Reviews (page 5 of 7)
It all feels a bit clichéd and samey to me and I'm not that keen on the singer's vocals but it's ok.
Better than i was expecting but worthy of the list!!!!
I was never their greatest fan but this was an ok start, shame it went downhill from here
Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex #TIL Kings of Leon are a family band (3 brothers and a cousin). My knowledge of Kings of Leon is limited to a dislike of the overplayed "Sex On Fire" and nauseating "Use Somebody". So I surprised myself that I quite enjoyed this debut album.
A bit uneven but some pleasant surprises. Real 2003 energy
Thought I’d like this more.
Great debut album with some good tunes delivered in their unique don’t care style.
3 maybe 4
Was kind of expecting to hate this after the first few songs, but California Waiting on was actually a pretty decent run. Or maybe I just got into the flow of the album more at that point. I can respect what KoL are going for here, and it's cool to hear them being so experimental and weird in their earlier work. But I don't think I'll need to go back to this one. 2.5/5
I must say, the production on this really feels like a debut album. That it is, of course, but it doesn’t need to be so noticeable. From what I had previously heard from them, this is a lot more raw, which I enjoy. Less commercialized pop-rock, more authentic telling of their boyhood. Not to say the lyrics and writing are anything revolutionary. Fairly on par. What I would expect. The songwriting isn’t the most original, but unique enough to keep things interesting. I found “Joe’s Head” particularly entertaining. Big late sixties early seventies soft rock vibe. Ultimately, I’m not bothered by this album, but see no reason for its inclusion on the list. Furthermore, I find its addition to be a tad insulting given the omission of other works by better artists that are certainly more worthy than this collection of mediocre, derivative, and relatively uninspired rock tracks. 3/5
Fun album! Enjoyed, but quality a little below most of the 4/5 stars
I'm sort of shocked this made it into the top 1000 albums given that it's pretty generic rock. Not that they are perfectly comparable since Kings of Leon has more of a Southern spin, but aren't there like 3 Red Hot Chili Pepper albums better than this?
Did I enjoy the return to a bygone era of early aughts rock? Yes. Will I forget that this album exists in the next few days? Also yes. Favorite song of the album: Joe's Head
this isn't the kings of leon (derogatory) that i know (appreciative)
Something between fun songs and annoying vocals. favourite: "Red Morning Light", "Molly's Chambers" worst: "Trani"
Dang, even the singer was bored, little to no musical variety.
These guys have always just washed over me. Modern Southern US rock. Earnest. Dull.
Great voice, shame you can't understand a single thing with all the mumbling going on. Kinda found it to be generic 2000s rock but it wasn't bad, just makes you wanting something better. 6/10.
I think I'm at a point in my life now where I don't hate Kings of Leon anymore. Never thought I'd get here. That being said, I'm still not a fan yet.
hate his voice but like the songs
I liked this album at the time. But that was then. Very hummable but ultimately a bit throwaway. And despite knowing this album well, I don’t think I had ever heard the last track, so clearly always skipped that one.
I really wanted to like this more, but man that guy sure has an annoying voice.
Why do these knobs have 3 albums on this list? It's like rock music for people who don't know what rock music is. Fuckin granola rock for people who want to "listen to something heavier". Dude.... You can't hit high notes.... Stop squeaking on tape..... You can't even sing ffs. Sounds like he has marbles in his mouth. Favourite songs: Spiral Staircase, Molly's Chambers, Holy Roller Novocaine, Joe's Head, Happy Alone Least favourite songs: Trani 3/5
Second Kings of Leon album in a week?? I quite enjoyed the last one, but I guess I'm already tired of them as this one I found pretty boring. The last two tracks though (Holy Roller Novocaine, and Talihina Sky) were great
I was all prepared to hate this album, but then realised that for years I’d been mixing up the Kings of Leon with the Gipsy Kings, probably because of the long hair. Doh! Anyhoo, it turns out that this is quite acceptable indie rock with a bit of a garage rock vibe and the huge plus point that it’s an album from 2003 that crucially doesn’t sound like Coldplay. Highlight is Holy Roller Novocaine which has a lovely bouncy bass line. Not Coldplay-tastic!
I've really gone back and forth on this band for years and it was only until recently- within the past year or two that I started to appreciate them as being an enjoyable rock band with some standout tracks. Their stadium-rock sound is nice to me; it simply rocks. I'm not sure if I like this record though. At first listen I was enjoying the more raw and less refined version of the band that I have become accustomed to, but towards the middle of the record I started to really dislike the vocals. It's like he is trying so hard to be a bit too edgy and punkish. "Spiral Staircase" is particularly kind of... annoying? But then it's brought right back up to something I'm more into with the track "Molly's Chambers", which is like a 90s apathetic alt rock track with a great verse melody and a cool chorus. It's nice to be in the midst of them discovering themselves with this album, but the duality of the sound makes this ride a little hard to hang on to. It's a high 2, like a 2.8, and enough for it to be rounded to a 3.
3.5/5. Underrated. This one has a coherent energy and gives me authentic joy. Have other artists done a better job with this sort of thing? Yes - but it is distinct enough to be an enduring effort.
It is alright.
I liked this better than the later Kings of Leon albums, it sounds much grittier. I really didn't like the vocals here though, like he wasn't enunciating at all. First song kind of pulled me in but the slow songs were awful.
It’s a good debut album and shows off the bluesy stoner rock bones of which they’re capable. Bonus star for my name-drop.
In the background it sounded fine but when I gave more attention it was not as good. More southern than I was expecting.
5/10 - His voice was kind of annoying. The middle songs were bad the last song was decent.
