“For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (Check out the initials of the title and then realize that is how they promoted the concert for the album) is Van Halen returning to some of their hard rock roots, providing one electrifying experience. It consisted of the loud and in your face vocals of Sammy Hagar, the innovative and amazing guitar work of Eddie Van Halen, the pulsating drum playing of Alex Van Halen and some of Michael Anthony’s best bass playing.
The age old rock question that has divided fans of Van Halen is who is a better front-man: Hagar or David Lee Roth. Roth had a stage presence that was matched by no one before him but Hagar put his heart and soul into his studio recordings. That question is not a simple one to answer, however and is made harder after listening to the 52 minutes of Hagar’s edgy voice on this 1991 masterpiece.
Eddie Van Halen’s hard rock sound helped bridge the gap between Eric Clapton and Slash because his style consisted of trying new techniques with his guitar work. That is never more evident than on the first track on the album, “Poundcake” because he took a battery operated drill and placed it on pickups of the guitar. This created a unique and innovative sound to kick off what is to come.
However, “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” contains some of the best work Van Halen did with Hagar, “Right Now.” The song starts with some powerful guitar work for a minute and half before it is accompanied by Hagar’s solid vocals. The song contains a strong message: live for right now because it is your tomorrow and make the most out of every moment. It will be stuck in your head for days to come. Sadly, the song was used to promote the infamous Crystal Pepsi, allowing some of the message to be lost.
The second best song is “Top of the World” which is similar to the band’s “Jump” from their 1984 album. That similarity shortly goes out the window when you hear Hagar and the new dimension that he adds to the band. However, it’s futile to compare “Jump” to “Top of the World” because they are on two completely separate spectrums of the rock universe.
The title of this song could also describe how this album floated to the number one spot on the billboard charts when it was released.
Those two songs contain a small instrumental intermission called “316,” which allows one a chance to take in the mixture of these tracks.
“Spanked” is a hardcore, push the envelope classic that explores the pleasures of dialing a 1-900 number and the possible activities one may do during that phone conversation. It is the band’s trademark work while having fun with the audience and a great lighthearted complement to the rest of the material on the album.
“Runaround,” “The Dream is Over,” “Judgement Day” and “Man on a Mission” are all major highlights that showcase the awesome talent of these rock gods of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. They even outline the strong contributions that Alex Van Halen made to the band with his stellar drum work. With that being said, lovers of hard rock will find it impossible to find a false note at any point in the album.
With so much depth to their sound with Hagar in the group, even the most jaded Roth fan will find much to love in “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,” which solidifies Van Halen’s place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the hard rock world.
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