Aha Shake Heartbreak is the second studio album by American rock band Kings of Leon. It was first released in Europe on November 1, 2004, then in the United States on February 22, 2005, with alternate cover artwork. It is the only album by Kings of Leon to have a Parental Advisory label, because of profanity in "Taper Jean Girl", "Rememo", "Soft", and "Four Kicks". The U.S. album cover is reminiscent of Queen's A Night at the Opera. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks" and "King of the Rodeo" were released as singles in the UK. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 74, based on 31 reviews, which indicates it received "generally favorable reviews". Rolling Stone listed it as the 39th best album of its decade, and it was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
a 7/10 album that loses 2 stars for having the worst fucking singer I’ve ever heard in my life, jesus christ I hope his fucking balls get crushed zero variation too, it’s like he just found the single most annoying sound he could make with his voice and made an entire career out of it 3/10
I liked this a lot more than I expected. I guess all I've heard by them is that Sex on Fire song which I don't care for. I thought there was something vaguely evangelical about them or that they were what Foo Fighters fans listened to when they were feeling "arty" ( I kid, the Foo Fighters are great) but this is some solid slightly psychedelic, slightly cock rocky, slightly southern, rock and roll music, sung with kind of a weird accent. Also, am I the first person to get this album? There don't seem to be any reviews or even an average rating. I'm giving it a 4.
Songs about being horny
Oh, this one is so boring! I like some things from Kings of Leon, but this album is so background your brain ignores it completely.
Oh man, I hadn't listened to this album in probably ten years or so, and I forgot how much I loved it. My first exposure to KoL was probably when "Sex is on Fire" was getting played non-stop on the local alternative rock station. I hated that song so much, but my cousin persuaded me to check out some of KoL's older catalog, so I bought Aha Shake Heartbreak, and absolutely fell in love. The first three tracks are just absolute perfection, closing out their incredible run with "Taper Jean Girl," which has my favorite drumming of the whole album. The guitar on "Taper Jean Girl" is perfect too, and I can't help but bob my head along each time I listen. As much as I love the first three tracks, "The Bucket" is my favorite track on the album; the drum fills during the chorus, combined with the high-pitched guitars provide the perfect contrast to their counterparts during the verses. I feel like KoL set the perfect blueprint for other established Indie rock artists like The Black Keys and Portugal. The Man to break into the mainstream. I know that Caleb Followill's vocals aren't for everyone, but I really love his singing on this album, especially on "Day Old Blues;" there's just such a unique timbre to his voice that I really enjoy. For me, this album is the picture perfect example of Indie Rock from the aughts, right up there with "Is This It" and "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning."
It was fun, and had some good songs, but so much of the album felt like them trying their very best to be a Strokes knockoff.
So this is how the Kings of Leon started out... as another nameless indie rock band. No real surprise lol. It's "bluesy" and "southern rock" in that way people say Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is: not at all, but hipsters need to pretend they're listening to more than just nameless indie rock. Singer is pretty bad, guess he took lessons at some point after this album. Not that he's exactly Pavarotti now, but there's been a marked improvement. This was short enough and didn't honestly suck, but we all know it's a retroactive addition based on their later success. Wouldn't ever listen again, and I don't like their later stuff either, but it's a safe 3/5.
Sounded like horny rock the whole time: like I guess it wasn't that bad with a decent beat to it and a nice guitar BUT it sounded so late 00's early 10's and I wasn't a fan of that. It just hasn't aged very well for my ears and almost was underwhelming as to what I thought it could be, a half decent modern rock album. Alas it was mid and nothing could save it from that fact.
When I saw the name I groaned. I think it might have aged well which is unusual given it was a Beaujolais rather than a Bordeaux.
Had no idea that was the name of this album. Devastated to realise this is nearly 20 years old too... I bet they'd be great fun to see at a festival but I can't see myself thinking "Ooh you know what, I'm going to put on some Kings of Leon, that'll hit the spot"
I don't know why this guy sings so unintelligibly. I think I prefer their later output, but this was fine.
3.0 - Seeing one KOL record on this list felt surprising, two borders on lunacy. While I do like the Strokes-esque guitar work on here, the mumble-babble vocals do nothing to elevate any of these songs beyond a few occasional head bops.
