Only By The Night

This album is really heavy soft rock. Perfect for the dentist office. None of the songs have definition and all sort of just bleed into each other. Honestly this sounded like one song with breaks throughout to me. It's not really bad or anything. Just nothing ear cathing.

Ummmm wtf is that song 17

I can’t decide which of these reviews to publish, so I’m leaving it up to you, faithful reader, to decide which of these you think is the most fitting. Consider it a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style review: A.) Alt-Rock for people who find My Morning Jacket “too aggressive”. B.) Move over Fleetwood Mac, the middle of the road has a new King. C.)_STOP_CALLING_MAJOR_LABEL_BANDS_INDIE_ROCK_

I heard it

When it came out I would have given it 1 I hated it so much. Now that time has passed where I'm not forced to listen to it I can concede that at least the songwriting is quite good. It came at the end of and to me represents a full stop to the mid 00's era of bland mainstream indie bands. Now leave me alone and don't make me listen to it again. 2+/5

Went into this with no expectations. Emerged with no opinions. The Lynyrd Skynyrd Coldplay variant? About as much effort as I can muster

This transports me back to the embrace of the passenger seat in my friend D’s old BMW, his decisive right foot, and the enveloping thump of his speakers drowning out the desperate sounds from the car’s trunk as we cut through the North Circular. Salad days, I can still smell the arterial smog. Returning to this record and its forgettable title, I realise this period was marked by rock bands being integrated by producers into a glossy, trip hop-style synthetic aesthetic that favoured few. The famous, silly fiery sex song, the immediately succeeding Use Somebody and a handful of sections aside, this record does not move me - the tunes are not strong enough to hold up the poppy production, which mutes the pleasures the band's rock might otherwise have brought. Had I the time and inclination to listen to music I don't like, I could plot a line from NIN to KoL. I have not heard a record that happily sits in the midpoint of glorious synth and hairy rock. The drums are upfront and fall like a big dead fish thrown onto a slab. Guitar feedback can sound savage or, more rarely, haunting, even bittersweet; here it’s a precision-engineered component inserted with the badge “here’s rock”. A rock song sung by a man that begins with "Oh, she's only seventeen" needs to follow up with deft writing to avoid sounding creepy, which doesn't happen here. Perhaps I just miss that old BMW's sound-system, now distant.

This was on REPEAT in the late 00s, but it really is kind of bland. The opening 4 tracks are stellar, but it quickly turns quite uninspired. Only exception being the vocals and somewhat inventive drums/percussion work by two of the Followills.

The opening track, Closer, is very good. I honestly hate Sex on Fire. It just gives me the impression of a bad STD. Blech. The other single I knew, Use Somebody, was ok. Fun to sing along with. 17 fell flat - can grown men stop singing about teenage girls? The rest of the album was bland, generic and sounded a lot of the same. If only the album had remained as strong as its opening. This is a 2 for me.

Yoo this is on here? Instant 5 "Use Somebody" has such a special place in my heart.

In one ear and straight out the other, yawn.

Modern classic

no skips

One of the last if not the last big crossover rock album hit. Famous singles, widely accessible compared ti previous works, strong production. This nailed it with this one.

Rock's last classic. A masterpiece

Love this album.

Love, love, love this album! Brought back childhood memories ❤️

This is a great album by a talented group. I enjoy pretty much all of Kings of Leon music.

A classic of the early-2000s indie scene

The stuff guilty pleasures are made of, but if it's a pleasure, what's there to complain about?

The first two songs weren't bad and I thought this would be a big step up from Aha Shake Heartbreak (what a terrible album name), but then it hit the two awful singles and it never really recovered.

Not the worst album I got here, but seriously, a 3rd Kings of Leon album here is way too much, don’t you think? I still can't stand the singer's voice, for a start.

I am trying to be kind and generous but this is really obnoxious. I did NOT have to listen to this before dying.

Love a good flash back to my latest teens/early 20s. This album fully resonates with what was going on my life. Kings of Leon were just beyond good, so genius. This album is there most popular, but all their albums before this one belong on this list, no question!

I really like this album. Good indie rock and some very catchy songs. 5/5

loved!

Standout

5- klasyk

amazing album. liked every song, but one. its edgy, melodic and has a sexiness to it.

