Only By The Night

Whatever kingdom these guys preside over, I never want to visit.

color me shocked, I was a little surprised that one Kings of Leon album made it, but two? If any, this one shouldve made the cut, IF. Its a lot of radio friendly rock, I remember being in University at the time this came out and not really caring for it then either. Use Somebody is good, I'll give them that, but a lot of their music is just too aggressive and harder than it needs to be, if that makes sense. Alright, now I'm bracing for a Hinder album on this list eventually.

Two Kings of Leon albums? TWO Kings of Leon albums? No albums by Real Estate, Tennis, The Weeknd, Cigarettes After Sex? 1 album by the Black Keys but we get TWO albums by Kings of Leon?!?!? Kings of Crunk has more place on this list! Bad list? No author… bad YOU

Kind of a bluesier, but less distinctive and more formulaic Soundgarden. Track one is "Closer" which has a nice 3-bar vamp before the guitar shop distortion takes over for several songs. The single "Sex is on Fire" earns its hit status, but "Use Somebody" is more on the side of generic radio fodder. Of the rest, "Manhattan" is strong, and begins the less noisy middle of the album. "Revelry" and "17" encapsulate my feeling that this is rock for country fans. The singer seems to have found a small expressive pocket that he can do well, and stays inside it. A better voice for an opening act than a headliner. 2/5

Remember that hot minute in the summer of 2008 when Kings of Leon seemed destined to become kings of everything? If you were alive and paying attention then, this will take back to those days. Subjectively, "Sex on Fire" never really worked for me, and it seems even lamer all these years later. I can still listen to "Use Somebody" and "17" though.

Kind of more of the same. Not bad. Not overly demanding.

Imagine that this album had a different singer, anybody really. I would get better instantly.

I remember liking Kings of Leon more than I do now. Sex On Fire is a catchy song, even with it's sort of creepy lyrics. I've always been luke-warm on Use Somebody, and that hasn't changed. The rest of the album is mid at best. Its a listenable album, but doesn't really resonate with me much.

Why are there so many Kings of Leon albums in this list? This is the best of the three and it’s only “ok.”

A banger front to back.

Awful, so boring and tough to sit through.

Every song kind of sounds the same and the vocals get grating after a while. Not the worst music I’ve heard, but definitely generic.

6.5/10 Fav Songs: Closer, Use Somebody, Manhattan I don't really listen to rock music, however, it was still very interesting to listen too. I rate it a 6.5 because I feel like some of the songs were lacking after the start which set the expectation high.

Sehr viele Hits! 17 underrated, closer banger

Rock anthems for insurance adverts.

The album with the hits. Teenage me enjoyed them enough to go see them in concert. Adult me thinks that their sound is a bit repetitive and shallow. His raspy yell cry voice gets on my nerves and the backing music was very generic. 4/10

3/6

Incredible vocals. Two big radio hits in "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" but I liked all else. 7/10

- My instinct is to give this 4 stars. Nothing revolutionary, but the four track combo that stretches from "Sex on Fire" to "Revelry" is about as solid as 00s rock got. - Buuuuuttttt "17".....yeesh. - Will always have a soft spot for "Use Somebody." The best track, bar none.

Nickelback, but three times more successful and twice as dumb. Not bad enough to be one star, but so generic and forgettable.

Still baffled at the fact these guys have 3 damn albums on this list. Anyways this is definitely my favorite by them, has Sex on Fire of course but also some other goodies. Manhattan and Closer specifically caught my ear.

Lead singer has a unique and powerful voice. The rock band is 3 brothers and a cousin. Sex on Fire Use Somebody Manhattan Notion

No it’s not a good album. They had a coupes of very good ones but this wasn’t one of them.

Kings of Leon shouldn’t have this many records. This is like content music; nothing stands out and is instantly regrettable and forgettable.

Favorite Track: Closer

Having received 2 previous Kings of Leon albums before this one, I was very skeptical as neither really impressed me that much. But yeah, this one is definitely way better than the other 2. Much more polished, and you can understand the singer. Good stuff. 4/5

Use Somebody is a tune that I never liked that much. It was, however, part of a memory of when I drove my children from Pennsylvania to my home in Connecticut post divorce on a CD that had infinite replay (they liked the song). I would keep my hand level whenever the song would come on, and when Caleb would sing that higher pitched "Use" in the song, my hand would raise up to the top of the car, and then drop, which my daughters loved. Hearing the rest of the album was pretty tedious. There's nothing much for me here.

This is my 1,070th album. I have neither the energy nor the compulsion to listen to this.

3/10 The opening track is actually really good but then the rest of the songs are all very samey - they all bleed into the other only really notice the progression with the singles that everyone knows. That being said, the singles are very nostalgic for me (I'm a 00's baby) but very much what you would hear waiting for your mum to finishing doing the big shop. PS - when will grown men stop singing about teenagers? it makes me feel like i'm being turned inside out through my belly button Songs added to playlist: - Closer - Use somebody

I enjoyed this album. There are a few good peaks and the lows are more of stable plateaus. There’s nothing practically amazing about this album and overall I don’t think KOL has a huge range but they’re really good in their silo. 6.8/10 #48/1001

This is straight rock and roll with a bit of a bluesy twist. Lead singer has a unique voice that fits their music perfectly. Use Somebody is an incredible song that takes you on an auditory roller coaster ride. Great album!

Imagine putting two Kings of Leon albums in your book about the 1001 most crucial albums of all time

Imagine getting 2 albums by this band only for a single hit. They really didn't know what else to add to their shitty list.

I hated to listen to this with all my heart.

Ok

Like it ofcourse. More than other 4 stars, but not as much as the five stars; more like a 4.6

Solid couple of big hits.

Musically, great. Love the use of guitars and electronic music. But the voice puts me off every time. Dude need to clear his throat and take a dump.

Love this.

