Youth And Young Manhood

I recently saw a reel that described Kings of Leon as “Southern Fried Strokes.” I thought it was a stretch. Then i heard this album. It is not a stretch.

There is a received wisdom that KoL were good in their early days, but declined when they went mainstream and got popular. This, their debut album, blows that theory out of the water and proves they were pretty bad from day one. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Red Morning Light Date listened: 21/12/23

I feel like Jeff Winger when he found out the study group was abbreviating Barenaked Ladies' name. Wow, three albums for Kings of Leon, really? They're so fundamental that we're celebrating their debut album? Call me a selfish, jaded ass, but that's too much. Best track: Joe's Head

Painfully boring. Annoying vocals and cliche instrumentation. Feels like the mix between Lynyrd Skynyrd, The White Stripes, and The Strokes went rancid in the fridge. And those were all, at best, 3s themselves. Cold garbage, solid 1.0

I feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did. It was fine, but something just felt off for me which causes me to like it a lot less. Maybe it's the vocalists voice which I find just a little bit annoying. 2.5/5

If you actually like rock, you won’t like this.

Bland guitar rock with grating vocals. Never understood the appeal of this band and this album only made my opinion of them worse.

This is the Kings I remember before they got pretty and had their sex be on fire

Is this a true 4 or does it just remind me of a happier time in my life? I guess we will never know.

Very generic mid-2000s rock. I'd heard a few of these, you know, they're fine, but I can't see how they've achieved a billion streams on one of their tunes. The singer had the sound of a less committed Damon Albarn.

Dull as heck. Why recommend this one when it's neither their best nor their most popular album?

Go to your dad's car and find his CDs. I guaranteed you can find something better than what's in this album. You've heard this kind of rock before in bars, parties, and festivals. The lead singer has the voice and charisma of a goldfish with the band providing filler instrumentals. There's no passion to it; one song leads into the next and some do sound different (especially the pop sounding songs on here). It's by the numbers southern rock about the sad things in life. It's not enough to get a recommend from me though. Spend your time with something else.

This album is fucking awesome, I am bias and I will fight you if you disagree.

I've never really been the biggest fan of Kings of Leon, this album definitely backs this statement up. I felt each track sounded very similar to the last, making my listening experience rather boring. Not to mention, I cannot stand the frontman's vocals; it sounds as if he's screaming with a bunch of marbles in his mouth. Long story, short, this album is just a bunch of distorted noise.

I wondered if this might make the list. I long for the days of old KoL.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Red morning light, Happy alone, Wasted time, California waiting, Molly’s chamber, Holy roller novocaine

23rd June 2023 Listened while driving to camping with Joe and Adna outside Leicester. One of the cornerstones of my teenage years, an absolute stone cold banger.

Hands down their best album. I mean COME ON these songs are so EXCITING! They captured a raw energy that was still present in their second album, but by albums 3 and 4 had shifted into something else - not something bad, but something different and less magical that what they captured here on their debut. I watched some YouTube video the other day where they attributed the shift in sound to opening up for U2 on tour, which made a lot of sense to me. They were new to big arenas, and after listening to U2 play mid tempo rock arena jams night after night, how could their sound not change? So what they captured on this album was a specific moment in time in their development, and I'm glad we have it. I love ALL of these songs and will continue to come back to this album as I have over many years.

I think it says a lot about an album when the final track makes you want to listen to the album again. Red Morning Light is a great start, Joe's Head certainly grabs your attention, California Waiting, and Molly's Chambers are great tracks but there's something I really love about Talihina Sky.

It's interesting to hear the first album from a band that would become very popular. Sometimes it's the only opportunity to hear them before they are forced to contend with the weighty expectations of celebrity culture. Kings of Leon are a band that, anymore, I can only really think of as offensively inoffensive. Like it feels like they are as "just fine" as any band could be, and the big question I had going into this was if they were any more interesting on their debut. At this time, Kings of Leon kind of seem to sit in with the other kind of indie/garage rock bands of this time, but with a little more of a Southern Swamp Rock sound. Unfortunately, even here, I don't think they could really keep up with their contemporaries. They aren't as powerful and scuzzy as The White Stripes were, they didn't have the energy of something punkier like Yeah Yeah Yeahs at this time. And they didn't have the melodic sensibilities or performance of The Strokes, who they sound most similar to otherwise (they kind of both have the same "dry" sound that I wish I could put a finger on). Their sound is also just a little more "generic 2000s rock" than any of the former bands. I would like to mention the vocals here though. Caleb Followill digs in pretty hard on his delivery, and there are some standout moments, but his performances still somehow feel too restrained and never quite connect all the dots. This isn't bad per say, but like their later music, it just isn't interesting (let alone essential) in the landscape of rock they existed in.