I’m not sure where Leon is but they need to violently overthrow the monarchy
La 31eme écoute est la meilleure
Surprising for what I've always thought of as a pop rock band. More blues, great lyrics, great vocals! Thoroughly enjoyed!
Really, really ,really enjoyed listening to this
Top dit! Vette, originele sound, leuke nummers. Jammer dat ze later zo zijn afgez(w)akt.
Wow, that was an amazing listening. I really loved it from start to end, I like the vibe so much. The rythm of the album is super good and it alternates calmer moments with catchy parts. Favorite Tracks : Soft, Four Kicks Rating : 4.5 / 5
Love this album. There are some super fun songs, mixed with more mellow and reflective tracks.
This is an album that you have to let grow on you. I didn’t understand it fully when I heard it as a good, but I thought it was unique and had a mystique to it. Caleb’s voice is mesmerizing to me, I think those who do not like it can consider their opinion valid, but I would credit the polarizing atmosphere of this album to the chances this album took, it’s like punk country. Small town Oklahoma boys, ripping up some guitar and laying some delicious drum fills to some expert bass lines and the vocals are not to be understood, but to be felt. It’s primal, and it’s fucking punk rock!
I had not listened to this album before, but I enjoyed it.
A great bridge between two eras of pop rock
The singer’s voice bothers me but I actually like some of the songs. 7/10
7/10. Quite enjoyable, but it all blended together
Never took the time to listen to these guys back in the day, but I think I should have. The main thing that keeps going through my head when listening to this is how good it would sound in a small to medium sized club. Production is perfectly stripped down. Feels genuinely soulful - which is a relatively rare quality in indie rock. Okay, I listened to some of their bigger hits which came later, not from this album, and now I know why I passed on them way back when: they have that melodramatic, overproduced sound that movie soundtracks and TV commercials love, and which I hate. But on this album at least, they got it right.
I'm a fan of King of Leon - yes, even their Sex on Fire era, as overblown as it was, but nothing they've done since really compares to their first couple albums (this one and Youth & Young Manhood). Raw, tight, gripping rock n roll. Caleb's unique voice and delivery helps set the band apart and define their sound. The album drags in a couple places but overall a great listen.
This one grew on me. By the end, I was sold on the whole vibe and feel of the album. It's strong and plays rough without being jagged and unpolished. The recording quality is maybe not the greatest but it also seems somewhat intentional so I can get behind it. I don't know, man. It was a pretty good time. It's nice to hear some rock and roll on this list again. It's been a while.
The much better end of Kings of Leon. I like this stuff but I do just get a negative feeling toward them from his voice because of the rubbish they churned out later.
Ah a great era of Kings of Leon! You love to hear it. Before they did what Coldplay and Biffy Clyro did and went on chugging out pop pleasers there were some really fun songs in here. Enjoyed this a lot
Fijn plaatje! Toen de Kings of Leon nog in hun opstartfase zaten en lekkere catchy en puntige rocksongs maakte. I.p.v. die aalgladde middle-of-the-road stadionrock van de latere jaren.
Oh to be 16 again. There's no way I can be impartial about this album because it was one of those that I listened to and loved as a teenager. And so every note has memories and emotions attached that have basically nothing to do with the album itself. And despite the 20 odd year gap, I still remember every note. Trying to be objective, I do really like this album. 4 kicks and The bucket are two standout songs, but there's not a bad song on the album. I know it's a bit rough, especially the vocals and there isn't perhaps a great variety in the music itself. But that's part of the charm, it's a good 00s indie rock album. It's probably a 3 star album, but I want to give it 5 stars for the memories. For 4 seems fair
Said it before on Kings of Leon missed them first time around. Probably would have loved them if I was more actively listening at the time.
I'm surprised to get two Kings of Leon albums and neither of them was the huge 2008 album that was super popular with my generation. Either way, this one was still really good with a good mix of emotional slow songs and some really fun fast-paced ones. I especially enjoyed King of the Rodeo and the Bucket. The previous album of theirs that I got came on after this one ended and I think I've grown to appreciate that one a bit more too.
I like it. I'm so tired of Sex on Fire that I just tuned out these guys, but they make some good music.
