Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Terrific debut album, which I’d not heard before. Eight of the twelve tracks are full-on southern-influenced rock’n’roll. The first three singles released off the album are all real winners - the opening track, Red Morning Light, a full-on rocker, sets the scene; Molly’s Chambers is moodier, poppier, not as quick as most of the album, but not a ballad; and Wasted Time is somewhere between the other two. I feel like there’s a lot here that reminds me of songs I knew as a youth - specifically during my Allman Brothers’ phase (Musically, Joe’s Head is so Allman Bros. it ain’t funny). Dusty is a fine, bluesy ballad & the hidden track, Talihina Sky, is more like a laid-back country ballad, with Floyd-Cramer-like piano accompaniment. This band is one of the real finds for me from this whole process.
According to wikipedia, this rose to prominence on the basis of two singles, and placement in videogames and a Ford Focus ad. I can see that, at various times, there have been three Kings of Leon albums in different editions of Dimery's tome. And they have all been subsequently removed from later editions. No surprises there. I am so bored that I am going to re-run my review from Aha Shake Heartbreak: Yeesh, saviours of rock and roll? The Southern Strokes? Last proper band in town? I think not. Was rock so impoverished in 2004 that this passed for excitement? I swear I have heard bands playing this schtick as well or better to 30 people at a small bar in Marrickville. And his singing has a weird affectation that really grates on my nerves. Wildly inessential listening. 1.5 stars begrudgingly rounded up for not being completely rancid.
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"
I’d forgotten about this album but when KoL were first on the scene one of their promoters sent me a copy because I was involved in the entertainment business. I was sworn to not share it with anyone. I had this on a loop for a long time in 2004/2005. Along with Eagles of Death Metal. Laugh. It’s cool. I do as well.
This was so not my thing and my patience was short today.
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.
I don't know what my problem was with the prior Kings of Leon album we listened to but this one was totally my jam. Well, one of my jams at least. I dug it start to finish.
I only became aware of Kings of Leon when Sex On Fire alighted on the charts. In the early 2000s this guitar-heavy southern punk-ish style was very much outside the mainstream of what I was listening to, so that might explain why I wasn’t receptive to something like this in 2003. I like this! It’d be just the ticket to watch this performed in a bar somewhere…kickin’ back with a pitcher of beer.
Nice
I found this record pretty dull, and bland. I genuinely don't have much to say about it - personally I'm not sure why it's on the list, and I won't be returning to it.
I read another review that referred to KoL as southern-fried Strokes, and I love it enough that I'm adding it here for posterity. I definitely see it in their shared penchant for a great hook. The southern influences and the garage rock sound pair up beautifully. This album is full of great hooks, all spastic and erratic. They later cleaned up their sound a bit, but the dirty, energetic sound of this debut is what I associate with Kings of Leon. And I still dig it.
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.
7.5, This could be on the level of something like the Strokes but quite simply put the vocal freakouts aren't _quite_ there yet. I know Kings of Leon made some fantastic hits later in their career so I might listen to one of their later albums to see where they developed to.
pitkätukkaset, paskiaiset. tietää että rämputtaa kitaraa, koko kädellä. ylhäältä alas rämp rämp rämp rämp rämp.. ei mitään finessiä, koska taitoa ei löydy. leikkaa lettisi, saatanan anglikaani... ja mussutuslaulua, mussuttaa samalla kun laulaa.. MITÄ HELVETTIÄ? onneksi nykyään miehet on miehiä... eikä mitään tollasia. olen kuullut bändistä aikaisemminkin. odotuksena tuuri juuri sitä mitä odotin, paskaa. tältä kuulostaa paskat rolling stones albumit, varmaan paras kings of leon albumi happy alone
Very very good
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.
This record kicks off with a bang, the energetic “Red Morning Light”. Very fun rocker, nice clean sound. And it keeps on going in the right direction. This reminds me a little of looseness of the Stone’s “Exile on Main Street”, with a bit more Black Crowes feel. But higher energy. Not a huge fan of the singer, but it doesn’t detract. Would like to hear a bit more bass and a bit less snare drum, but that’s just me. This’ll rate another listen. 4/5
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.
Very nice album - I like it. Great debut!
I've never really listened to Kings of Leon, and they kinda suck.
Not my cup of tea
A bit too loud for my taste, but not unbearable.
Like being a sophomore in college all over again.
