For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Last updated

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.jpg
Studio album by
Van Halen
ReleasedJune 17, 1991 (1991-06-17) [1]
RecordedMarch 1990 – April 1991
Studio 5150 Studios, Studio City, California
Genre Hard rock
Length52:06
Label Warner Bros.
Producer
Van Halen chronology
OU812
(1988)		For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
(1991)		 Live: Right Here, Right Now
(1993)
Singles from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
  1. "Poundcake"
    Released: June 1991
  2. "Top of the World"
    Released: September 1991
  3. "Right Now"
    Released: February 1992

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (often abbreviated as F.U.C.K.) is the ninth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on June 17, 1991, [2] on Warner Bros. Records and is the third to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three consecutive weeks. The album marked a record in the band's history, seeing seven of its eleven tracks released as singles.

Contents

The album marked the first time the band had Ted Templeman working in a producer capacity since 1984 , when David Lee Roth was still lead singer. He had, however, assisted in determining the track sequencing for the 1986 effort 5150 . [3]

The album was remastered by Donn Landee and released on October 6, 2023, as part of The Collection II; the four studio albums with Hagar, plus an extra disc of eight rarities from this era. [4]

A 2 LP, 2 CD, Blu-ray Expanded Edition of the album was released on July 12, 2024. It included a previously unreleased instrumental version of "The Dream Is Over" as well as Guitar and Organ Versions of the single mix of "Right Now." It also included unreleased concert footage from the band's December 4, 1991, performance in Dallas, Texas captured during the “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour". [5]

Title

The album's title came from lead singer Sammy Hagar, who wanted to push the issue of censorship by naming Van Halen's album with a vulgarity, stating, "That's when censorship was a big issue. I wanted to name the album just Fuck." [6] Hagar eventually backed away from the outright vulgarity after he was told by his friend, former world lightweight boxing champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, that the word "fuck" was an acronym for the phrase "for unlawful carnal knowledge" (though this is a false etymology). [6] [7] [8] Their tour promoting the album was unofficially named F.U.C.K. 'n' Live. Prior to recording, the term "for unlawful carnal knowledge" was used by the band Coven as a track on their album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls in 1969.

Recording

Van Halen started work on the album in March 1990 and finished in April 1991, two months before its release. The album itself was marketed as the "return" to Van Halen's hard rock roots, [9] with most songs being guitar driven, and the synth sounds being replaced by pianos. The band also reconciled with producer Ted Templeman, who produced earlier Van Halen albums to return to work on the album. According to Eddie Van Halen, this happened because Hagar did not want to work with Andy Johns and Templeman let him "get away with everything." [10] The year-long production led to the 'labored' sound. [11]

This was the first album that Eddie recorded without his trademark Marshall Super Lead serving as the primary amplifier. The Marshall was fading, [12] so he went with his 1989 Soldano SLO-100 to record the album primarily, though the Marshall was used sparingly. [12] A prototype for what would become the Peavey 5150 series of custom amplifiers was also used. [12] Peavey's release of the 5150 series coincided with the release of the album.

"Poundcake" featured the sound of a battery-operated Makita power drill, which Eddie held to the pickups of his guitar and revved, creating the intro.

The instrumental "316" is named for the March 16, 1991 birthday of Eddie's son Wolfgang, who later went on to be Van Halen's last bass player, although the song predates his birth (as part of it was used by Eddie at the beginning of his guitar solo on tour, as seen on Live Without a Net, and was originally written for 5150 ). [13] On Wolfgang's 25th birthday on March 16, 2016, his mother Valerie Bertinelli posted a photo on her Facebook page of her and Eddie during her pregnancy with the caption "Ed playing 316 on my growing tummy, before he knew he would call it 316" Eddie can be seen in the photo playing an acoustic guitar on top of Valerie's pregnant belly. [14]

The song "Top of the World" features a riff that was first heard on a studio recording during the outro of the 1984-era hit "Jump". However on bootleg and official (but unreleased) recordings of Van Halen concerts during the original David Lee Roth era, the riff can sometimes be heard being played at the end of "Dance The Night Away", the most notable being at the end of 1983 Us Festival performance of the song. [15] "Top of the World" was played directly after "Jump" on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour and appears immediately after it on both Live: Right Here, Right Now (a live album recorded on that tour) and the Best of Both Worlds compilation.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Entertainment Weekly C [17]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [18]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Ultimate Guitar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg

Rolling Stone's John Milward rated the album two out of five stars, explaining that it "is so stuffed with zigzagging guitars and blustery vocals that it almost forgets to rock. Eddie Van Halen, who probably has more guitars than teeth, upends such a tackle box of hooks that they only start to surface after repeated listenings. Tasteful simplicity, which is never really simple at all, would have proved a better course to follow." He concluded that the guitars "are busier, the beats are heavier, and the fun is fleeting. Van Halen has chops to burn, but For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, like its lumbering opening track and first single, 'Poundcake', is stale." [19]