It was pretty enjoyable to listen to. Right between a 3 and 4 for me, gonna give it a 3 because I have a feeling I'll like it less the more I listen. And also it's a little annoying at times
Decent collection of songs but missing out on a top score
Enjoyable sound, with a momentum that doesn't stop until the entire album is over. After only one listen I have time for, no songs stood out on their own
"Youth & Young Manhood" is the debut album by American rock band Kings of Leon. The Wiki-listed genres of garage rock revival and Southern rock are appropriate at this stage of their career. The band is composed of three brothers and a cousin (all with the last name Followill). They released an EP "Holy Roller Novacaine" in 2002 which included four songs songs which would be on their debut. The album had generally positive reviews. Commercially, it did much better in the UK reaching #3 while only hitting #113 in the US. The album starts out with a garage-rock guitar-riff intro on "Red Morning." This is definitely garage rock, almost purposely sloppy and a cowbell too. A song about hookers. This is a good start. They crank the speed up on "Wasted Time." A faster version the Black Crowes. Guitar slashes and lead singer Caleb Followill almost rappin' as he tries to keep up with the speed. He's on to her and she's wasted her time trying to get him. "California Watching" is the most melodic song on the album. A pounding bass and some nice backing vocals...that's the first song that I've heard any. The second single released "Molly's Chamber" showcases the band at their most straight-forward rock and roll. It clocks in a little over two minutes. I interpreted the lyrics as the effects of the drug moly on the brain. The band goes with a bluesy stomp in "Holy Roller Novacaine." A screeching guitar solo and they bring in the ever-reliable handclaps. My favorite lyrics on the album as they tell the story of a priest who uses his powers to seduce women. I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that there are two King of Leon albums in this 1,001??? On the positive side, I like this garage-rock, punk, Southern rock, bluesy and raw version of the band relative to the pop-rock alternative act that they would become. At times, they reminded me of the Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and the White Stripes. I guess I live in a cave with the lyrics and experiences that this upper teens-early 20's group were able to come up with - hookers, cocaine, moly, abusive priests and vast experiences in relationships. I do realize that they were assisted in the writing but I now have to believe that the movie "Kids" and tv show "Euphoria" depict real teenager scenes. Overall, this album was OK and a good start to their musical journey.
Brimming with youth
my third foray into kings of leon during this project and i still do not really get it. every once in a while there is a song i enjoy, like the first track, 'red morning light' but mostly i am nonplussed by their music. i think out of the three i've listened to so far, this one is the most consistent and the one i like the best. felt more garage rock than the other ones, which is more up my alley than the more generic 00s rock they got into. still, not really my thing.
like the hillbilly strokes
Enjoyable 3.5
This album didn’t do much for me, but I didn’t necessarily think it was bad. I feel like this album is one that people would rave about, but I just wouldn’t really get. I loved Talihina Sky, and I think the album was worth listening to if only to have just discovered that song.
This was okay. It felt like a solid throwback to the 70s while still being fresh. That being said, it's not something I see coming back to.
I could do without the...whiny yelling? I'm not sure how to describe the occasional shitty vocals on here. Otherwise this was some pretty good alt rock. Not what I expected from a band that I know from "Use Somebody." I won't come back to this, but I didn't mind listening to it. 3.4
not remarkable, but good stuff
The best way to describe Kings of Leon is rock and roll
Mediocre album
If this had come out in the 70s I would have thought it was awesome. It's fine, but we've kinda heard it before. Instead of trying to be gritty, you could actually just be gritty. 3 stars for Genius and Dusty
Doesn't seem special to me. Nothing here that I haven't heard before. Was feeling 2 stars but I did like the last track quite a bit. So 3 stars.
This is like if the Strokes and that one band Jet made a subpar group together and recorded an album while drunk. I really can't stand the singer's voice and cadence but the guitar, drums, and bass are all fine. The songs are really generic, though the faster ones are better. I don't know why this album is on here; it's pretty boring radio rock from the early 2000's. It's ok I guess. I would give it a 2.5.
This album is fine. If you compare it to Sex is on Fire or Use Somebody in their later discographies you will be disappointed. There are no real standouts on the album which is why (I'm assuming) I hadn't heard any singles before the two standout hits. All in all enjoyable with some strange vocal decisions with some easy guitar.
Turns out I like older Kings of Leon like this album and Aha Shake Heartbreak. Maybe not something I'll listen to often. The singer's drawl sometimes is distracting, but it fits the style well.
So weird how boring this is compared to their follow-up. I felt like all the songs sounded pretty much the same. It wasn't bad but it wasn't especially good either. 2.5/5
Meh.
Nice to have a bit of country/rockabilly influence in indie music of this era, if its there, I don't often notice it.
Meh.
Not awful, but it drags on.
It's ok
I do like early Kings of Leon, but I don’t think we need both this and their superior 2nd album on the list. But this album is already in my rotation, so I’ll give it a 3 anyway
Ja, gut für einen Tempolauf.
gött sound om det. däremot stör jag mig lite på hur sångaren uttalar ord, det känns som han gör sig till otroligt mycket.
Alsof ik 20 jaar na dato FIFA 2004 weer opstart knalt Red Morning Light de nostalgie mijn oren in. De riff is toch wel erg lekker en de drummer lijkt op wat potten en pannen de rest van de band op te zwepen. Lekker rommelig, rechtstreeks uit een Nashville garage. Youth and Young Manhood doet denken aan de rammelende Indie Rock van the Strokes en Franz Ferdinand. Maar Kings of Leon toont ook hier weer aan, de beste zeroes indie-rock komt niet uit de USA maar uit de UK. De mix indie/garage met de country/southern/swamp is typisch KoL maar ook een tikkie ongemakkelijk. De stem van Followill is -hoe herkenbaar dan ook- heel Amerikaans en soms ook wat irritant (Joe's Head). Op andere platen vind ik dat deze beter uit de verf komt. Conclusie: Youth and Young Manhood rammelt heerlijk, en dat past super goed bij de begin zeroes. Het is knap dat de band is uitgegroeid tot stadion-headliner. Op deze plaat klinkt het net te vaak ongemakkelijk, maar is het onderliggende niveau best aardig. 7/10 Highlights Red Morning Light (zin in FIFA) Spiral Staircase Molly's Chambers
The band album pics on Spotify had me howling. Started strong with red morning light. Then I got bored till California waiting. Fine
I enjoyed this. It’s like a more raw version of “Only By the Night”.
Why so much Kings of Leon on the list?
This was ok.