Couldn't finish. Singer is just awful
Definitely a high point for me for Kings of Leon. Much more raw and rocking than their later stuff. Only downside is the lead singer sounds like he has a mouth of marbles for many of the songs.
Okay…
Though the instrumentation is much better than the top-40 friendly soft rock of their later releases, that simply gives the frontman more of the spotlight to show how awful of a vocalist he is. Found myself enjoying some halfway-decent (if not terribly inspired) rock riffs only for Elvis Costello Jr. to come croaking onto the track and ruin the momentum.
Marginally better than their later stuff
Not as good as last Kings of Leon album
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
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Easy listening vibes but upbeat and fun. Nothing overly memorable but the album was a great backdrop to some chores and a dog walk. Just faded into the day really easy. Jumping back and forth between a 3 or 4 since nothing jumped out but really enjoyed.
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
A lot of old brit rock and punk influences came together to make something worse than all of them
I chuckled at the sight of this cover next to the release date It was decent at times, but the bad songs are kinda annoying
listened to this halfassed but what I heard wasnt good enough for me to give it a re-listen with a fair attempt
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.
I’d heard of the band but had never heard anything from them. Until now. Put the MC5, New York Dolls, Tom Petty and Lynyrd Skynyrd in a blender (maybe throw in the Stones too) and what do you get in the hands of this band? You guessed it: Crap. With maybe an OK song or two. Maybe.
This is my second Kings of Leon album in as many days. I had another one a couple of months ago. Why there are three albums by this band on this list is truly beyond me. Now my streaming service of choice is going to think I like this band. They are boring, basic, early 2000s indie/alternative rock with a southern rock influence. The music itself isn't bad; it's not terribly good or groundbreaking either. But the thing I've had the biggest issue with is their singer. The vocal choices he makes are absolutely confounding. The affectation is over the top and the delivery sounds intentionally lazy. It doesn't come off as endearing; it comes off somewhere between a bad Ronnie Van Zant impersonation and drunken bar warbling.
I hadn't heard of them before and don't recall hearing their music in the past, either. I gave it a listen and they are very skilled musicians. Some of the tracks are alright to my ear, but something about them -- might be the vocalist? plus maybe a couple of other aspects -- just doesn't quite click with me.
This is really a band finding themselves. You can hear the influence of The Strokes and The Modern Lovers. It's pretty good, but they definitely developed their own voice better on later albums.
Oh hell yea Kings Of Leon were my band for while in the 2000s into the 2010s. Come Around Sundown was maybe the last new album I bought on CD (at my beloved MusicWorld). Wild how they were a band that didn’t really last past that era though, even though they are putting out new music and are seemingly trying to build an audience on TikTok. This album is amazing. I go back and forth on which of their four albums are their best. This pretty much keep the momentum throughout so this is a likely winner.
I guess I've never actually heard Kings of Leon before. I've only heard OF Kings of Leon. Because I didn't realize that they didn't have a singer, just a... talker. I gotta be honest, at first I was really put off by these punk-style talk vocals laid on top of mostly chill, but intricate instrumentals. But it grew on me. To the point where I went back and gave the whole thing a relisten. The second time through, I was struck by how incredible the musical performances are underneath these weird vocals and bumped my evaluation up a whole two stars. There is some really great stuff here once you get used to the oddness of it.
Groovy and rocking. 4 stars.
This feels like the Kings of Leon I know well (Only By The Night) but with a little less refinement. My listen tracks perfectly with the timeline of their albums too. Still really enjoyed this! 4.5
Just sounds like a shitter Tom Petty
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.
GREAT ALBUM
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.
Well, consider me a convert from the 'Good music hasn't been made since before 2000' club. Kings of Leon 'Youth And Young Manhood' is a refreshing, fun listen. 4/5.
Youth and Young Manhood caught me off guard with how much I enjoyed it. I was familiar with Kings of Leon’s more prominent radio songs off their Only by Light release and wasn’t too into it. This release still has the polished sound Only by Light has but seems to carry more raw energy and fun jangles that would fit right into a venue with sawdust on the dance floor. Lead singer Caleb Followill really won me over on this release, he has the swagger of a true rock frontman and this release is not lacking jams, the band is tight all way thru and the energy doesn’t dip. Great rock album 4 stars
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
2 stars. It's fine.
Great trip down memory lane. Loved their early sound.
Did not like at all
My first Kings of Leon album. It's not bad, not particularly memorable, but they do their thing well.
