Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Solid, if unspectacular, country and folk influenced southern rock. Not as urgent as their debut, and not as immediate as the follow up, but a fun, catchy, raucous and perhaps slightly overlooked work. A very solid 4 🌟 in my book!
Always enjoy KOL. Good groove.
Good! One star off for swears.
Classic
I love Kings Of Leon.. this is kinda an older stranger one
A series of bluesy garage revival tracks at the height of their fame. They've matured since their previous records with a more confident sound, yet they don't "sell out" with the over-the-top pop production of their later albums. Thus, this is them at their most genuine and consistent. It starts off with a strong first half with many great hits. Only forgettable track is "Pistol of Fire". Unfortunately, the second half takes a big hit. Besides the highlights like "Four Kicks", most of it were decent at best. I was thankful it was only 37 minutes cause I couldn't imagine sticking around much longer. They aren't bad songs, which is why I'm still giving it a 4, but it's unremarkable.
Not sure why this made the list over Only By The Night. Not their best work but I can't complain.
I've never heard of a more apt description of the Kings of Leon they are definitely the "Southern Strokes" but it is so fitting, particularly for this album, and the time it was released. Whilst I am a little more partial to their 2008 Only By The Night Album, Aha Shake Heartbreak is still a great outing. You can't really go past the distinctive voice of Caleb which is strangely comforting, yet giving power as needed. Best: The Bucket Worst: Rememo
Rock alternativo. No sé si ni fu ni fa o un 4. Venga, un 4 por el espíritu navideño de este día.
Guay, agradable.
How is this 19 years old, and what happened to this band after this album?!
Little whiney but the kind of rock I like
I used to this a lot when I was at uni, I would have thought the first album would be a better one to have on this list? It's a collection of better songs in my mind (this is the second one right?). This one is ok though.
4.5
I like this band. Never heard of them before. They are pretty good
Great album, musically speaking, I like their style. But I find the singer’s voice (Caleb Followill) mildly annoying, so they lost one star for that.
Sure, they sounded like The Strokes and The Black Crows had a love child, but I like The Strokes and The Black Crows. Though the eventually turn into mainstream rock darlings, this version of the band still is quite dirty and gets by on swagger and good ol' Southern boogie. Good fun with a six-pack of PBR in tow.
Tässä on menoa ja chilliä vibaa 🤌🏼 Taas sziget musaa, nice
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Slow night so long, Pistol of fire, Soft, Day old blues
This was a great trip down memory lane
Rock alternativo. No sé si ni fu ni fa o un 4. Venga, un 4 por el espíritu navideño de este día.
I liked. This. A lot more than I expected to.
Decent enough. Quite a bit different from what I expect from Kings of Leon, almost a mix between the garage rock of The Strokes and the silliness/funk of RHCP. I think the biggest letdown is the lyrics throughout the album since, like RHCP, they’re really all over the place and head scratching. 7/10
A classic for folk rock (i think). Kings of leon at their most original and abrasive sound. Some songs are hard bangers.
MY YOUTH, BABY!!
better than i remembered. In hindsight it would have been nigh on impossible to write something as good as youth and young manhood.
Good
There are some phenomenal tracks on this album. Taper Jean Girl, Razz, Pistol of Fire, Four Kicks and The Bucket have such hypnotic energy. These boys used to know how to write banging tunes. Also, they really know how to end their songs (guitar solo outro on Pistol of Fire as a great example) No slow fade outs just brilliant crescendos. I had to argue with my son and his KOL Suoerfan girlfriend about why I still couldn’t give it a 5 rating despite how much I adore most of this album. It’s because…. I can’t understand a fucking word Caleb sings, and lyrics mean a lot to me. He has a great tone and rasp to his voice but boy does he mumble. Or is that just a southern drawl? Later albums don’t seem so bad on that front. Either he learnt how to enunciate properly, or the recording / production improved. I did some more research on the song lyrics to try and learn what I was missing out on. Having read them, I’m largely still none the wiser about what he’s on about, and the bits I do understand are often a bit questionable. For example, the track ‘Soft’….. hmmm…. a song about drug induced erectile dysfunction my teenage son explains. That wasn’t awkward at all. And there’s also the track ‘Milk’. Just painful, yet they still manage a great outro! I’ll stick with my 4 rating and will continue to dance like nobody is watching whenever I play ‘Taper Jean Girl’. The Kings of Mumble Rock used to be an epic band and this is still a phenomenal album.
Ah the Follow-through brothers, what is it with Americans and their family bands? This has always been a put off for me for giving these a chance. The main issue with this lot is with Celeb's odd vocal style, but why do I? Probably unconscious bias again, being Americans and a sniff of inbreeding possibly? Maybe, maybe not. That said, I did come across them with 'The Bucket' when it was released, which I thought was pretty good at the time, then promptly forgot/ deliberately ignored them until they forced themselves into the collective public consciousness with that hideous 'Sex on Fire' song. On occasion I've wondered why they made it in the UK before the US, and after a brief enquiry, I may know now - they are hardly your average Nashville product. So definitely No Grand Ole Opry for this lot, must have made them a right buch of outcasts in Nashville, so im guessing Caleb chose a singing style far removed from your average musically inclined resident of that god-forsaken city. Discovering this fact has now made me much more amenable towards them! Anyway, had this in my collection for an eternity and now a have a reason to dig it out. It's actually pretty good and I can appreciate their talent as musicians, if not singers. It's a solid album, the best being; 'The Bucket', 'Pistol of Fire' and 'Rozz' and the garage rock sounding 'Four Kicks'. It's the sound of four brothers having a great time before the pressures of fame forced them to be more radio friendly. I really don't know what to give this in my enlightened state, this being a true benefit to doing this albums challenge. A generous low 4.
A lovely album, not mind blowing genius or trailblazing innovation, but well made, catchy, well sung and interesting to listen to. I can't really fault it.
