The Best and the Rest

Infobox Album
Name = The Best and the Rest
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Savatage


Released = January 10,1997
Recorded = 1989 - 1997
Genre = Heavy Metal
Length = 75:08
Label = JVC Records
Producer = Paul O'Neill
Reviews =
Last album = "Final Bell / Ghost in the Ruins
(1995)
This album = "The Best and the Rest"
(1997)
Next album = "The Wake of Magellan"
(1998)

"The Best and the Rest" is a greatest hits album by Savatage that was released on November 21, 1997 by JVC Records in Japan. The majority of the tracks were selected as part of a reader's vote promotion in the Japanese hard rock magazine, Burrn!

The booklet for the album contains lyrics, Japanese translations of the lyrics, liner notes by Savatage producer/songwriter Paul O'Neill, a band biography, and a Savatage discography.

Track listing

#"Gutter Ballet"
#"Degrees of Sanity"
#"Jesus Saves"
#"Edge of Thorns"
#"Agony and Ecstasy"
#"Chance"
#"Complaint in the System"
#"The Hourglass"
#"Voyage" (instrumental)
#"Prelude to Madness/Hall of the Mountain King"
#"This is the Time (1990)"
#"Believe"
#"Desiree"
#"All That I Bleed"

Track notes

Voyage is a solo instrumental composition written and performed acoustically by guitarist Al Pitrelli. It was recorded during studio sessions for The Wake of Magellan (1997/1998).

Desiree is an acoustic track with a piano and Zak on vocals. Originally written for the Streets album, it was cut when the record was trimmed to a single disc format. This version was re-recorded in the summer of 1997, it is also featured on the German Streets re-issue.

All That I Bleed is a previously unreleased acoustic track that is performed by Jon Oliva singing and playing piano. This version was recorded in the summer of 1997, it is also featured as the bonus track on the German Gutter Ballet re-issue. The original was release on Edge of Thorns in 1993 with Zak Stevens on vocals).