For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
1. Poundcake
2. Judgement Day
3. Spanked
4. Runaround
5. Pleasure Dome
6. In 'n' Out
7. Man on a Mission
8. The Dream is Over
9. Right Now
10.316
11.Top of the World
 
There was now no doubt in anyone's
mind that the Hagar version of Van Halen was no flash in the pan, and
they were definitely here to stay. The band simply picks up where it
left off and made arguably the best record of the Hagar era. The best
thing about this record is that the band seemed to be venturing into
slightly 'serious' territory - at least in terms of musical
arrangements (definitely not lyrically), and this was really the last thing that most diehard Van
Halen fans wanted.
Yes, the album has a 'funny' title (F.U.C.K. - get it?), but so did the
last record, so it really wasn't a guarantee of what was in the package. Witness, however, such
titles as In and Out, Spanked and Poundcake, and
you can kind of get an idea where the whole album is trying to go.
Strangely, the majority of this record sounds like one big party, and
sometimes it's hard to tell some of the songs apart until 45 seconds or
so into the song, but that really isn't a liability in this case. The
songs are so well crafted, and they're all immensely enjoyable. No, this
incarnation would never be as bold as the
'party-like-it's-the-end-of-all-creation' as they would be when Roth
fronted the band, but the overall feel of the record is reminiscent of
party rock and roll that's well crafted and thought out at the same
time.
Strangely, the best song, the well known Right Now is
the only song that strays from the above mentioned atmosphere. The song
is a bit dark, with it's haunting keyboard introduction that ends up
covering most of the track adding to the overall texture. That's not to
say it's serious, or gloomy. Hagar and Eddie Van Halen really
did work well together, and they fed off of each other in a way
that makes a song like this a classic.
Best song on the album: the closer - Top of the World,
which was where these guys actually were, in effect.
Purists can moan all they want about the 'old' Van Halen, but this was a
great record.
Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review