Great album, nice to see it performed live. What was better was the music Kings of Leon put out after this.
there's just something about 2000's alt-rock that I love. They can sound fresh, despite being released in such a time, while employing sounds that were at least a decade old. This album in particular has amazing guitars and bass, as well as irresistible grooves.
I'm having a difficult time rating this. Musically it's very very good, very much up my alley. Vocally ... baffling. But by a few songs in, I kind of settled into the singing voice and stopped hating it so much, and I ended up really liking the album. Kind of blowing my mind that I never tried to listen to this band back in the mid 00s but here we are.
Ah, early Kings of Leon. How I've missed you. As a review once memory put it "a vocalist who sounds like he's gargling rock". I loved these guys first couple of albums, there was something very raw and gritty about them (plus, bonus fact, possibly the SWEATIEST gig I ever went to on a boiling hot London night at the Astoria). Yes, they went on to become stadium rock superstars, but the bluesy rock of the first couple of albums - magical.
I liked it a lot more than I expected Probably closer to a 3.5 though
I can’t believe that I’ve ignored this band for 20 years. I loved this album. When I first started listening, I thought Caleb was singing in another language. Whatever. I live his voice. The drummer is great. The variety of styles on the album always keeps me engaged. I usually love brevity, so a dozen songs in 35 minutes isto be admired, although there are quite a few times here where the songs feel like they’ve been cut short by ill-advised editing. I can’t wait to check out their other albums. So many great trax on this one. And yes, sometimes they sound a helluva lot like The Strokes.
"Soft" has gotta be the hardest song about E.D. ever written.
I’m thoroughly charmed by this. Loose unpretentious rock. Some of the music is influenced by 70s/80s hard rock ("Taper Jean Girl," "Pistol of Fire") except they’re not playing it quite as hard. Kings of Leon follows more in the mold of Coldplay's mellow sound ("Milk") but their rhythm section also has this fun bounce that reminds me of the first Vampire Weekend album. It lends the music a good times vibe. (They literally sing "Let the good times roll" on "King of the Rodeo.") I love how short and sweet these songs are too. This is a very easy album to listen to. I can tell already I'm going to listen to it a bunch more.
Remember hearing this around 2004/2005 as an advance thing. I’ve enjoyed it over the years. But always felt like KoL left a little to be seen. Like they only got part of the way to where they could have.
it was pretty good
the strokes but not as good
It was good. Keeping rock alive
Would've been a 5 easy back in the day, but it's still very good even if some of that is nostalgia. This is the glory days of KOL back when you couldn't understand anything they said
Nice sound
A nice and modern mixture of CCR and Zeppelin. It is a shame that they killed this vibe to be more mainstream.
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
I like it, although I prefer "Only By The Night" album.
Very good
Guay, agradable.
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
I like it. I'm so tired of Sex on Fire that I just tuned out these guys, but they make some good music.
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.
3.8
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.
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
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.
Prettig!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
7/10. Quite enjoyable, but it all blended together
The singer’s voice bothers me but I actually like some of the songs. 7/10
A great bridge between two eras of pop rock
I had not listened to this album before, but I enjoyed it.
So average
THIRTY SEVEN MINUTES! beautiful. and the longest song is four minutes, I could cry after listening though - pretty underwhelmed, glad it was so short
It was pretty good, his voice kinda got on my nerves sometimes. Nothing truly special but cool to see a band come into their own.
A solid by the numbers rock output from a band that built a strong legacy.
can you sing like a normal person maybe or barring that even just bad in an interesting way
I think this is better than Only by the Night. The bass grooves were nice. Otherwise I feel like Kings of Leon are mid af.
Not a bad album, really chill, but not sure what specifically made it a candidate for this list 😅
I rather liked the sort of energetic, southern-inflected 2000s indie rock sound, and thought most of the songs were pretty decent too, but I found it really hard to get past the truly awful vocals. This was especially noticeable on the slower/quieter songs such as ‘Milk’ and ‘Rememo’, which were consequently my least-favourite tracks. Conversely, because vocally more tolerable, ‘Pistol of Fire’ and ‘The Bucket’ were probably my favourites. I’m torn between a harsh 2 and a slightly generous 3, but I guess I’m feeling nice today. With a half-decent singer it would have been a much easier decision.
Surprisingly interesting sound but overlaid by a voice that I cannot stand. I like their Ian Sterling Cbeebies era trims too (I know I can't really say much), was expecting to hear a Hacker T Dog collab
I can't believe there are (at least) 3 Kings of Leon albums on this list. The most annoying thing about them is that I think with a different singer I could probably get into it. I just absolutely hate the whiny, croaky voice this guy does. It's tolerable when you hear one of their songs on the radio interspersed with songs by other artists, but an albums' worth of these vocals in one sitting drives me to despair. This one was blessedly short at least
I still don't know why they have three albums on this list.
Thought I would really like it based on what I'd heard but it was a little rough.
was kind of into it at the start but it didn't really go anywhere
Jújú, tvö-þrjú lög sem eru fín, og rödd sem er svoldið boring. 2,7 eða 2,8, þar liggur efinn.
Leuk maar niet waaaaauw ofzo
There may not be anything that changes musical history here, but they do rock & they do it well. All the time. And surely that’s what people want. Well at least that’s what I want.
pleasant surprise, worth a re-listen
I loved this when it originally came out but today listening to it for the first time in probably 15+ years, it’s alright ai suppose. Nothing particularly special or memorable about it. It definitely hasn’t rekindled my interest in the band or anything. Top Track - The Bucket
it's fine
Meh. 3 albums by them on this list is at least 2.5 too many
Honestly? Nothing wrong with it. But it does nothing for me. Sounds like the love child of a clandestine night of passion between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Yellow Dog (of "could I could I could I stay just one more night" fame). And they are the most boring band I've ever seen live. Totally average.