All the cool kids seem to love Kings of Leon. I’ve never been into them. No particular reason. I haven’t been avoiding them. I just didn’t make it a point to ever listen to them. Until today. The cool kids were on to something, and I’ve been missing out. This album is fantastic from start to finish. Even if it’s not terribly original. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-youth-and-young-manhood?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Klassisk rock, ganske udmærket,
Molly’s Chambers is a great tune. Rest is just okay.
I’m really surprised to find so many Kings Of Leon albums that are considered essential. Before this review project, I always thought they were just some average indie rock band but with a bad singer. Now that I’ve listened to more, I’ve realised that sometimes books can indeed be judged by their covers as I was pretty much right. I will say that this is probably the better Kings Of Leon album out of the ones I’ve heard, and Molly’s Chambers is genuinely good, but I still doubt I’ll be seeking this album out again.
7/10
Mid rock. The singer can't enunciate for shit. I liked some songs where they sounded a bit like Jet. Stand-out: Happy Alone
Pretty fun, but not too memorable
I expected to enjoy this one more. It's pretty mid. 3/5
Did not like this style of music
I'm not agin' it! I like it even. I'm sure I used to listen to this, it's all very familiar. Maybe a couple of beers and I'll be scootin' around the house, singing like no one's listening and driving everyone else mad. Sounds like a good use of my time. Yeah I think I lost interest in KoL after their third album, when they got bigger and polished. It's often the way with bands that you discover in their early days. As they get produced, the rough edges get another or and life gets better and their songs are less interesting. This is not that though. Giddy up. Three screeching stars.
Talihina Sky carries this album. I miss old KoL
ich wusste nicht wie nahe die Kings beim country sind .. naja, abwechslungsreiches album mit wenigen perlen. mixed feelings ..
Album with ups and downs. Very mediocre
Didn’t know the made albums here and now know why I didn’t know
Enjoyable
Nothing terrible in here, but nothing good apart from Talihina Sky either
kicks off with a banning song from the first FIFA (2004) I owned, there is some other good songs here but the rest are nothing to shout home about.
I liked the first 3 songs, then the next 3 weren’t great, then everything after that was middle of the road apart from Molly’s Chambers which I quite liked.
I know I've heard songs from King's of Leon, but not enough to know how to classify the band. There is a certain throwback nature to their music, but the music doesn't necessarily sound "old". There is a hint of a southern rock feel, but they are definitely a rock band. The music feels like it could sit alongside some of Jack White's work (The White Stripes or Blunderbuss). All of the tracks on this album were new to me. I am enjoying the record in general, but I'm not not sure if I need a reason to come back. My favorite tracks were "Wasted Time" which channeled some Ram Jam ("Black Betty") energy, and "Joe's head" with guitar sounds that were drawing me in, but the vocals still keeping me at a distance. My least favories were "Trani" and "Molly's Chambers" which are illustrations as to why this album isn't above a 3 ("Just okay, but I'm not coming back.") Kings Of Leon's guitar work is interesting and engaging, and I sometimes described as fun, but the vocals haven't drawn me in, and the content of the lyrics is pushing me away. I don't want to listen well enough to catch all of the details of the lyrics.
my man needs to swallow his food before singing his songs
The okeyest credence clearwater revival tribute band
I'm spoiled by modern mixing practices. This album, while I don't think it compares as much to some other older albums in terms of musicality or novelty, is more tolerable and easier to listen to for me just because it's mixed well. Don't get me wrong, this is decent rock. I'm not fond of the vocals though, just don't really like the lead vocalists' annunciation of the lyrics, nor really the lyrics that much as is. 3
Bit of a mixed bag, found myself liking it, then hating the vocals, then finding it dull, then it got good again. Felt like a weak 3 star album for me.
3.5
3.0
Southern strokesy indie rock. Its good but not my fav rock of the era
This was such a weird combination of annoying and enjoyable for me. Really not sure what to do with it. It's probably just one of those bands that only works in small doses. I do know there are too many Kings of Leon albums on this list. 3.5 stars
Solid
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than expected. Red Morning Light is a fantastic opener and brought back good memories of comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. The rest of the first half was pretty good as well, despite Joe’s Head featuring an even worse Bob Dylan impression than that Timothee Chalamet trailer, and Trani having some quite dire screaming towards the end (hey, at least he tried, and the song as a whole was really effective). Unfortunately the album did peter out in the second half as the songs started to blur into one a bit more
Not as good as the last album. Even harder to understand what he is saying. Background music was meh. 5/10
More country influence than I was expecting...but still enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Ok album
this is a good ole 3/5
On one hand, this is kinda groovy early 2000s rock that sounds like a Eddie Vedder-ified White Stripes. On the other hand, there's just something about Kings of Leon that feels strangely pretentious, and this rubs me the wrong way. I really don't know what to give this album so I'll just give it a 3
I enjoyed a couple songs. NGL i totally thought they only made music similar to their hits (sex on fire, use somebody) so this sound was surprising. it’s okay
3.5
I like the music, but the dude kind of mumbles a lot.
I can't stop laughing over someone else calling them the Southern Fried Strokes. Hahaha, accurate. I still found this kinda meh, though.
few songs i really enjoyed, but i overall didn’t care for the vocals on this
Mixed feelings on this album. Punk rock kinda vibe. The singer has a voice that’s coarse and often annoying with an uneven delivery. A bit off putting. The music is good. There’s a bunch of songs that were alright, but the singer ruins the vibe for me. The standouts were songs where both the music and singing meet well for me. Cailfornia Waiting is an awesome song. Standouts: Trani, California Waiting, Spiral Staircase, and Talihina Sky.
mid
Another one, hooray. Molly's Chambers by far the standout for me, though there are some other moments for sure. A lot of the start of the album just blurs together, but I still can't really hate it - it's another good but unnecessary Kings of Leon album. Fave Tracks: California Waiting, Molly's Chambers, Dusty, Talihina Sky 3.5/5
Not quite a 4 despite some great tracks
It's OK, not sure if I like Caleb Followill's voice or not. I quite liked "Wasted Time" because it reminded me very much of Tom Petty, and I also liked the laid-back "Dusty".