I remember when this came out, and my mom played Sex on Fire, and I thought both ‘Wow, why does my mom know who Kings of Leon are?’ and ‘Wow, it’s really unpleasant listening to a guy shout ‘your sex is on fire’ while in the car with your mom.’ Seriously, who thought those lyrics were cool, or well, sexy? I’ve never told a woman ‘your sex is (fill in the blank)’ because no matter what you say, you’re going to sound like a damned fool. I understand now that Kings of Leon needed to make this move in order to escape the fate of the typical early aughts indie band, that is, to be forever lost to time. And frankly, though mostly bland, this album is truly well produced. Caleb Followill has a unique and very good voice. This whole album is pleasant. Still, it also, to me, sort of harolded the end of underground rock. You can hear the transition here, especially on track 5, of the dawn of the music streaming algorithms feeding market research to bands to help them churn out the least offensive, most familiar sounds possible, so as to appeal to the largest audience. Therefore, there is wide appeal here and this album did meet success. But will it stand the test of time? I think it already fails to do so. It’s a soulless compilation with two tracks that will remain in the public zeitgeist and nine songs which won’t.

The amount of incredible musicians left off this list so that Kings of Leon could have two albums when they hardly deserve one. If I wasn't so far into this list, I'd be giving up on it for sure.

I remember how big this album was years ago. It has some great songwriting, but it’s inconsistent.

A lot of the music is pretty decent but the vocalist is going for way too much and it kinda ruins everything.

Un espèce de truc pas fondamentalement affreux, mais tout se mélange et rien n'en ressort. Médiocre.

Wish the rest of the album was as good as Closer and Use Somebody

I don't hate this band as much as I hate RHCP, but I definitely do not like them. Unique voice, but all the songs seem to sound the same..

347/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

8/10. I learned Kings of Leon is from Mt. Juliet, TN, which makes them the only halfway decent thing to come out of there. I really like Closer as an opening track, immediately added to my monthly playlist. Sex on Fire is a certified classic. Interesting parallel of Be Somebody to the more popular Use Somebody. Odd theme for Seventeen.

Solid album but the hits are hits and there’s a reason I haven’t heard any of the other ones. Manhattan was pretty good but 17 was weird. Overall good sound 5/10.

Start and end of the album is great. The middle of the album starting with 17 was not great. If the album finished like it started, would be a top 10 album. 4/5

There are a lot of misses on this album. Closer is a fine start and we start moving downhill pretty quickly after. It feels like Kings of Leon had an exact sound they were going for and maybe they nailed it but it gets stale. They rely heavily on the lead singers unique vocals. I get tired of that sound pretty fast. They’re making music in a way not too dissimilar from what imagine dragons do.

The last song on this project is fucking incredible, even better than the two major songs that are well known from this album. I’m only giving it a 4 because at certain points I got lost in the album and it felt like one long song. However, the long song was still enjoyable to listen to.

Pretty generic rock. It’s easy to listen to, and the first few tracks are solid.

Espero que Kings of Leon acaben en mi sección de artistas controvertidos, porque su primer álbum me encanta y este me parece super mediocre. Pasaron de ser hillbilly indie con mucha personalidad a perderla por completo para ser otro grupo más de pop-rock de masas típico de su época. Este álbum es una especie de Coldplay con toques sureños. Salvo la primera canción, que es un temazo, el resto son puras radiofórmulas diseñadas para llenar estadios. En cualquier caso, un álbum que no aporta nada nuevo y que no debería formar parte de esta lista.

3.5

Can a band be a "one album" wonder? Always fascinated when bands make the choice to write more mainstream music. KOL never reached these heights again, but their music will live on in CVS aisles for years to come.

Hmm

kindda okay

Only by the Night finds Kings of Leon embracing a polished, arena-rock sound that sometimes causes the album’s deeper cuts to blend together. Within this glossy, atmospheric framework, “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire” clearly stand out as the most interesting tracks, combining strong hooks with real emotional punch. “Sex on Fire” hits immediately with its memorable riff and urgent vocal delivery, while “Use Somebody” builds more slowly into a soaring, cathartic chorus. Ultimately, these two songs feel like the true creative peaks of the record and are largely responsible for the album’s enduring appeal.

Nice sound, some cool basslines, and softer but not boring. A solid band playing near their full potential.

Solid modern rock, something I miss now

Never listened to this as a whole album, but many of these permeated my consciousness. Very of the time. I saw them in concert in 2012. Nostalgic and good

What a poor stretch of albums this has been. I can’t stand the vocals on this - shrill, affected & overwrought. Decent instrumentation and production, though.

Never listened to the album as a whole but was surprised by the number of songs that I knew.

Pretty good, some of the deeper cuts on this album didn't leave much of an impact but its on the edge of a 4 because of songs like “sex is on fire” or “use somebody”. Decent listen

Really good. I actually thought the worst songs were the ones I knew: Use Somebody and Sex on Fire. All the other ones were top-notch.

Dude has a cool voice, but I can't stand this band

Time heals most wounds. After a break from constant exposure to the singles, it's a solid album with great bass parts. Crawl and Notion were underrated. Minus a star for 17 and for a weak conclusion.

This album had so little impact on me that I almost forgot to write a review of it! It’s very much in the BBC Six Music / Glastonbury indie stage on a Saturday afternoon vein of middle of the road mid 2000s rock music. The only bit that made me wince was when these 30 something rockers started singing about a girl being “only 17”. Yikes.

TL;DR: Imagine Coldplay with less whinning. You get it? There you go! Long version: OK, so the first song is pretty catchy, but then you can easily hear here and there gimmicks of "indie" (as in "fuck it we're mainstream and signed on a big ass major company") rock from this time. Like fucking Coldplay. With less whinning. Sometimes they can be pretty OK actually, with a good rhythm section (and a bass lines as the backbone of some of the songs), and a serious post-punk feeling (the bass once again, and some guitar parts). I was going to be indulgent, then they decided that it was a good idea to have the 17 song. Yeah, romanticizing anything with an underage girl is so fun!