Great album
Talihina Sky Preciosa.
Very lively. Nice sound. The lead singer doesn't have a range, but he has a quality. Very guitar heavy.
Just a huge series of bangers
another 3. actually surprised i didnt give this a 2 because i hate this band generally.
Couldn't get into their early stuff. 2/5
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
It was okay, would give it three stars but then the last song came and now it’s four after all
This album is some nice southern rock that is the south’s equivalent of The Strokes. I used to hate the vocalist when I listened to Sex on Fire, but now I kinda think his voice fits more with the vibes of this album than that song. 4.4/5 Fav: “Happy Alone” Least Fav: “Trani”
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
I hadn’t heard of KoL until sex on fire. Very interesting to hear their early work which sounds a bit less refined but more rockier. I really liked it.
Bland guitar rock with grating vocals. Never understood the appeal of this band and this album only made my opinion of them worse.
Dull as heck. Why recommend this one when it's neither their best nor their most popular album?
If you actually like rock, you won’t like this.
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
Sort of Southern rock's equivalent of The Strokes. The aesthetic is loose but the overall effect is actually quite tight and polished. Spawned quite a lot of pale imitations but this is a very good, consistent record.
I've never really been the biggest fan of Kings of Leon, this album definitely backs this statement up. I felt each track sounded very similar to the last, making my listening experience rather boring. Not to mention, I cannot stand the frontman's vocals; it sounds as if he's screaming with a bunch of marbles in his mouth. Long story, short, this album is just a bunch of distorted noise.
I wasn’t really sure where this band came from when they had gotten as big as they did - but I always enjoyed listening to them as I did this album. Solid rock and roll that leans on the band’s southern rock roots. Will listen again.
8/10 versatile and interesting
Jak porter band
Not as grating to my nerves as other albums of theirs, probably because the lead singer was more subdued.
Nice, but not notable.
Wow, forgettable.
4.5 :)
definitely music for the young man
I alternated between really liking this and really not. Was surprised at how extreme both thoughts were, but I think it weighed more heavily on not liking. Some of the songs were so messy. I do love a family band though, and this is comprised of three brothers and a cousin! Two stars.
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.
What an incredibly surprisingly album, really it's average rock with an odd singer but infectious energy pushes this up. If I wasn't in the mood this would be a low 3. When in the mood songs like "Joe's Head" really hit for me. 4
Surprisingly pretty good 3/5
1s listen Liked it more than what I heard of them on the radio 3.5
There is a received wisdom that KoL were good in their early days, but declined when they went mainstream and got popular. This, their debut album, blows that theory out of the water and proves they were pretty bad from day one. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Red Morning Light Date listened: 21/12/23
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.
I like this one. Had heard a few of their songs before. Really liked this.
Garage rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Super fun! Definitely good ol' indie rock with a Southern influence. I liked the energy and song writing. Definitely want to revisit more of Kings of Leon.
The singer of Kings of Leon just isn’t for me, and the music behind him is very generic sounding as well. 2/5.
Don’t think it was Wasted Time listening to this album in the Red Morning Light. I liked it, but not as Genius as some of their other albums.
eh, nothing special
Je ne me souvient pas de grand chose. Et je suis de mauvaise humeur ce matin
Kings of Leon is equivalent to the what Sbarro is to pizza.
The music is fine, but the vocals really start to grate.
Second album of theirs i'm listening too. They've worn on me. I think i like their other album less now too.
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
Not my bag.
não tinha direito de ser tão bom. Quando bandas fazem um álbum simples com bom rock, não tem muito erro. Aí os cara vão e me meter umas música pretensiosa como Sex is on Fire num álbum futuro e acaba com a reputação
ok
This album is no longer in the latest edition of the book.
Decent debut.
Fav songs: California Waiting, Talihina Sky. It was fine album but not what I would to play it again.
I really thought I would like this album because I’ve heard some of their other songs, and was looking forward to a whole album of them but genuinely this was awful. A real turning point for me was the song Trani, and at that point, I realized I hate this band. I don’t know if this was a really big selling album but all I know is that it’s terrible.
Man I hate the lazy and over-affected vocal style here. Objectively I could see why ppl like it - but I am not one of those people. Our 2nd Kings of Leon record for some reason. I grew up on rock and really wanted to like these guys when they came out, and I have tried again, and i'm more than underwhelmed. Or less-than. I'm whelmed. No great or witty critiques here - they're like a better-tempo White Stripes with a bass player. I hate the White Stripes. I'll grade accordingly. But I actually really hate it. 3/10 2 stars.
