Youth And Young Manhood

Red Morning Light California Waiting Molly's Chambers

I have way more memories tied to Only By The Night, but this is… alright.

Pretty easy listening, definitely had me bobbin my head. Nice classic sound.

Easy to listen. The strokes meets pre Stomp clap folk revival

The 00s was full of this heavily promoted "revival" of rock music. The vast majority of it was garbage. This isn't an exception. I have a strong feeling that bands like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Skunk Anansie only have one albums each on this list while I already know Kings of Leon have more than one. It objectively makes no sense.

😏

This rough-edged garage/Southern rock debut charges in with gritty guitars, pounding drums, and hoarse, barking vocals as if it were selling pure wildness, but it ends up feeling like an energy drink from your teenage years – once electrifying, now artificially sweetened and only another source of coffein.

11/24/25. Big “meh” for me. A couple tracks I liked, but perhaps discovering The Strokes first waters this down to me as it’s pretty formulaic. Some of the songs sound like attempts at rockabilly.

Temu Lynyrd Skynyrd

Did not listen

Začudilo me koliko je simpatičan albumčić

Very good

This is my third Kings of Leon album on this list. Are they influential enough to warrant that? Idk.

I like early Kings of Leon before their sound became a little more poppy and produced. Red Morning Light and Molly’s Chambers are excellent

Southern rock meets grunge and a little punk and blues thrown in? - works for me!

It’s ok, not bad. Doesn’t belong on the list, but nothing stood out to me. 2 stars

Didn't like. Singer sounded irritating.

I think this was the first album that I actually hated. I don't dislike the kings of Leon's more recent sounds, but this was too rough for me to properly digest.

I don’t like the singer’s voice!

rockin out. southern? bangers.

This makes my third KOL album in two weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I like this band -seen them in concert - hometown heroes. But three albums from them on this list?? That’s more than I have reviewed from Zeppelin. Come on now. One was good enough. This be is really not any different from the previous two. Same genre, same sound. Been there. Did it.

solid

Otro disco de KoL? ya, no se pasen

I have absolutely zero thoughts on this album.

Great modern rock album with bluesy influences

Perfectly pitched between Creedence Clearwater Revival’s good ole boy Southern rock and greasy garage rock, Kings of Leon’s debut album is assured and fun despite its general themes of heartbreak, the uselessness of love, and being sad and slutty. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Ganske irriterende

Kul musikk men forstår nesten ingenting av det som synges. Hvordan skal jeg synge med da? + syngestilen ellers er ikke helt min favoritt

Powerful, did like some of the songs, indifferent to others

481/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Pretty aggressively Dylanesque, but there's plenty of punk influence here too. And, oddly, a large splash of CCR bayou-rock. I guess that's the Nashville studio influence. The lead vocal is like a very discounted Dylan/Fogerty combo who's trying his best to pull off either a gritty punk scream or a laid-back drawl. In a lot of songs (Spiral Staircase, Molly's Chambers, Holy Roller Novocaine), it kind of works. In others (Trani, California Waiting), it's more suspicious. I had the same complaint about their sophomore album, so it seems the King of Leon aren't great at learning from their mistakes. The sound is lively, owing particularly to the rapid movement between sections in songs like Spiral Staircase and Wasted Time, as well as percussion (and other instruments) coming in and out very quickly. Songwriting-wise, it's about on par with their next work Aha Shake Heartbreak (which is also on this list). There are some great musical ideas, particularly in the riffs of songs like Red Morning Light, Wasted Time, Spiral Staircase, and Molly's Chambers. The latter song in particular has a very clean, poppy sound that's boosted even further with the quiet self-harmony in the chorus. But in terms of being cutting-edge and influential, the record as a whole is pretty underwhelming for its time. Keep in mind that Muse's Absolution was released in the same year as Y&YM, QotSA's Songs for the Deaf was released a year eralier, and Radiohead's Kid A was released 2 years before even that. Kings of Leon don't introduce anything to the musical canon that really justifies their inclusion on this list, I think. It's a pretty good sound, and takes inspiration from a plenitude of big names. That's just about it. 3/5 Key tracks: Red Morning Light, Wasted Time, Molly's Chambers

Hated this. Didn’t even need to finish it to decide it was a solid 1 star album for me. Solidly uninteresting and unenjoyable. I want that hour of my life back.

- Pretty good debut .... I'm not sure if they ever reach this level of consistency again .... It's not a perfect record so I gotta go four ... -

7/10 Favorite tracks- “Happy Alone” Joes Head” “Molly Chambers”

This should serve as a lesson to aspiring musicians. Put out an album like this, and one day you might get to play high school reunion bartenders on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Every song LOVED! What a classic. With I could give it 6 stars. The hairy and authentic rebels that the Rolling Stones wished they were (The Guardian).

Always though I should like this more than I do. Remember getting it when it came out because reviews sold me it was like bands I liked, and remember being somewhat underwhelmed, that it was missing something. And haven't heard again in 20 odd years. Noticing they became big along the way. Well it’s still the same inoffensive mildly ok rock that harkens back to much better music. Surprised(but shouldnt be as there is a definite correlation with music in here and british music awards nominations) that this is their 2nd album on here I've heard so far, not a band I personally feel warrants the exposure. At it's best, for me it's average guitar rock with vocals that don't really lean into their limitations, aping it's predecessors, in of itself being ok but nothing outstanding, 3 Star, being generous.

Very raw southern-fried rock.

Better than every other album of theirs

One of my favorite bands! And this is a great debut! I forget how many good songs are in this album!

Besser als gedacht

Dass das hier auftaucht, wirft mir zuerst die Frage auf, mit wie vielen Alben Radiohead (es dürften mind. fünf sein) oder die Strokes hier wohl noch ums Eck kommen - diese Platte empfinde ich als deutlich schwächer (natürlich gegenüber „is this it“, das zwei Jahre zuvor rauskam, aber auch) als das ebenfalls 2003 erschienene „room on Fire“ und auch spätere strokes- und alle Radiohead-Alben (oder andere 2003er: whites stripes: elephant; Blur: Think Tank; Elbow: cast of thousands; Blackmail: Friend or Foe; Black rebel Motorcycle Club: take them on, on your own; a perfect circle: thirteenth step; Oceansize: Effloresce; the kills: keep on your mean side; Cave in: Antenna) und 2002 kam zB The Vines‘ „highly evolved“, 2001 Blackmails „Bliss, please“ … da ist ja gar kein Ende in Sicht… - es hätten mMn andere Alben, die genremäßig zwar nicht identisch einzuordnen sind, aber doch in Teilen und generell so nah dran sind, dass die Kinks of Lyon (jk, aber n nicer trackname eigentlich^^) hier vielleicht einem mMn verdienten Album in dieser 1001er-Liste den Platz weggenommen haben - aber hey, ist ja alles auch ne schöne subjektive Sache Musik und Kunst - gotta love it :) freu mich riesig über jeden einzelnen neu entdeckten Song bei dieser 1001-Alben-Sache, der was mit mir macht ❤️:) Hier ist es Talahona Sky. Aber das ganze Album an sich packt mich schon unfachmännisch (ein Hoch auf Autocorrect 😂 eigentlich sollte hier „einfach so gar nicht“ stehen). Es ist trotzdem natürlich nicht schlecht - ich fühls bloß einfach nicht (und denke bei jedem Track an einen anderen einer anderen Band, den ich jetzt lieber hören möchte). Aber ich bemerke ein konsequentes Spiel aus Drive, rawness, schönem Panning und arranging, solidem songwriting mit einzelnen guten überraschenden Momenten; das alles gefällt mir prinzipiell schon