I just enjoyed it thats my note
I like this album fine, but I have no idea why it's here. It just doesn't seem significant in any way, other than that it is an album from the early 2000s that isn't terrible 3/5
Youth and young manhood is a phenomena that's a right of passage in discovering and eventually becoming who one is meant to be in life. Kings of Leon seemed to have had that part figured out already. One would not guess that this was their debut album yet they burst onto the soon-to-be overtly filled 2000s new indie rock landscape with the Southern touch duly needed and the sounds of prior Southern rock bands provided with the modern touch. On the whole, it gives as good as its got and there is plenty of evidence that suggests that they will improve with time. Favorites: Red Morning Light, Joe's Head, Trani, Spiral Staircase, Molly's Chambers, Holy Roller Novocaine, Talihina Sky.
6/10, я ваще хз че тут сказать
Very tolerable.
Asides from Molly's Chambers, this is an entirely generic, interchangeable mid-2000s album.
Mid. Molly's Chambers is overrated, don't get why it has all those plays.
It's fine elevator or dentist music. Totally forgot that I had put it on.
Pretty good album. I already had a copy of 'Because of the Times' which is a fantastic album. On first listen this album is not as good, but I will have a few further listens to see if that opinion changes.
Too rocky. Weird voices that aren't doing it for me at this time. Maybe the weirdness would become charming with further listening. However, no further listening is planned.
More punkish sounding than I'd expected from the KoL radio songs I've heard.
The singles are jamming. I think I'm developing a process here - the first 1/4 - 1/3 of the songs songs, and then the singles if nothing holds my interest in the first group. Using that metric, this album does ok! But I did not hold out for any surprises once I finished with the singles.
3,5
3.5 Had heard Sex on Fire and Use Somebody before this. This is not that, which is good, but it's not the best. I like this genre and expected to like this album more than I did after hearing the opening track. A little samey and bland. Spotify plays suggest Joe's Head is underrated and I love that little lick in Genius.
Average rock. Sounds alike a lot of other bands and not particulary original. But well conducted over all songs.
Probably their best album; scuzzy and lo-fi. No idea how they became so successful though.
I'd not really listened to Kings Of Leon before this. After playing it three times, I think it's OK, not particularly exciting, not particularly bad. The album kicks off quite well with Red Morning Light, and the momentum is maintained through the second track. On the whole, this is an enjoyable album but not particularly outstanding.
Uncomplicated rock 'n' roll with some southern swamp influences: Nonchalant and the perfect music for a rock cafe.
The lead singer sings like he got socked in the face right before the recording started. Molly's Chambers is a trash single. The dynamism is very well thought out, so the album is more than the sum of its parts. And while I'm not enthralled by the parts, the whole is fine.
Typical first album.rougher, voice less annoying. Pretty good
Enjoyed this. A good sound and I enjoy his drawling singing style. Not bangers throughout but I did enjoy. Standout Track: Red Morning Light
Pretty good rock band who started with much promise, peaked, and self-imploded. This is from when they were on the come-up, so it’s more honest, even if far less polished. “California Waiting” is a jam.
I wanted to like this more. I think it was the voice that turned me off of it.
There wasn’t anything wrong with the album, per se, but I kept trying to figure out what the secret sauce was that earned it a spot on the list and, man, I just couldn’t find it.
This is just like their sex on fire album except you can understand the singer but the songs aren’t as fun and catchy. A good debut but with their lack of understanding grew their popularity. This is pretty average overall. 6.1/10
Quite disappointing on reflection. The next two albums they did were definitely better than this one (before they went full poppy commercial) - don't recall listening to this all the way through (although it's forgettable enough that I might have done). Molly's Chambers and Red Morning Light are decent, the rest are misses. Scrapes a 3, just, on the strength of those two.
Southern rock with a tasty blend of punk/garage. Gritty vocals and gripping basslines
3.5
This just isn’t my vibe. I respect it tho and like elements of it but overall I can’t give more than a 3
Ihan jees, mut siihen kakkoslevyyn(?) jäi matkaa
Maybe 3.5 not quite a 4. Good stuff tho
Good solid rock and roll, there was one track that was horrible the rest good but great. Perhaps if this handed come after so many days of genuine crap albums this would have been more harshly judged, but timing is everything.
Eric Cartman singing cock rock - what is this? Kinda shit, but in a weird fun way. Doesn't take itself seriously and I can respect that. Some songs sounded like Blur.
Southern rock, garage rock revival. If this album has anything, it's energy. Raw and simple riffs and vocals. I don't know what to say about this album, I didn't really care for it too much. Everything sounds good but all together I just can't get into it. The singing is a little too wacky for me, it's not a very serious album. It just feels so empty too, I wish I could more accurately describe it. There were a few tracks I enjoyed enough but overall I was just not feeling this album. And I don't really care to examine it any longer. Just so painfully average. Won't revisit. 3/5
Good to hear Kings Of Leon before they became rock superstars. Their late-2000’s stuff was their best but Youth And Young Manhood was worthy of a listen.
3.5
Sothern-fried version of The Strokes.
I like this maybe even more than their more famous records
I thought I hated KoL... turns out I only hate what they became. Baffling to think they abandoned the good qualities of this album and embraced the bad qualities.
I feel like I've heard of Kings of Leon for a long time now, but have no idea what they sound like or even what genre they fit into. So it's nice to have an excuse to listen to an album by them (even if it is their debut album and likely *not* their best). I wasn't expecting a sort of retro-infused punk-lite/southern rock style (with a few other styles thrown in), but it's not bad, and certainly different than a lot of what was getting produced back then. It's amazing how *young* they were when this album got released, and how utterly homegrown their band and early albums were. It's also intriguing how much more popular the band has been outside the US (at least sales- and chart-wise ). Although the overall sound is generally not like him or his band, the lead singer's voice occasionally strongly reminds me of Jonathan Richman, which probably isn't the Kings of Leon's intention, I suspect....