Gina Arnold of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a C and said, "It would be nice to believe that the acronym formed by the title of Van Halen's new, top-charting album was intended as a covert blow against censorship in America. Unfortunately, it's far more likely that the punny name merely indicates VH's love of the kind of bathroom talk that third graders think is funny. [...] For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge doesn't contain even one mind-numbingly catchy melody. Only 'Top of the World' and 'The Dream Is Over' come close to working up a truly fist-thrusting chorus, and the gist of the latter—'dream another dream, this dream is over'—may well be advice that Van Halen and their fans ought to take to heart." [17]

In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a "dud" rating. [18]

A retrospective review by AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was mixed. He stated that the title "indicates the true nature of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge [...] Backing away from the diversity of OU812 , the band turns in some of the most basic, straightforward rock & roll of its career." However, he also stated that it was "undeniable that [Sammy Hagar's] limited vocal power had a great deal to do with the obvious nature of most of this music." He concluded that, even though the band continued to be tight and professional, the songwriting "is, by and large, undistinguished, with the anthemic 'Right Now' standing out as the most memorable song of the batch, mainly because of its incessant chorus." [16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen

No.TitleLength
1."Poundcake"5:21
2."Judgement Day"4:38
3."Spanked"4:53
4."Runaround"4:20
5."Pleasure Dome"6:58
6."In 'n' Out"6:04
7."Man on a Mission"5:03
8."The Dream Is Over"3:59
9."Right Now"5:21
10."316" (instrumental)1:29
11."Top of the World"3:54
Total length:52:06

Personnel

Van Halen

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [36] Platinum100,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [37] Gold100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [39] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Awards

Grammy Award

YearNominated workCategoryResult
1991For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Best Hard Rock Performance Won [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Halen</span> American rock band (1973–2020)

Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for the virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

<i>5150</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Van Halen

5150 is the seventh studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on March 24, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records and was the first of four albums to be recorded with lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth. The album was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, in turn named after a California law enforcement term for a mentally disturbed person. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing the band's previous album, 1984, which had peaked at number 2 behind Michael Jackson's Thriller album, on which Eddie made a guest appearance.

<i>Women and Children First</i> 1980 studio album by Van Halen

Women and Children First is the third studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on March 26, 1980, on Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Ted Templeman and engineered by Donn Landee, it was the first Van Halen album not to feature any cover songs, and is described by critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "[the] record where the group started to get heavier, both sonically and, to a lesser extent, thematically."

<i>OU812</i> 1988 studio album by Van Halen

OU812 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1988 and is the band's second album to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. Van Halen began work on the album in September 1987 and completed it in April 1988, one month before its release.

<i>Live: Right Here, Right Now</i> 1993 live album by Van Halen

Live: Right Here, Right Now. is the first live album by American rock band Van Halen, released in 1993. It is the band's only live album featuring Sammy Hagar and the only live album by Van Halen until the release of Tokyo Dome Live in Concert in 2015.

<i>Balance</i> (Van Halen album) 1995 studio album by Van Halen

Balance is the tenth studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on January 24, 1995, by Warner Bros. Records. The album is the last of the band's four studio releases to feature Sammy Hagar as the lead singer. It is also the final Van Halen album to feature bassist Michael Anthony in its entirety. Balance reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in February 1995 and reached triple platinum status on May 12, 2004, by selling more than three million copies in the US. "The Seventh Seal" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

<i>The Best of Both Worlds</i> (Van Halen album) 2004 greatest hits album by Van Halen

The Best of Both Worlds is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Van Halen, released on July 20, 2004, on Warner Bros. The compilation features material recorded with lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, but omits Gary Cherone's three-year tenure with the band. Prior to The Best of Both Worlds's release, Hagar reunited with Van Halen, and the band recorded three new tracks to include on the release.

<i>1984</i> (Van Halen album) 1984 studio album by Van Halen

1984 is the sixth studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on January 9, 1984. It was the last Van Halen studio album until A Different Kind of Truth (2012) to feature lead singer David Lee Roth, who left the band in 1985 following creative differences. This is the final full-length album to feature all four original members, although they reunited briefly in 2000 to start work on what would much later become 2012's A Different Kind of Truth. Roth returned in 2007, but Eddie's son Wolfgang replaced Anthony in 2006. 1984 and Van Halen's self-titled debut album are the band's best-selling albums, each having sold more than 10 million copies in the United States.

<i>Best Of – Volume I</i> (Van Halen album) 1996 greatest hits album by Van Halen

Best Of – Volume I is the first greatest hits album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released on October 22, 1996.

