So Far, So Good...So What! [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Megadeth | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0002EXH4A
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,452 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #26 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Thrash & Speed Metal
  • #34 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Progressive Metal

Track Listings

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twice the album it was before, August 22, 2004

By 

Johnathan (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So Far, So Good...So What! (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite megadeth albums. Some classic Megadeth tracks are on here, but this album was always looked as one of megadeths worst because of the production. Now that this album is newly remixed and remastered by Dave Mustaine himself, it sounds like it was supposed to- great songwriting without all that reverb.
This is Megadeth's 3rd album, and it features their second recording lineup- Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Chuck Behler, and Jeff Young.

Into the Lungs of Hell: 9/10
The instrumental introduction to the album, and a good one at that.

Set the World Afire: 10/10
This is the first song that Dave wrote after being fired from Metallica in 1983, originally titled "Megadeth". This is one of the highlights of the album, with some cool lyrics and a great guitar solo from Jeff Young.

Anarchy in the UK: 10/10
A cover of the infamous Sex Pistols song. I think its really cool that Dave covered a punk song, because I've always thought that Megadeth had elements of punk in their sound.

Mary Jane: 10/10
This song includes more great guitar riffage and many tempo changes. Definately one of my favorites on the album.

502: 8/10
Well, you can tell that Dave was on Drugs when he wrote this song, with a lame imatation of a siren by dave, and some of the worst lyrics he's ever written (Pull over sh**head, its the cops), but I still like the song, because it adds to the overall mood of the album.

In My Darkest Hour: 10/10
Definately the best on the album. It was also written after he found out about Cliff Burton's death, when his understanding of "someone being there for you" was born. Some of Daves best lyrics are featured here. There is also a new intro on the Remastered version.

Liar: 10/10
A very underrated Megadeth song. The lyrics are about Chris Poland, former Megadeth 2nd guitarist, and are very clever, and crude as well!

Hook in Mouth: 9/10
Dave voice on this song is different than any other song on the album, raspier in a way. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Anyway, some of Daves most clever lyrics are present, like when he spells "FREEDOM" and also attacks the PMRC with the clever metaphor of a hook in mouth. This song was also written around the time that Dave left Metallica.

TOTAL: 76/80 = 5 stars

Overall, I think that this album as a very raw feel that no other megadeth album has. Some songs are rawer than others, of course, but together they make up one of the best albums in the Megadeth catalogue. Definately pick this one up, even if you have the original!

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Deth's second best, September 3, 2005

By 

A. Stutheit "Teyad" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So Far, So Good...So What! (Audio CD)

This was Megadeth's last album released in the 1980's, and it is also considered by most fans to be their last true thrash album. "So Far, So Good...So What?" is my second favorite Megadeth album (second only to "Rust in Peace.") I might be alone in this opinion, but I do prefer this C.D. to its predecessor, (Megadeth's sophomore album "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?"). Every song on this disc (especially the instrumental) grabs me; this album is catchier and more contagious than "Peace Sells."

"So Far, So Good...So What?" hadn't aged well, and it hadn't stood the test of time, because when it was originally released, back in 1988, it came across sounding rather stale, because its production was pretty bad. Therefore, I think reissuing/remastering this album was a great idea. The result of the remaster made these songs sound better than ever! Like most of Megadeth's remasters (they reissued their whole back catalogue), the rough and raw sound of the original C.D. is gone, here, but the sound quality is clearer, louder, and all-around MUCH better.

"Into the Lungs of Hell" is the album's opening song, and it is also the instrumental. The whole song is very catchy (especially the opening guitar sounds), and a few solos are also included. It's not quite as good as Metallica's "Orion," but this song is still very good.
"Set the World Afire" should be titled "Set Our Fret Boards Afire," because this song begins with really fast, running, almost buzzsaw riffs. Three good guitar solos are tossed in, (but the first one is pushed to the back, because this song's rhythm is so crunchy.)
"Anarchy in the U.K." is a cover of an old Sex Pistols song. Some people like this cover, some people hate it; personally, I don't find anything wrong with it. It has catchy, chugging guitars and a nice sing-along chorus.
"In My Darkest Hour" begins with soft strumming, but the electric guitars make a storming/pounding entrance pretty soon thereafter. This song becomes an almost skipping beat with trippy guitar playing, and it becomes quite speedy. Two more talented solos are included around the middle, as well.
"Hook in Mouth" has chugging riffs, but there are a few subtle speed changes and the guitar work and song tempo become even faster.

"So Far, So Good...So What?" may not be as important, or influential as some other albums from this band, but it is still a great album, and definitely worth owning. This was always a great album, in fact, but it's even better now that it has been remastered. As another reviewer said, if you own the original copy of this C.D., and you're happy with its sound quality, you don't need to dish out some more money for the remaster. But if you're new, definitely buy the remaster, and don't bother with the original.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Has never sounded better, December 15, 2004

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So Far, So Good...So What! (Audio CD)

Megadeth's follow up to their highly influential "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" was an enigmatic album when first released in 1988, with frontman Dave Mustaine noticibly more interested in controled substances than songwriting ("502" has some of the worst lyrics to ever appear in a Megadeth song), but on it's own "So Far, So Good...So What!" is still a more than solid metal album, and now this newly released remastered disc finds the production quality cleaned up and sounding better than ever. "Set the World Afire" sounds better than ever, while the cover of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K.", along with "Liar", "Mary Jane", and "Hook in Mouth" still sound awesome. Oh yeah, there's a little song on here called "In My Darkest Hour", which many Megadeth fans consider one of the best songs in the entire catalogue, complete with a new acoustic intro. The bonus tracks, which include remixes of "Into the Lungs of Hell", "Set the World Afire", "Mary Jane", and "In My Darkest Hour" are almost identical to their original counterparts with some different tempos and more riffage, but they are a nice little bonus. All in all, "So Far, So Good...So What!" may not be the best piece of material to come from Megadeth, but it still manages to pack a punch, even to this day. Just like the other Megadeth re-releases, don't feel the need to shell out the cash for them if you own the originals, but for new fans now is your chance to hear Megadeth better than ever.