i really just dislike his voice so much
The album started well for the first 20 seconds- a great indie sound, guitar, bass and drums sounding tight and then… the vocal and the lyrics. Something about the voice has always put me off Kings of Leon and listening through this entire album I suppose I got use to it eventually but it’s not my favourite. If the band had a different song writer and vocalist I’m sure I would love the band so much more! Favourite track- ‘the bucket’ getting the nod possibly due to the fat I had heard it before and resonated with it that little better. I suppose of the rest I did quite enjoy ‘pistol of fire’ for a moment 😂 Worst track- ‘taper Jean girl’ Just above average 6/10
The punky edge to the southern rock added a fresh edge. Looking forward to checking these guys out more
While this collection definitely doesn't need three Kings of Leon albums, and this one probably didn't need to get included along with their debut album in the first edition of "1001 Albums", it's also a mystery why *all* three of their albums got unceremoniously dropped from later editions, as they're a lot more interesting and talented than a (large) number of bands and artists that managed to hang in there. I also liked how this album marked a welcome transition away from punk-ish southern rock to a more distinctive style that seems to blend Jack White with CCR (sort of) and OK Go. I particularly enjoyed "King of the Rodeo" (in part due to the video's odd portrayal of a line dance competition/romance), the more mellow "Milk" and "Day old blues", plus the bonus track "Where nobody knows". You can definitely tell that the brothers (and cousin) are still searching for their identity and niche on this album, but they're (slightly) older and tighter and still talented and a bit quirky, which is a fun combination, although I can imagine how Caleb Followill's voice might be annoying to some.
first listen it's alright
These guys again?! It's OK. I really stumble over the voice and vocal styling most of all.
I was looking forward to listening to this album yesterday. I don’t really know much by them but what i did I thought was pretty good, so wanted to hear more. Overall, I was disappointed. The music was good but the voice became irritating. I wouldn’t listen to more based on this. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
They create some interesting grooves but not a whole more to make you want to come back for a second helping of anything.
3/5 - I think it's just his voice that grates on me. I should like this band more than I do, but I don't. The tunes aren't bad, but I've never understood the hype.
Kings of Leon are a specific mood. If you're not feeling that mood, it's hard to get into them. But if you're feeling it, you feeling it. And it was a very fun album once I was in the mood.
Meeeeh, no creo que lo vuelva a escuchar. Está bueno pero no me encantó, no hubo nada memorable. Buenas vibes, rock sureño indie, muy yankee.
3.5. I love Kings of Leon. This album was totally solid. It deserves a little better than three but it's not a four.
--Slow Night, So Long…like the rhythm guitar. interesting vocals. nice curveball at the end --King of the Rodeo…that rapid fire vocal chorus is something. the impressive rhythm guitar continues --Taper Jean Girl…solid riff. like the bass, too --Pistol of Fire…good rocker --Milk…somewhat misguided ballad --The Bucket…radio friendly unit shifter --Soft…nice bass line. good tune --Razz...another solid rocker --Day Old Blues...the lead singer has an interesting voice but he's way too confident with it here --Four Kicks...I have no idea what he's saying but it's provocative --Velvet Snow...more fun rock --Rememo...plodding --Where Nobody Knows (bonus track, not included in the ranking)...should've included this instead of "Rememo"
Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser. Vraiment meilleur de ce à quoi je m'attendais, un bon album rock avec un chanteur qui gosse. Je vais probablement ré-écouter!
C'est un genre de 3.
3 - decent
dare i say it.... he sounds like lin manuel miranda. so far the album is quite boring... andd.... it stays being boring too, awesome. honestly, I was looking through the reviews and a lot of people were saying that it was "horny" and really sexual and honestly, I didn't know what to believe because I was like oh maybe these people are being a little prudish. But then I listen to the songs and I would agree. It's a little too much.
Best Track - "The Bucket"
When this came up today, I thought “Didn’t I own this album?” and after listening to it, I’m still not 100% sure. The Bucket is the only track I recognised. Basically, it’s not that memorable.
Solid early album from this artist
I know this band. Not a big fan but I did like these guys early 10s, then they just grew out of my listening realm. This is a good album though.
No me gustó mucho
I guess I must once again be losing he plot of a list of essential albums that includes THREE from Kings of Leon but ZERO from Warren Zevon. I mean, these guys are fine. This is a decent effort. Just seems like one KoL album should pretty much cover it, and this is definitely NOT their strongest effort.
I don't mind it, but I don't think I'd seek it out.
I've enjoyed Kings of Leon in the past and I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. It had nice parts, drums and rhythmy bits were fun, but the vocals sometimes annoyed me. *almost* good 5.7/10
Didn’t love it; didn’t hate it. More interesting than, say, The Black Keys.
This album had a few really good parts. Most of the time, it tries too hard to be too many things all at once.
I'd imagine it's nearly universally accepted that these boys didn't need three or really any albums on the list. The pendulums always swinging though, but they may get forgot. This is the best album by them that I've gotten with weird singing and hard rocking a plenty.
Only knowing Sex on Fire and Use Somebody I was not expecting this sounds at all, but good for them
The Kings of Leon before they were THE Kings of Leon. I enjoyed this enough, The Bucket far and away my fave (you’ll kick the bucket and I’ll swing my legs is one hell of a line)
1. King of the Rodeo and The Bucket are both such fun songs. Great highlights from this album 2. Caleb Followill’s voice is often quite annoying and in fact the entire Followill clan can be 3. I voted for Sex on Fire in the 2008 Hottest 100 and then by the time the countdown I desperately wanted it not to win (it did) and so I still harbour some Kings of Leon-related shame because of that incident (my opinion of Sex on Fire now is it’s fine - I no longer hate it nor do I think it’s especially good) 4. My mum hated The Bucket when it first came out and it’s the first song I remember (alongside Float On) where my sister and I would call out “it’s your favourite song” to her whenever it came on All to say, a few great songs on here and the rest was whatever. obviously big things to come!
Sex on Fire was the worst thing that ever happened to this band which was decent and had some good songs back in the day before they turned into whatever it is they are now. Stadium rock? The Bucket is the highlight. The other songs are acceptable and good enough!