I was not too knowledgeable about this project prior to this listen. I was previously aware of the critical acclaim of this album. I was also aware of their songs Use Somebody and Sex on Fire, both fantastic songs. Overall, I throughly enjoyed this project, however, a lot of it sounded a bit repetitive but I think it worked. The only lowlight was 17, which while isn't a completely awful song like most people on this would have you think, it's pretty bad.

Ah Kings of Leon. This album took over the radio when I was in high school, primarily Sex on Fire amd Use Somebody. It's seriously hard to think of a place where these songs weren't playing at the time. I've listened to the rest of the album maybe once before this return and I got to say, it's a nostalgic trip and I really enjoyed the sound that this group brings. My new favorite from here is Revelry but I liked Closer too. It's a very clean and polished alt rock sound that isn't overly synthy like today's alt rock.

Heel strakke plaat! Top immers en perfect afgemixt

I know. I'm surprised, too. I thought this album was only "Sex on Fire" but, it turns out, it's absolutely full of jams. The opening track, "Closer" is such a vibe and the album just... keeps slapping all the way through "Cold Desert". I tried to find a reason to dock it a star but even the fact that "Sex on Fire" is SO overplayed couldn't kill the album.

Very good album. I like it.

Such a time and place album of theirs. Not their best but it is crazy how their lead singer cut his hair shorter for this album and everyone was like when did this guy get hot? And then they became the biggest band in the world

I hated 'Sex on Fire' when it came out. A truly overblown anthem of the sort I'm not predisposed to appreciate. So I ignored this album for a long time.A year or so later, while I was watching an episode of Casualty, they played an awesome song, which I Shazzamed, and it was 'Closer'. That was the turning point for me, which overcame my bias and led me to begrudging respect for this band. I've listened to this a few times since, and I'd say the album tracks are better than the singles, probably due to the fact they are less familiar to my brain. 'Crawl' with it's fuzz bass is immense and the last song evoked a feeling of 'Faith' by the Cure for some reason (This lot are not in the same league) which is always a good thing. Even with SOF it's getting a 5 star rating.

Hits me right in my millennial feels. Hard for me not to love this album as it was playing everywhere during a fun time in my life, all of these songs take me back to riding around on dirt roads smoking weed and trying to get my older brother to buy us beer. Hard to looked beyond that and give an honest review of the quality of music. So, five star based solely on nostalgia.

I noted that there are three Kings of Leon albums that once were on the 1001 list but none are now. This one and Youth and Young Manhood I found very good… and think maybe one of those could remain. I guess of those two this one was a little bit better. It was the album where I became aware of this band so maybe that’s part of it.

This just is a great album, from the first to the last track.

I used to listen to this album on repeat when it came out. Holds up well.

One of the major releases of the late 00’s. The Followills really nailed what everybody seemed to long for at exactly the right time. Caleb’s vocals are extremely emotional and powerful, Jared’s bass playing is playful and Nathan’s drumming is always a breath of fresh air. There’s a chance this might be dated - I might still be too much in love to notice it. And when you close an album on “Cold Desert” (a go-to late night favorite of mine) I have nothing bad to say.

Sex on Fire suffers from the Somebody I Used to Know curse of being a great song that got overplayed until bloody and unrecognisable. This is a massive album.

Great

I’m at a 4.5 that I’m gonna begrudgingly bump up to a 5, because I think it’s not a 4, but it just doesn’t feel like a 5. Make no mistake; I think this album’s fucking great. This is incredibly cool to me – I only knew Use Somebody, which I still think is an all-timer of a track, but I’ve never really heard any of the other songs surrounding it, and up until Track 6, everything was blazing hot, all cylinders firing, all engines go, felt like one of the easiest 5s I might give. And yet, of those final 5 tracks, I was only really digging the last 2; something about Tracks 7 through 9 sounded really good, but they never really put the full package together in the same way that the first 6 tracks did. Who knows? I might just be overreacting to an underwhelming finish; those first 6 tracks hit like crack, man. Absolute bliss for me. Even those last 5 tracks are still good listens; the soundscape never lets up a single time during this album, and you can’t say that Caleb Followill can’t sing his ass off, because he was belting like a motherfucker on this. I’m sure someone will get more enjoyment out of Notion or I Want You than I did (17 is an actively mediocre track), and they don’t take away from the rest of the album at all. It’s a great listen, and it deserves to be on the list; kind of conflicted about bumping it up to a 5, but I really do think it's just too good to only give it a 4.