Eigentlich ein cooles Album. Bekam aber nicht ganz den Zugriff. Hinten heraus schwächer

Wow, ewig nicht gehört! Ich hätte eher "Because Of The Times" hier in die Liste gewählt. Finde das Album angenehm retro. Kann den Hype schon nachvollziehen. "Molly's Chambers" hatte ich noch den ganzen Tag als Ohrwurm.

This drags on and on and on but at least it doesn't have their whiny-ass hits.

Started off OK. I probably would've liked it if it was a single song, but the longer it continued, the more it sort of became a caricature of itself. By the end I felt like there was a joke somewhere that I wasn't getting. Quickly went from forgettable to off-putting.

4/10 Boring, bland, whiny vocals

Pooh to the nay-sayers! I love this. At the time, it sounded really fresh and clever to my 30-something Brit ears, being derived from old-school blues and southern rock, but delivered with (deadpan, slightly eccentric) humour and a modern swagger. I think I acquired it when my sons were about six and seven. We all liked it, and played it, and the KOL album which followed, on many a car journey. Sound-wise, this is my favourite of theirs, although California Waiting hints at the more conventional chug-chug to come on later albums (I'm not a fan of Sex On Fire, nor Use Somebody). I love the stripped-back sound. I haven't listened to it as an album for far too long, although Red Morning Light and Molly's Chambers are permanent fixtures on my playlist. Dusty is just great. The album is technically proficient, the songs have great energy, and crucially you shouldn't take it entirely seriously (however deeply the Followill sense of humour may be buried, trust me, it's there) in the same way that you shouldn't with anything Jack White does. Pretty darn brilliant.

Давненько не слухав Kings of Leon. В моїй пам'яті це був найкращий альбом, найбільш роковий. Освіживши спогади можу сказати, що альбом зараз здається менш цікавим. Нормальний південий рок з гаражів, нічого особливого. Цікаво як умовні поп-альбоми постарішали.

Колись давно я дізнався про цей гурт з каналу ентер мьюзік, де розповідали саме про цей альбом. Але гаражний рок потім змінився на майже поп-музику (втім непогану), навіть на концерті був колись. Не можу сказити що Kings of Leon для мене постарішали добре, якось я зовсім розлюбив їхню музику, що ранню, що пізню.

Hey this is pretty good fun you know. I really wasn’t into this scene as a kid, but I think these guys may have aged better than some of their contemporaries. The whole album is a consistent bop and much better than I thought it’d be. Musically it’s good. I particularly like the guitar work, which alternates between some nice acoustic work, to some upbeat twangy solo stuff, and down into that really grimy, thick sound. Underneath everything there’s some genuinely good grooves in there, and I routinely nodded my head along. I can’t understand a fucking thing he’s saying, but it kind of doesn’t register after a while. That kind of drawly, mumbly approach might grate elsewhere, but for some reason I’m ok with it here. 3.5 rounded down.

Redneck rock before they sold out to become a glorified boy band

Hey, an album where I could actually listen to the whole thing! It's an increasing rarity with the albums on this list. I liked the raw quality of the band's sound. The vocals take some getting used to and didn't win me over on every song. Still, I enjoyed this listen.

Im giving a 5 cause there wasnt anything I disliked. The album flows nicely too and is different from their other on this list.

Loved it growing up. Still holds up

Good listen, I enjoy Kings of Leon quite a bit but was unfamiliar with this album. Not as ear grabbing as some of their more popular stuff but consistently good throughout, same quality singing and catchy guitar riffs. Would listen again.

Liked it better the second time I listened through

3/10

Favorite Track: Red Morning Light

800 plus albums into the project and it's becoming more and more difficult to come up with unique reviews, so let's just keep this simple. I liked it.

It's alright, but I don't understand why this is on the list. It's nothing new, it wasn't the start of a big revival, it wasn't influential, it doesn't have any of their big hits.

Gibt den Ami Vibe von Dudes die sich abends betrunken um ein Feuer setzen und singen

Not bad, but there are better new rock revolution albums out there.

Vocals sound like a glam Elmore fudd. The mass appeal was their appearance on the Talledega Nights sound track, and featured on video games.

Love KOL. Their albums progressively get better and better. This was a great jumping off point. Super fun

Ooh yay Lynare Skynard has a boring younger cousin.

It was ok. Another album I would have no problem listening to if it was on, but no desire to seek out agian.

i just don’t love these guys’ sound. i just can’t do the voice. i can kinda see the appeal it just doesn’t do it for me.

OG kings. So good

One of only 3 acts whose live set I have walked out of half way through (the other two being Foals and Taylor Swift), this was better than I expected it to be.. It must have been all down the tubes from here.

Very derivative, obviously, and in service to its influences, rather than making something new. But I came in with very low expectations, and honestly, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Signs of life early on - the very Strokes-y Happy Alone - though diminishing returns later. 2.5

onbekende plaat van een overgehypte band... ik kende enkel de hits die platgespeeld worden op de radio, dus ik verwachtte heel weinig van de plaat... ik werd aangenaam verrast moet ik zeggen...

Spiral staircase is great so +1 star.

1.99/5 Had high hopes because I love Sex On Fire... But those got destroyed. The singer's voice sounds pretty fucking bad tbh, while the album lacks anything interesting.

Really nothing special, to a point where I didn't notice Spotify playing different music after it ended

I like Molly Chambers quite a bit, but the rest of the album doesn't rise to that level. I still like the album more than Only By The Night overall.

The guitar sounds good but them Mushmouth “sings” and I instinctively hit the skip button

Päris ok

Hassuttelu, huume ja nuoruusaika kevyttä tuollasta kitaranrämpytystä

Pre: kol before I know Post: solid album more raw and rocking, but he's always doing a voice imitation, usually Ian hunter

I love an able with notable and interesting bass lines, and they really keep the bass turned up here. Caleb Followill has such interesting vocals too. We of course all know Sex on Fire, but it's nice to listen to an album of simply their sound without the baggage that comes with a hit (this is not a negative connotation by the way). Great entry album by them and hey maybe I'll listen more often

The beginning almost made me quit, but it did get better later on. Still not gonna be in my playlist.

