Of the bands that rose to fame as part of the Swing Music Revival of the '90s, the Squirrel Nut Zippers stood furthest apart from the pack. Unlike their peers, the Zippers were not beholden to the jump blues and big-band sounds of the '40s, instead drawing influence from hot jazz of the '20s, with the group's manic energy and surreal, witty lyrical perspective giving the music a unique flair. The Squirrel Nut Zippers were also one of the first bands to score a hit single when the Swing boom hit, the fiercely catchy "Hell," and they continued to record into the new millennium. The Best of the Squirrel Nut Zippers brings together 18 songs spanning the group's recording career, including tracks from the albums
The Inevitable Squirrel Nut Zippers (1995),
Hot (1997),
Perennial Favorites (1998), and
Bedlam Ballroom (2000). The album also includes a previously unreleased cover of "Under the Sea" from the Disney feature The Little Mermaid. ~ Mark Deming