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.
TIL that the KOL are all related. I also learned that they've been around for almost 20 yrs and their roots are more Southern Rock, Garage Rock with blues influences, a far cry from say Sex on Fire. This is one of their earliest albums so understandably their sound has evolved significantly over the years. That being said, this album was a bit too raw and unpolished for my tastes.
a bit generic and boring
I continue to be amazed there are more KoL records on here. Surely I've hit the last one? This album is loose, in a "fuck around and expect nothing" sense. The vocal delivery, as a mouth filled with marbles, wore on me quite quickly, and the music wasn't really enough to make up for it. It escapes the graveyard because, as with the other releases, I've found one or two tracks that genuinely rock, but it was the closest one to death out of the three. Favorite track: "Molly's Chambers"
Rock
I had no idea they had been around this long. This album was alright.
Fairly good musically, but his voice was painful at times
Very raw and unfinished sound
Actually way better than I expected, not a fan of their later stuff as much, but this rocks!
There are short passages that are pretty cool but for the most part it was not interesting. And the vocals well .....
This is pretty plain. The kings of leon have two songs that are kinda hot, and those two are from 5 years later. This is just... The American equivalent of Powderfinger, and not as good
Full of energy, probably from amphetamines, this a genuinely great debut. Some of the lyrics are a bit dated these days. The music has a redneck jangle that is irresistible in the right setting.
This is the Kings I remember before they got pretty and had their sex be on fire
It was good .. need to be in the right mood! 3 stars
Young rock from the 2000s. Nice and energetic. Not perfect but pretty cool.
Liked this, had only heard a few kings of Leon songs before this. Good stuff
5/10
If I wanted to listen to Absolute Radio I just would: jokes aside this wasn't that bad. I have to say the vocals do start getting slightly jarring towards the tail end on the album but it felt just like a solid all-round album. The songs sounded familiar and they just kinda banged. Yk what I have to say I weirdly enjoyed it.
A little dull truth be told. I think they might be a band that is better seen live in concert.
Good example of the early 2000s revival of the classic rock sounds. The lead singer's voice is annoying as a boil on your rear. The babyish indie boy vocal style sucks horribly.
I had never listened to Kings of Leon before, and they were very different than I was expecting. But this album is great - I really enjoyed it.
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.
Knowing what I know of the last few albums from KOL, this sounds nothing like them. I didn’t look into it, but I think they found new producers for the future albums because this album seems very amateur. Also has some full blown Bob Dylan vibes, which is probably why I didn’t really like it. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Wasted
expected to like this more. I think the vocals really just dont work for me
It stands up pretty well, but Im sure he's putting that accent on!
I was hoping this was David Gates and Bread. Maybe it was the album cover.
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
Æji, þetta er ekkert voðalega gott.
nothing wrong with this album, fast and poppy. just not my mood today.
Yllättävää, että on tällä listalla, eikös tämä ole debyytti? Miksi juuri tämä levy? Pidän kyllä kovasti Kings of Leonin eteläisestä tyylistä, aurinkoista (pienellä mustalla huumorilla) ja autotallista. Tää levy ei kyllä ole mieleenpainuva, ei iskeviä biisejä. Kuuntelin Aha Shake Heartbreakin perään.
Taitava ja aikalaisiaan tyylitajuisempi bändi saa levydiiliin ja puskee ulos LP:n, jolle ei ole ehtinyt tai osannut säveltää kovin ihmeellisiä kappaleita, mutta joka ei ole myöskään paska, ja joka varmasti välittää jotain siitä livetunnelmasta, joka nosti sen suosituksi yliopisto-opiskelijoiden ja alakulttuureihin kuulumattomien rockin ystävien parissa.
Wow this album was a real surprise treat. This is not the Kings of Leon I know! The “Use Somebody” / “Sex is on Fire” overplayed and overhyped pop rock band has its origins in some really jammy 70s-rock-esque tracks that I really enjoyed. I would absolutely put this album into my rotation, and I particularly loved “Holy Roller Novocaine,” which I do feel like I’ve heard before but it was great to re-experience here. I’m sad this band on this album did not end up becoming the Kings of Leon that exists today, because this shit rocked.