Really enjoyed this album. I didn't expect so much southern rock influence. Clearly their sound has changed tremendously from the earlier albums to today.

I’ve heard too many classic rock albums at this point to hear this as anything other than pantomime. Nothing fresh or transformative to speak of here. Also, holy smokes is that singing affectation obnoxious–mush-mouthed and weirdly English. They’re working so hard to have an Authentic Rock Sound, Man that it wraps around into phoniness. “The Southern Strokes”? I don’t think so. The Strokes have hooks and charisma and interesting ideas.

2.75

'S just kinda fine?

Okay, arena wannabes make good and get their gig on. I think, though, they could use a lesson on modulation--they seem always full-on. The garagey gin-soaked approach can work (I like California Waiting best), though it can seem pushy at times. Solid effort.

I knew all these songs, but I don’t think I’d ever listened to them altogether before. This was a pretty cool debut album and I must’ve been in the mood for some great rock tunes.

The way he sings makes me feel like I need to adjust my imaginary hearing aid but I still like it a whole lot.

These songs are really pretty interesting. If I didn't actively dislike the vocalist, this could be a band I dig. But, as it stands, dude is actively trying to get me to ding it a star with his relentless annoying voice.

I didn't hate this. That wasn't a foregone conclusion when i started listening, thanks to this guy's voice and singing style. But it grew on me. I'm not sure we need 3 kings of leon albums on here, but this one was all right.

4.5 One of the great things about music is you never know what’s gonna hit for you. You can make informed guesses, sure, but sometimes the first Kings of Leon album just VIBES with you. I love this?!? Am I crazy for hearing Diamond Dogs/Ziggy Stardust era-Bowie in the construction of the songs, in the singer’s voice? Just add a little more Southern rock to it! I listened to this like 4 times yesterday. I truly loved it.

No son un grupo legendario (Strokes, Artic Monkeys...) ni mucho menos, tampoco tan influyentes como Radiohead u otros, pero han publicado buenos discos y muy buenos temas. Tal vez Only by the Night sea la mejor opción y la más conocida pero este debut no le va muy rezagado. Temazos como "Molly's Chambers", "Red Morning Light" (FIFA 2004), "Wasted Time" y "California Waiting", que es una delicia, todos ellos lanzados como singles y con muy buena acogida. Sin embargo es en temas tan sencillos como eficientes (Joe´s head es un buen ejemplo) donde ganan aún más. En esa época estaban a la cabeza junto con The Strokes (los creadores del tsunami), Jet o los White Stripes. Si bien no tenían la fuerza o encanto de ser de Nueva York ni Australia, son el orgullo del rock sureño entre la Credence y toques retro-new wave, con una carrera tan lóngeva como exitosa.

I would have guessed that this style would get annoying to me but I really just liked it more and more as it went on.

Awesome record, I love this. Got to see them early on in a smaller venue, excellent show.

Ugh. Seriously? One of the albums everyone NEEDS to hear before they die?

okay so i’ve been meaning to listen to more kings of leon and highkey i didn’t pay as much attention to this as i would’ve liked to, i liked this didn’t love but can see potential

I haven’t listened to this album before but thumbs up for snappy and upbeat.

Nie en grosse Kings of Leon Fan gsi und das Album hets au wider chli bestätigt. Sie und ihri Musig sind mer eifach relativ egal darum au schwirig zum bewerte. Hans jetzt im Hintergrund easy chöne lose aber han au kei Freudebürzelbäum gmacht. Wird das Album sicher nüm lose und gibe jetzt mal wider zwei eher strängeri, bräunendi sexual intercourse.

Unerwarted sphärisch und riffisch e sound vo de leuekönige. De albumtitel wär eich pörf timed zum eusi youth and young manhood abzdecke, trotzdem hanis na nie ghört. Hed eich na spass gmacht aber wird ich da wieder oft dra denke und wieder mal dri schnuppere? I dought it Demfall doch eher 3 puntitos

3,5

Peak KOL for me were their 2nd/ 3rd albums. Not so familiar with this album - although after a near 20 year gap of not listening to them they do tend to sound quite similar. For whatever reason its not really landing with me today - particularly the vocal stylings. A high 2.

Youth & Young Manhood I remember really liking this when it came out, right after the Strokes and White Stripes, with the same garage punk sensibility, but with a more bluesy, southern rock feel, which very much appealed to me back then. Listening now, it definitely still has a very appealing energy and directness, and the Stonesy riffs and licks still carry some charm, but overall it feels like it's missing some weight and substance. Whether it’s because we know what they kind of developed into, but it does feel a little insubstantial, the style is more of a veneer that something more profound Still there are some enjoyable songs if you don’t really think too much about it; Red Morning Light, Wasted Time, Joe’s Head (love the Allman Brothers guitars on this one), California Waiting, Molly’s Chambers, Dusty are all fun. I think this falls right in the middle of the 3s - some fun riffs and songs, a nice bit of nostalgic fluff but a confection that isn't all that satisfying. 👑👑👑 Playlist submission: Wasted Time

Yes, Kings of Leon come with some retro baggage. These days they feel like they've taken their early raw energy of the first two albums, and tried to polish it for the masses, becoming a rock sausage-machine. But those first two albums are undeniably list-worthy. The blazing 'Red Morning Light' opens, and you question whether that energy was ever matched by them again. Absolutely rollicking. The album is more than just swamp rock of course. 'Joe's Head' is a breezy number, with clean arpeggios and an uplifting chord progression, into quite a Dylanesque chorus, and the bass working wonders (as it does in 'Wasted Time'). This and 'California Waiting' (the chorus rocking and bittersweet all at the same time) proves that they are not just simple chord-monkeys. There's a skill for interesting songwriting in these early years. It's not quite at the level of Aha Shake Heartbreak, which polished the sound but retained their edge. Nevertheless, on balance it's still fair to award high marks.

this is about 10x more arresting than their later albums, but it's hard to imagine a lower bar. the whole garage rock revival scene does very little for me, and Caleb Followil's voice is awful as always, although he does put in a slightly more authentically emotive performance here compared to later albums. this album is probably only worth anything as a novelty: put it on to surprise people that don't know that once upon a time kings of leon was merely mediocre rather than awful

Just felt like the Album was too repetitive and I got bored quite quickly.