<i>Eat Em and Smile</i> 1986 studio album by David Lee Roth

Eat 'Em and Smile is the debut studio album by former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, released on July 7, 1986, after his unpredicted successful debut EP Crazy from the Heat (1985).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreams (Van Halen song)</span> 1986 single by Van Halen

"Dreams" is a song by Van Halen released in 1986 from the album 5150. It was the second single from that album, and it reached # 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #24 on the Cash Box Top 100. Nine years after its original release, "Dreams" introduced the band to a new generation of fans when it appeared in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and on its soundtrack album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Can't This Be Love</span> 1986 single by Van Halen

"Why Can't This Be Love" is a song by the American rock band Van Halen for their seventh studio album, 5150 (1986). The song was the group's first single with Sammy Hagar, replacing founding member David Lee Roth. It was released on both 7" and 12" formats with the latter having an extended version featuring extra lyrics.

<i>VOA</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Sammy Hagar

VOA is the eighth studio album by American rock musician Sammy Hagar, released on July 23, 1984, by Geffen Records.

<i>I Never Said Goodbye</i> 1987 studio album by Sammy Hagar

I Never Said Goodbye is the ninth studio album by American rock musician Sammy Hagar, released on June 23, 1987, by Geffen Records. It was his first solo album since 1984's VOA, released while he was a member of Van Halen. The album was recorded in ten days under a contractual obligation to Geffen Records as a condition of his leaving the company to join Van Halen and their record label, Warner Bros. Records. The album spent 23 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and became his highest charting solo album, peaking at number 14 on August 15, 1987.

<i>Live: Hallelujah</i> 2003 live album by Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas

Live: Hallelujah is a live album by Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poundcake (song)</span> 1991 single by Van Halen

"Poundcake" is a Van Halen song and the opening track on their 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. "Poundcake" was the first song to be released as a single from the album, reaching number one on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 74 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Halen discography</span> List of recorded material released by the US rock band Van Halen

Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972 by the Dutch-born American brothers Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Alex Van Halen (drums), plus singer David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony. The band's discography consists of 12 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, and 56 singles.

The For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Van Halen in support of their studio album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. It was one of the band's longer tours, divided into 99 dates. It featured shows in Hawaii and Mexico, places Van Halen rarely played in their history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top of the World (Van Halen song)</span> 1991 single by Van Halen

"Top of the World" is a song written by the group Van Halen for their 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, released as the second single from the album, and spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in the U.S., becoming their eighth number one on this chart. It was the only single off the album to crack the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #27. The main guitar riff from "Top of the World" is actually carried over from the closing guitar background riff from 1984's "Jump".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Walks In</span> 1986 single by Van Halen

"Love Walks In" is a power ballad by American rock band Van Halen released as the third single from the band's seventh studio album, 5150 (1986). It was the first song the band wrote with vocalist Sammy Hagar. It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.

References

  1. ↑ "Gold and Platinum". RIAA. March 16, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  2. ↑ "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge - Van Halen | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ Ted, Templeman (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. ISBN   978-1770414839.
  4. ↑ Irwin, Corey. "Van Halen Revisits Sammy Hagar Years With 'The Collection II' Set". Ultimate Classic Rock. Townsquare Media, Inc. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  5. ↑ VHND (May 23, 2024). "Van Halen Releasing Expanded Edition of 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'". Van Halen News Desk. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Rosen, Craig. The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. Billboard Books, 1996 ISBN   0-8230-7586-9
  7. ↑ World Wide Words: Fuck
  8. ↑ The idea that the word "fuck" is derived from an acronym is generally disbelieved by etymologists. See Fuck#False etymologies.
  9. ↑ "Balance by Van Halen – Classic Rock Review". March 8, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Eruptions"; Steven Rosen, Guitar World (December 1996)
  11. ↑ Corgan, Billy. "Best Of Both Worlds". Guitar World (April 1996)
  12. 1 2 3 "The Champ's Amp", by Brad Tolinski, Guitar World Magazine 1991.
  13. ↑ "The Story Behind Edward Van Halen's Most Personal Song: '316'". Van Halen News Desk. March 16, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Ed playing 316 on my growing tummy,... - Valerie Bertinelli". www.facebook.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  15. ↑ Van Halen - Dance the Night Away (Live 1983 US Festival) , retrieved February 17, 2023
  16. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge at AllMusic
  17. 1 2 Arnold, Gina (July 12, 1991). "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  18. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: Van Halen" . Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  19. 1 2 Milward, John (August 22, 1991). "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1569". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  24. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  25. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  26. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  27. ↑ "Charts.nz – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Van Halen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 29. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Music Canada.
  37. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Van Halen – Fuck" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan . Retrieved February 27, 2020.Select 1991年11月 on the drop-down menu
  38. ↑ "British album certifications – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". British Phonographic Industry.
  39. ↑ "American album certifications – Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Recording Industry Association of America.
  40. ↑ "Van Halen | Artist | www.grammy.com".

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.