So Far So Good… So What
“DAVE MUSTAINE FOR PRESIDENT, 2024!!!”
While many outside the tri-county metal multiverse would be absolutely mortified to have the MEGADETH leader as the “Commander In-Chief,” many feel it’s the only way to ensure that America (along with the rest of the planet) stays metal (and awake) forever.
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With the release of their third album (1988’s SO FAR…SO GOOD…SO WHAT!), Megadeth continued to hone and diversify their sonic palette, staying true to their blisteringly articulate thrash fury and passionately vitriolic vocal commentary on key issues such as total nuclear annihilation, reckless driving, and profound personal loss (just to name a few).
(Oh yeah, they also covered the most famous one-album, pop-punk boy band in history.)
Check out our DIVE on Peace Sells.. here
Released January 19, 1988
Recorded 1987
Side one
1. "Into the Lungs of Hell"
2. "Set the World Afire"
3. "Anarchy in the U.K." (Sex Pistols cover)
4. "Mary Jane"
Side two
5. "502"
6. "In My Darkest Hour"
7. "Liar"
8. "Hook in Mouth"
Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
David Ellefson – bass, backing vocals
Jeff Young – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Chuck Behler – drums, percussion
Produced by Paul Lani and Dave Mustaine
Get ready to unleash your inner snarl and “give the crickets some space” while “unscrewing” because we have another incredible “Johnny Depp impression” which pairs well with our most recent one-star review (which most closely resembles the smell of moist, mouth-fart “body spray”) and JOIN US as we dive into one of the most pivotal (and also, one of the most overlooked) albums of the early Megadeth administration, SO FAR…SO GOOD…SO WHAT!
The Tracks
INTO THE LUNGS OF HELL:
An instrumental opener. At the time, particularly after the killer opener on “Peace Sells” just 2 years before, this seemed a bit unusual. Sure, other thrash bands often included instrumentals on their albums, but to include an instrumental as the album opener!? That seemed unheard of. There’s a certain visual feel to this song, based on the title alone. Dark & foreboding (and even a bit off-putting).
*Side note: I recently attempted to play the cassette version of SFSGSW from 1988, and the only thing that was clearly audible was the XDR “test sound” at the very beginning of the tape. After that…NOPE!
SET THE WORLD AFIRE:
That old-timey, scratchy record playing an old tune with the lyrics “I don’t want to set the world on fire…” followed by the sound of a nuclear detonation is easily one of the most badass ways to open a song, especially for Megadeth. All about nuclear annihilation, something that was a constant conversation topic during the mid to late 80’s. If you listen carefully, you can hear elements of bolth “Peace Sells…” and “Rust in Peace”. And like those 2 albums: there’s a completely different drummer (Chuck Behler) and lead guitarist (Jeff Young) on this one than either of those, which subtly changed the dynamics and sound of the band.
“We all live on one planet, it will all go up in smoke…”
ANARCHY IN THE UK:
Another cover tune, just like on the first 2 albums. NO, it’s NOT an old Nancy Sinatra tune or Willie Dixon blues tune. To mix things up, Mega Dave and the boys decided to go with the most famous (and short lived) “pop-punk band” (?) that had some influence on the thrash metal scene: The Sex Pistols. Not a bad cover; definitely has the Megadeth sound…it just would have been nicer to have another original song, but oh well. It is what it is. Oh yeah, and Dave’s version is actually WAY better!
“Anarchy for the USA, it’s coming sometime, and maybe…”
MARY JANE:
This song is the “everything bagel” of songs on this album. It’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s fast, it’s melodic…it’s got all the elements that make a Megadeth song/album great. One thing that’s always guaranteed with Mega-Dave is that the music is always going to be incredibly technical, on point, over-the-top and surgically precise.
If you have the “original” version of this that was released prior to the 2004 remasters (which totally altered the sound of the album) consider yourself blessed. The sound is just much fuller on the 1988 release.
Is it wrong to call this Megadeth’s first “stoner metal” song? I mean, it’s right there in the title: Mary Jane…c’mon.
“If I know I’m going crazy, I must not be insane…”
502:
“Pull over shithead, this is the cops!”
Somehow that will never not be hilarious, just like the “wooo-wooo-wooo” horrible siren impression in the background at the beginning of the song. Actually, the very beginning of this song is almost reminiscent of Judas Priest’s version of “Diamonds and Rust”. Still loads of killer riffs and guitar work…and references to the past: depending on which version you hear (1988 vs 2004) you can hear either the intro to KISS’ “Detroit Rock City” or a brief clip of Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels” playing on the car radio as the car speeds into a catastrophic crash.