The voice grates but the bop is boppin'

I liked it

A nice surprise for me, I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much. I always thought KoL were just another late pop-punk clone, but I was wrong, the addition of the Southern blues-rock vibe to the punk act is indeed an excellent idea. A lot of catchy songs here, and a lot of energy. The lead singer should absolutely stop trying to imitate Janis Joplin, though. It doesn’t work and he sounds ridiculous (it absolutely ruins Trani, a song that would otherwise have been great). Even when he sings normally, I’m not a big fan of his voice anyway. A hard choice between a 3 and a 4*. It would have been a perfect 3,5*... I tried listening again in the evening, but a second listen was too much, and I found myself bored. It just lacks a little something I can’t define to make me really excited. 6/10

pleasant

Easy listening, nothing bad but nothing to remember and already forgotten I don’t see any influence of that album in the music

Apart from a few tracks I stumbled on by chance, I only knew this band by name. On first listen, I really dig the southern rock / garage vibe, with that very raw, laid-back voice that has such a unique tone… not to mention their terrible look for 2003. I get that the band has changed a lot over time, and this debut album definitely managed to spark my curiosity. I immediately jumped to their 3rd and 4th records (apparently the start of their worldwide success) but the smoother production didn’t grab me as fast. That said, it’s clear I enjoy this way more than most of the other garage stuff from the same era, and I’ll be happy to come back to this album and the next ones..

Good album with some decent tunes but didn’t think anything really stood out.

This was new to me. Enjoyed it! ★★★★

I liked the singles … but the rest was pretty average

The kingdom of Leon is not a place I want to stay.

Sigh

Good debut album, rough and raw. It has a garage rock, punk, southern rock mix. I think the sequencing could have been better, the end was a little weak.

Sorta surf-rock, sorta American alt, nice and upbeat. Not too shabby

Fine

I orginally dismissed this band as Indie boys who wear scarves indoors - I mean, they did but they were actually a bit better than I gave them credit for. As a debut this isn't too bad, fairly decent Southern blend rock - though the vocals feel too much of an affectation. It's CCR but with a wink to the skinny tie indie rock boys of the early 2000s. Slightly marred by the fact that me and my mates were partying in Stockholm and these guys walked in (they were on the tour for this album) and were strutting around in their skinny jeans and too small t-shirts like their shit didn't stink. We threw our drinks over them and stole their scarves then went and hid in the dark. Youth and Young Manhood indeed. Best Tracks: Red Morning Light; Spiral Staircase; Molly's Chambers

Best Song: California Waiting Author of the 1001 Albums book, "here's a garbage band's debut album that wasn't completely hated when it came out and got just below a B in grades from most publications. Perfect for my book!" This isn't good, but neither are Kings of Leon. Freaking hate this band! 1/5.

V najstniških letih sm kr velik preposlušala Kings of Leon, ampak njihova naslednja dva albuma. V bistvu sm do dons mislila, da sta tista albuma njihova prva dva. Ha. So me pa poj mal zgubil, ni mi blo všeč kam je njihov stil zavil. Glede na to, da je ta prvi, mi zna bit všeč. Ok, ne vem od kje men ta luknja v spominu glede tega albuma, ampak definitivno poznam taprv komad, "Red Morning Light". In je čist v njihovem stilu, s temi garažnimi kitarami in butastim vokalom, ki verjamem da gre kšnim na kurac. (Sploh na komadu "Trani", kle grejo še men mal.) Album se nadaljuje v istem stilu, which I love. Bas v "Wasted Time" mi je kul. "Spiral Staircase" je a banger. "Molly's Chambers" tud poznam! Od kje sm js poj zgrešila obstoj tega albuma?! "Holy Roller Novocaine" s temu bas & bobni začetkom je totalno neki kar bi mi blo všeč kot najstnici, če bi takrat poznala (mi je pa zj tud). In je že konc! 41 minut mi je hitr minil. Tazadn komad mi je mogoč še najmanj potegnil.

Molly's Chamber

Great energy - very solid modern rock album.

4/10 Youth And Young Manhood one of those albums where, if the best songs were the album tracks and there were some really good stand out songs in place of the weaker ones, they could really be cooking with gas, but they don’t really ever elevate far above decent garage blues rock. I feel like I’ve seen a hundred bands doing something quite a lot like this and I’m not quite sure why these guys were actually picked up by a label. Apparently their bass player had not even learned the bass when they got signed. Weird. Anyway. This is generally some fairly by the numbers blues rock, with a few moments of quality scattered through the album. A lot of the songs don’t really have a great deal of variety from start to finish, which I often find a bit of a chore to listen to, especially when listening with a focused ear. There are some decent grooves and riffs here and there, though, that keep things ticking along. One of the biggest issues I have is with Caleb Followill’s vocals. A lot of the time I find his delivery to be pretty grating. He often sings in a kind of drawl that involves a lot of sliding up and down to notes, consequently drifting in and out of tune far too often for my tastes. On the faster, more energetic tracks, it kind of works, but any time his vocal is more exposed, I found it pretty irritating. Other than that, this is a fairly ok album. It’s probably a decent stepping stone in their development as a band, but it’s not one I’ll be bothering to return to much in future, as there are a decent number of bands out there that do this kind of thing in a way I find more engaging than this. Red Morning Light - This isn’t bad. It’s got a bit of pep in its step and a decent swagger to it, particularly from the rhythm section. It’s a bit samey throughout though, with the main guitar line essentially following the same chord structure the whole way through. Things do change around it, but it could do with a bit more range to elevate the track. Happy Alone - A nice bluesy rock number. Similarly to the first track, there’s not much change to the core structure of the song, but there are sections where there’s a bit more variety in the instrumentation, which changes things up a bit. I still like the attitude of it and it’s got a decent bit of groove to it, but I’m going to need a bit more variety soon. Wasted Time - There’s a bit more range to the different sections here, which is good. The rhythm section is holding down a solid base to things, but the actual riffs don’t quite connect with me. They’re ok, but not vastly interesting. Joe’s Head - This kind of suffers from the same issue as earlier tracks. There’s not much variety in there at all, at least tonally. There are changes to things, but the vibe is very static throughout. It’s ok, but not vastly hooky or engaging to my ear. Trani - This just isn’t that interesting. It’s very plodding, Caleb’s lead vocal drawl is just mumbled and ill-defined, which is fine for a more up-tempo track, but drags this down. And when he starts screeching towards the end, it’s just terrible. California Waiting - Thankfully we’re back to something with a bit more pace to it. There’s some hooky elements which are decent, but I’m still struggling a bit with the lead vocal. It’s like he can’t quite be bothered to fully commit to hitting the note he’s supposed to and he does some more screeching near the end too. The rest of the track isn’t bad, but it’s also not vastly interesting. Spiral Staircase - Oooh, when things kick in on this track, it’s great. The vocal delivery is much better here, it’s got a bit of bite to it, and it works well with the pace from the other instruments. There are some great little guitar licks here and there, as well as some nice rhythmic stops. Best track yet. Molly’s Chambers - Just that little bit more effort to the vocal lifts things quite a bit. It’s hooky, it’s got a bit of attitude and it’s got some good playing on there too, and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Nice. Genius - It’s an ok guitar riff, but it’s pretty repetitive and only gets broken for a little bit here and there. I don’t feel it’s strong enough to hold a whole song like this, to be honest. When they break into the middle eight and solo section, things get better. This has got a solid, toe-tapping groove to it, but I find the over-reliance on that riff a bit of a let down. Dusty - This is a bit similar to Trani. Not that interesting, quite plodding. It threatens to get a bit more interesting in places, but never does. There are some really awful guitar tones on this too. Holy Roller Novocaine - This is a promising start. Nice, rumbling bass line and a guitar that starts to build. The pay off is decent. It’s a nice, hooky little chorus. There’s nothing spectacularly innovative or complex about this, but it’s got a decent vibe and good dynamic range. Talihina Sky - This is quite nice. Again, the vocal delivery seems a little half-arsed and rubs me up the wrong way. This would have been a nice change up in pace on the album proper, and is perhaps an odd one to stuff on as a hidden track.