I wasn't paying too much attention to the songs, but I did like what I was hearing. Sex On Fire sounded good as well as Cold Desert.

A solid album! Fun instrumentals and vocal work. It sorta fell off by the end, but was still fairly enjoyable. 'Use Somebody' was my fave.

Surprisingly good, but three tracks was enough.

Actually enjoyed this? I don't know what's wrong with me.

Honestly was very excited when this popped up. I thought it was going to be a classic album full of hits. Sadly not the case. Still a solid album, with some classic songs. 6.4/10

Very enjoyable like it didn’t reinvent the wheel but it didn’t have to. Simple but very digestible

Es ist ein atmosphärisch dichtes Album, das die Band endgültig zu einem weltweiten Phänomen machte. Mit Hits wie „Sex on Fire“ und „Use Somebody“ zeigt die Gruppe eine Mischung aus rockigen Rhythmen und emotionaler Intensität, die tief unter die Haut geht. Das Album beeindruckt mit seiner cineastischen Produktion und den eindringlichen Vocals von Caleb Followill, obwohl einige Kritiker bemängeln, dass es im Vergleich zu früheren Werken etwas von der rohen Energie eingebüßt hat. Insgesamt jedoch ein starkes Werk mit einem fesselnden Soundtrack für emotionale Höhen und Tiefen – gerne wieder.

7.5/10

It’s ok

3/5 has good songs but soft rock is not really my thing

Sec is on fire is a distraction and honestly a pivotal point in this bands sounds. They hit commercial success and more or less ruined this album at the same time. Aside from that song this album is excellent. Incredible mixing, strong song producing. I love Caleb’s voice.

A middle of the road album with a handful of stand out tracks

Have to confess I’ve never listened to a KoL album until this project. I know the big hits but not the album tracks. Was hoping there would be more to their music than the big hits but this was sadly lacking. Didn’t do anything to make me want to listen to them any more than I did before!

All KOL albums are good with normally a couple of decent songs, and a few average ones. This one is no different but somehow managed to propel them into popularity. It lacks the edge of other offerings and perhaps that is why it appealed to the masses. Decent enough though.

Here we go, more dire 2000s indie rock. Another singer who sounds like they’re struggling with a tricky poo, and songs that are mostly turgid soppy bollox.

A slightly more refined sound over their previous album Because of the Times, though maybe not in a good way. Was the only reason this one was chosen is because it made it into the supermarket playlist?

Only By The Night is the sound of a band who is comfortable with their recordings and creative output. It's not a big departure from their earlier releases. It's pretty good but I'm not sure it needed to be on this list.

It’s not rock music; the songwriting is 21st century pop through and through. Worse than Coldplay, but maybe a little better than Imagine Dragons and OneRepublic. Decent drums, lackluster and absolutely mediocre guitar, and pretentious irritating vocals. I don’t actually hate it, but it epitomizes much of what 21st century “rock” music lacks for me

the album was bland, generic and sounded a lot of the same. If only the album had remained as strong as its opening.

Not their best but still pretty good

Only By The Night is peak late 2000s alt rock, for better or worse. Back then, you couldn’t escape “Sex On Fire” or “Use Somebody” — they were everywhere. Listening again now, it’s not terrible, just not really my thing. I’ve never been big on 2000s alt rock, and this album didn’t change that. That said, the bass line on “Use Somebody” hits different in headphones — easily the highlight for me. Favorite song: "Use Somebody"

Thankfully its better than Aha Shake, hopefully the third one is even better but not likely. 2.36

A completely rude awakening with this album. After Aha Shake Heartbreak I had become complacent with the idea that Kings of Leon were some nobody indie band that this book was intent on overrepresenting. Needless to say, I was shocked after being unwittingly smacked over the head with TWO hit songs back-to-back. Then, once I was crawling along the ground in desperate search of bandages this cheeky fucker decided to bust out one more. This album is listenable, but belongs to the lower echelon of listenable. It's the kind of album where I would give it's jewel case a long, discerning, slightly disapproving stare were I to hold it in my hands. I generally appreciate the lively tracks, though the subdued, pensive tracks are a mixed bag. They're good instrumentally, but are much more reliant on the vocals, which I am undecided on the quality of.

Playing catch up - so listened to both KOL albums that have come up so far back to back. As per comment on Aha Shake Heartbreak - I had really liked KOL first time around until Only By The Night - which was the beginning of my disengagement with KOL. Listening again today I don't think my opinion has changed with Only Be The Night having a more polished/ stadium feel that does not work for me. I gave Aha Shake Heartbreak a 3 and I would much rather listen to that - which I guess makes this a 2.

Only By the Night From Aha Shake Heartbreak: – All the elements are there for something I should like - southern rock style guitars, garagey drums, but its generally a bit nondescript. It’s not objectively bad, it's just not as good as you feel it should be and kind of passes by without anything to make you sit up and notice. Whether it’s the strength of the songs or a general lack of energy I’m not sure. So overall a handful of good songs and a nice sound, but in the main pretty forgettable but fine. I think that makes a 3, a 2 feels a bit low. – That mainly holds true for this one, there’s not much I can add really, it’s all competently made and isn’t unlistenable it’s just not that satisfying. Although I did really like Crawl, as that had a nice dirty, swampy groove and muscular weight to it, and is a bit more interesting and memorable than the rest including the big singles. Realistically I’m never going to listen again so I’ll go for a 2. 🌃🌃🌃 Playlist submission: Crawl

I suppose there is a certain stigma amongst the musicerati about KoL. A Coldplay and U2 level of snobbery. Namely because they were a band with so much raw promise, and seemingly compromised that for formulaic rock. But I listened to this and thought it not half bad. And not half good. It's a nice ale, but it's starting to go off. They haven't gone completely bore-rock at this point, although the ennui is creeping in here and there - the album finishes with two completely lackadaisical numbers that pave the way for what's to come. Fairs fair, this is a three.