Hard one to rate. On one hand it was a simple and normal rock with a lot of country influence, but on the other hand it's quite an achievement from a bunch of teenagers. Couple nice solos, good flow of the album, perfect summer record. Well, let it be 4 stars, why not.
I enjoyed it way more than I thought it would!
"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
Wel een oké album, werd er niet echt warm of koud van
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 🌵🌵🌵
A lot different than I expected. Greta debut. Reminded me of Dylan folk.
Pretty solid album for its time. They were better before they went commercial
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 need to listen to this again but for now it gets a light 4 mostly based on how strange it was. Not at all what I expected. Pretty cool 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
I expected this to sound much more like their later hit album that put them on the commercial map. This rocked harder and with more of a southern edge to it (although some of it did remind me a bit of the Strokes). Liked it enough to download.
So much better than I expected this to be. Wow. Great rock and roll that sounds classic yet modern, and a totally different sound than their poppier 2009 smash (which I also like). His voice was awesome and this just fun to hear.
A couple of good tracks, but generally not my style.
Ze hebben dan echt een plaatje waarbij alles goed valt, maar dat is niet deze; Van dit stoort alles me, de zang nog het meeste. Opkrassen aub!
Dat uitgerekend deze dan in de lijst komt, terwijl hun latere werk veel beter is.
Ik mag die gasten wel.
Te doen. Zanger had wat minder mogen jammeren.
I wondered if this might make the list. I long for the days of old KoL.
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.
Liked this band a lot around 2004-05 but after that the vocals quickly became very irritating. Vocals are not great on Youth And Young Manhood either, and after the previous 1001 album (NYD debut), the album sounds rather boring. But overall this is still a very solid southern rock album of course. score in 2004: 9/10 score in 2023: 7/10.
Overall, I liked this collection of very catchy upbeat southern rock tunes. There are one or two less compelling songs, though, and the vocals are getting a little too screamy in some places.
Thoroughly enjoyable album from the early years of this brother-band.
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
Ganske irriterande
Good rock'n'roll
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.
Overall it was ok
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
I feel like Jeff Winger when he found out the study group was abbreviating Barenaked Ladies' name. Wow, three albums for Kings of Leon, really? They're so fundamental that we're celebrating their debut album? Call me a selfish, jaded ass, but that's too much. Best track: Joe's Head
Oh ok. So the debut was also in the book once. Quickly revisit my notes from the second album, I mentioned hearing snippets of this on adverts lots, and "...affected singing....mildly bluesy rock quite boring...like a less good Strokes...won't be bothering listening to the debut..." So I guess I was wrong on that last one. Everything else? Check, check, check. If it wasn't annoying it was just on. Open your fucking mouth properly, man. Mind you when he did, we got that Sex on Fire toilet stuff.
Not what I expected by a long shot. It's a cool mix of like Velvet Underground, Oasis, The Ramones, and even some AC/DC. Really dig it.
Kind of blah...never could really get into them. 2/5
Ok, nothing added to the playlist
Great first album. Shame they went down hill quickly from here and just became a commercial band focussed on money making
The vocalist is pure angst
LOVE THE OLD STUFF!
4/10. Not great
This actually really stunk. Did not like the vocals at all. 4/10
Definitely not bad. Most surprising find so far
Two entries for this crappy band whose 15 minutes of fame have long been over? Why???
Swagger, straight up rock n roll. A stepping stone to their killer era.
Overall decent album but absolutely loved Red Morning Light. First song I’ve downloaded so far! Insanely good intro to the album but nothing really matched it subsequently.
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.
great job then, almost last good
I can't fucking stand this baby talk vocal thing that's happening here. Can't get past it. I got three songs in. I did what I could, guys. God speed.
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, here’s what I know: rock n’ roll must have been in a really weird damn place in 2003 for how much hype was given to records that absolutely do not hold up twenty years later. My memory is that this is one of those albums from an American band that did well everywhere except America, which makes perfect sense that it’s included on this list. But oh man did it annoy me. You know that one song where the singer was basically screaming? It made me cringe inside my soul, and I still think it might be the best moment on the record. It’s safe as hell and basically a Coldplay song, but I would rather listen to “Use Somebody” a dozen times in a row than hear some of these songs more than twice.
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
oh i did not care the lead vocals one bit. they quite ruined this album for me. i guess outside of the vocals, the music was ok. tolerable. it just sounded like a repeat of garage rock in the seventies. youth and young manhood was a slog. i've rated better albums a 2, so we're in 1 territory.