Feien evolució a petits pasos. Si el primer recuperava el rock de fortes arrels 70s, aquí ja començaven a deixar alguna pista del rock més contemporani i original que havien d'oferir molt aviat. Cançons més treballades, més madures i millor acabades que el debut
Guay, agradable.
Very good
I like it, although I prefer "Only By The Night" album.
This was better than expected. I can imagine that this sounded new back then. I kinda like Caleb's voice. Didn't know they were a family band, omg. Only knew their radio singles. + King Of The Radio + Taper Jean Girl + Pistol Of Fire + Milk + Day Old Blues + Razz
A nice and modern mixture of CCR and Zeppelin. It is a shame that they killed this vibe to be more mainstream.
a pretty good mid-00s indie rock album. despite it's relatively short length, there's not a lot of variation here. a lot of the songs sound the same and are sort of the same tempo and feel. it's not bad, but it doesn't make for a super compelling album. i had never listened to one of their albums before, so this was a new experience. i can't say that listening to this one is going to amount to me going out of my way for more, but it wasn't awful. it's in the realm of the music that i liked back then and still like, but it just doesn't fully click for me.
Nice sound
On the basis of only having heard this album by KOL, I think that a "best of" compilation would be a great album to have. This album has some good moments and a handful of great ones, but there is also - for a shortish album - too much filler.
j'ai moyennement aimé
Not sure how I feel about this one. It’s definitely interesting, but need to listen again. For now it’s 3 stars.
That was harder than I expected. Much less country jangly and engaging; much more gnarly and abrasive - in a good way, that is.
Ok I suppose, but nothing particularly exciting. I kept thinking how Sex On Fire or Use Somebody would liven things up, and when it ended Spitting Games by Snow Patrol came on next and instantly perked things up. Very 2000s album anyway.
It’s a great sound and when they write a tune it works. When they don’t it sort of drags.
Not as good as I expected
00’er pop rock, lidt skinger stemme, men ellers ok
I like some of this band’s stuff. I was rooting for this album, and it had its moments.
I was mildly impressed by the diversity of sound, but when the signature Kings of Leon sound is present, it sours a bit for me.
Great drums on Soft and Bucket. Musically this is superior. I get the complaint about the vocals but overall it holds up.
When the right thing is done almost correctly, this results: Soulless but quality songs. It's not a bad album, but totally forgettable.
Pop un tanto insustancial y sin demasiado ritmo. Voz distintita, pero le falta algo de fuerza y energía al disco. Aun así, se escucha bien
Decent southern rock album that personally could have done without some of the more raw signing
I love the voice and the rock is enjoyable, but nothing exceptional.
Definitely a band I'd enjoy live but not the sorta thing I wanna listen on my own much. I do like the rougher vocals on this early Kings of Leon album compared to "Sex is on Fire" era. Thing still feel a bit too indie-rock for me, that meaning it's a bit formulaic and the songs are just kinda there, nothing is really memorable here.
This is not as bad as I was expecting it to be. I am not sure what I thought this band was, but I didn't think they had a psuedo post-punk/garage revival sound. Seems like they are just a Poor Man's version of The Strokes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This was fine.
I really enjoyed this!! I didn't enjoy the first KOL album which I am told is when they were best (at the beginning), I thought I'd find this just as boring but it was much more catchy and interesting. I think if I'd found this when it came out I would have more memories attached and nostalgia and really love this now. However, now here we are in 2023 and I know KOL got shit so I'm not about to invest time into getting into it.
It’s solid but nothing special, I definitely prefer the first album 3/5
Ok. Good band.
Somehow a hard album to rate.... I kind of like it but after a 2nd listen it felt pretty bland with get repetitive instrumentals.... 2.5/5 leaning towards 3
Pas pire. J'ai aimé et c'est pas trop intense pour une enre de pop punk .. 3
Getting this album I thought, oh this must be the album with that Sex on Fire song and that other huge hit they had. Imagine my surprise when I didn't recognize any of the tracks and learned this came before that. I actually prefer the sound of this to their later more commercial stuff. However the singers voice really grated me on a couple of tracks
Average garage rock album with quite simple music and a singer whose voice distracts a lot from the music itself.