I liked.

First four songs are a 5! Rest of Album is a 3! 17 is a 1 - what the heck pedo? That averages out to a 3

faux-anguished, pompous, mock-rock, underpinned with dull clatter and U2-style bombast - landfill indie-style rock, no better than the Pigeon Detectives. there is absolutely no reason for threadbare bands like this to have 2 (so far) albums in the list. I do not want to hear a third from them.

Honestly this is really good for what it is. Not in your face rock but good music. It did continue the theme of rock albums having ambiguous songs about underage women but this one was ambiguous enough!

just because an album has a couple big singles doesn’t mean i need to listen to it before i die, robert dimery

When this album first came out, I absolutely hated hearing "Sex on Fire" on the radio all the time. I absolutely detested that song, and it made me never want to check out Kings of Leon. I can't remember how I wound up checking out Aha Shake Heartbreak, but that was when I really fell in love with these guys. I think I own their first five albums, but Aha Shake Heartbreak is the one that I've listened to the most. I haven't listened to anything on this album in a while, but I'm excited to revisit it today! Only By The Night is a little bit short of a five star album for me, but it’s a really good album, and I thought it was enjoyable to listen to again. There are a few songs that feel like filler, and the two massive singles are a bit disappointing to me, but the songs that I liked were really good. The music and the lyrics on “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody,” feel a little incongruous to me. There’s so much passion in the singing and lyrics, but something about the music, particularly the guitar playing, feels restrained to me. And that’s a shame, because both of these songs bring a lot to the table in terms of accessibility, but they just lack the punch that I think they should pack. However, “Closer,” “Revelry,” and “Notion” absolutely crush it. I love the distorted guitar melody on “Closer,” and its dark tone feels like a natural starting point for this album, picking up right where KOL’s previous album, Because of The Times, left off. “Revelry” and “Notion” both have a slower tempo that lean into KOL’s southern rock roots, and songs like that helped set the bad apart in the late aughts when most alternative rock all sounded the same to me. The songwriting on this album was really good too, and there’s a lot of raw emotion that fills the forty minutes of this album. While this isn’t my favorite effort from KOL, I still think it’s an enjoyable listen, and I’m glad I got to experience it again today.

It's pretty generic "alt-rock" and nothing really stands out. It's hard to believe that it received a nomination for best album and that "Use Somebody" actually won best song. It's just so incredibly boring yet still somehow gets regular airtime on the radio to this day. "Sex is on Fire" is a better song and actually has a decent groove, in my opinion. It's not a terrible album but there were much better albums in this genre from this time period.

Know of Kings of Leon because of 2 songs, Sex on Fire and Use Somebody. I wasn't the biggest fan due to the overplaying of those same songs. But I was pleasantly surprised by this album. The radio songs aren't even in the top 5 songs off the album. My favorite song is Notion. I downloaded during my first listen and listened to it numerous times since. Great song. Other favorites include I Want You, Crawl, Close and Revelry. I really enjoyed the significant portion of the album. I do think Sex on Fire and Use Somebody are good songs, they just got overplayed back in the day. And I know when I read the reviews there will be a lot of jokes about Sex on Fire, like go see a doctor, you have a STD etc. I know when I hear it, my first thought is you have a health issue buddy and/or so does your girl. Anyway, I thought this was a very good album overall and I will take some time to dive into some of their other material. This album would have been a 4, but right before my 2 favorites songs, Notion and I Want You was a song called 17. Found the song to be creepy/pedo like and was just plain weird. Vete a la mierda hombre naranja y MAGA. 3.5

3 Kind of surprised to see this album made the list. I’ve always thought Kings of Leon were a decent, but mostly middling 2000s radio rock band, and to be honest, this album did very little to change my opinion. I will say, the first few songs on this album are excellent, with Sex on Fire being a song in particular that I’ve always enjoyed. At the risk of making my weirdest/most Oedipal comment on this site to date, my mom’s a big fan of the song as well, so a part of me always thinks about her whenever I hear it despite the subject matter. Before that though, a couple pleasant surprises for me were the opening two tracks, Closer and Crawl, which I found both excellent as well. Unfortunately, right after that trio comes my least favorite song by the group, Use Somebody. I was really surprised to see that the song had significantly less Spotify plays than Sex on Fire because I feel like I remember hearing this song EVERYWHERE, like for years. Hell, even still today. And I’ve never really been a fan of it - it’s not drastically different from anything else by Kings, but something about it has always just felt like radio fodder of the most formulaic kind. It’s not terrible, but it’s way too vanilla in my opinion to get anywhere near the amount of airplay it got. Unfortunately, after that, the album really never picks back up from there, instead continuing to serve up the exact kind of thing I expected from the group, though Notion in particular felt really familiar to me - I don’t know if it got some airplay back in the day, but it was probably my favorite of the back half. 17 made me raise an eyebrow, but with the vague lyrics, I’m going to give the guys the benefit of the doubt and hope that it’s more of a sympathetic look at a troubled teenager than it is anything sinister. Outside of that, I found this album pretty plain and forgettable. Still, the first few tracks are pretty fire (pun intended), so I’ll go with a 3.

dudes voice is awful. you cannot convince me that i would need to listen to this for any reason.

Oddly, I really enjoyed this.

Liked this album at the time, still like it now. Crawl is great, Sex on Fire is just played to death, but it’s still a good song. Not sure I ever listened to it all the way through though.

8/10

Sex on fire (zawsze myślałam, że to girl on fire I tak też spiewalam wskazując na siebie XD) Oraz use somebody to radiowe przeboje Radiowy rock lol Dla mnie trochę oklepane ale do spacerku z psem spoko

Damn, I never really have these guys a chance but this album is terrific

It's still strange to me that this was so popular. It was bland then and it's bland now. The fact that this band has multiple albums on this list is a real head scratcher as they've mostly been forgotten as their music is very forgettable.