The band can cook! Hate Caleb’s singing. Hate! Ding!
A good rock/ indie album that I enjoyed although nothing really stood out track wise for me. Just a solid all round album
While Youth & Young Manhood is no masterpiece, it's a memorable debut w/ a lot of tangible energy, & while Aha Shake Heartbreak is not a slamming followup, it's basically on par w/ Leon's first. They'll never be a great band - their aim to southernize The Strokes is not bound to fail but it's bound to be w/o much substance - but I do appreciate their more rockin' endeavors, especially in the vein of Zepp on 'Pistol of Fire.' +, Followill's voice, tho not Plant's, grits and scrapes itself to its soulful place. Problem is, the brothers dream to be deeper than they are - they want to be Tennessee's finest folk group and rock band, they reach for a 'can I get an amen' - but they should just keep it simple like Is This It. Or get down like Brittany Howard. 3.5/5.
own
Not sure why this album is on the list, saw that there were two more and it boggles the mind. It was a bit of a hillbilly fever dream to me but I'm sure some people revel in this stuff.
I really liked King of the Rodeo, it was very fun. But everything else was just very mid
I've heard this album before. Similar to then, I wish I understood more words during the listen. Lots if toe tappers.
Good rock album
2 Kings Of Leon albums! wow, fine but rien de spécial
Not my vibe. Sound and production is fine. Wildly average. I feel like this band is more of a vibe. No one casually likes them. You are all in or all out.
Album 1085 of 1089 Aha Shake Heartbreak - Kings of Leon (2004) Rating : 3.5 / 5 This was a nice, easy listen. Kings of Leon is one of those bands that has a very recognizable sound, and they lean into it well here. There’s a blend of bluesy rock and a bit of Southern flavor that gives the album its identity, and it stays pretty consistent throughout. The overall feel is loose and straightforward. Nothing overly complicated, just solid rock songs delivered with a bit of grit and attitude. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t try to be bigger than it needs to be—it just plays to its strengths and lets the sound carry it. What stood out to me was how comfortable it all feels. The band seems settled into what they do, and that confidence comes through in the music. It makes for a smooth listening experience where everything fits together naturally. Overall, just a solid, enjoyable album with a nice blues/rock vibe running through it.
Yeah, it's alright. Like all of Kings of Leon's work, it's perfectly adequate. It does contain hints of fun in songs like The Bucket and Four Kicks, which were ruthlessly kicked out of the band shortly after in order for them to write endless MOR to be played at emotional moments on talent shows.
I accidentally saw these guys at Lolapalloza in 2007, and thought that they were pretty cool. Recorded tho? It's 'aight. Definitely a distinct vocal style.
Feels very corporate-indie. I don’t really get the love or the hate? A band (and their record company overlords) that seemed to be capitalising while they could on the early naughties indie/folk/rock era. It’s ok, but nothing stood out.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Soft, Razz Yea, I'm not sure Kings of Leon deserve 2 albums on the List, so when I accidentally clicked on the Artist and got brought to the list of albums that are part of the Book and saw a 3rd Kings of Leon album, I was, frankly, shocked. This album is whatever. It exists. It's not grating or transcendental. There is nothing groundbreaking about it, but I also don't immediately want to turn it off like I do with Justin Timberlake or Destiny's Child. It exists. I probably did not need to hear it before I die.
Never been wholly sure if I like matey's vocals, but granted I've only ever known them from their singles. After listening to a whole album, still don't think I'm convinced.But I do like it musically so...
Never really sure what to think of these guys. At one time they’re like (albeit a cut-rate) Rolling Stones clone, the next a cut rate Turbonegro and the next a cut-rate Strokes. Crazy album : started out punk, changed to some mongrel mess in the middle, then ended off blues. Kept me guessing; I’ll keep guessing whether I’ll be back for more. 2.5
Very much an album of the early 2000s- I remember those times well. They were always on but not in my house. And although fine, I’ll probably keep it that way.
Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🪷✒️⬜ Production: 🥩🤔🆗 Music: 🎤😖📈 Rating: 👑👑(👑)/5
I like KoL, but this had some duds
Why did I think for a brief moment that the singer sounded like Lin-Manuel Miranda? Other than that fact, I find this album boring. It doesn't necessarily sound bad, I just don't really enjoy it. I'm kind of glad that it was actually a pretty short album, I was losing my mind with all these over an hour long albums.
Man, I don't know what to make of this album. It's just really, meh. I like other Kings of Leon songs and thought they were decent overall but this album does not have It. First of all, the lead singer has THE most incomprehensible voice singing some absolutely baffling lyrics. I had to pull up the lyrics to confirm that he was, in fact, saying the girl would lend him her toothbrush. In the end, I think they might have a really good energy if I saw them live but this was all a bit samey for me. They’re distinctive but not something I’d think of ever putting on by choice. I may tap my toes and dance when their singles come on, but I’m not on it for the long haul. Did I need to hear this before I die? Nah
Я про эту группу всегда знал что она говно. Оказывается на ранних этапах она была не говно.
A solid record. You can tell they were finding their sound here, culminating in “Only by the Night“, which is their best album in my opinion.
Mid
A song or two in there REALLY save it
I'm feeling generous, but not like, a 4 generous.
Hmja, bekende bandnaam, bekend geluid. Geen hit. De heren raggen een beetje in het rond, staan zich druk te maken, het pruttelt voorbij. Kennelijk gaan we deze figuren nog twee keer om onze oren krijgen. Ik ben nu al benieuwd waar dat in vredesnaam voor nodig is.
Some bops
Niche Westfield reference but this reminds me of that guy Kenny Sanocki who sang with a fake English accent
it’s easy to forget that before Kings of Leon decided to be dumb-U2, they tried to be dumb-Interpol, which was actually not half bad.
Nothing much to say here. Their rock seems to be greatly influenced by country, which I'm not a fan of. Some songs (the first) were nice, but their best productions clearly aren't in this album.