Kick ass album. Never really listened to this band but this groovy. I'll bet this was a good time live when they were young and hungry. I enjoyed this album a lot.

Great

I was expecting more pop along the lines of Use Somebody, instead it was down and dirty grungy rock, absolutely delightful.

A fucking blinder seemingly from left field. Still a brlliliant record today

Huh, they have multiple albums. Who knew? (apparently lots of people) First 30 seconds: ooh some interesting vocals. This could be a more interesting approach to post-punk(?). Yeah this album is fun and fresh. Love so many of these songs: California waiting and Joe's Head are a blast. Like the Modern Lovers with less grating of sensibilities. This is a great artist discovery; how did I never listen to these guys?!? Huge.

This is what we need, And when she get into your head you know she s there to stay

I'm really glad this was an older album from Kings Of Leon. I know a few older tracks and I like them all so was looking forward to hearing a full album. I'm glad it wasn't the newer more popular version of the band, with songs like 'Sex On Fire' and 'Use Somebody' which I really don't like at all. If I could try and describe it accurately. It's as if you took the garage rock sound of The White Stripes, mixed it up with the faster tunes of very early Bon Scott era AC/DC and sprinkled in some country vibes. It's a great sound and I don't think there's a dud track here. Some people won't like Caleb Followill's vocals but I enjoy them a lot. They sound a lot better with this type of music than they do with later Kings Of Leon stuff. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this but I'm very glad it was on the list and it makes me want to check out more of their earlier stuff.

Classic. Always been a favourite and their best.

Wasn't really looking forward to this album due to being burned out on the hits that came with the following album. This album was a pleasant surprise, they seemed to be a little looser and having more fun with this album, maybe they were more youthful and experimental, I don't know, but the music seems more playful and fun.

i haven’t really listened to too much of kings of leon but i know this first album feels a bit different from their “sex on fire” era to me so this was cool to hear !!! I LIKE THE ALBUM COVER n their cute hairdos they were adorable in 2003 :)

I love this album! super southern, a bit grungy, really really good. To be fair I am an early Kings of Leon head. The sound hits my ears just right! Whole thing hits, but especially love: Red Morning Light, Happy Alone, California Waiting, Molly's Chamber, Talihina Sky

Great album. I haven't returned to it for a while and I'd forgotten how good it is. Not as good as Aha Shake Heartbreak, but still far better than anything else they have produced since. There was an intensity and a rawness to their sound that they lost when they became more polished (and when they began to sound more and more like a Strokes tribute act).

No private session used for Spotify. I have this CD somewhere, used to listen to this album a lot while on road trips or getting pumped up at the gym. Note to self, listen to this album more. This album just rocks.

Maybe I‘m boring, maybe I‘m nostalgic but this one is awesome! Never heard it before but it got the typical 2000s rock sound and is completely different to the KOL that became mainstream.

Good album, really liked all of it.

A wise old sound engineer once told me there are two things a great album can be made of. Great songs or great memories. And sometimes both. Well, the songs on Youth & Young Manhood are regularly great (Dusty, Trani, Holy Roller Novocaine, Red Morning Light…) but the memories are what make this an easy 5 for me. I went to university in 2002 believing nightclubs to be somewhere you went reluctantly so as not to be the only one home on a Saturday night, danced ironically to bad house music and tried desperately not to waste all your CD money for the month on sickly alcopops or horrible lager. I left in 2005 with great memories of nights at Fuzz Club and the Leadmill spent in my ripped jeans, t-shirt and tie, listening to great indie rock’n’roll and drinking (horrible AND sickly - but I didn’t care) snakebite til the early hours. It only takes the opening chords of Molly’s Chambers to transport me back. Yes, I grew out of those days around the time KoL grew out of them too and became a shit U2 tribute act without the tunes. But in those heady days of my own youth and young manhood, this was a firm favourite.