Oon kuunnellut tätä albumia enemmän kuin muistinkaan, mikä on sinänsä ihme, koska en niin syty sille, kuinka hidas tää on. Kings of Leonille tapahtuu tässä coldplaymäistyminen, varhaisemmat levyt on rosoisuudessaan parempia. Yllättävää on, että b-puolella meno paranee, se on hyvä! Vahva 3 puol.

Vaihtavat perinteisemmän riffittelyn rytmittömämpään indie-kitarointiin (tädädädädädädädä-tädädädädädädädä). Biisien laatu pysyy kuitenkin tasaisena, ja vielä lopetusraitakin kontribuoi kokonaisuuteen. Sex on Fire on mielestäni oikea hitti, Use Somebody taas ei. Be Somebodyn kuuntelin mielenkiinnosta uudelleen.

Exceptional pop rock record with some killer performances from the whole band. The single “Sex On Fire” got a bit of over saturation on radio and music television back when those things weren’t antiquated listening sources. Because of that I overlooked this album for a couple years but then when I wasn’t hearing the single as much I sat down and gave this record a chance, and I’m glad I did. It’s hard to point to one thing that outshines everything else because this band is so cohesive and complementary to each other that I wouldn’t trade out a single band member. On top of that the production, engineering and mixing is so impressive. Sonically, at times it reminds me of U2’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” with a bit more blues and soul mixed in and maybe a touch of the 2000’s NYC underground scene. I’d give this one an easy 4.25

Catchy radio hits. I was completely turned off to this band because of how much I was forced to hear the same 2 songs over and over and over. Not a bad album, though. Revelry was my favorite deep cut. They're good at playing this style of music, and they are very good at writing catchy tunes. I don't mind the raspy vocals. I ain't as mad at this one as I thought I would be. 3.75.

This was pretty okay, but the sound is dominated by the singer, who sounds like he's singing through that lump in your throat you get before you cry. I was distracted worrying about the long-term health of his vocal cords.

1. clozer - 1 2. crauul - 1 3. fire - 1 4. zomebody - 1 5. manhattan - 0 6. revelry - 0 7. 17 - 0 8. notion - 1 9. you - 0 10. be - 0 11. dezert - 1 THIZ BAND ZUCKZ ZPECIALLY THE TERRIBLE ZINGERZ VOICE , UUTF !!!!

It’s not bad but they have better albums

I don't hate KOL in general but this album in particular is agressively average

Probably rate it higher if i hadn’t heard so many of the tracks on repeat when it came out and at work. It’s a good catchy album, but doesn’t reward in repeated listening. Very sparse minimalist production that sounds good but kind of muddy. Still great songs that are very memorable

6/10.

I still remember hearing the commercials when this Album came out. had the album but mostly heard the hits but the rest of the album was pretty good too.

Always thought these guys were lame. Kinda proved right. Terrible voice. Bad production. Sex on fire the supposed hit is boring. I thought singing about teenage girls was frowned upon in the 2000s. This album was not something I had to hear. It’s three. Not bad just meh.

This seems to get plenty of hate on this list, but I legitimately enjoyed it. Have I heard it a little too much for an album that’s not a favorite? Sure. Is it actually hard rock? Obviously not. Still, most of the songs are solid (never mind, 17), and I had no regrets when it was over.

Even bigger fan than I thought I would be. I like the unique almost whine about his voice and I think it’s very fitting. This is some good rock.

3 Kings Of Leon albums and no Tragically Hip. (wtaf) Come on now. One thing that occurred to me recently is that I just don't know if I like rock - or specifically modern rock - anymore. Not saying I don't, I legitimately don't know. Like...do I feel like I'm tired of the 4 piece rock concept overall, having heard so much of the first 50+ years of the structure? I'm so often bored with it all. I truly didn't enjoy our first two albums from this band, and scoffed today getting this one - my biggest personal gripe with them is that the singer still sounds like he swallowed his tongue. But I have also (self-awareness??) realized after 980+ albums that I hate almost all singers so I'm gonna have to judge on a curve here... So I was immediately ready to give this a knee-jerk mid rating, allowing for the 2 singles I'm actually familiar with. But ok ok it's definitely better - varied music, and in general this one has some catchier songs than their earlier albums. It doesn't rewrite anything in the rock pantheon, and maybe I'm right to not expect that from rock music anymore. But the simple formula is done with a little flavour here and despite my sarcastic jaded outlook I'll admit I enjoyed it more than I'd expected to. They're never going to be a favourite but does that even matter - what they tried to do here they did pretty well. 7/10 4 stars

Album itself 5/5 - Use Somebody 10/10, plus Close, Sex on Fire, Crawl...

Was already familiar with this album and really love it. It has some truly great songs on it. There are some songs I usually skip through cause they don't hit as well. Kind of hate there is 'use somebody' and 'be somebody' on the same album. I really like one and not fan of the other, and can never remember which until I give them a listen

Will this be the album that finally shows me why Kings of Leon are (or were) so popular? I try to listen with an open mind but all I hear is a young Cocker wannabe trying too hard to emote over music engineered for maximum indie and/or young indie-tinged Southern Rock appeal. Every rough edge has been sanded to pristine blandness. Maybe the music’s lab-manufactured inoffensiveness amplifies the singer's quirks in the worst way, but I found it grating. Instead of elevating the songs, his voice drags them down. Sometimes my ears just don’t align with the masses, and I’m okay with that.

My Kings of Leon history goes like this… I got interested in Kings of Leon. I really liked Kings of Leon. I hated Kings of Leon. I’ve ignored Kings of Leon. Revisiting this album after not listening to it by choice for over ten years is interesting. The singles are damn catchy. You can’t deny it. It helps that I’m not hearing them all the time anymore. Positives: The opener is hands down my favorite track. The creepy, spooky vibe is a delight. Revelry is probably my second favorite. It reminds me of My Morning Jacket. Honestly, tracks 1-6 are pretty good. Negatives: I can’t stand 17. The young girl infatuation songs by grown men are just gross. Skip. As catchy as Sex on Fire might be, I don’t particularly like it. The back half of the album isn’t as good as the first half. (Notion is a decent song.) I can see myself listening to some of these songs from time to time but to play the whole album…I just don’t see that happening. Sometimes absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. 2/5

Great album.