3.75
The last two songs got me to reconsider this album a bit. It's not really my style and it doesn't blow me away but there's some talent here and they are pretty tight on some tracks. This is a middle to strong 2 getting a 3/5. Talihina Sky was a nice song.
Very crisp production. I can see why people would like this. I used to like this kind of sound in the late 1990s, but I'm tired now. I wonder how they are live, because this is almost too sanitized sounding for the type of music. Some of the vocal choices don't work, but I'd get used to it if I hung around. I think this should have less tracks.
Strong start but repetitive towards the end
Decent 3.5
Definitiv nicht mein Geschmack. Aber ansonsten wohl recht guter harter Rock.
pretty good early 2000s rock. very of the time but i feel like it’s held up reasonably well.
I don't get it. What makes this album so special that it deserves to be on a must-listen list? It's an early 2000s band trying to emulate older music styles, and not doing that great a job of it. That said, musically, it's pretty fun to listen to in the background as you're doing something else. It starts off seeming like it's going to all sound the same with the first few tracks, but then it gets more varied. It's an interesting mix of garage rock, punk revival, and Southern/blues rock — a little Strokes, a little Ramones, and a little Steppenwolf. Lyrically, most of the album is meh. Typical derivative and boring stuff about being a young rock star and partying for the most part. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was a cool song, though. Initially I found the lyrics kind of gross until I realized they were about drug addiction and not a creepy relationship. "Molly's Chamber" wasn't bad. But the dude's voice. Holy smokes, do I hate his voice. I don't remember it being that annoying on the popular radio hits (Use Somebody and Sex on Fire). But on this album he sounds like Adam Sandler's character from The Water Boy trying to do a Bob Dylan impression. Or Eric Cartman when he attempts his weird ad-lib/scatting stuff. At first I thought maybe this album being considered among the best of 2003 was more of a statement on the rock landscape that year — and I say that as someone who bought the Zwan album when it came out haha. But some pretty big artists put out some pretty big albums that year, so I'm back to being confused. 3/5 — decent music, meh lyrics, terrible vocals
Tää oli ihan jees poprock hommeli! Tiedän tältä bändiltä vaan uudemmat hitit joten tää oli ihan kiva kokonaisuus niiden vastapainoksi. 3/5
Youth & Young Manhood is the debut album from American rock band Kings of Leon. It was the best rock debut album of 2003 and fans loved the garage rock revival of the southern rock genre. Surprisingly, the album fared better in English countries overseas than the band's home country of USA. It has been certified double platinum in the UK and triple platinum in Australia. This is a wonderful rock album with a little something from every subgenre. Sometimes the music will just be simmering, but the band knew when to heat things up and bring the rockin' to a boil. It's nice to listen to a rock album that was released when pop and hip hop were the hot genres. Highly recommend to any music fans, but especially rock lovers.
A cool vibe and energy.
A cool early 2000s rock sound. I always liked these guys.
zz popped
I've only ever heard what has been on the radio from these guys. This album is so different from what I've heard. Pretty good stuff.
Me: "Can we have the Strokes?" Mum: "We already have the Strokes at home" These are the Strokes at home. It's not particularly bad, but also not really good. Nothing special for the time. But at least better than their later records.
Raucous, sleazy, briskly paced. A fun enough listen, but there are other bands who do this shtick better. Fave Songs: Joe's Head, Red Morning Light, California Waiting
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (based on their pop hits)
Bien. Lo volveré a escuchar
Ken de band alleen van seks met die kale en nog een aantal nummers. Dit klinkt best aardig nog en vond het prima om naar te luisteren, had het erger verwacht.
Has its moments - California waiting got going, but ruined by his voice at times overall the albumis OK Not their best work, why is it here? humph!
Never really listened to Kings of Leon and it wasn't what I suspected. Couldn't place a good vibe on it but it wasn't a bad listen. I liked "Holy Roller Novacaine"
From the opening track, I thought that I might like this one a bit more than I did. By the end, I kind of grew bored with the sound, and overall, nothing was amazing for me.
Sounds like a totally different band than the \"Sex is on Fire\" and \"Use Somebody\" later version of Kings of Leon. This is less produced and more country-rock sounding... lacking soaring vocals or layered harmonies. More like the type of band you'd vibe to after stopping for the night on a cross-country roadtrip and sliding into the local for a longneck beer and plate of potato skins while the owner's cousin's neighbor's nephew's band takes the stage.
Definitely better than expected. I think I like their later work better.
I enjoy Kings of Leon, but this looks to be one of their earlier albums and it was a mixed bag for me.
I went into this album with the worst possible attitude because what I'd heard from this band until listening to this album has always been absolutely insufferable garbage to me. Like, I've been unable to find ANYTHING to like about ANYTHING about them. Imagine my surprise when I found myself completely smitten by this album. There's nothing new or innovative in here...from the first moment to the last, it's basically boilerplate 4/4 rock music, but it's done with such confidence and aplomb that it's just fun and catchy through and through. Clean production, confident performances by all...just a fun album. I don't see myself returning to it, because there's really nothing there but simplicity and fun, but I'm happy to have heard it. Giving it three stars because it's fine, but totally forgettable.
Not my cup of tea
Marginally better than their later stuff
3.5/5. Some songs sound like Black Betty if it were written in the mid 2000s.
Not bad. His voice gets a little old after while, but I like the album and KoL in short spurts. Good to hear what they sounded like before their Sex caught Fire.
ima mi boljih njihovih albuma, najbolja pjesma Molly's Chambers
Unique voice, interesting to hear earlier side of this band that I really enjoy later popular albums, mix of harder rock moments and chill country-ish vibes, wanna drink w them
Thank goodness this band developed into the Sex On Fire / Need Somebody group that we all love! I’m not a fan of the seemingly lazy drawl vocal. Besides Molly’s Chambers this is all quite retro garage rock and mediocre even if does have a bit of 1977-style punk drive. I’ll give it three stars, because one and two are reserved for drivel.
So this list is confusing. This isn't even close to being KoL's best record. It was neat to hear their beginnings, but they develop so much in both voice and music. This album was not bad. But not an album I had to hear before I died.