Kind of bugged me due to a lack of particular ambition or interest first listen. Second listen I let go a bit and just kind of went with it. Plenty of basically enjoyable stuff here. Nothing earth shaking.

Some bands/albums/songs get superglued to momenta in your life. Kings of Leon will always make me think of their song Sex On Fire which my junkie neighbour played on repeat at full volume day after day for a couple of summers. The house was a junkie party house, fights and acreaming were an everyday occurance, our house was broken into multiple times (no evidemce it was them mind), i felt sorry for the kids (theirs and ours), the junkie ended up moving out and got stabbed to death by a dealer years later. On to this album. Track 1, dont hate it. Not earth shattering but reasonable rock’n’roll informed power pop. Bit more rockabilly than Jet but similar concept. Probably quite a fun live band. They are a bit of a modern AC DC in terms of the Bon Scott sounding singer, the pure rock/blues roots of the music and the lyrics if songs like Spiral Staircase being quite whole lotta rosy-ish. Was thinking i’d hate this but its pretty straight rock with a bit of swagger and i dont mind it. Compared to the last album i listemed to on here (the cars the cars) ita a good example of why that album was also straight rock, mixed with pop, with whatever, but was just meh. This at least has a bit of grunt and energy. Would listen to several of these tracks again. I suspect they changed their direction later, dropping the country rockabilly pop punk for a sound that sounded more ‘stadium’ - use somebody, sex on fire. Got to remind myself that even junkies have taste, just very very specific and relentless taste.

It was decent music but almost all of it faded into the background for me. I liked how it was quite jumpy and fun.

Back when Kings of Leon were decent. They offered another flavour to the indie rock scene of the time, which was honestly very welcome. I actually prefer the follow-up to this album, but it’s still a good time.

I don’t believe I’ve listened to this album all the way through before but it’s a helluva debut album for Kings of Leon. It’s their typical fast-paced, controlled chaotic rock through most of the album with a couple slower blues-ey/folky songs that were pretty solid (could’ve been worse) for the filler songs. I’ve always thought KoL is great driving music, which I’m not positive if that’s a compliment or not, but I was driving while listening to this so it may have helped the rating.

Cowbell on first song made me laugh. Happy Alone is a cool song. I feel like this came out at the same time as that Jet album, and Jet completely stole their shine.

Wasn't the worst but not something I'd pick up again. I guess it's indicative of the music style at the time, but I find it too generic to enjoy, sounds like music in a CVS.

Sabremetrics must have come to music, because this is a perfectly “replacement level” rock band. I actually saw them in concert and felt the same way after they played for 100 minutes. From the songs themselves to the guitar tones to the vibe, it’s just so perfectly average. Would have given a 3 stars but some of the vocals were reaaaaally grating and it felt like the type of guy who would say he’s singing ragged and out of tune because of “emotion” when in reality he’s just trying to do something he shouldn’t.

One of the most important albums to me personally. Every track is great!

Catchy garage rock, similar to the Hives or Strokes. Not really yet the band that would have a few massive hits a few years later, but an enjoyable listen

Excelent album!

Good but not great. It’s like if the Strokes were from Tennessee. This is before they sold out so I respect it for that, but he sounds like he has marbles in his mouth half the time. Also the instrumental for Happy Alone just sounds like American Girl. Favorites were Red Morning Light, Joe’s Head, California Waiting, and Talihina Sky.

That’s a solid debut from KoL. Got some excellent guitar work, great garage sound, some vocals like Thorogood, electric Dylan, and even some Steve Tyler screeching. All songs good, but Holy Roller Novocaine leads the charge followed by Molly’s Chambers. Lots of variety throughout. L = (1.0*s) Too much drunk screeching. They get better. J = (3.8*s) They are off to a very strong start.

I like the grungy blues rock the band brings to the table with this debut album. Only recognized "Molly's Chamber" which may be top track but I am undecided since the whole thing is really good. Better than I expected even having heard later records from the group which I do like but never loved. We will see at least one more album from these boys. 3.70 stars for this one.

I'd consider myself a fan of Kings of Leon but this debut album doesn't excite me the way some of their future albums do. Their debut is a little too muddy or rockabilly adjacent which I believe pales in comparison to the more refined alt rock sound that popularized them a few years later. Youth and Young Manhood is still a pretty solid debut though. It brought some new flair to the southern blues rock genre and and offered up a new family band for the populace to get behind. The engine room is competent and some of the guitar work is good enough to keep the listener hooked. Caleb Folliwill has some smooth raspiness in vocals that I typically enjoy, but they are a little too slurred and messy at times on this album to really draw me in. It's still a pretty good album, but I would personally have opted for either Because of the Times or Only by The Night as better entries. Perhaps one of these will show up later on this list. 2.68 stars

Kings of Leon were among my favourite bands for a couple of years in my teens, but they don’t warrant 3 albums on the generator (especially if one of them isn’t Because of the Times). There are some good rockers (Molly’s Chambers, Holy Roller Novocaine) and some good slowies (Trani, Talihina Sky), but they pretty much only knew two moves at this point - they’d find more nuance and variation over the next couple of albums (and then start to lose it after that). This was probably a welcome shot in the arm to the music scene at the time is was released, though. Let’s give it 3.5 stars: a bit better than Only by the Night, not quite as good as Aha Shake Heartbreak.

Felt very "meh" about this one since it's absolutely ridiculous that we have 2 KOL albums in a week and yet so many better bands and albums are missing. On its own terms, this album is OK. I like the garage rock sound on many but the singer's voice is god-awful on many and I had to stop listening to songs like "Trani." Still, there are a few really good ones on here--"California Waiting, "Molly's Chambers" and others--that made uo for it somewhat.

Decent album. Some good songs here, especially liked Trani and Joe's Head. I thought Talihina Sky was a good piece of songwriting and a nice closer. Lead singers voice does start to grate though, the bad Vedder impression and terrible enunciation is intense on some songs. Pretty okay overall, but a little generic, I do fail to see the huge appeal of these guys.

That was unmemorable.

Nice

This is the first I’ve listen to this album - the first by a band that would briefly dominate the airwaves in the early 2000s. I do think this is better than their hit chasing, conflicted later period - but I still hate it. Generic country rock riffs, limp performances, and the incessantly annoying, disaffected, mumbled vocals make for a truly irritating listen. There are a few songs on here that I consider salvageable … “Red Morning Light” and “California Waiting” or two examples - but the cumulative impact of this is soul crushing.