Great album

This one had me singing in Revelry.

I have to say I sighed when I got another Kings of Leon album. But boy was I wrong. I loved it, and I loved the music the infinity playlist offered up afterwards.

Awesome album

This album was everywhere. It had loads of singles. I had heard it before but never a proper listen outside of the singles. It's one of the albums that is just good and will age well (Hot Fuss, Jagged little pill, etc.). Stand out tracks - Closer - Crawl - Sex on Fire - Use Somebody - Revelry - Be Somebody - Notion

Great songs one after another. 4-5 stars but I’ll round.

Only by the Night - Kings of Leon This is one of the best rock albums of 2008. So many hits off of this album, but some of the deep cuts are even better. I hope their onstage and offstage antics have gotten better. We don't need "The American Oasis" band. I think my favorite song on this album is "Manhattan." Caleb Followil has such an aching in his voice as he sings, "I said who are you? Don't matter who you are. So we dance all night and dance all day. I say." and this minimalistic guitar comes in and it's the most beautiful transition and melody. So much emotion in this song, from the vocals to the melodic guitar. This album was right before their fame took off and they got distracted. It's a tight rock album that exudes sex and shows just how good this band is. 5/5

I forgot how much I enjoyed this album.

Awesome

My first “who are these guys?!” and a core music memory. Leans a bit Arena Rock but probably their peak.

very melancholy album

Proper good 00s throwback. Sex on Fire was all the rage on the airwaves at the time (ca. 2007-08 I think) but this album has some other great tracks too

Loved this album when it came out, and it still holds up for me today. Strong indie rock from start to finish. No dips. Another surprise 5 for me.

4.5

#316. This album is way better than it has any right to be. I couldn't tell you why it's so good, because in reality no part of it is particularly any better than any thing else out there, but it somehow manages to be greater than the sum of its parts. All of the rest of their albums are more or less exactly what you'd expect from them, but somehow this one manages to be something more. 5/5: fantastic.

I’m usually quite selective with the rating feature on this website and have only given a few five stars. This means that I usually know an album really well before rating it so highly. I’ve heard of kings of Leon before but I’ve never enjoyed an album so much on a first listen. I genuinely had to stop what I was doing as not to miss a second of it. Amazing.

Goed veel klappers

Been a favorite since long before, sentimental

Oh man this album is great. Closer just grabs you straight away and by the time Manhattan kicks in you wonder do I like this particular song or am I having a dopamine rush. Certainly after my second listen I was keen to listen again. Faves from today are Crawl, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody, and Notion but there's plenty more in second place. That's 2 out of 2 5-Star records from KoL for me!

Ça me désole mais je suis obligé de mettre 5

Crear un ambiente muy envolvente. Siento que tendría que haber conocido este disco mucho antes. El cantante usa un quiebre vocal muy bien hecho y lo hace propio de su estilo. Es como si estuviera por desafinar en cada momento, pero lo sabe utilizar muy bien. Album super recomendado!!!

Good album!

I didn't want to leave this challenge. It brought back wonderful memories of living in Nashville & the excitement there was knowing this was a local band making it big. There was so much buzz in the air & a bunch of us knew or had seen Kings of Leon play before this album. Electric times. Musically, this is fantastic rock album. If someone were to ask me what the 2000s sounded like, I'd play this. Sex on Fire immediately followed by Use Somebody is a strike to the senses. Love this album & will revist it often. 4.5 stars

apsolutni klasik

Ooft. Those opening few bars of Closer transported me right back to high school. Kings Of Leon really blew up in the late 00s and epitomised the alt-rock sound of that era. With four songs from this album making Triple J's Hottest 100 for the year including "Closer" which didn't even get an official single release goes to show the pull of the Kings at this point in time. Best: Crawl; Sex On Fire; Use Somebody Worst: I Want You

I love the singer's very soulful voice, full of fieriness, sometimes reverence, sometimes endearing and compassionate. A good mix of some easy riffs with soft vocals and some hard hitting cacaphonies of emotion. A truly remarkable balance across the album as well. I always felt they were kind of one-hit wonders with sex on fire, but they really earned a spot in my heart with this album.

