In 1991, Van Halen released For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge only months before Nirvana released Nevermind, which followed Pearl Jam’s Ten. Not that it would have mattered—Van Halen was too iconic to be displaced by grunge.
Van Halen had survived changing lead singers and the group’s two previous albums with Sammy Hagar, 5150 and OU812, were full of hits. However, the ’90s was a tumultuous period for them, not because of changing music trends but internal strife. Hagar left in 1996 and Van Halen’s third iteration, this time with Extreme’s Gary Cherone on lead vocals, wasn’t successful.
Though the albums are uneven compared to their early catalog, there are gems worth noting. While the Hagar v. Roth debate rages on, the list below skims both singers for ’90s cuts from Van Halen worthy of their towering two-hand-tapping classics.
“Me Wise Magic” from Best of Volume I (1996)
While compiling songs for a Van Halen greatest hits collection, Eddie Van Halen asked David Lee Roth if he’d like to sing on two new recordings. The guitarist nicknamed one song “The Three Faces of Shamus” because of its three distinct musical sections. That song became “Me Wise Magic.” The former bandmates put aside past differences and completed the sessions with producer Glen Ballard.
However, their brotherly love was brief as things soon fell apart during an appearance at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. According to Eddie, that night at the awards show Roth had turned “back into the Dave I hated.” But “Me Wise Magic” gave fans a small taste of the original lineup. It’s not “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love,” but it’s not Van Halen III either.
“Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” from Balance (1995)
Van Halen was a great rock and roll band with David Lee Roth. With Sammy Hagar, they became a great pop band. In the early days, Roth’s carnival-barker vibe worked with Eddie’s virtuosic riffs. During Hagar’s era, the band wrote earnest pop anthems. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” is a pop gem featuring Eddie’s glossy guitar layers.
The track nods to Ray Charles’ classic “I Can’t Stop Loving You” from his brilliant 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. During the final chorus, Hagar sings, Hey Ray, what you said is true.
“Poundcake” from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
Early Van Halen records didn’t have extraneous layers. Often, when Eddie broke into a guitar solo, only the bass and drums remained beneath his genius shredding. Gradually the albums became more layered and the Hagar years featured dense layers of production, including multiple 12-string guitars (and a power drill) on “Poundcake.”
With MTV’s help, “Poundcake” became one of Van Halen’s most popular songs from the ’90s. No one will confuse Hagar for Dylan, but these lyrics …
“Humans Being” from Twister: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996)
“Humans Being” also appeared on Best of Volume I. Eddie’s devastating riff is perfect for a film about tornados. Also, Alex Van Halen and Eddie routinely made disjointed grooves sound easy. Alex is pure math against Eddie’s instinct for feeling out an arrangement. The rub between the two works and you don’t always notice the missing measures.
The extended section after the (first) guitar solo is so good. It sounds like an impending weather event before Eddie unleashes another frantic solo. He’s pulling notes like an old tree’s roots being yanked from the dirt. Though Michael Anthony is Van Halen’s bass player, his vocal harmonies are his greatest contribution to the group.
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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