A few interesting songs here like Pistol of Fire and Four Kicks. Just okay otherwise. Very styled like the Strokes but with a Southern twang
I was disappointed by this album. I like a couple Kings of Leon songs and this album ended up being really hit or miss. Particularly the vocal style occilated from charming and familliar to grating and incomprehensible. Songs this album made me listen to: Painkillers by Rainbow Kitten Surprise
I tried to take a warm walk in the sun while listening to this album, but it was too early in the morning and the weather was still cold. Despite knowing and liking a handful of Kings Of Leon songs prior to this album, this album was a trepidatious listen for me. I love singers with distinctive, unmistakable voices, but the often unintelligible twang of the lead singer's voice here just left me with a frustrated listening experience most of the time. A little ways into the album, a couple songs suddenly clicked for me, where the loose vocals now felt like they were focused and playing with the instrumentals in an engaging way. I figured that I had adjusted to their sound, and would now like the earlier songs on a relisten, but as I carried on even further into the album, I found myself at odds with it again. This is one of the strangest album experiences I've ever had, where every new song was a coin flip as to whether or not I would enjoy it, despite the general soundscape not changing significantly from track to track. The instrumentals are almost always pleasant and powerful, delivering a sound typical of folk-adjacent rock bands like Rainbow Kitten Surprise (who it would not surprise me if they were inspired by Kings Of Leon). I think it just comes down to how understandable the words are to me on each individual song, and what side of the grating-to-distinctive fence they fall on each time. Highlights: Slow Night, So Long, Milk, The Bucket, Soft, Razz, Rememo, Where Nobody Knows
Better than expected, turns out this band isn't so bad when not listening on a car radio or club speakers
It was ok, some catchy tunes mixed in, feels a bit generic somehow and I kinda find the singers voice grating after a bit, but still a fun light listen.
This one is interesting at the start, but then doesn't really innovate from there. It's kind of middle-of-the-pack for this list, so that is where it goes.
def not my favorite from kings of leon
I remember hearing this album when it was new, the Bucket was one of my favorite songs that summer. This album is solid, but it's a little underbaked. By the release of Because of the Times, Kings of Leon will have their sound down, and their next several albums are at least 4/5 efforts.
Rock sans originalité.
Je ne m’attendais pas à tomber sur ce groupe ! Je connais un autre album qui est mieux C’est sympa ! Contente de changer de décennies. J’aime la voix du chanteur qui est un peu country / roots Par contre, je ne comprends pas la pochette… Par moment il y a des airs à la Bloc Party
I don't think I've ever listened to this album before. I've heard the later stuff for sure, but never this. I enjoy Kings of Leon generally, should be fun. Fun, but a bit generic and boring. I haven't heard a standout song yet.
Fun album. I would still listen to some of the songs again. 3.7/5
Slow Night, So Long: 7/10 MBPW King of the Rodeo: 6/10 Taper Jean Girl: 6/10 Pistol of Fire: 5/10 Milk: 7/10 MBPW The Bucket: 6/10 Soft: 6/10 Razz: 6/10 Day Old Blues: 5/10 Four Kicks: 4/10 Velvet Snow: 5/10 Rememo: 4/10 Where Nobody Knows: 5/10
I can understand not liking his voice, but the album is decent
not really like it
It’s definitely Kings of Leon. 1st half was Meg, 2nd half had a bit more umph to it
The Band that sold its soul to be more popular in the States. This album is what they were, more raw and solid musicians who made solid music! The album is really tight! Everything works together; they play off each other very well! Still never know what Caleb is singing, but it does not matter, it suits the music and the sound! The big fault I would say with the album is that tracks 11 and 12, really slow down a fast-paced album and take you out of it. The whole album is so fun and balls to the wall, until them two songs kick in. But overall, really solid, fun and tight album. It's an album you would stick on, turn up as loud as you can and just drive somewhere, while taking it in!
Kings of Leon have the distinction of being the band with the most albums ever removed from different editions of this book. As of the 2021 edition, three albums had been removed in total, with none in the latest version. That tells you a lot. I'm sure at some point, someone claimed that Kings of Leon saved rock n roll from the usual non-existent threats. Their reputation as the Southern Strokes kind of fits and the music is kind of fun in small doses. But they don't have the same power to survive the test of time. Why bother with the Southern Strokes when you can just listen to The Strokes? Combined this with the band members being kind of obnoxious and you can see why they slipped right off of the list. It's alright though for a modern blues rock band but there are better out there.
This felt like the same one continuous song, and the singers voice was kinda annoying
In high school I had a friend who was obsessed with this band, so after while I became really familiar with their first 3-4 albums. I think if I had heard this album for the first time today I wouldn’t have liked it, but the nostalgia makes it a solid 3/5.
Not bad, but thought I would like it more than I did
pretty unremarkable, not really bad, just feels like eating a spoonful of powered milk
Kinda like this album Makes me feel comfortable Happy new year btw 7/10 2026/1/1
These list makers are messing with me now with these multiple KoL albums. This was fine. His voice is annoying.
This is an average album. Nothing stands out. Definitely don’t need multiple records in this list.
Even though I like Kings of Leon, I’m totally floored that they have 3 albums on here. That’s insane given how many key artists are missing entirely. Having said that, I did enjoy this. The songs were forgettable but I liked them when I was listening.
Just fine
Two Kings of Leon albums in quick succession. No big famous tunes but I think I enjoyed this one more. Still another 3 though.
The bucket probably saves this album; the rest are alright, but I don't think I would ever intentionally seek them out again.
Was a good and chill album
Nezdálo se mi špatný, ale žádná z písniček mě vyloženě neoslovila
This is the type of album by a band that your friend is really into. You go over to their house to hang out and they put it on. It's totally fine, enjoyable to some degree, even pretty catchy at points. Even with all that being true, you're still never going to listen to it by yourself when you aren't with THAT friend.
Perfectly fine album. Doesn't feature any of the KoL songs I know, but I liked the general tone of the songs.