This was better that I remember from the 90’s. I enjoyed their sound.
Un album correct, mais qui ne se démarque pas pour moi, côté rock
There were a couple songs I thought were okay.
Never listened to them before and definitely not understanding the hype. Very retro, somewhere in between Bob Dylan and Counting Crows but trailing far behind the highlights of either. They would be pretty decent as a local garage band, frequently playing concerts at bars in their hometown. Anything above that, I consider them overrated.
Very enjoyable, but not the most dynamic. A lot of the songs sound quite similar. Good music, not the best album.
This one is pretty standard but solid early 2000s garage rock revival, not much to say other than it rocks hard and is a fun blast to listen to but it feels a little repetitive and samey unlike similar bands from this time but it at least brings the rock
My first Kings of Leon album. It's not bad, not particularly memorable, but they do their thing well.
Talihina Sky Preciosa.
another 3. actually surprised i didnt give this a 2 because i hate this band generally.
Just not my thing.
I’d have given it another star if the songs hadn’t been so sleazy.
Not horrible…punked out Tom Petty. Won’t likely buy it but wouldn’t change station if songs on the radio.
Fun, high energy indie rock. A bit repetitive. The vocal style did begin to irritate after a while. Highlights: Happy Alone, Molly’s Chambers, Dusty
Very upbeat album with heavy drums and guitars. Love the vocals. California Waiting is one of my fave songs by them. Probably their second best album after Only by the Night. 3
Much better than the other KoL album on the list, but still not all that good. I doubt I’ll ever listen to it again on purpose.
It was just kind of there. It wasn't bad or good. It was relatively short. Not really a three but better than a two. I will round up
Jak porter band
Nice, but not notable.
definitely music for the young man
This album reminded me of music I listened to in middle school when I first discovered Pandora like Harvey Danger and The Strokes. I enjoy that it isnt as loud as some of the other alt rock albums on this list. It is a high 3 stars for me.
Surprisingly pretty good 3/5
1s listen Liked it more than what I heard of them on the radio 3.5
3/5 I liked it.
C+ Red Morning Light 3 Happy Alone 3 Wasted Time 2 Joe's Head 3 Trani 3 California Waiting 3 Spiral Staircase 2 Molly's Chambers 3 Genius 3 Dusty 3 Holy Roller Novocaine 3 Talihina Sky 4 I had low expectations for Only by The Night, but it impressed me. The good impression from that album gave this one high expectations that were...not met.
The music is fine, but the vocals really start to grate.
It's fine. The dude's voice is a little annoying. I probably wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but I'm not going to choose to listen again, either.
meh. 3.1
This album is no longer in the latest edition of the book.
Fav songs: California Waiting, Talihina Sky. It was fine album but not what I would to play it again.
Not a big fan of the genre.
A raw & unpolished debut with a southern garage punk feel. Not my cup of tea but I can see how people could get excited about this. Caleb’s voice is a cross between Exile-era Jagger and Lemmy.
Rock
I had no idea they had been around this long. This album was alright.
It was good .. need to be in the right mood! 3 stars
5/10
This album definitely had an early 2000s sound to it, garage band, not too heavy. The only song I recognized was Molly's Chambers. I haven't heard any other songs off this album previously. They all kind of blended together. Nothing really stood out as great, must listen too rock. I've heard other Kings of Leon albums that were better than this. It wasn't bad, just not anything spectrum that would put it on a list of 1001 albums.
Can't believe the release date on this
I find it really hard to believe I needed to hear this one before I die. Slightly better than what I was expecting but extremely generic. Also, are we sure the lead singer doesn’t need speech therapy?
3.5 star
nothing wrong with this album, fast and poppy. just not my mood today.
"Shakin your apple right in my face" I have extremely mixed feelings about this album - and Kings of Leon in general. I really, really enjoy the instruments in this album, and there exists musical ideas that I think rival that of their inspiration- the Strokes. However, I absolutely despise the vocals, and the sub-genre they took the rock music into like Dixie-rock absolutely leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Some stand out tracks T4: Joe's Head (super groovy bass line), T8 - Molly's Chambers (great song, will be on the playlist). This was one of the hardest albums to pick a rating for, so far, just because of how differently I feel about different aspects to the album. I'm just gonna average out and give it a.. 3/5
Opzich wel een goed album, maar ik vind kings of leon toch altijd een beetje eentonig. Ik weet niet wat het is. De muziek is goed maar toch had ik een beetje moeite om door het album heen te komen…
This one kinda grew on me as it went on. Good for a long, long drive through the South. Best songs; Spiral Staircase and Genius. 3 cacti out of 5 🌵🌵🌵
Oooh now this is not what I expected. Are KoL like Maroon 5 in which they had a really solid debut before immediately pivoting to vapid arena rock? I still wish the lead singer didn't sound like that (he crossed the threshold into incoherent and whiny at times), but I appreciated the southern fried guitar licks and minor key harmonies over frenetic drums. They're synthesizing some pretty disparate ideas from groups as varied as the Strokes, the Clash, Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, Queen and maybe even Jeff Buckley in moments? I could use more Southern garage rock for sure. Would go 3.5 if I could but yeah the vocal unfortunately really took some points off for me. Molly's Chambers still rocks though!
I always thought kings of Leon just did kind of boring stadium rock but the rest of the album wasn’t bad. Definitely more energy than the hit singles that were played to death on the radio
Te doen. Zanger had wat minder mogen jammeren.
They got a lot worse layer on. There's a couple or three great tracks on this, but ultimately, if you spent 5 minutes imagining what Creedence Clearwater Revival would sound like if you travelled back in time and gave them a Nirvana LP you can save yourself the effort of listening to this.
This is better than I was expecting, which is exactly what I said when I got another one of their records earlier in this thing. Still not exactly for me, but it’s fine. I dig the lead vocals.
I hear a slight influence of AC/DC when Bon Scott was alive. They are limited in their range, but it was a cool album, nonetheless.