Although a big fan of the band, this one was their mainstream crossover success album and I always thought it was lack luster. Their earlier albums were raw and gritty and this one seemed so polished and produced.

The transition of Kings Of Leon from the 'Southern Strokes' to arena rockers. Big choruses,epic production. I wish it still had the ragged charm of their first two records but you can't fault it's ambition.

Nothing crazy, it felt like pretty basic alt rock. I think there could be some songs that grow on me and I listen to more over time but the album as a whole doesn’t seem to offer much.

Kinda gives George Ezra but slightly more decent. The album has some good songs (cold desert was a special stand out) and some really not good songs (the oh oh ohs in the background of use somebody annoy me a lot) making the album feel kinda inconsistent. Honestly as an album though it was really not great at all.

Pretty good.

Har klint mye på kjipe skinnsofaer til det albumet her (shoutout videregående) så needless to say er nostalgifaktoren høy her. Likevel mener jeg det er et seriøst solid alt-rock album med nok av hits - også back to back a gitt!

A couple mild hits dragged down by the album

Seriously, dudes...it's 2008. Performing songs about seventeen year old girls is super-uncool. That hasn't been allowed since "Beavis and Butthead" won the battle against Winger and everyone realized that KISS were just a bunch of jerks. Deduct one full star for that. The rest of the album has some pretty good songs "Notion" and the hit, "Use Somebody" are standouts. Still, the knowledge that the Followill clan are not good people clouds my perception of their music.

Not bad for bar vibes, but there's only a couple songs I really liked

Meh. And if Im not misinterpreting, there's a song about getting with a 17 year old.

Solid album. I like it.

I like old KoL better :/

5*

This album marked the point KoL became festival headlining megastars, and their music started to become that bit more commercial and bland. But really they hadn't slid too far yet - this is still a decent album with no bad tracks, just fewer great moments than their previous couple of records. I even had an Only By The Night poster on my wall at the time, but that was mainly because I liked the owlish album art...

I was kinda enjoying it for a while! I didn't love his voice and lyrics were okay, but I liked some of the interplay within the instruments, the noisy guitar solos, the hits are fine but some of the deeper cuts like Manhattan were cool. Then 17 came on....thats the kind of song that will instantly dock the album at least a star for me.

Eh..

Sex of fire - is the song of Wattpad generation

Started really strong, but the second half of this was just really boring.

Childhood fav

These tracks were so overplayed when the album came out, it really ruined the sound for me. And beyond that, many of the tracks are pretty forgettable and easy to tune out the bigger hits. This album is pretty much the definition of average… 2.5/5

Only By The Night – Kings of Leon – 3.4/5 This album was everywhere during my high school days, with its biggest hits playing in clubs, on the radio, and covered by countless bands. The music was widely accepted by teens at the time, but it’s not my style—memorable due to its popularity, but not something I’d revisit often.

Didn't hate this as much as I expected. I suppose as they're not as ubiquitous as they were when this came out. Made me ostalgic for 2008, first going to uni and them suddenly becoming massive. Still perhaps the shittiest set I've ever seen when touring this album though.

There’s a hint of blues in this rock album and that always seems to be a good formula. The Melodie’s are well performed. The guitars and drums really drive the songs. I’ve known of these guys for some time but never really gave them a chance until I’ve been forced to. This is good. There isn’t an awful song on here. I may not go back to this album again but I’ll keep listening to them. Choice cut: Use Somebody

I was disappointed when I saw this was my album. I always hated 'Sex On Fire' and 'Use Somebody' so if the rest of the album was similar I knew it would be a low rating. How wrong I was though. The opener 'Closer' is a weird almost psychedelic sounding track and the next one 'Crawl' turns up the heaviness but maintains a slightly electronic vibe. I enjoyed them both and think they're the best songs on the album. The next two tracks were the two popular singles I thought I hated. I still detest 'Use Somebody' which I think is just utter crap and annoying, however after giving 'Sex On Fire' a fair listen, my mind has changed somewhat. It's by no means outstanding, but I have to say I did like it. The whole album is filled with catchy choruses, great drumming and appealing vocals (although at times perhaps indecipherable and slightly over the top almost yodelling). A very solid effort and one that I was pleasantly surprised by considering I thought I'd hate it.

3.5

En oo varma tykkäänkö tästä överiseksikkyyttä tavoittelevasta käheestä laulusta. Hitit on kyl mieleenpainuvia. Ihan jees osastoa 3/5

Onhan tuo ihan tarttuva poppia, vaikka en jaksa kovinkaan pitkään kuunnella. keskikolmonen

There's singing and people playing instruments, but it all sounds very bland and over produced. It's safe, middle-of-the-road stadium rock for people who would have done better listening to bands who did this all before in the 70s, but weren't around in the early 2000s to perform live I guess. The first couple of tracks showed some promise, maybe this would just be generic soft rock, but it slowed down to a painful crawl by the end. I'm not sure why the band thought it would be a good idea to put so many turgid tracks on the second side of the album, but it dragged it down to 2 stars for me. Weirdly, I got some Duran Duran vibes from some of the tracks, but not in a good way.

Very good!

One or two of these tracks sound great, but they also sound like a producer just wanted to get some songs out and this was the band available at the time, the rest is pretty mediocre.

