 | |
List Price: $9.93 | | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 9819
Released: July 27, 2004 |
| Our Price: $5.66 |
| Used Price: $6.18 |
|
| Media: Audio CD |
|
So Far, So Good...So What! Track Listing:
1. Into The Lungs Of Hell
2. Set The World Afire
3. Anarchy In The U.K.
4. Mary Jane
5. 502
6. In My Darkest Hour
7. Liar
8. Hook In Mouth
9. Into The Lungs Of Hell (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
10. Set The World Afire (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
11. Mary Jane (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
12. In My Darkest Hour (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
So Far, So Good...So What! Reviews:
The "SO Far"...record, Megadeth, remastered on CD. 
2009-12-23 - Another quality record for the band known as Megadeth, with a cover version of the Sex Pistols, Anarchy in the UK, also done by Motley Crue. The band line-up has changed a few times since this record came out.
Thrash Masterpiece
2009-10-22 - This albums kicks A$$ from start to finish. A thrash masterpiece. The only problem before was the terrible production. Now that this album has been re-mastered it is perfect. The drums sound 10X better than the original. SFSGSW is Megadeth's most underated album. It is awesome a thrash masterpiece
AHHH the memories
2009-09-29 - this album brings back some cool memories. I would have to say I like the "cleaner" sound of the album, but always liked it the way it was a little better, all you need to do is turn it up loud and it sounds just fine. My mother mistakenly bought me this on cassette when i was 14 and boy did she regret it, I played the hell out of it. My favorites have always been Into the lungs of hell.... set the world afire. I love the riffs galore but when do you not get that from mustaine. If you dont have it, you should. thats about all i can say
79/100, While a dramatic drop in quality compared to Peace Sells, it's still a great thrash album that deserves respect. 
2009-07-06 - AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently moved over to a new review system in which I rate each song and then create an average rating for the whole album rather than just giving the album a rating based purely on my general feel for the album. This allows for a much more accurate and unfortunately a much harsher rating for each album. Because of this my new number ratings may not match up with the star ratings on my older reviews when I updated them with this new review system. Thanks for your understanding.
So Far, So Good...So What! has the unfortunate luck of coming right after the legendary classic Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?. In order for it to even come close to competing with Peace Sells it had to be a masterpiece. While it's no masterpiece it's still a great album for sure.
"Into The Lungs Of Hell"-A very cool instrumental piece and a superb starter for the album. 9/10
"Set The World Afire"-This album just keeps the bombs dropping. Another great song and a classic with some fo the best riffing you'll ever hear. 9/10
"Anarchy In The U.K."-A pretty cool cover of the classic punk anthem originally by The Sex Pistols. To be honest with you I actually like this version better than the original. 8/10
"Mary Jane"-Dave Mustaine and the gang really dropped the ball with this one both lyrically and musically. 5/10
"502"-Not as good as the first couple tracks but I consider it a godsend after "Mary Jane". 7.5/10
"In My Darkest Hour"-A surefire classic. A progressive song that starts slow and atmospheric and then turns into a classic riff-fest. 9.5/10
"Liar"-Starts with a promising riff and solid drumming but then soon falls flat. 6/10
"Hook In Mouth"-Another classic song from Megadeth, a monstrous face crushing riff paired with some great lyrics makes this a song you don't want to miss. 9/10
Yeah it has some duds like "Mary Jane" and "Liar" but it also has a absolutely great cover in "Anarchy In The U.K.", the stellar instrumental "Into The Lungs Of Hell", and some very solid songs like "502". Not to mention my personal top three for this album, "Set The World Afire", "In My Darkest Hour", and "Hook In Mouth" which I along with many other fans regard as downright classics. If you're a thrash or Megadeth fan then there is no reason that you can't find some serious enjoy out of this great record.
An Underappreciated LP From Megadeth
2009-05-21 - When it comes to Megadeth, many people consider LPs such as "Rust In Peace" ('90), "Countdown To Extinction" ('92), or "Peace Sells" ('86) to be examples of the band at their best, and yes...while I'm inclined to agree with that stand, the group's third album released in 1988 called "So Far, So Good...So What!" is often quite underrated with many examples of great songwriting from band leader Dave Mustaine (vocals/lead/rhythm guitars). Completing the line-up was bassist/songwriter David Ellefson plus the two new members Jeff Young and Chuck Behler that were recruited to replace Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson on lead/rhythm guitar and drums respectively. The eight songs were laid down at Music Grinder Studios, in Los Angeles, CA during late 1987.