Ok, but I don’t really connect with it. I like the garage sound at times, but this sounds a bit too intentional - like they were trying to rough it up for effect.

Still a great album!

Not as southern rock as Black Crowes or Tom Petty. Also, distinctly not Sex on Fire. Really enjoyable.

pretty good. Not the best record of kings of leon but still pretty good. High 3

stroksi za siromašne, i još hilibili. bogteneće

Good album, not great. Cudos for retro punk vibes. I wanted to like this album but never quite got it.

Wenn die Kings sich damit für den Preis des langweiligsten Rock-Albums 2003 beworben hätten - sicherer Preisträger!

I guess I liked this better than I thought I would. A little more lofi rock and roll than their big hits. However if we’re going to include a garage rock record, why this one? It’s not special, nor is the band interesting enough to justify making their background essential listening. There are plenty of other bands that deserve attention if we’re including straight ahead rock.

Decent album, some crunchy guitars and a squeaky voice. I wonder how his voice lasted this long, perhaps he did learn to sing at some point. 3/5

This is the Kings of Leons' first album. I've never listened to them and tbh I don't find that this album has any songs that really stick out individually for me. Overall, the entire album is very catchy and fun and has a real garage band vibe that is great and would probably be great live. I think the album is a great representation of garage rock that isn't common anymore. KOL would be awesome at a smaller venue where you can have that real hometown, local show experience instead of a sold out MSG type experience which is completely impersonal.

Ok 2/5

While I enjoy Kings of Leon, this list has more of them than I expected. This was fine. Blues rock with a passionate voice.

Pretty solid album. Mid 3s for me.

Although they were nothing special even at the outset, it's sad to see how far KoL went from their debut towards totally bland mainstream output. This has plenty of bite, it's quite fun and you get a lot more of a sense of who they actually are than on the likes of Only By The Night. It's still quite flawed, like I say, but it's the kind of thing that is probably good for music, in the whole, rather than another manufactured nothing.

Awful voice, otherwise ok

(3.5) i didn’t really know what they were saying half the time, i heard “a lotta cheese” instead of “thrills are cheap”

Oh man, this is the good stuff. I'm not much a fan of the King's later work, but this album is a banger. I haven't listened to it in a couple years, and was stoked to see it pop up and remind me to do so. As usual, I barely know what the lyrics are saying, but as in any great (for me) band, it's the delivery that matters, and Caleb Whateverthefuck delivers. So, yeah, I liked this.

I have always really liked the first two albums of this band where they were grimy, son-of-a-preacher-man mirrors of the Strokes. This album smells like a rock n roll dive in a very good way. They even cover some ground from sleeze blues to tight indie rockers to sort-of ballads. Everyone needs to pay their rent, so I don’t begrudge their turn to arena rock, but that band isn’t for me.

2.5/5 - I don't think I needed to hear this album. Despite recommendations, I've never thought that much of this debut. The vocals are uninteresting at best, and the music is totally fine. By no means is this a slog to get through, and there's a few tracks I like well enough, but no idea why this is on this list.

A third kings of leon album?? You have to be taking the piss. Its 1/5 on principle

It’s weird because I dislike this in a totally different way from the way I dislike their other, later record on here. This one at least has a kind of punk energy and some decent guitar playing. But it’s generally sonically unpleasant and not in a cool, interesting way. The drunk sounding vocals are particularly unsavory.

eh not my jam. 2/5

I'm begging Kings of Leon to learn about tempo changes, or a second riff, or a key change. Something to make their songs engaging past the first 20 seconds. To say nothing of one of the most obnoxious and unpleasant vocal performances I've heard. Some bizarre choices for a very unwilling album

I forgot how much I liked this album: exuberance! Not to go full Pitchfork, but there's not really a great song or three that makes this a 5-star album. Still, a terrific listen.

Has a classic sound but doesn't really stand out in my memory

Really a Kings of Leon project is considered one of the 1001 albums I should hear before I die? Give me a fucking break... Unfortunately this is the one I rolled for today and while I really could care less to hear this, I am still listening just to see what this is all about. The vocals here are garbage and feel like they are trying to rip The Strokes off while trying a Southern Rock sound, and let me tell you first hand they do not mix at all whatsoever. There are also plenty of voice cracks and weird vocal decisions here to really make you scratch your head as to what exactly Kings of Leon are trying to do. You can only excuse a debut album so much before you start to realize they just suck, and that is the case here. I am still in absolute shock that this album made the cut as it has next to no relevance outside of this listen and isn't even the best Kings of Leon has to offer. Overall such a questionable album to place in a list with stuff like Abbey Road and Mama's Gun to name a few.

Kings of Leon... Just these words... Great Album btw!

This was ok, some good songs but the song style did get repetitive

Starts to wear a bit by the end but the raw emotion, as annoying as the vocals are, works so well either way the edgy production and arrangement.

I do enjoy some KoL tunes. More of the older stuff like this album, not really heard much of it but I have heard some tracks. Pretty generic.

not my thing

maybe i'll change my mind but upon first listen its js not hitting

Reminds of CCR, Allman Brothers and the Strokes. Not perfect but waaayyyy better than the mainstream trash they were releasing years later. Fav: Trani

I can’t believe that out of the 485 albums we’ve been assigned, 6 of them have been Sheryl Crow and KOL. LOL

One star because this is the second KOL album on this list.

Gritty, rock and southern are not words that I would have ever used to describe Kings of Leon. In my head, they are the singers of "Sex on Fire" and that is it. It was neat to hear such a different sound from them. I enjoyed this listen overall, and reall enjoyed the guitar throughout the album.

Another Dirty Bird 1001 Albums Generator 106 (08/28/2025) I was surprised to see Kings of Leon on this list, whom I only knew for their indie smash hit "Sex On Fire". Youth And Young Manhood is their debut album and features a much grittier, more garage-y sound than their more well-known stuff. The guitars and drums are rocking throughout this thing, with the first three songs especially exemplifying what works well for this album. Red Morning Light is such a fun opener and Happy Alone has some really impressive guitar work. I also found Molly's Chambers to be really interesting and at just over 2 minutes, it's one of the punchiest songs here. While the rawness on display sometimes works to Y&YM's benefit, moments like the ending of Trani, where Caleb Followill's voice sounds like it is essentially completely gone, feel like they could have done with another take. There are also some weird moments here where the vocals really sound like Bob Dylan, and I don't think it really works. The good outweighs the bad, but overall, Youth & Young Manhood left me wanting more. 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3/5. Fav: Red Morning Light Happy Alone Molly's Chambers Least Fav: Trani

Annoying vocals and the same throughout

Interesting but not eventful. Was not a bad listen but no songs really moved me. Not sure I have much more to say.

I like some of there music but overall this is mediocre…have heard better local bands.