Słuchając tego, zastanawiałem się nad ideą hitów muzycznych. Coś staje się hitem, bo wszyscy to znają. Wszyscy coś znają, bo często leci w radiu lub innych środkach przekazu. I teraz pytanie - czy coś jest promowane, bo jest dobre? Czy coś zostaje uznane za dobre, bo jest agresywnie promowane? "Sex on Fire" (i może "Use Somebody") to jedyny utwór z tej płyty, którego jako tako mi się słucha. Choć jak się skupiłem, to słyszę, że mimo wszystko nie jest to utwór wybitny. Jest chwytliwy i energiczny - tak. Ale to wszystko. Czy w jakikolwiek sposób zwróciłby moją uwagę, gdyby nie to, że jest znany, bo regularnie leciał i leci w różnych składankach? Reszta albumu jest dla mnie bezdyskusyjnie nudna i płaska. Taki basic-mainstream/5.

I've listened to it in my house beacause I was afraid somebody will somehow know I listen to King of Leons and will judge me. I felt like I was a hostage in my own home. I checked and the album was 40 minutes but felt like 2 hours of the same song. One song was decent (probably the one that Wiktor mentioned but I don't want to check it).

Sluchanie tego na spacerze było błędem - czułem jakbym robił coś wstydliwego, bałem się, że ktoś mnie przyłapie. Slop/5

Looks like 3 Kings of Leon albums have come and gone off the 1,001 list. I'm guessing this is the one I'll recognize the most material from, but I didn't get much mileage out of it. Doesn't bode well for the others. Even the radio hits here are just kind of okay.

There is nothing wrong with this album, as a background record it is perfectly pleasant with various radio-friendly soft rock numbers rolling by one after the other. It contains super hit ‘Sex on Fire’ which did briefly transport me to the summer of 2008 when it was played nearly constantly and despite it not being a song I was particularly fond of at the time, I did find myself singing along to the chorus. However that was the highlight in what was otherwise a too-long album with songs that just rolled into one. I hardly noticed when the tracks went by, making my track notes hard to complete as I struggled to distinguish each of them. All in all this is fine. If you like rock music then perhaps it’s better than fine. However I think few among us will find anything special here.

Meh. All of the songs sound the same. If you like Sex is on Fire, you will love this album. If you find it redundant and cloying, then there is nothing here for you.

I’ve always liked this one. They were definitely gelling in the studio.

This album was everywhere on release, I genuinely can remember every radio station and music channel playing Use Somebody and Sex on Fire non stop for what felt like 6 months. And there’s a reason, the singles on this album are great. They’re not high brow art but the singles are tight, well made, catchy pop rock that doesn’t alienate any audience by overcommitting to the pop or the rock image. The album is stupidly front loaded, Closer the opener is easily the best song on the album, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody Manhattan and Revelry are all pretty great to varying degrees too. Although Crawl is probably the worst song on the album. I found the vocals a bit grating to want to listen to for 40 minutes. I think Kings of Leon are a band that is enjoyable for 1 or 2 songs at a time but afterwards the formula becomes apparent and things get annoying, but man for the 1 or 2 songs they rock. Overall there are some great songs on this but it dragged so badly which is impressive for a 42 min album. 2.5/5

good stuff

Around the time this album came out, I was sitting at Union Station and someone asked me if I was in The Kings of Leon, so I jad that going for me. Late 2000's indie staple album. I can listen to this from front to back with no skips but that is probably the nostalgia factor kicking in too. Use Somebody still hits a special feeling.

This one surprised me - it was better than I thought. Their sophomore album? I just loved the first one so much. It started slow for me, but it's a fine album. A fine album.

Cold rock with an annoying crying voice

No I will not

Kings of Leon have a sound. The sound is layered guitars over propulsive rhythms. Sometimes they do really good things with that sound — other times it’s boring.

What leads this one to land on the '1001 Before You Die' list, ubiquity?

This sex is on fire!

• 4/5 • not my favorite KoL album (Aha, Shake, Heartbreak) but consistently good tracks with a few standouts • more produced and orchestral than their earlier work • I like Crawl and I Want You better than the highlighted singles (which are also good)

Excellent lyrics, excellent vocals, excellent guitarwork, excellent melodies, but most of all, excellent drumming full of variety. An underrated album!

太有活力了

First listen. Some of the songs I were familiar with. Ok album.

kings of leon are the epitome of 3/5 to me. at least this one was better than the last album, which was Bad. this was fine. sex on fire is fine. use somebody is fine. it's FINE!!

well, they've definitely improved since aha shake heartbreak. that album was very close to being a one-star from me, but in my infinite mercy i gave it two. this album is actually listenable, so we're off to a great start. honestly, the first half is all solid to great. depending on how much you listened to the radio and were out and about in 2008 or so, you may groan at the first notes of sex on fire or use somebody, but i really came around on the former a few years ago. yeah these are straightforward major label pop-rock songs about love won and lost, but they're pretty good for what they are. the back half is pretty much the same sound as the front half but with a lot less of what makes those songs interesting. it's all blended together into lukewarm filler soup. also they definitely lose points for 17. GET A JOB. STAY AWAY FROM HER. favorites: closer, crawl, sex on fire, use somebody, manhattan, i want you, be somebody

This feels like a bit of an album of two halves really. While it's still listenable enough, it really falls off in quality from about the halfway mark. The first half is much more successful I think. I've never really liked his voice or singing style, but I still enjoy a bunch of the tracks on here. There's some down and dirty beats in the opening tracks, particularly on 'Crawl' which I really like. Sex on Fire is a big track whether you like it or not, and whether it's been played to death or not. That will always bring back memories of me dancing on a table in an après ski bar in Austria, drunk on schnapps and drunk on life. Good times.

bit plain

Not my thing but they are talented.

Bleh. I liked this more than their first I suppose, but dude has an irritating voice and the music doesn't make up for it. This feels like Coldplay with a little more edge to it. Still bland af

On their fourth Album, Kings of Leon made a conscious decision to try to pack arenas and bring in some cash, and it worked. These aren't by any means bad songs, but they aren't particularly interesting either, and it's strange to me that this is on the list, especially when other Kings of Leon albums are more interesting (though still not mandatory listens).