This was pretty good
Des Kings of Leon qui ont décidé de viser un nouveau marché, voyant que celui du sexe était monopolisé par Bobby Womack. Le pari est à moitié réussi.
Pas désagréable, mais les rois lions ne sont plus les mêmes depuis que le titre de sexe le plus en feu leur a été subtilisé par Bobby Womack.
Youth and Young Manhood is Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy if it was Southern Rock tinged and without any truly great songs. What this album does have is a ton of raw punk, alt-rock energy which I’m a sucker for. Red Morning Light, Joe’s Head, Molly’s Chamber, Genius are good. Everything else is slightly middling 7.5/10
Swagger, straight up rock n roll. A stepping stone to their killer era.
I thought I knew one Kings of Leon song, but I guess not. So, first time hearing this band, and I liked the music well enough. I had a hard time enjoying the vocals though. Sounded like the singer was trying way too hard to be unique, but ended up sounding like an annoying Bon Scott/Chris Robinson hybrid. Nothing stood out to me as great, but Trani was clearly the worst track.
Scrappy, zeitgeisty garage rock fronted by a guy who sounds like Tom Petty on quaaludes. Fine, but hardly essential. One the most unvarying albums encountered on this app thus far. At least it's got a bit of vinegar to it, far better than the insipid mess that they would become.
Well, this is a blast from the past. I had this CD but never really listened. However it was nice to revisit. Listened to it a couple of times. It took my mind off running quite well. I remember them being promising back then. And then they went all stadium and married models and became a boring cliche. Would definitely listen to this again though
I remember when this album came out, and it was SO surprising at the time. The revival of alternative garage rock and southern rock sound was so fresh. I have memories of commercials and advertisements using songs from this album because it was just so sonically different than the majority of music at the time; it was ear-catching! These guys would definitely go on to inspire MANY 2000s and onward alternative rock bands. The almost drunken slur of the lead singer of this band is so iconic at this point, making it easy to pick out a Kings of Leon song. There's just a lot of raw grittiness on this album, making it a fun, energetic listen. Even all these years later, after many bands have taken their influence from this album, "Molly's Chambers" is absolutely owns as an example of this genre revival. A great debut from a band that has been a lasting staple on the alternative rock space of the 2000s and beyond.
I didn't look at all of the lyrics on Spotify while I was listening to this but at one point during one of the songs it actually says "(unintelligible)" which is hilarious. I think I mentioned the weird accent Caleb Followill seems to have when he's singing and I think I know what he's going for but sometimes on this album it sounds like he might have some kind of speech impediment. This is pretty decent garage rock which was the fashion at the time.
what the hell happened to kings of leon after this album came out? this was actually decent
Another Kings of Leon album that left me positively surprised after I know most of this band just by the radio airplay. It's an all right listen. Maybe it didn't need to be on this list but it's still good.
The only song I could remember by Kings of Leon was that "Sex is on Fire" song, which I don't really care for, so I wasn't expecting to like this but I did. It's really just good, blues-based rock 'n' roll with a bit of a southern feel to it. 3 stars.
Talihina Sky Preciosa.
3/4
I have relatives that live in Talihina and my mom always tells be about this band, but I'd never listened to them before. Was a little surprised by this one.
3/5. What a different Kings of Leon than the one we know today. With a more raw, rock n’ roll sound, Youth and Young really shows what KOL first set out to accomplish. I believe they now have really changed based on what the crowd wants. Pretty interesting to see.
An album i enjoyed returning to! A little confused why it’s on this list tho.
This was way more Roadhouse rock than I thought it would be. The few songs I'd heard before were way more mainstream than the rest. A bit of a surprise really.
Rock sin excesivas complicaciones. En ocasiones, algún toque country. Buena voz y guitarras, aunque no ha terminado de gustarme. Le ha faltado algo
The brute appeal of '00s rock remains obvious, the nuance attempted here less so. Southern rock has many edges to recommend it; This expression has lots sanded off.
3.7 - When I want some unfettered Southern-style roots rock ‘n’ roll, this would be an easy grab, more so than anything by Black Crowes. I love the live studio sound, especially on “Trani.”
Totally different from what I expected.
This was good fun, if fairly loose and a little sloppy. I'm not sure how high it rises above a host of similar southern-rock inflected alt-rock.
'Youth & Young Manhood' is a perfectly adequate southern rock album from the early 2000s with indie and garage rock influences. Pleasant enough, but hardly ground-breaking.
Never pursued Kings of Leon since for me the one song popped up on alternative radio and was played at an annoying rate. This is a fine early 2000s alternative degree away from garage rock revival
What if SOUTHERN fusion of grungy and 2000s garage rock? The lead singer is the mumbliest man ever recorded. Should be in a Guinness book or something.
Van ser els caps visibles de la segona generació de revitalitzadors del rock a començaments del mil.leni. Curiosament, tot i cridar l'atenció amb aquest primer treball (també per la història personal que els envoltava), és el pitjor dels seus quatre primers discos, que van anar millorant un a un fins a l'obra mestra d''Only by the Night'. En aquesta estrena molt rock d'arrels i molta actitud, però tot el que va fer diferent a la banda encara estava per aparèixer
Liked the rawness of this one, better than the my ass is on fire vibe
I reckon most people know Kings of Leon from their alternative rock stuff, such as Sex on Fire from 2008. Youth And Young Manhood, however, is the band's debut and indicates a different sound that they pursued. Kings of Leon had slotted themselves in with the wave of garage rock revival bands in the early 2000's. In the same manners as many garage rock revival bands, Kings of Leon embraces upbeat and energetic rock that bops along. In terms of differentiation, they occasionally borrow the same guitar tones from southern rock. Caleb Followill's vocals also play a particularly unique role as his distinct singing gives the band much of it's personality. The end result is early aughts rock that's pretty good. Not much else to it.