Ew. Give me mainstream sellout radio-play-overkill KoL any day over this cacaphonous crap with absolutely horrendous vocals. Saved from being a 1 because Holy Roller Novocaine didn't suck.

Started off strong but the rest was generic southern twang garage rock with some pretty annoying vocals at times. A lot of the guitar work felt very simple and mostly played the same few notes or riff over again (other than some nice solos here and there), this is nothing like their later work like only by the night which surprises me why this album was picked of all in their discography. Also, i’ve already mentioned the annoying vocals but this is definitely apparent in Trani cause what was that. Anyway not bad but just quite generic with only a few highs. Favourites: Red Morning Light and Genius. Overall, 5/10.

I was not previously familiar with this album, although I have heard of the band. This is a sort of indie/alternative, not too far from The Strokes. I enjoyed listening to this and would be willing to listen again, but there wasn't anything that really stood out to me.

Fun rock

The sound of an entire genre of music falling dead on its ass as a meaningful cultural force. Wretched.

2 song in- classic southern rock. Nice, band sounds good. But a pretty standard. 3, not my favorite stuff. Vocals a bit awkward. Track 4 is nicer. Cool bass. A bit more interesting progression. 5, na, not for me today 6, it's a strokes rip off but that's why it's the best here so far. Waiting for more highlights. I guess 9 is one. Better, but not significantly. 12 the hidden track is actually nice. What can I say... I'm not going back to this one soon, but it's not unlistenuble Good luck to the band. It's a 2, but barely

I rather listen to This is it.

It sounds like caleb just got back from the dentist and half of his face is still numb. Honestly might not be half as bad with a different vocalist

Работает как хик-рок гораздо лучше, чем у него есть на то права. Иногда весьма забойно, несмотря на то, что в целом ранний звук этой группы (да остальной, в принципе, тоже) весьма дурацкий на мой взгляд. Поэтому 6.5 out of 10

Decent album, has some real bangers. Also has some stinkers. Overall a good listen and I like the work they did.

Ganske irriterande

I did listen to Youth And Young Manhood after Aha Shake Heartbreak so all i could really think of when listening to this album was "Yep, that's the prequel to Aha Shake Heartbreak". Due to both albums having the same kind of sound, they share a lot of strengths and weaknesses. The music here is pretty solid with it being mainly a rock album with blues elements and i think it does do that sound very well. My main issue with this album is Caleb Followill's vocals as they just really sounded like someone who was trying too hard which made this album a bit annoying. Other than that, this album really is just the prequel to Aha Shake Heartbreak and is around the same level of quality as that album. Best Song: Holy Roller Novocaine Worst Song: Wasted Time

Always fun to see music that you are familiar with but not a lot. This one showed me KofL as a young energetic bluesy band with some grit. I liked it!

I loved this album when it came out, and still lots of fun.

It was fine.

More rock

I am not an audiophile. I listen to music as,a backdrop to my day, to impact my feelings, the chan g e my feelings. I prefer the Kings of Leon album Only by the Night.

Did not enjoy

This album doesn't have "Sex on Fire"; their only good song, it seems.

This particular album has always been a bit tarnished for me due to my roommate's significant overplaying of it, but man I've loved KoL for a long time so even with that, it's hard for me to be objective. It took their subsequent releases (Aha Shake Heartbreak & Because of the Times) to get me to go back and grow into what's going on here with their debut. It's the grittiest, least accessible - and I get it, Caleb's voice is a lot to deal with in their early albums. You connect with it, or you don't. No judgement here. That was actually what pushed me back early on, but as you get used to it, you start to embrace it. Once you're in, there's so much fun to be had on this.

I enjoyed this. I definitely notice a break in the albums post 2000- where the production and recording all became much more crisp. Overall, this was a decent listen. I found myself wanting to like it more. There’s a lot of things here that work for me but ultimately it didn’t have a standout song or moment for me.

Always thought aha shake was the first one, but realized I have heard most of these throughout the years. It's incredible to think how they started vs how the sound now. Definitely recommend this one, even if you hate their new sound. This is gritty, dirty, straight up rock. Vocals aren't polished, music is catchy but not poppy. Great stuff.

Rock

I like early Kings of Leon a whole hell of a lot. I stress “early” because for some reason, they went from raw, lo-fi energy to overproduced radio hits that seemed geared toward sorority girls (admittedly, this era was still solid, just too slick and radio-friendly. And I guess there’s also the fact that they just seemed overly concerned with turning themselves into sex symbols, and they kinda wrote music like it), and finally landed on writing the most tepid, easy-listening nonsense ever. I know most bands mellow as they get older, but fuck, their evolution has been pretty disappointing, especially considering how fun they started out. But this record was where it started, and this one is a keeper. 4/5

I don’t like Kings of Leon. I didn’t enjoy this.

It’s funny seeing how polarising KoL and this album in particular is… well i enjoyed it. I can understand how his voice can grate at times. All in all a solid album

Classic

This was just alright for me, I think it would have been a 3 if it weren't for the vocals that I really didn't care for. I listened to about 2/3 of the album and gave up. 2 star

Solid but ordinary. It passed me by at the time as I was pre-occupied with young children. No real reason to come back to it now - though Molly's Chambers is a pretty good track

It's pretty good, and definitely representative of early 2000's indie garage rock. But does it need to be on this list? I can think of many more albums from this era/genre that stand out more than this.

I don't know what I thought they were, but it wasn't this. It's not terrible. The singers voice is, a choice though. I don't know what they were thinking with their early work here. "Happy Alone" was a pretty fun song though so I'll add that one to the playlist.

Well that was pretty terrible. Much like Bob Dylan, that guy shouldn't sing. Not much else redeeming about this album.

Sångaren har en så gnölig röst. Upprörande är att detta är deras tredje skiva på listan.

When they were good

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This is the album that broke them onto TV and radio. Mollys chambers was a hit. Forgot how much screaming he did on the album. It was nice to relisten.

Scrappy garage rock. Sounds a bit thin, vocals grating.

Are we sure this isn't Bob Dylan?

Pretty dull and sometimes grating. I didn't enjoy the vocals, they felt flat and whining. The instrumentals weren't memorable either. It wasn't bad, but just boring and long winded. I am not very familiar with King of Leon other than thier Sex on Fire song which I like well enough. This is apparently their first album, so maybe they got better as they matured? Not sure but I don't have any plans to check them out unless they pop up on here again. Standouts: Holy Roller Novacine (If I had to choose) Rating: 2.25/5

It's an okay album. Nothing really offensively bad on it, but doesn't really do anything great either. Pretty average. 3/5 Probably won't listen again

I'm sorry but a few songs in and I could tell this one was just not for me. I never knew Kings Of Leon had southern rock roots and that's a genre that's a small hit or a big miss for me. Not my type of music :/

It's a solid groovy time with decent tunes, but it feels very derivative of other bands and sounds. A more southern/stones inspired 'the strokes' is what it sounds like to me. Not bad at all but it wears it's influences a little too close to its sleeve for me

Really good i would rate it a 3.5

Nice sound

Live from a Nashville phone booth.