Yeah not bad. Taper Jean Girl is a banger. Nostalgic, this type of sound influenced a lot of my early music in my high school bands. 3.25/5
Decent enough album. Fun tunes here and there. Only listened on mono with one earbud at work but mix seems decent and interesting. Not a huge fan stylistically of the vocals and writing- lots of unintelligible words at first pass. More of a focus on flow and rhythm which is fine but would’ve liked it mixef further into the back if that’s the case- more of an instrumental placement than compressed focus. Just a taste thing. Decent genre variation on this joint. Not too samey. But not a genre I’m particularly captivated by. Probably won’t revisit this one. 3.75
This was just OK at best. 2.5/5 rounded up to a very generous 3.
I get why this album and band were popular, definitely a different sound and approach to what was currently happening in early 2000s, but I just don’t feel like the songs are really that strong here.
A Decent release
rating: 3/10 Couldn’t get through the whole album😔
The instruments are great, I love the vibe, but I can’t say I fw the vocals unfortunately The lyrics aren’t bad, I just don’t like his voice 😭
Pretty good
Liked it more than I thought I would, really picked up steam on the back half. Most of the skips on here are the songs that I associate with my preconceived notions of the band, competent strumming and singing but nothing really pulling me in. The songs where they bust out of that, which are plentiful, I really appreciated. The Razz -> Velvet Snow section was the highlight for me.
Alright
Ehh, fine, but missable for me.
Saai 3/5
Great album. Kings of leon will always remind me of my driver instructor and i like that. Catchy riffs that I would remember if I didn't listen to this half asleep at 6:00 on the back of the bus
Ist nicht meine Art von Musik, aber meine Ohren wurden auch nicht missbraucht. Solide 3
Overall: 6/10 I have mixed feelings about this album and Kings of Leon in general. On the one hand, I listened to the first half of this album A LOT as a kid, which has given me a bit of a nostalgic reaction to it. On the other hand, reading the lyrics gave me a WTF reaction that my parents never should have let me listen to this. That's my biggest problem with the album. Lyrically, I find most of these songs really gross and weird. The music itself is really good, but the lyrics make me want to throw up. I'm still gonna give it a decent rating cause of the nostalgia factor, but the last half really drags this one down. Fav Song: King of the Rodeo
They get too much hate. This album is alright if you can stand the singing. Not quite the Black Keys or the White Stripes, but not nearly as bad as Creed or Nickelback. And while I enjoyed it, they don't need 3 albums on the list at all. Favorite song: Velvet snow
This is actually a pretty good listen but this comes out at a time when rock music in general ceases to have anything new or interesting to say. Also, THREE Kings of Leon albums? Heh???
The Kings Of Leon was the collective noun Len Houmous used for his wives 12-14. 3.0 13/13 Where Nobody Knows
Previously rated: #178 - Youth And Young Manhood (3/5) #345 - Only By The Night (3/5) ******************************************** Album #966 In the song Day Old Blues, I could have sworn he said "Boys are gonna hate the way I sing." I would have agreed, but I guess he said "the way I seem." Well, maybe one day he'll read my reviews. I do hate the way you sing, but your music is pretty cool -- just not cool enough to deserve three albums on this list.
Really enjoyed their first album and avoided this one because I was ho hum on the single and then they go in a different direction after this album, but I dig this. It’s pretty good for the most part
Wasn't a bad album, stylistically is all over the map, there's some 00 indie rock, 60's garage rock and psychedelic, moments of post-punk. Best tracks: Slow Night, So Long, Milk, ...Four Kicks. 3/5 Stars
hun debuut was zeer goed... dit begint al stilletjes achteruit te gaan... maar nog steeds veel beter dan hun sex on fire brol
I don’t understand the hate that this band get’s. They brought something cool and different, that the copycat grunge band couldn’t do. Although, this album is not my favorite of theirs. They found gold on their next one.
Toe tappin' southern rock I think this will grow on me 3.5/5
Listened to the whole thing. Didn't care for his voice but the guitar was alright with good energy, kinda grungy. I really liked the part of Rodeo Girl where they're singing the chorus really fast but also playing with spacing out the words but there was a part later on in the song that I didn't care for because they're just repeating one phrase for too long. Unfortunately this means that song did not make it into any playlist of mine even though it was a contender. Overall, most of it blended together and didn't make much of an impact on me.
Mouef
There is nothing really wrong with this album, apart from (possibly) the track Milk. It’s the incoherent mumbling over crunchy garage rock that you expect from KoL. It lacks any real inspiration or innovation, but it’s not terrible. No idea why it’s on the list. It doesn’t inspire, it’s not culturally significant. It’s possibly better than Only By The Night, but it’s still pretty mediocre
it had some great and some horrible songs
Sort of blends in with all of the other garage indie rock of the 2000s, but not completely forgettable. Taper Jean Girl and Four Kicks were solid tracks. I do think it's a bit more raw and interesting than their later albums that received more attention. The production is a little hit or miss and the vocals tend to get lost in the mix. Very down the middle OK album.
Better than I expected
Niet het beste van Kings of Leon. De nummers die ik ken staan blijkbaar op een ander album
It's okay background music, doesn't really hold my attention, though.
This was pretty decent. A lot of it kinda runs together for me, but it's kinda light and poppy. It's hard not to like at least some of it.
Wait, are there multiple Kings of Leon albums on this list?? Is that necessary? It sounds exactly like a Kings of Leon album. Which isn't bad, but doesn't blow me away either. I thought Only By The Night was better overall.
[7/10] I know you don’t talk like that in real life dude
I've never liked Kings of Leon really. Mostly due to the singer's voice. If I had to describe it, it's like a particularly itchy wool sweater. Just irritating and unpleasant. I didn't mind the songs themselves though.
Cool guitar rock that sounds more indie than I anticipated. I can see why they're well-liked by many. Probably not going to return to it but nevertheless enjoyed it while it played.
3.5
Forgot about these guys. Fun.