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
This album is fucking awesome, I am bias and I will fight you if you disagree.
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.
I've always thought these guys were comically overrated, even before the whole Sex on Fire thing. They just do nothing interesting, and the dude's over the top accent is so grating.
One of my favorites back in the day
Garage rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Talihina Sky Preciosa.
Who would have thought that a bunch of country boys that had been the backing band for their holy-rolling Dad's revival tent tours, would one day break out and make a dixie punk band!? Their sound has matured and evolved over the years, but what an exciting debut this must've been for them.
This came out during a period in my life when I couldn't afford CD's or even the Internet for a bit there. So I missed the garage rock thing. It flashed so fast that by the time I would have gotten into it, it was over. I only share that to say that I had never heard this before but only by coincidence. I like the Hives and The Vines okay I guess but I haven't much history with any of them. Why does every song have the same rhythm? Like drums and guitars are the same rhythm for 75% of this record. Cutting to the chase, this is not good. It's super bland, the guitars sound like shit, and there is nothing here to hook anyone.
My favorite Kings of Leon, when they were raw, hillbilly-sounding rock. Everything later was more polished and produced. Still great, but this first album is the most fun.
Go to your dad's car and find his CDs. I guaranteed you can find something better than what's in this album. You've heard this kind of rock before in bars, parties, and festivals. The lead singer has the voice and charisma of a goldfish with the band providing filler instrumentals. There's no passion to it; one song leads into the next and some do sound different (especially the pop sounding songs on here). It's by the numbers southern rock about the sad things in life. It's not enough to get a recommend from me though. Spend your time with something else.
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.
I still can't stand the singer's voice from the last time you shoved a Kings of Leon at me. The band has had its time under the sun, the world has moved on.
I almost couldn't bring myself to type the name of the album into Skype. Who named this? Anyway, better than I expected. Moved right along in a sprightly manner. The band is spot on. The singer is ... a bit much. 3.5 rounding up for energy.
An album i enjoyed returning to! A little confused why it’s on this list tho.
can't bring myself to care about this
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.
Very generic mid-2000s rock. I'd heard a few of these, you know, they're fine, but I can't see how they've achieved a billion streams on one of their tunes. The singer had the sound of a less committed Damon Albarn.
Rock sin excesivas complicaciones. En ocasiones, algún toque country. Buena voz y guitarras, aunque no ha terminado de gustarme. Le ha faltado algo
quirky white girl anthem, coming thru.
Meh. Some of it was Ok but quite samey.
This is much better than the "Aha Shake Heartbreak" I received some months ago on the 1001 list. It's still not so remarkable, and it will be lost in the history of indie rock from the 2000s, but it's unfair to rate it with three stars when compared with the "Aha Shake Heartbreak." I'll rate it with 4 stars, but with some effort and considering the best songs, it's a 3.5 album.
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.
Yes yes yes. No nonsense, full energy, distinct style. Came through like a breath of fresh air at the time. I saw them live after this album, then after then album that followed. The first gig they literally said nothing between the songs. Absolutely loved it. The second gig you could tell they hit the big time as they had a glitter ball on stage and I think they may have introduced themselves!
Didn't really like this album. Not my favorite kind of music.
Painfully boring. Annoying vocals and cliche instrumentation. Feels like the mix between Lynyrd Skynyrd, The White Stripes, and The Strokes went rancid in the fridge. And those were all, at best, 3s themselves. Cold garbage, solid 1.0
J'ai trouvé ca super rafraîchissant même si c'est une recette plus à l'ancienne Je ne croyais pas que ce bande faisait ce style 5 4.90
'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.
I hear that this is the best of KoL and that this is before they got all commercial and shit. I also hear that this was great in context after a lot of bland guitar music along came the White Stripes and these guys and loads of others... White Stripes YES I get it it's so so cool and I can get why people were so buzzed when they came along but this just no. I don't see it. I'd suggest it's maybe not as cool as people thought it was even at the start when they were apparently at their best! BLEH
Such a great album! I wish they'd kept up with this feel more in later years. Just so much more fun! Upbeat and solid rock, but still airs of pop that would be accessible to a lot of people.
Definitely the best Kings of Leon album. Such a belter. Before they got really bad, this is such a nice fresh, simple sound.
A timely reminder that the Kings of Leon didn’t always suck.
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.
Didn’t like them then, don’t like them now.