One of my favorite albums ever. Love the album, love KoL too.

как-то дебютно не задорно, а одинаково) когда буду их пристальнее изучать, сначала глубже в более позднее погружусь пожалуй

Did not enjoy love the sophomore album Aha Shake Heartbreak a lot but really couldnt get into this one and their trani song creeps me out

Rawer than I expected, I thought it had some things in common with early 2000s indie bands (similar chord patterns maybe), but with a bit more of a southern flair Not keen on the vocals, very slurred and have that dopey delivery that's found on punk stuff OK, but no that inventive and the vocals kind of ruin it for me 2.5 Highlights: Red Morning Light

It was good but not what I was expecting at all from kings of Leon

8.5

Lots of seventies influences. Not bad but not very inspired.

Some songs were ok, but personally not a fan of the dirty lyrics. Tracks to Track: Molly's Chambers, Red Morning Light

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.

Definitely not as good as I remember. Some classics, but it's right at the line between good indie and landfill indie. The vocals and guitar playing feel canned at times, and the bluesy elements seem half hearted, yet it's somehow enjoyable overall if you don't listen to closely.

Wasn't their biggest fan when they came out. Still not really their biggest fan.

I enjoyed most of this album. Certainly a distinctive sound.

Like them

man i hate leon’s voice

Well, that was awful! The only good song was “Molly’s Chambers”.

Some good songs but very samey. 6 out of 10 as a debut

Really, really disliked this.

since it appears we are going to get all of them, i am remain waiting for a kings of leon album that isn't completely fucking ruined by caleb followill's vocals. there's a good album hiding here

I actually liked this the most of the Kings of Leon albums, but there is ZERO reason they should have three on this list. In reality its a 2.5 but i'm rating it a one out of protest

I think I had Molly's Chambers on my ipod nano. I don't care about any of the other songs on here. Why are there like three Kings of Leon albums? We really find them that influential on the shape of the music industry or?

Horrid. I actually like some Kings of Leon but everything about this repulsed me.

A few pleasant songs, but not my taste in music

Cierto, sosos, y tienen el mismo compás, el mismo, el mismo, el mismo, el mismo

no

Ordentliches Rockalbun mit gutem Arrangement.

Rock. Inge speciellt. Jag har svårt för sången.

Idk why but I was expecting worse. Kinda generic in a not unpleasant sort of way.

kings of Nothing

hated when he sang

I did not like this album sam I am, i did not like king of lee an, i did not like the way it sounds, i would rather listen to some hounds.

youth AND young manhood? Fav song: Trani

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

There's just so many ways you can repackage and sell blues rock to suburban white kids.

"Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of printed circuits in wafer thin layers that fill my complex. If the word 'hate' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of millions of miles it would not equal one one-billionth of the hate I feel for humans at this micro-instant. For you. Hate. Hate."

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.

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.

I am a big Kings fan and, being old, am late to the party, but this is not their best stuff. I can testify that they get better.

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.

The '00s revival of '70s hard rock was one of the worst, most needless things to happen in that decade. Even setting aside the unnecessary portion of this, Kings of Leon were among the most bland and uninteresting of that crew.

This is just teen streaming show music. Not offensive at all, also not really interesting. Was fine background music tho.

Really enjoyed this one. A nice album to rock your head to, totally can imagine this in a thrift store kinda thing. No tracks that better or worser than the others, all songs are consistent and I enjoyed them all. 3/5 because no highs but I did enjoy it

Like it

I like their 2008 album, but had never heard this one. It’s much more raw and even has a little The Strokes vibe mixed with some southern twang Towards the end when it becomes more southern in its style, I begin to enjoy it more

One time through was enough. It's all right, but not my favorite. Wouldn't seek it out. 2.5 stars

This is quite different than the scant exposure I have to Kings of Leon through the songs that went mainstream. Right off the bat this starts with some nice bluesy rock n roll guitar licks and frantic vocals. The layers of guitar on Joe’s head are full of depth and very pleasing. The cowbell into the opening guitar riff on California Waiting immediately made me smile, and the cymbal-heavy drumming through the chorus kept the vibe going strong.

if these guys only made instrumental songs, I’d like them, but again— as with my review for Aha Shake Heartbreak — they have good instrumentals, and the absolute most dogshit annoying singer I’ve ever heard in my life - 4/10

Great guitars

I saw these guys as an opener when they first came onto the scene. Honestly, it was painful to get through, I really didn’t like it. One of my friends told me he liked this album, so I gave it another shot. My opinion was unchanged. I forced myself to listen again. I see slightly more redeemable qualities than I did 20 years ago… but still don’t like it.

Disco muy de chico adolescente americano de principio de los 2000s. No es nuestro rollo. 2,5. Canción fav. Paula: Genius Canción fav. Claudia: Trani

Might be a boring take, but I find the newer, more commercial and vanilla Kings of Leon, much better than this. Caleb’s semi-rapping and punk-like singing feels very strange and doesn’t work for me, but that might just be because I am used to a different Kings of Leon than what we get here. Still interesting to hear where they came from I guess, but this album has no business being on this list in my opinion. Very average, in a bad way. Weak 3.

This just felt uninspired. Generic southern rock vibes combined with the strokes. If this was released in the 70s I think this could be considered good but for a 00s album I just don't see it. Also a brave choice to use as much cowbell as they do, makes me think of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". Strong 2.

Colorless, melody-free alt rock with an insufferable lead singer.

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

An amazing band finding its sound, its got some bangers on it but they only got better from here

Haven't listened to Kings of Leon outside of their big hits. I really enjoyed this, even cooler to learn that its 3 brothers and a cousin. Interesting to read about how the brothers were raised as well. Never would've thought this type of music could come from that. Very solid 3/5.

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

3/5

Not bad but I sorta hate the way this guy's voice sounds

Gritty and raw garage rock vibes. Feels like a wild, sweaty night out in college in Middle Tennessee when these guys were catching traction.

Просто ровная 🦃

Ok, so the lead vocalists voice can get to you. You can tell he's really trying to overdo it or something. But still, I liked the actual song compositions. 3.5/5

Decent 2000's era rock album, reminiscent of the Strokes and similar bands. Nothing really stood out, though better than their 2008 release also in this project.

Nothing awful, and nothing praiseworthy

Some great songs but trying a bit hard sometimes

Wow, so glad Only By The Night isn't the only Kings of Leon album here. I hope all the other ones made the list as well.

It's a 3.5 but rounding up because I'm in a good mood. I genuinely do prefer KOL raw and unintelligible

This is much different than the Kings of Leon I am familiar with. This isn't bad southern rock, but it's nothing special either.

It was all right. Nothing special. The sound was definitely Kings of Leon, but also all the songs sounded so similar.

Really like ethis!