I'm just going to say it. This album fucks. Am I right?! 5/5

God I fucking LOVE this album. Restored my faith in rock when it was released, after a few years in the swirly whirly jazz world. Hearing Use Somebody one night blew me away, and reminded me of Joshua Tree-era U2 without all the pompous grandiosity affiliated with Bono and Co. And this glorious album does not sound dated at all. A masterpiece.

Incredible! One of the best! First half of the album is much better than the second one, but this album definitely needs to be in the list

Actually a great album front to back

This album rips

My favourite album when I was 15. Know every song. Best song is Manhattan or Be Somebody.

5/5

My personal guilty pleasure.

Un super album rock assez reent pleinde jits . Un bonne ecoute que je n’aurais jama8s fait fait sans cette liste. 4.85

Agradable y Guay.

It's that slow vocals vibe lounge singing vibe. Definitely makes you feel like you're sitting in the rain with flowers in your hand watching your high-school sweetheart kissing the quarterback of the football team vibes.

KoL is an under-rated band in my opinion. Especially with this album, they forged a pretty unique sound that is somehow fun and sad and rocky and poetic all at the same time. And they're consistent - a few tracks off this were "hits" but they all sound equally great.

Good vibe. I never think about this band when it comes to rock but their sound is awesome. Only a couple skips.

Multiple listens confirm the strengths of this effort and the band itself – fully committed vocals in a relatable classic rock vein, slightly melancholic undertones to even the wildest songs ("Sex On Fire" sounds is sung like the singer is in fact frightened by the fiery-ness being described). It all works well, if there are only a few tracks that truly jump out to distinguish themselves. Still, seems like this was a real rock and roll band at a time when the market needed one. Indeed, one is pleased that they achieved considerable commercial success, and would even go so far as to say they deserved it.

Nostalgic

Just an awesome album. Lots of soul and a solid rock/blues backbone.

Southern rock, Chris Stapleton feel.

Side A - a mighty Hulk, smashing through, explosion of sound, great riffs, really good vocal, I loved their style, especially the first song was amazing. Unfortunately, Side B was a big snoozefest, vocal became monotonous, maybe because it was exposed by lack of interesting instrumental parts. I'm still very much impressed with this album, I will look forward to listen to it on a vinyl, but I wouldn't call that an essential buy. It is a really good band, I think it will be worth it to listen to other positions in the discography.

7/10. Feels like a well-tuned alt-rock album. The hit single "Sex on Fire" almost feels out of place compared to the early tracks.

It's easy to mock Kings of Leon and the whole mid 2000s era of Alt Rock, but I do have to admit this is actually a pretty decent album. The hitters, while overplayed, still hit and some of the deep cuts are better than they get credit for as a band.

Not being a huge Kings of Leon fan, I can appreciate the unsung gems of the album. Moody and ambient at times, it generates strong QOTSS vibes with the Eddie Vedder-ish vocals and angst. Mostly unoriginal it does pull you in unexpectedly. The subtle harmony created by distortion and light synths creates a great vibe throughout.

I feel like a big ol hypocrite writing this. Yesterday I lamented that the trappings of 2000s of mainstream rock held back a Bruce Springsteen album. The difference with Kings of Leon’s Only By the Night is that, uh, they’re a 2000s band so they get away with it? But also this is the best I’ve ever heard them, right down to the assorted bells (“17”), background choirs, *compression* & millennial whoops (“Use Somebody”). I wouldn’t say the rough edges of Youth & Young Manhood needed to be sanded over, but it works. It just works here. HL: “Sex on Fire”, “Revelry”, “Closer”, “Notion” September 12, 2023

Iconic. New wave of rock for the time.

Possibly a 3.5 but did start to grow on me a bit

Now finally a Kings of Leon album that deserves to be on there because it's actually good music!

Nostalgia heavy for me. A couple of duds (wtf 17?) but overall a decent rock record. Closer will always be a standout.

A great album. Mix of styles, and energetic.

Great album

An album that was everywhere for a while, and rightly so, as it is great! Falls just short of a fifth star, partly cos it is a bit samey, partly cos I prefer their rawer earlier stuff.

good