"So Far, So Good... So What!" is the third studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Megadeth. The album lasts a duration of 34:26. It was released on January 19, 1988, under producer Paul Lani and the record label known as Capitol Records.
Lineup:
Dave Mustaine: Lead Vocals, Rhythm, Lead, and Acoustic Guitar
Jeff Young: Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitar
David Ellefson: Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chuck Behler: Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians:
Steve Jones (of the Sex Pistols): guitar solo on "Anarchy in the U.K." (the second one at 1:40)
Before the album could be recorded, Megadeth would have to replace their drummer and guitar player. They immediately replaced Gar Samuelson with his drum technician, Chuck Behler. Finding a guitar player was not as easy. Initially, the band replaced Poland with Jay Reynolds, but soon realized he was not up to the task of recording. So, they would replace him with his guitar teacher, Jeff Young.
Unlike their last album, Megadeth would not be able to overcome the adversities they faced this go around. Finding chemistry between these new members of the band was clearly a difficult task as this album just does not flow nearly as well as their last release. While touring, Megadeth had to cancel several shows due to drug issues.
Mustaine claimed that the group returned home because guitarist Young "ran out of heroin", which Young denied, stating that it was Mustaine who wanted to go back to Los Angeles and seek rehabilitation. Both Young and Behler were fired immediately after the end of the tour, in August 1988.
The album reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200 despite not getting any radio airplay. The album has since gone Platinum in both the United States and Canada. Here are my thoughts on each track:
1. "Into the Lungs of Hell" (instrumental) 3:29 (8.5/10)
"Into the Lungs of Hell" is a fantastic way to open the album. It features excellent guitar work and really great drumming as well. I love how it builds up to a crazy guitar solo to start this whole record off. I love how the track sounds so big and epic with the guitar tandem of Mustaine and Jeff Young working really well together. It may just be the best track on the entire album.
2. "Set the World Afire" 5:48 (8.5/10)
"Set the World Afire" begins perfectly with a slow intro that is so pleasant sounding. Then, out of nowhere a blistering fast guitar riff is played. The riffs in this song are amazing and played really well. The buildup to this track is awesome, and then my absolute favorite guitar riff from the entire album comes in just before Dave sings with his sinister vocal delivery. The guitar solo is awesome like almost all Megadeth guitar solos. I love this track.
3. "Anarchy in the U.K." (cover) 3:00 (3/10)
"Anarchy in the U.K." was an ill-advised cover. Dave really is trying, but his vocals sound pretty poor on this track and it really does not fit Megadeth's style. It feels so out of place on this album full of fast and aggressive thrash style metal. It's a really poor track and is the lowest point of the entire album.
4. "Mary Jane" 4:25 (8/10)
"Mary Jane" begins with an awesome opening full of creativity. This is the most unique track on the entire album. The guitar riffs are really simple during the verses, but they are so catchy. Dave's vocals are hit and miss, but overall it is definitely one of his better performances on the album. Some of the guitar licks in this track are remarkable and unique.
5. "502" 3:28 (6/10)
"502" begins with crazy fast guitar riffs. This song's lyrical content is all about driving fast cars, but that really does not fit Megadeth's usual style. The guitar work is still awesome and Dave's vocals are decent as well. The guitar solo is loud and fast but isn't that memorable. "502" is a decent song.
6. "In My Darkest Hour" 6:16 (7/10)
"In My Darkest Hour" is easily the most overrated Megadeth track of all time. I get that the lyrical content is about Mustaine's deceased friend, Cliff Burton from Metallica. Honestly, when I judge this track solely on the music though, I believe it is a good song, but not a great one. The repeated guitar riff is very catchy, but simple and the intro is a very nice part of the song. Ellefson's bass is more audible as well than on most from the album.
Mustaine's vocals sound somewhat poor like they often do throughout this album. Because of the type of song this is, the listener is supposed to concentrate more on the vocalist and lyrics, which is not good for Mustaine because he has not matured yet vocally. This is just my opinion though.
7. "Liar" 3:20 (4.5/10)
"Liar" is a song that has so much aggression, but it really feels forced and immature. Mustaine's vocals are annoying to listen to and his delivery feels very forced. The opening guitar riff is pretty epic. The chorus is definitely the worst part though, as Mustaine repeats the word liar over and over. The guitar solos are pretty good though. The song was written about former guitarist Chris Poland.
8. "Hook in Mouth" 4:40 (3/10)
The vocal performance is awful on this track. Ellefson's bass work at the beginning of the track is very audible and the guitar riffs are really catchy. I like the message of freedom of speech this song is about though. The guitar soloing is really good as expected from Megadeth. The song does not flow well at all and Mustaine sounds terrible. Mustaine really tries to force this aggressive delivery, but it does not work at all.
My Verdict:
"So Far, So Good... So What!" is a release that is very thrash oriented and has aggression throughout. I really cannot get into this album though. It has some really good songs to open the album, but as it continues it seemingly gets worse and worse to listen to. This is very much what I call a "pick and choose album."
I pick the tracks I like to listen to and I never listen to it as a whole. This release does not have any material that I would consider to be amongst their best work and has some weaker stuff thrown in. Megadeth definitely went back to their old ways, which cost them on this release.
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