This band really blew up by the end of the decade. But at the beginning, they were another garage revival band who did something a bit unique by looking back to the bluesy southern rock of Lynard Skynard, ZZ Top, and Black Crowes. I can most hear it with "Happy Alone" how the album borrows many elements from 50s rockabilly and 60s garage rock, and the simple repetitive chords and lyrics and aggressive vocals are very punk-like. The second half is weaker and more forgettable than the first, with the only notable track being the triumphant "Holy Roller Novocaine." There's also "Molly's Chamber" which is a catchy pop hit but a bit boring.
Classic garage rock revival sounds of the 2000s. Very similar to the Strokes, but with a more southern flare. Seems to be pretty influenced by the Standells. Good stuff overall.
I gotta give the Kings of Leon some credit for having so many songs I recognise on this one album... despite it being dead fucking boring and me having no idea I'd ever heard it before. Kings of Mediocrity, more like. 3/5?
I never got into this band. Despite their popularity I haven't really heard much of Kings of Leon, and what I heard did not catch my attention. This album was a treat. I really enjoyed most of this. This wouldn't ever be my go to listen, but it was enjoyable and I'm better for the experience.
Kind’ve underwhelmed. I really like the other Kings of Leon early albums so I was expecting to really like this. But overall, Mollys Chambers remains my main top song from this.
Just such a meh album.
Okay but kind of a wanna be for me. Not a lot of substance to go with the style.
A somewhat surprisingly raw album. Could be called garage country. Overall decent. Not great but it's there like most of Kings of Leon's work. Decent but not great.
Love their sound. Rating: 3.5
an interesting mix of garage rock with a southern drawl. certainly an entertaining listen. not sure if i’ll ever revisit this, but glad i gave it a listen. highlights: “red morning light”, “wasted time”, “holy roller novocaine”.
This was early KoL. I really think they grew into their sound more with later albums. This was okay but he has such an expressive voice and this album doesn't highlight it.
I never really got into KoL. Just something about them irked me. I’m saying that, this was better than I thought it’d be.
I love their sound, particularly the vocals and guitar tracking, but the songs really follow the same formula throughout to provide a greater listening experience.
Bit more melodic and less raw than their second album but overall still nothign to write home about
Like an opening band that ends up being better than the headliner.
Kinda surprised how rough the vocals are, I would have preferred to see them go more in that direction than stadium-indie-rock-hitmakers.
3 really like it
Surprisingly better than I would have thought. Have never heard of this album before. Not a lot of variety in the songs though.
Not in my edition of the book! 2003. 3.5 stars. Well done but distinctly average rock with a couple of good tunes. Nothing outstanding here.
As far as debut albums go, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. I could tell as soon as it started that it was probably someone's first album. They kinda had the screams of Bikini Kill while also sounding like ACDC in a way. It was a very interesting mix. However, I did enjoy California Waiting as far as songs go.
Still weird and not bad, but I think Aha Shake Heartbreak is a better record.
When this album was first released I loved it. I wore it out. I haven't listened to it in a decade. It didn't really hold up for me. I expect it was influential and helped set some trends, but I barely made it through without losing interest. A couple good songs, but not moving my needle.
A little bit of AC/DC, a little bit of JET, a little bit of Nirvana these guys brought a gritty sound to a soundscape that was leaving the grit in the early 00's... While a little bit of everything, they were also a little repetitive, I believe Kings of Leon went on to have some more quality produced albums, but for this, it felt like a garage band breakout.
Kind of punk, surprising
Three Kings of Leon albums? THREE Kings of Leon albums? No albums by Real Estate, Tennis, The Weeknd, Cigarettes After Sex, Aurora, Fruit Bats, Mac Demarco, Babe Rainbow, Haroimi Hosono, The Smile, Joey Valance & Brae, Silversun Pickups, Lord Huron, Sam Roberts Band, First Aid Kit, Our Lady Peace, Matchbox 20, Steel Pulse, Yebba, Digable Planets, Vampire Weekend, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, Sierra Ferrell, Alan Jackson, Weyes Blood, Major Lazer, Daniel Johnston, Father John Misty, The Shins, Wild Belle, Sven Libaek, Creed, Kamasi Washington, Lake Street Dive, Dua Lipa, The Black Eyed Peas, Khruangbin, Young Gun Silver Fox, PJ Morton, Anna Calvi, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Parcels, Cody Chestnutt? One album by Gorillaz but we get THREE albums by Kings of Leon?!?!? THREE?!?!? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! Put the fucking Simpsons Sing the Blues on here! Kings of Crunk has more place on this list than ANY Kings of Leon album! Is the author IN Kings of Leon? Bad list? No author… bad YOU
2/5. The 2000’s saw a massive boom in indie rock, with acts actually rising to become household names. Whether that be the strong hooks of the Strokes or the stripped back and raw bluesy epics of the white stripes. So what did Kings of Leon bring to the table to separate themselves from all these other 2000’s rockers? The answer is simple, really god damn annoying vocals. As a key example look at the track “Trani” which ends with the vocalist doing what could only be described as a really bad impression of a fantasy goblin while he attempts to shout way beyond his limited vocal range. The music is also quite basic, there is just so many better artists and albums from this era, we can leave the Kings of Leon behind in the 2000’s.
they weren't that good when I got them 2 albums ago and they aren't that good now.
it's very funny they had all of their albums removed Will I listen to again: 0%
I once played with a guitarist who swore by early KOL and mourned how they had sold out with their more popular later offerings. I can’t say I ever investigated this claim until now, and I’m happy to report that I don’t think I missed much. This is a mostly forgettable set of cocaine-fueled bar songs with some decent guitar work thrown in occasionally and a front man who clearly thinks a lot of his ability. Toss it in the meh pile.
Not the best
There are 3 Kings of Leon albums in the 1001? Jesus Christ.
Felt old
At its best it's a not as good Strokes with an annoying front man.
I like instrumentals but very much, similar to the Strokes. That pro is outweighed by the singer’s southern drawl scatting.
Pretty jarring to hear how Kings of Leon started. I was familiar with "Molly's Chambers" here, but wasn't expecting the crazy Southern twang to be so prominent. The whole album felt pretty generic and uninspired as well.
Marginalt bedre en det forrige KOL albumet
Not my favorite Kings of Leon album but a fine listen
annoying