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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Yeah you know what, it was alright I know it’s not from this album but *gibby falling in slow motion*

Not my favorite Kings of Leon album, but solid nonetheless. Haven’t listened to this one in years. I had a burnt copy on an old IPod courtesy of The Indianapolis Public Library. Wish these cunts wouldn’t cancel so many concerts on me 😒

Daar zijn ze weer, de Koningen. Laatst gaf ik ze geheel onverwacht een 5, dus ik had eigenlijk wel zin in dit album. Ook deze keer wordt er een prima plaat afgeleverd. De zanger is nog steeds redelijk onverstaanbaar, de gitaren zijn weer lekker gruizig, het speelt allemaal lekker door en voor je het weet zitten de 40 minuten er weer op. Het is een beetje de oude Arctic Monkeys, maar dan wat redneckeriger qua geluid. Ik ga voor de 4 deze keer. Als ik moet kiezen zet ik net wat liever dat andere album van ze aan. Maar al met al zijn dit echt wel heel plezierige albums om aan te hebben staan vergeleken met de drek die je hier af en toe voor je kiezen krijgt.

Solid

08/04/2025 I was not looking forward to this album when it came up as I think this band are sellouts. But this was good.

I forgot how great this album is. Their later output had negatively spun how I remember this. But hearing it again takes me back. Hard rocking southern jams. Allman Brothers x Velvet Underground vibes.

In many ways this is a classic first album, in that it sounds like the sum total of all their influences; Lynyrd Skynyrd country rock, Stones blues, Lou Reed sleaze, all with an indie twist. That said, there’s plenty of variety and originality all round - neither mere copyists nor one trick ponies these. A great debut with a strong indication of more to come.

Before Kings of Leon embraced a more polished, mainstream sound, they delivered Youth and Young Manhood—a raw, energetic debut that still holds up today. I’ve always loved this album; it’s a nostalgic time capsule that takes me right back to my youth. Hard to believe it’s been 22 years! I’m excited to revisit it with fresh ears and a new perspective. On reflection, I’d rate it a solid 4/5. There are some fantastic tracks around Molly Chambers, like Wasted Time, Happy Alone, and Genius, but there are also a few fillers and not a lot of variation in sound. That said, it still absolutely rocks! Favorite song: Molly Chambers—the ultimate going-out anthem of my younger years. What a tune! Least favorite song: Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on the album. Album artwork: A really cool cover that perfectly captures the album’s gritty vibe.

Kings of Leon is NOT an important enough band to get three albums on this list. They’re certainly not more important than Weezer. THAT BEING SAID: this is probably their best album on this list. Definitely better than Aha Shake Heartbreak. I still don’t think there needs to be more than one KOL album here, and the one that deserves the spot is still the one with the hits.

Me ha gustado mucho. Buena combinación de garage/indie rock de principios de los 2000 con mucha influencia sureña (country, blues) y derroche de energía. La voz carrasposa encaja perfectamente en el estilo del álbum, y su producción es simple pero más que suficiente. Un álbum muy auténtico y un soplo de aire fresco entre el indie de su época, que sonaba todo igual. El hillbilly indie debería haberse hecho más popular.

++: Red Morning Light, Happy Alone, Joe's Head, Trani, Spiral Staircase, Genius, Holy Roller Novocaine +: Wasted Time, Molly's Chambers, Dusty +-: California Waiting, Talihina Sky 7,9/10

I loved this album then and it’s still wonderful now

I fucking loved this way too many times I caught myself bopping and partying to tracks like “Happy Alone” and “Genius”. Just damn good rock music for the era that it came from where everything seemed to lack that edge.

Awesome debut

Very cool 70s sound. What I enjoyed most about this was the guitar work; while it was reminiscent of bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and the like, there’s a lot of originality in it as well.

Better than I expected! I only heard their popular hits and didn’t really like them that much

One fully endorses the mumbly vocals on the opener – they read authentic to one's ears. The middle of the record is strongest – "Joe's Head" and Trani" and "California Waiting" are all strong, with a touch of melancholic vibe overarching the tight hooks and compelling riffs. Last two cuts means we leave on quite a high note. Though one prefers the glittier and more tuneful later rectords, the template is clearly in good shape on this one. Their tendencies and techniques and general approach have an impressively large amount in common with the Stones, and are certainly more authentic in terms of a weirded-out, countrified, substance-abusive background. That's doubly true of latter-day Stones imitators (e.g., the Strokes, Franz Ferdinand). One admits being late to KOL party (and totally ignored them in real time – foolishly so, one should add), but is making up for lost time by digging them fully now.

• 4/5 • good debut, though I like the refinement of AHA Shake better

4.5

Suprisingly like the album more than I thought. Knew KoL later stuff but never heard their first album

4.5 stars. This debut is more garage-y rock (with the southern/blues influence) than their latter albums and I personally like it. Rolling Stones influence (tuning of the guitars in leadoff "Red Morning Light"). Had only heard "Molly's Chambers" before this listen-through but "Holy Roller Novocaine", "California Waiting", and "Joe's Head".

I've a soft spot for Kind of Leon, because my former flatmate Tim loves them so much. Laid back and rocky Americana.