Joe's Head is their best song

Excellent alt rock album

01) Red Morning Light - 10,0 02) Happy Alone - 8,5 03) Wasted Time - 10,0 04) Joe's Head - 8,0 05) Trani - 8,0 06) California Waiting - 10,0 07) Spiral Staircase - 8,5 08) Molly's Chambers - 10,0 09) Genius - 8,5 10) Dusty - 8,0 11) Holly Roller Novocaine - 10,0 12) Talihina Sky - 10,0 TOTAL: 9,13 (91/100) Current ranking: 22/267 Kings Of Leon are one of my favorite bands from the early 2000s, this album is one of their better ones. "Molly's Chambers" is my favorite song on the album, and I had the opportunity to listen to them live twice.

Don't care what anyone thinks about KoL but this album is so good

fun rock album.

This was a big album for me when I was 15 so it’s impossible to hear objectively. I used to turn my stereo balance all the way to one speaker so it would cut out one guitar part (that had been hard panned to one side) and play along on my guitar for hours. I never really got the strokes comparison, in my teenage brain this was more a mid 70s credence style sound rather than late 70s post punk sound like television, that the strokes seemed to be going for. I love the live sound of the album and the short impactful guitar solos. It’s an easy 5 for personal reasons but I do wonder why it’s on the list.

Love it

Great debut album from the Kings of Leon. It is a much rawer bit of southern garage rock and much less polished than their later efforts

From when KOL kicked ass! So much energy. Red Morning Light one of the top 3 all time uses of a cowbell! Surely? Can’t argue with that. Caleb’s vocals occasionally scream like a mad lunatic, sometimes completely incoherent but I still love them. The album captures all of their live energy - simple party rock and roll.

Fucking love their early work. So many bangers

Fun album. Still their best.

I don't know what my problem was with the prior Kings of Leon album we listened to but this one was totally my jam. Well, one of my jams at least. I dug it start to finish.

Nice

Like being a sophomore in college all over again.

Oh hell yea Kings Of Leon were my band for while in the 2000s into the 2010s. Come Around Sundown was maybe the last new album I bought on CD (at my beloved MusicWorld). Wild how they were a band that didn’t really last past that era though, even though they are putting out new music and are seemingly trying to build an audience on TikTok. This album is amazing. I go back and forth on which of their four albums are their best. This pretty much keep the momentum throughout so this is a likely winner.

I like this one. Had heard a few of their songs before. Really liked this.

So much better than I expected this to be. Wow. Great rock and roll that sounds classic yet modern, and a totally different sound than their poppier 2009 smash (which I also like). His voice was awesome and this just fun to hear.

LOVE THE OLD STUFF!

My favorite Kings of Leon, when they were raw, hillbilly-sounding rock. Everything later was more polished and produced. Still great, but this first album is the most fun.

Yes yes yes. No nonsense, full energy, distinct style. Came through like a breath of fresh air at the time. I saw them live after this album, then after then album that followed. The first gig they literally said nothing between the songs. Absolutely loved it. The second gig you could tell they hit the big time as they had a glitter ball on stage and I think they may have introduced themselves!

A fantastic album, been listening to it for years. Favourite tracks are: 'Red Morning Light,' 'Molly's Chambers,' 'Holy Roller Novocaine' & 'Talihina Sky'

Love this album

Really liked this album. It had me wanting more and had me going to Only By the Night. I think its a 5

ace

So many classics! I didn't know they were all on this album. Feels like Bob Dylan crawled into a punk basement in the UK in the 80s/90s.

That's a Fine Album! One of the best things that the 2000's rock got to offer. That was the first time I ever listened to this band, and it was a great experience. Not perfect, but great! I'm gonna leave 4 stars today.

I always forget how good these guys were before they became super lame. 4/5

I gave my friend some serious side eye when he recommended this album to me a while back. "Kings of Leon? Seriously?" But to my surprise, it was a seriously great album. And I still really enjoyed it on this listen. So much better than their later stuff. More bluesy, more punk rock, grittier. IDK, just better.

Enjoyable but his voice is just so affected…

It's ok. Don't think I could pick out any single song that stood out. Only By The Night was much better.

For what reason does there need to be three records from this band, on this list? They’re not that good. This is some fanboy bullshit.

Most of the songs sound the same but not in a way that’s exciting to me.