Album was fine. Vocals were garbage. The band has more potential that they didn't meet.
I love the instruments and the idea of this album. The voice, I just cannot get behind. What was he thinking? Was he thinking? No idea, but it just gets annoying because the songs could be amazing, 5/5, but instead we get this disappointment
A band I’ve heard of, and know a couple songs that got popular from their 2008 album, but I didn’t recognize a single song off this album by name. Not sure I’m crazy about or really connecting with any of these songs. The vocal style made it hard to understand what the singer was saying and I’m normally a big lyrics person. Bucket was the catchiest. I did a second listen with lyrics, but a lot seemed sexual/gibberish in nature. Again, nothing that really resonated with me to make me want to explore this band or listen again.
This was the last decent album by Kings Of Leon
They hadn't yet devolved into being an absolutely irritating listen quite yet with this album, but they were well on their way. A few decent tunes here but mostly a sea of mediocrity.
Never been a band I got tbh. It was ok.
Enjoyable
Im an ultra-casual Kings of Leon fan and have never listened through this album. Being their second, it is very much proto-Kings of Leon and I think they get much better on their next few albums. This is still pretty fun, though I am a little surprised this made the list. The singer is often hard to understand and pretty annoying in places but most songs are catchy. The album is a few songs too long. All in all it's an ok listen, there's some repeatability here but too many things are not good enough to really give this more than a 3 in my book. Standouts were "Taper Jean Girl" "Pistol of Fire" "Rememo" and "Where Nobody Knows"
Decent enough.
Started out pretty good save for the annoying singer but then absolutely LIMPED by the end.
I think i have this album. Let me check.....I do. It's not bad. I like the music but his voice gets old pretty quick. My desk smells like blue cheese dressing.
Good alternative band. Good sound, and songs.
All I've ever heard from them was the massive hall effect vocal country-fried alt rock stuff that made it to popular rotation. This is better than that. It's almost punk in spots. I won't say I love it but I enjoyed it.
slightly annoying but not bad per say
This must be their best album. But still not a great one.
Great sound. Liked the bucket. Did not really remember any other song
Not sure why so many people are hating this, I rather like the hill billie sounding singing and slapdash musicianship! This is the album before their brief brush with super stardom I guess? Anyway I enjoyed it.
Really good album - love their later stuff, but it’s clear they are finding their way with this one.
Feels very interesting, parts feel a lot like some 'slacker' music like pavement, built to spill and modest mouse, mostly in terms of the guitars. parts of the vocals also feel a lot Stooges-esque, but I'm not entirely sure I like this dude's voice, I do think it does work well in some places, even if its not technically a good voice, a bit like Iggy Pop I guess. The guitars and general instrumental stuff is quite amazing in most places. Favourite songs: milk, the bucket, soft, four kicks, where nobody knows. Overall around 6/10
Well, that’s an unusual voice! Sometimes I enjoyed it, some of the time it jarred a little. On the whole a solid album that I enjoyed listening too.
Favorite Track:Taper Jean Girl
Southern rock before they became Southern U2, nostalgic listen! It's a little more than fine, and a little less than good.
Good
Rock, na ja.
in fairness to the haters, his voice is VERY annoying
This was pretty good, nothing that really stood out though. I like the font and the picture on the album. Still this only gets 3 stars.
238/1089 - This is the second best American rock band with three brothers and a cousin that I've heard! The first is The Beach Boys.
hate the way the vocals sound but the album is fine regardless
High 3. Really quite good.
Its alright, didnt feel all that special to me. Favourite Song: Soft
this is a 2 on a bad day and a 3 on a good one
Decent
3+
Gosto da sonoridade "natural" do disco, principalmente do instrumental e também gosto do vocal personalíssimo de Caleb Followill. O álbum tem uma primeira metade mais rica em termos de composições e interpretações, caindo para um rock mais básico na segunda, infelizmente.
I think a lot of the ingredients that shot them to stardom are here, but they just haven’t come together into that something special just quite yet - that’ll come in their next album, Only By The Night. THAT album is 5 stars, but his one is a little more difficult for me to score. I like it, but I don’t love it. I want to give it a 4, but that feels like a reputation score more than an accurate reflection of how I feel. I was excited for this album and I’ve been a bit disappointed. A 3 feels low, especially considering some of the other stuff I’ve given a 3 lately, but therein lies my biggest issue with not having half stars.
more kings of leon? aight, that's fair, i suppose. similar sound compared to the last one, but it's a lot louder and crazier when it wants to be, some of the tracks are, i mean. this one is fine. i think it's just getting to the point when the app spams you with similar artists/albums, and it's an artist that has VERY similar sounding songs. it's more of the same compareed to the last album. i like variety when i listen to music, so i was a little less interested in this one. oh well, sucks to suck. not really suck, just... eh.
This was THE band for jock-adjacent dudes who were also friends with punks. I didn’t totally hate it. I liked a few songs and then a few annoyed the shit out of me.
Pretty cool guitar, honestly enjoyed more than I’d like to admit
Very good album by a great band
I like some of the later stuff, even revisit it from time to time, this...I won't
Ik heb een haat-liefde relatie met Kings of Leon. Bij de eerste twee en de laatste albums denk ik: cool! Alles ertussen, kak! (sorry Sex on Fire, jou zing ik enkel mee op een beschonken avond). 3.4
Okay.
Enjoyed, but nothing grabbed me. Not sure I liked the vocals. Interesting, pleasant, some familiar elements (eg drum intro to Taper Jean Girl!) Would need to relisten to see if more taken?
I'm a big Kings of Leon hater. Always have been. But I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Very 2000's rock. The Strokes, White Stripes. Lot's of energy, but still not as iconic as those bands.
This was so far the definition of an average album on this list and listenings. Nothing to complain about really, but also nothing to get excited either. So a 3 out of 5 in the most average way and I am not really looking forward to hear it again. I was a little surprised, how stripped down this record sounds compared to later albums of the band. Sometimes even rawish for them. But overall the record feels like it was being created with the brakes on the whole time, very moderately. I could not hear any individual or Independent sounds and rather a band that still needs to find its own style. Highlights: I liked „Four Kicks“ the most, which stood out at least a little bit.