The beginning of this album is a rare occurrence in Megadeth's catalog since it is the only time the band starts with an instrumental: "Into The Lungs Of Hell". A nice chord progression that utilizes some acoustic guitar soon gives way to the main part of the song with killer dual bass drumming, fast/heavy riffs, and a shredding solo from new member Young that eventually settles into a really cool lead guitar pattern. The whole thing seems to get progressively darker until the last note is left to ring out with a wave of crash cymbals. Soon an explosion is heard signaling the start of the next track with lyrics dealing about nuclear proliferation: "Set The World Afire". Mustaine doesn't sing until about two minutes into it! In the middle the tempo picks up dramatically for a full blown trash metal section. The first solo is played by Mustaine and shows cool usage of the diminished runs. Listen carefully towards the end though...you'll hear another solo from Mustaine but even before he finishes Young comes in with an amazing, haunting solo (comes from the left speaker) that utilizes both shredding and two-handed tapping techniques! It's one of my favorites!
Their take on the Sex Pistols classic "Anarchy In The UK" follows but Mustaine sings USA instead! It is pretty straightforward although the arrangement makes room for both Mustaine and Young to play some short leads in between the vocals. "Destrooooyy!" shouts Dave before its conclusion. "Mary Jane" starts with a cool descending chord pattern that quickly gives way to a haunting section with arpeggios on the acoustic guitar with Dave singing the song's title. Soon the heavy riffs kick in and the whole thing keeps getting more and more intense instrumentally while the singing gets more and more manic! The solo is played by Young. The disappointing thing here is the fact that the ending always seems to get me by surprise with the song being only four minutes and a half long... For me this tune had the potential to keep going for at least two minutes longer! It could have been an epic! Oh well, eventually an epic will come a little bit later...
Some furious fast riffing played in the key of A introduces "502", a song about driving recklessly and well over the speed limit! "It's the cops" says Mustaine. The verses and the chorus are well constructed. Listen closely right after the first chorus ends...Jeff comes in to play an inventive lead with two-handed tapping! However he quickly pulls out to allow Mustaine to continue on to the second verse. In the middle, something strange occurs: the music fades out and a siren is heard! Now I say: Oh no! Somebody honks! It sounds like a crash although the siren can still be heard! Now a new, ascending chord progression is introduced with a screaming solo from Mustaine on top. The song now sounds like it is going to collapse on its own weight as Dave sings "Life in the freeway is hell"! Well... in the end it DOES collapse!!! "It's the hell... I'm coming through"!!! What follows is total mayhem from the instruments. The drummer goes bananas hitting all over the kit with a torrent of feedback from the guitar. Everybody freaks out here! This is a great tune to listen while playing games like "Need For Speed" since you can act crazy making the cops mad, doing 220 mph, making other cars turn over in flames, etc!
Anyway, "In My Darkest Hour" shows some incredible songwriting from Mustaine. Without a doubt one of their best written songs from the band's early years, an early career highlight! This is the epic of the album since it is the longest clocking at 6:25 (give or take a few seconds). A killer intro-arpeggio with a combination of electric/acoustic guitars starts it that's played in the key of E. It is another song that speeds up gradually as it goes along. Lyrically it deals about somebody contemplating suicide. I really like the lead guitar that mimics a laugh (at 4:23) played in between the vocals. A few seconds later, Jeff brings a new trick to the table with his solo: some mean, screaming notes with the tremolo bar. Before long the excellent intro is reprised to finish it up. Now it's on to "Liar", in my opinion, the weakest cut. The lyrics were written about former member Chris Poland. The eastern-sounding intro riff is fantastic and the whole thing seems to progress quite well until about the two minute mark: that's when the rather weak chorus appears and it doesn't get much better with that section where Mustaine sings (actually talks) with the same tone of voice for quite a few seconds. The use of the f-word was unnecessary too. The two solos (first Jeff then Dave) save it from total disaster. A dissonant riff finishes the song abruptly and the last number "Hook In Mouth" rushes in without warning! This is definitely a much better composition than the last I'm glad to say even if it lacks proper solos. The chorus is really cool, with the backing vocals spelling out the word freedom. Also included is a really interesting staccato guitar motif that concludes with a two-handed tapping pattern. Mustaine yells the song's title at the end. Good finish!
In a nutshell, this is a highly entertaining album if you are big into trash/speed metal! If you have already heard the classic albums I mentioned at the beginning, then you should give this one a try!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Later...