Overall it still sucked but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would

Did not like at all

Yo….this shit suuucks.

Love this album. Made me fall in love with the KOL

Good Rock.

Loved this when it was released. Something different just rednecks singing redneck songs. Sure they because tripe soon after but there's not a bad song on this album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwul7ussf8

A nice set of musics

Love it.

love at first sight!

I prefer early Kings of Leon before you can really understand what they're saying. There's some raw appeal to this album.

Discazo. Parece un disco que bien pertenece al mejor rock de los seenta, pero que también se siente tremendamente actual. Me la pasé genial.

Classic

Great album, love their style and energy, and loved every track

This is a perfect album. No skips, I wish they would’ve stayed on drugs making this dirty garage band music. It gets better and better the more times you listen to it.

Solides Album, rockiger als erwartet

9/10.

WHAT ON EARTH? You mean to tell me that Kings of Leon was actually good until they morphed into that "Sex on Fire" trash????? I cannot believe I'm giving Kings of fucking Leon 5 stars but this was legitimately highly enjoyable.

Great band. Great sound for the whole album.

Na al die jaren blijft het een topalbum, veel lekkere nummers, echt een goede sound

Very very good

Very nice album - I like it. Great debut!

não tinha direito de ser tão bom. Quando bandas fazem um álbum simples com bom rock, não tem muito erro. Aí os cara vão e me meter umas música pretensiosa como Sex is on Fire num álbum futuro e acaba com a reputação

8.5

I'm going to take a risk and rate this a 4. I think I'd enjoy this more if I wasn't in such a bad mood.

Ordentliches Rockalbun mit gutem Arrangement.

Love this era of blues/rock retro Kings and Black Keys. Not all bangers, but an album to listen all the way through.

we've got some really spunky and loose rock music this time around... what's the type of dancing that punk rockers and ska fans do where they stretch and flail their arms and kick out their legs? i don't know what it's called but this album makes me feel like doing that. this rock album feels like it could've been released in the 70s based on just how rough around the edges it is. it's still produced like a pop rock album, so those of you who might like the white stripes and lynyrd skynyrd or you're the type of indie rock fella who watched indie pop up vids on vh1 might get a kick out of this. it gets pretty bananas sometimes.

I arrived to the Kings of Leon party as they were ascending to popularity with "Sex on Fire." I hated that song, but my cousin persuaded me to check out their earlier work, and I wound up falling in love with Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times. I snatched up this album too, and I know I listened to it at least once, but I can't remember how I felt towards it, but I know I've never felt compelled to listen to it again. Granted, with Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times to reach for when I need to scratch that KoL itch, who could blame me? I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about listening to this today, but I honestly don't have high expectations. Here's hoping that I just forgot that this is a great album! I didn't love Youth & Young Manhood as much as I love Aha Shake Heartbreak, but this album is definitely better than I remember. I love KoL's general sound, and this album was no exception to that. I know Caleb Followill's vocals are a big turnoff for a lot of people, but I love his unique voice. The guitar playing was really good on this album too, and I really loved the drumming too. The drumming isn't particularly complex, but its simplicity and tightness rounds out the overall sound really well. There were quite a few songs on here that I really enjoyed. I wasn't blown away by "Red Morning Light," but "Happy Alone" kicked off the sound that I love from these guys. That simple percussion I mentioned really punches this song up; that simple rhythm just meshes with the guitar tone so well. To top it off, the chorus kicks up the intensity, making this a fun song. I really loved the guitar and the bass on "Joe's Head." It's so simple but so well done. The lyrics are great too, and I assume this is a response to Hendrix's "Hey Joe." The bluesy piano at the end was a perfect closing. The guitar on "Trani" was great too. I loved how it matched the pace of the story in the lyrics. The whole song was a brilliant slowburn. "California Waiting" had my favorite bass playing on the album, and I really loved the guitar melody coming out of the bridge. "Genius" had my favorite guitar riff on the album. Once again, the simple percussion did wonders for the overall sound of this song. The other songs on this album were fine, but not particularly noteworthy to me. This was still a really good album though, bolstered by a great garage rock sound. Now that I'm done reviewing KoL albums, I'd put Youth & Young Manhood squarely between Aha Shake Heartbreak and Only by the Night.

Like it

Great guitars

I liked it, it was a nice lead in to their more popular sounding stuff from later on