Ah was pleasantly surprised by their last appearance on the list so ready to see how this goes… 13 songs 37 minutes! Classic KOL sound (mainly vox) and felt a bit rougher than previous album on the list. A familiar sound and feel but felt so much more empty and lacking compared to the other fuller songs and production. few good tracks but otherwise pretty meh.
He has such a unique voice
ok...
This was a quick and pleasant listen, just like some albums should strive to be. The style was definitely on the lighter side of my preferences but it went by quick. Without any songs that necessarily stood out, it was a well-balanced experience from start to finish which will earn it 3/5.
I like old Kings of Leon. They have better albums though. The two following this were better. The Bucket is the stand out song. 3/5.
Quite liked it.
This is a weird one. I do like it even though at times it sounds like a less talented and charismatic Strokes. I don’t get the lads lads lads vibes a lot of reviewers are mentioning at all, maybe that’s an American thing. It would also be better if you could make out what he is saying. I remember when they broke through and there was a lot of publicity around them being 3 handsome sons of a pastor (and their cousin, sorry Matthew) and I honestly think that accounts for a lot of their success. 3.5 and have eventually decided to round down because there isn’t anything particularly memorable about this
Pretty catchy tunes.
Whining 80% of this record. Not obnoxiously but still….
3 Kings of Leon albums on this generator, and not one of them is their best album- Because of the Times. This one is just fine, Slow Night, So Long and The Bucket being the best tracks, but do you really need to listen to it before you die? Doubtful. 3 Stars. Onto the next two.
Enjoyable all the way through, worth revisiting. 3.5/4
Ok
6/10 Solid 00s indie rock. Some nice tunes, but there is only so much KoL I need.
Can’t take a whole album of this guys voice, but they do have some good sounds and good songs.
Has some rewarding songs here and there but I couldn't say that the recording overall was very bright. That's the style of this band anyway.
Better than the previous KoL albums I have heard, I think the earlier bluesier stuff is a bit more listenable. Still I couldn't image anyone being particularly excited about this
Rock. Die Musik ist ja nicht so schlecht, aber der Sänger kreischt so komisch herum.
Based on some of the other reviews, I didn’t expect to like this at all, but I didn’t think it was too bad. I didn’t love the vocalist’s sound, but found it tolerable, as opposed to some of the other reviewers. Milk was really the only song that I just plain disliked. Anyway , this album gets three stars.
Highlight is “The Bucket” but this album is definitely trumped by later Kings of Leon albums.
This is the second King of Leon album I’ve gotten so far in this project, the other one being Only By The Night. I have to say, in comparison, this album doesn’t nearly come close to bringing as good as the latter, but that’s not to say it’s a bad album. I did enjoy it, I just had my expectations too high. The lead singers voice is much different in this album, it seems like he got some sort of vocal coaching between the releases. And it’s part of the reason this one isn’t getting 5 stars like Only By The Night. His groan-y voice kind of ruins it for me. I will give it a solid 3 stars for the great instrumentals. Standout Songs: King of the Rodeo Milk The Bucket Razz Velvet Snow
Fine
I didn't know that Kings of Leon could sound like this. I don't know what the sound was, but it almost felt a little more western. As always with rock, I like the slow tracks a lot. The build up on Day Old Blues was a joy. I think it shows that you have good musical talent. Milk was something else.
Yup that's alt rock. Also, why does he sing like that?
The instruments played in this album were fine. The musicians did their part. So who was the weakest link? In my view it was the singer. I had trouble understanding what he was singing. He was mumbling. He needed to enunciate the lyrics more. Overall, it was okay. It’s not something I would want to listen to again. 3
I always skip over this band. Waaaaaaay too much hype for the sexy fire song. I also have a jarring memory of walking through this absolutely massive beer fest in Berlin. It spanned several train stations worth of city and had 20 stages or something ridiculous like that. Anyway, one of those stages had a cover band, and they were playing the above sexy fire song. It was really not what I wanted to hear in Berlin, and introduced nagging thoughts of homogenization of culture which equals big bummer. I did have an amazing Austrian cherry beer though, and holy hell are "Christmas Market" mushrooms the best drunk street food ever. Beats currywurst IMHO. So, this album was very solid. Track one directly riffs on Joy Division, and Peter Hook in particular. That gets you a star in my book. I was particularly impressed with the bass player throughout actually, and it appears the band is too as they let him run on a lot of the tracks. It is a record of easily digestible, good time jams that would be perfect out on the boat deck when you are in the middle of the lake on a hot day, swimming and crushing cans. It did have a weird tinge for me though. Right from track one, Adam Sandler crept into my head, and for pretty much the duration of the record I could only think about him singing every track. Haha. 3.5 stars
An okay album, I liked Soft the most.
Kings of Leon før min tid. Dette blir spennende. Nostalgi
Aha Shake Heartbreak is the second album from Kings of Leon, a band from Tennessee that became successful in the UK, then Australia, and eventually in the United States. The band was formed by three Followill brothers, Caleb, Nathan, and Jared, and their cousin, Matthew Followill. Their early work is southern rock in a garage rock style, and they add the transitions and tempos or alt rock. This is a good collection of raw, edgy rock songs. They lack the polished-production of the band's later, very successful pop songs, but these song have a brash energy that's closer to the Black Keys than their later work.
Bär emot att ge en trea till dessa dryga jävlar.
3rd Kings Of Leon album. Not very different from the rest...
Not too bad! I liked Milk. But the others I’m are not too sure.
Despite not a lot of standout songs it was still a pretty enjoyable album. Makes me like the band more and that’s always a successful album in my eyes. Feels very representative of their sound, though I will say I’m missing whatever it is that kicked Sex on Fire into another level. This album could use a shot of tabasco