“Dirt roads to interstates, I must have drove them all, cigarettes and burgers, caffeine and alcohol…”
IN MY DARKEST HOUR:
The 1988 version of this track is a bit different than the 2004 version…particularly the opening. As with many lyricists, there can be multiple meanings to the lyrics. Given that Dave’s former bandmate (Cliff Burton, R.I.P.) from his former band (Metallica) had tragically passed a few years prior to this album’s release, this song serves as somewhat of a dirge to honor the passing of Cliff, as well as an acknowledgement of how life feels when everything goes off the rails and falls apart. This might have been the closest that Megadeth ever came to having a “ballad” as of this point in their career. Read those lyrics. There’s a lot of pain and loss in those words, and you can really hear the hurt in the vocal performance…particularly right before the last guitar solo.
Also, check out the music video for this song as it features parts from the film “The Decline of Western Civilization, Part II: The Metal Years”. The longest song on the album, and also perhaps one of the most poignant, from start to finish.
“My whole life is work built on the past, but the time has come when all things shall pass, this good thing passed away.”
LIAR:
This one was always killer…especially the lyrics. On some level I suppose we’re ALL “liars” to a degree (even if it’s only ourselves that we’re lying to). If you consult the drug tracker, you’ll see that ALL of the “performance enhancing” relaxers were utilized in the making of this album. Read those lyrics right before the guitar solo section…hahahaha, perfect!
“Your mind is sickly from Alzheimer’s disease, and decadence and debauchery killed your memories…”
HOOK IN MOUTH:
This song should be the new National Anthem. Even being 34 years old, it still holds up, and is still terrifyingly accurate, in terms of how the power brokers and bureaucrats that “govern” us will do everything in their power (and our expense) to change everything in existence (usually for the worse) just to fill their greedy, tick-leech pockets to satiate their insatiable greed and keep their powerful “puppet masters” happy. And let’s also not forget about the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC); a group created to police and “stamp out” evil, devil metal music (spoiler…it completely backfired!!! Parental Advisory = “I’ve GOT to hear this!!!”). Dave Mustaine for President, 2024!!!
“Put your hand right up my shirt, pull the strings that make me work. Jaws will part, words fall out, like a fish with hook in mouth…”
Show Notes:
(00:00): The Return of #BeavisAndButthead and #rejoicefulnews / #tambourineflavored #industrialvodka #unscrewingsucks ***WELCOME BACK EVERYONE TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** #deepbreath #andbegin #zeroanesthesia #onehundredpercent #bullshit #mathproblems / #showday #gigday #timetravelingtoalabama #lowbudgettimemachine #magical / #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode #DeepEddyPeachVodka #yummy (***You can definitely taste #bolthree!!!***) / #austintexas #healthyspeedballs #sweet / Time to #segue into #episode146 #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #wellknownbrewery #StoneIPA #StoneBrewing #yeah #sixpointnineabv #Gargoyle #alcoholdispensaries and #supplyshortages / ***There are multiple #heavymetalbeers!!! Go drink ‘em all!!!*** / #dinosaurs and a #definition of #Gargoyle #flavornotes include #dank #weedbeer #sameplantfamily #beerweed #enjoyslowly #markthetime #thankyougoodnight
(07:13): The “next” segment & show #choreography #organization / (*What about #corporate?*) #WWJD #cantsayit #steppingovertheline / #theemailsegment #synthsssthsss #hail / ***GIVE US A CALL AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #onestarreview #agreatone #thereturnofthesonoffuckbag #theaxebodysprayofpodcasts #FrankZappaTriviaHour #dontbeapussy about #mouthfarts #notprofessional #boom #exhaustingandoffputting / #thevoicemailsegment #thankyouforthat *Thank you #PissingPost for your updates from the #tricountyarea!!!* #9806668182/
WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT! #wellplayyourshitah #postproduction / ***Go check out STONEDHENGE!!! Local Atlanta Metal!!!*** #stonedhenge #georgiametal #tricountymetropolitanarea ***They’re playing at #SweetwaterLive in #DuluthGeorgia!!! They also host #standupcomedy there #btw!!! SATURDAY, JULY 2ND, 2022 at SWEETWATER LIVE IN DULUTH GEORGIA!!! It’s the #WreckRoom of the #suburbs…#greatfood #killervenue / Trying to recall the list of #stonermetalbandnames for the #MetalNerderyPodcastStonerMetalHouseBand TAKEN CONTROL #timeforrelaxers #awwwmannn #StonerDoomClutchStyle ***LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AT 980-666-8182!!!*** #sometimesyoujustfeelit / #metalimpressions / *Remember #FruitStripeGum? *
(22:00): #JenniferAnnistonAlabamaASMR / #RestingBitchFace vs #RestingDickFace / #QuickOneLiner #bonelessdays #thewayofthemonks / #TheDocket: MEGADETH: SO FAR…SO GOOD…SO WHAT?: An important (and oft overlooked) transition from Peace Sells… to Rust in Peace… / #thrashbinge #tonguevacuum #darkhorsealbum / *NOTE: There is a method to all this madness…* / #axebodyburpspray #itsnotcovidASMR / Looking back on when we first heard #SFSGSW…what was YOUR first #listeningexperience like? / The 2004 #remixification and #remasterization of the entire #Megadeth catalog and the greater impact on the drums… / #metalconspiracytheory #neuterization #AJFA #drumtreatment / **The original version was mixed by #PaulLani / #Beavis
(30:22): Where we’re headed… being #faktczeched #thatsodd #iwonderwhy #fuckingweird #foodshortages ***Also, WTF happened to #themostdangerousplagueever? *** #chinesedoorknoblicker #onemorethingonthat #locationlocationlocation #armwrastlin / *Wait for that #PSA* / INTO THE LUNGS OF HELL #visual #aftercessor / Listening to #cassettetapes and enjoying the faint #backmasking #dontinterruptthecrickets
(37:53): #PaulLaniMix #itsbetter SET THE WORLD AFIRE and #metalconspiracytheories #deep #loadsofcrunchyballriffs / The “last” thrash album by Megadeth? / #thedrugtracker / Angry #DaveMustaine / #BigAnniversary / #onmicburpASMR #Swanch / #FutureEpisodeIdeas #whaddyamean #fluflavors #flavoredmucus #fingerspressingbuttons #triggeralertASMR / #rightnow ANARCHY IN THE UK (See also #SexPistols but don’t worry about #TheBollocks) / “The unpopular opinion…” / #poppunk and a reasonable analogy…
(49:49): Never mind the #balls…or the #bollocks / #poppunkboyband / #Swanch #superrelaxers #showerafterwards #inotherwords / MARY JANE #imgoingcrazy #readthoselyrics #soyoumustbe #JeanWree / The development of songwriting over time and the impact on an artist’s sound.
(58:22): #pullovershithead 502 #eightiesguitarheroics (**If you listen really closely, you can hear #AliceCooper #UnderMyWheels before the siren…and the crash. **) #nexttimeitsgonnabeyou / Perfect reference / Power ballad? Or Dirge? Or #bolth? / ***Go watch #MetalLords!!!*** / #iforgotwhatiwasgonnasay / Image vs content / “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years” / IN MY DARKEST HOUR #noodlynoodly #tensecondslonger / **Remember how the “original” intro was? ** / LIAR #readthoselyrics #FasterWango #BangWango #badass #anothergreatsongruined #itstheendoftheworldasweknowit
(1:12:53): A great marketing technique: add #Nickelback to everything! / #killercloser HOOK IN MOUTH #freedom #readthoselyrics #thenewnationalanthem #PMRC #perfecttiming #notambourine / James’s #yeah vs Dave’s #yeah / Listen for careful instructions… / ***check out the #MegadethBeers*** / Tracking alterations and changes / #everythingisnotpolitical #whaddyamean
(1:20:45): #RussellsReflections regarding a #fanmadevideo for 46&2 by #Tool and the #tangentionalality to #PansLabyrinth ***Go check out the video! *** / Another great #impression of #JohnnyDepp #NoShit #watchthisthing #itiscreepy (not a great combination of words… or #hashtags) #pissfilledballs / THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS EPISODE!!! #untilthenext #thisepisodeslastwordoftheepisode #pepperjam #PepperjamBass #StonedPepperjam #9806668182 BUY OUR SHIT AT metalnerdery.com/merch / #softoutro #tidbitsofnonsense #listencarefully #outroentendreASMR #thelasttwoseconds