Bland
Die stem... soms geweldig, soms echt irritant. Verder tof, maar ik heb mijn hart al verloren aan een ander plaatje van ze en dit is zo'n bandje waarvan je maar ruimte hebt voor 1.
Like the other Kings of Leon album, I didn't enjoy the vocals. Also it was listenable to I guess? Still thought it was pretty meh. 2.5/5
decent rock album, not too notable to me.
I like the Kings of Leon and listened to their more popular later album when it came out. This one had some good spots, although there was something just slightly off about it for me. Not terrible, but not terribly great either.
I don't know this band but there is something about the name Kings of Leon that I find a little off-putting. I found the record at turns super-catchy-fun-rockabilly and then annoying. More fun than not, though.
This album was okay. The more I listened the less I found to really like.
I like Kings of Leon but a whole album starts to feel quite the same. 3*
Very generic. Not my tastes so I personally didn't enjoy it. I see the appeal though. 6/10
Went in expecting to hate this but it's very listenable. Not something I'm going to spin on the regular, but can understand their appeal a bit more now
Legal
this dudes voice lol
I didn't realize Kings of Leon were 3 brothers and a cousin. Interesting. Tim let's do it. The singers voice is kinda annoying. I like Taper Jean Girl and feel like I've definitely heard it before. Honestly not much else doing it for me on this record but I do enjoy some of the instrumentals a bunch.
Has an interesting folky/southern twang to what I expected to be a more generic rock album. Seems like they found some success with commercial alternative rock and ran with it, which is the Kings of Leon that I know. Pretty solid album. Not quite what I was expecting, but it is good.
This was just ok. All the songs kind of sound the same and there is little variety. Also I can't stand singers that mumble the whole god damn time and really takes away from the album. He's mumbling now on a studio album... imagine hearing him in concert. 5/10.
This is a Kings Of Leon record alright. They have never done much for me other than Your Sex Is On Fire, and this album so far is not doing much to change that. Their rock and roll is fine, but the lead singer sounds like his mouth is full of mothballs. What a bland time.
This is more raw and adventurous than I was expecting, since the only place I've ever heard them was Indie88. My co-judge likened the lead singer to Jonathon Richmond. He's both an asset and a liability, IMO.
Decent album but nothing special
Voice doesn't do it for me but couple of good tracks
There’s moments of some really solid guitar in this album and then some moments of chaos so I’m torn. I do like Kings of Leon’s later stuff a lot better.
Wow, I was not expecting this to be good. I actually thought this was pretty decent, I was very surprised.
There's a few Kings of Leon songs that I like but none of them are on this album. It's not terrible though, I was just expecting more.
A bit short Have other better albums
Heard of the band before, but didn’t know anything from the album. This was a nice surprise. Definitely a different band with a unique style and cadence. I thought it was a great listen. Favorite tracks: Soft, The Bucket, For Kicks, Slow Night So Long, King of the Rodeo, Taper Jean Girl, Milk. 3.5/5
I like their energy and the sound of the band. No big hits here but a good solid album.
These guys don't really move the needle for me in either direction, and nothing I heard here changed that. Best track: The Bucket
I'm not sure if his voice is genius or annoying, either way I'm pretty sure I didn't love this but didn't think it was terrible
3/13, 23%
Kannte von ihnen nur die zwei Singles Sex on Fire und Use Somebody. Das Album hat mir in weiten Teilen gut gefallen, der letzte Song, und vielleicht der vorletzte auch, hätten nicht sein müssen. Höre ich gerne wieder.
I listened to most of this whilst driving through Sheffield - a city I really don't know at all. As a result it's a bit of a blur if I'm honest. There were some nice moments, but I'll need to take the time to listen to this again perhaps to get a better impression
I like this. Less refined and catchy as the later album with Sex On Fire etc, but a good guitar sound reminiscent of The Strokes. Accomplished drumming and bass too. Singing is pretty rapid fire, but not unpleasant. High 3 stars.
Toimiihan tämä, 3/5. Mutta en kyllä tajua mitä tekee listalla.
Like every Kings of Leon song I’ve listened, it’s fine but something about them just doesn’t grab me. They sound empty, like they’re all surface with little substance
Love the music - unusual, interesting and engaging rock - but I dislike the vocal. Strange semi-Spanish accent very offputting.