songs written by Nina Persson and Peter Svensson, except where noted. All songs produced by Tore Johansson, except where noted.
Notes
  • – initial co-production

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
The Cardigans
  • The Cardigans – production, mixing and engineering on "You're the Storm", backing vocals on " Less Like Me"
  • Nina Persson – vocals
  • Peter Svensson – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
  • Magnus Sveningsson – vocals, bass
  • Lars-Olaf Johansson – vocals, keyboards, guitar
  • Bengt Lagerberg – vocals, drums, bassoon
Additional musicians
  • Ivan Bakran – grand piano on "Cocktail Party Bloody Cocktail Party"
  • Jens Lindgård – trombone on "Losers "
  • Petter Lindgård – trumpet on "Losers "
  • Eva Landqvist – backing vocals on " Less Like Me"
  • Lynette Koyana – backing vocals on "Happy Meal I"
  • Anders Nordgren – flute on "Pooh Song"
Technical personnel
  • Karl Berger – string arrangement on "War"
  • Martin Bogren – photography
  • Karl-Magnus Boske – art direction and design
  • David Carlsson – engineering on "Slowdown Town", "Give Me Your Eyes" and "Slow"
  • Maurits Carlsson – mixing on "Hold Me", "The Road", "You're the Storm " at Tambourine Studios
  • Jim Caruana – assistant engineer on "War"
  • Peter Collins – production on "War"
  • John Holbrook – engineering and mixing on "War"
  • Michael Ilbert – production and mixing at Megaphon Studios, Stockholm on "If There Is a Chance", "Hold Me "
  • Tore Johansson – production, engineering, mixing; initial co-production on "If There Is a Chance", "Hold Me", "Hold Me", "The Road" and "You're the Storm"
  • Nathan Larson – vocal co-production and engineering "If There Is a Chance", "Hold Me", "The Road" and "You're the Storm" ; vocal co-production on "For the Boys" and " Less Like Me"; additional engineering on "Slowdown Town", "Give Me Your Eyes" and "Slow"
  • Jens Langård – engineering on "Slowdown Town", "Give Me Your Eyes" and "Slow"
  • Marco Manieri – engineering on "Slowdown Town", "Give Me Your Eyes" and "Slow"
  • Gunnar Nordén – production on "For What It's Worth" and "Communication"
  • Lennart Östlund – mixing and engineering on "For What It's Worth" and "Communication"
  • Herman Söderström – additional engineering on "If There Is a Chance", "Hold Me", "Hold Me" and "The Road"
  • Ryan Smith – mastering
  • Per Sunding – additional backing vocals ; production on "If There Is a Chance", "Hold Me", "Hold Me" and "The Road"