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
A fantastic album, been listening to it for years. Favourite tracks are: 'Red Morning Light,' 'Molly's Chambers,' 'Holy Roller Novocaine' & 'Talihina Sky'
Such a solid record
Quite liked this one.
Couldn't get past the main singer's voice. It's so weepy, moany, and slurs his words so hard it's difficult to make out a single word out of it
Liked the rawness of this one, better than the my ass is on fire vibe
Kinda bleh
Love this album
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.
Way more enjoyable than their follow-up album, inexplicably on this list. An entertaining southern rock album full of energy and a bit of grit.
Not as bad as I was thinking that it might be. 3.5 bumped to 4 because I went in with a bad attitude towards the band and got humbled
As someone that’s only listened to the biggest hits of kings of leon, this album was more interesting from the perspective of being a blueprint for the magnum opus work later in the decade that they would come out with. Outside of that, this is an unapologetically early 2000s alternative rock album that has a couple of duds but is still a fine listen. Holy roller novocaine is probs my favorite.
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.
Really liked this album. It had me wanting more and had me going to Only By the Night. I think its a 5
Not really a fan of this one.
odd vocalist paired with southern rock is not a recipe to make me happy.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Red morning light, Happy alone, Wasted time, California waiting, Molly’s chamber, Holy roller novocaine
“California Waiting”, “Red Morning Light”, “Trani”, “Talihina Sky” Heard Kings of Leons songs on the radio for 15 yrs, accepted I’ll never understand anything he sings without a lyric sheet It rocks and it rolls, I had a good enough time (though sometimes I got a craving for a Tom Petty song while listening) June 29, 2023
I've never been able to get behind their vibe and I won't lie, I skipped through a lot of this. It feels like a slightly more modern version of The Black Crowes which is really not something that we need.
23rd June 2023 Listened while driving to camping with Joe and Adna outside Leicester. One of the cornerstones of my teenage years, an absolute stone cold banger.
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?
They were a band that came to prominence at a time where I was busy with work and schooling and didn’t have time for new music. I like what I hear here so probably missed out on something I might have loved.
Je m'en fouuuus
PREFS : Red Morning Light, Happy Alone, California Waiting MOINS PREF : Trani
Not sure why this is on here. Mediocre Edit: don't like at all but listened to it all so it gets a 2.
The “sheltered religious brothers and cousins who finally hear a rock album and form a band” narrative when this came out was an overly-referenced and cynical marketing ploy. But that doesn’t take away from what a great album this is. The next one is pretty good, too, but it’s a bummer that everything after is terrible. The “southern Strokes” or “punk-y Credence” labels were easy shorthand to describe them; at the time this was a really exciting and cool sound. There’s a jaggedness and also a jangle to these songs that are great, and that is missing on the blandly pleasing “arena rock anthem” albums they’d eventually make. I never think to play this album anymore. I’m glad this website led me back to it. 4.5
chill, good garage rock sound, not a lot of very catchy songs or strong energy
Rock
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.
Not for me
Iets meer rockabilly dan ik dacht dat ze waren. Goed album met een paar toffe riffs
this was a weird inclusion but interesting to hear. that being said, a lot of ASS songs on here. If you can't play the blues, don't???
Just such a meh album.
Okay but kind of a wanna be for me. Not a lot of substance to go with the style.
Idk what I expected, but it was definitely not a gruff, punk album. Its got some surf rock, it's got some stomp and holler, its not by any means revelatory. Crazy that these guys blew up thanks to a few songs on their 4th album. Not a bad listen, but idk why it's on here
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
Some bland rock. Nothing more to say
Hands down their best album. I mean COME ON these songs are so EXCITING! They captured a raw energy that was still present in their second album, but by albums 3 and 4 had shifted into something else - not something bad, but something different and less magical that what they captured here on their debut. I watched some YouTube video the other day where they attributed the shift in sound to opening up for U2 on tour, which made a lot of sense to me. They were new to big arenas, and after listening to U2 play mid tempo rock arena jams night after night, how could their sound not change? So what they captured on this album was a specific moment in time in their development, and I'm glad we have it. I love ALL of these songs and will continue to come back to this album as I have over many years.
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.
Not my fortè, but was still a good album. I can see why it is under “essential”. Gives me almost punk-folk vibes. Very jumpy, great guitar melodies and vocals to match up with it. My personal favorite from this album is “Dusty”. Great sequence.
3 really like it