Ok.

Kings of Leons transition to pop music and a new teenage fanbase!! I heard this album so much growing up. I hated it at the time, let’s see how I feel 15 years later. The start of the album is superb, Closer and crawl are traditional KOL songs, driven by pure raw pop rock. Use somebody and sex is on fire are great pop songs that bring in new fans and widen their reach. It’s a great start. After track 4 the album really does drop of a cliff. The rest of the album feels like it is going through the motions with the tracks being very dull and samey without any style. The album is not one I would listen to again. Ill stick to the greatest hits. Favourite song: the first 4 songs, they are superb. Least favourite: Be somebody, overplayed and awful. Album artwork: I like this cover, I do remember it being different and green back in the day.

Death, taxes and Kings of Leon being mid

Songs i knew: most of em Songs i liked: most of em I done the majority of my goosing to this album in 2008, primarily in a travel lodge in Warrington because we were both living at our mars. You know most of the songs on this album whether you like to admit it or not, that being said I literally had to skip SOF and use somebody because they've been overplayed and so saturated at this point. Is it a high 4 or a low 5? Fuck it low 5 because of all the goosing.

Three Kings of Leon albums?? I think 1 would have been enough. Having said that, they found a formula and it works. It's a bit cheesy, can see why a lot of people don't like it. But damn they write some good catchy tunes. Wasn't really a weak spot on the album.

I couldn't listen too it due to being too mentally scarred by the overexposure of Sex On Fire. Probably not their fault...I liked the first album tbh

Loved their 1st album - that had an almost goofiness that I loved that this lacks - and their 3rd is very good too. I don't this one quite hits those heights - despite having a couple of their bigger hits - but like some of the reference points - especially the Secret Machines esque drumming. Not one I am likely to return to, but did get me returning to their 1st/discovering their 3rd so I think worthy of 4*...

Despite being a fan of their early work, I’d never actually heard this album before. Truly peak KoL in terms of the commercial hits, but more polished and produced than I like, and I kept getting mid/late U2 vibes. Some accessible bangers on there, but happy to hear them down the pub rather than as a body of work at home.

This is the 23rd album I’m rating. I heard this was on the list but I can’t really judge it since I can’t remember listening to the band. I probably have listened to them though since I listened to a lot of radio music like most people over 10. Closer - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is extremely basic. Crawl - Not Adding to my Playlist. That singing is pretty annoying. Sex on Fire - Not Adding to my Playlist. This feels like a This Year’s Model situation. Use Somebody - Not Adding to my Playlist. I definitely recognize this song. I hate this song. Maybe listening to this song on the radio for years is influencing my judgement but it doesn’t change the fact I dislike it. Manhattan - Not Adding to my Playlist. I feel nothing. Revelry - Not Adding to my Playlist. Pretty basic but something feels right but also wrong. 17 - Not Adding to my Playlist. When I imagine alt rock I’m thinking of something interesting. Notion - Not Adding to my Playlist. I can’t listen to this album. I listened to all of these songs on the radio so much I can’t listen to them anymore. I Want You - Not Adding to my Playlist. This singing is pretty annoying. Be Somebody - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is more interesting but worse. Cold Desert - Not Adding to my Playlist. Antarctica or Ice Cream. All in all I liked 0/11 songs. Not as good as I thought it would be. The best terrible album. I’m getting kinda burnt out listening to new music I need a Fetch the Bolt Cutters or a Tidal or a Aftermath. I need something I know really well that’s really good. I don’t know what Björk albums are on here but one of them should be fine. Maybe Bitte Orca or Heaven or Las Vegas. Just something I know.

Standout: I forgot what it was but it said something about a gun. This guy can do one thing with his voice and he does it over and over. Transports me to being a child in the back of the car listening to Sex on Fire and confusing it with Locked Out Of Heaven. Instant loss in points for "she's only 17," gross and cliched.

Love this album. Bought it when it first came out. Still in my regular rotation

Meh. Uninspired and uninteresting. A three just because it's not objectionable.

Improved my opinion about their band a little bit but I'm still not a very huge fan.

The Californication of 2008. It was absolutely everywhere. It was also not that great.

I don’t know if any other band out there has suffered more from radio overplay than Kings of Leon. I HATE Sex on Fire and I used to like Use Somebody but that admiration was burned out of me because of alternative radio SPAMMING Kings of Leon from 2008 all the way through the 2010s. So I generally don’t have a favorable opinion of Kings of Leon. But here’s the thing: the rest of this album is really good! The rest of the album sounds like what I imagine those radio DJs heard in Sex on Fire and Use Somebody. Would I get sick of this guys voice and vocal deliver if say, Revelry was played a billion times on the airwaves? Probably. But I’ll be sure not to make that mistake on my Spotify playlists. I’ll treat this album like an Arby’s sandwich — give myself an occasional taste and savor the rich, fatty, sounds. But make sure I don’t enjoy too much or too often or the taste will turn and I’ll feel nauseous every time I see or hear of it. Tl;dr Kings of Leon is the Arby’s of alternative rock

first 2 songs rip. this guy has a great voice, I would like it/enjoy more if many inferior vocalists jacked his style in the ensuing years. good, sometime great instrumentation! the hits r the weakest links…

One of my first albums, favourite band. I HAVE to give the 5 stars

Nope, can't get into this at all!

Kings Of Leon’s fourth album takes a decidedly more streamlined and polished approach than their preceding ramshackle, gritty, Southern Rock offerings. I’ve said before that I’m a big KOL fan, but I didn’t think that I enjoyed OBTN as much as some of their other albums, it feels less personal and the songs aren’t quite as good as their best. That being said, checking my Spotify just now, I’ve got most of the songs liked. That’s gotta count for something. While most of KOL’s stuff is buoyed by Caleb’s songwriting, the best stuff on OBTN can be put down to the rhythm section. The basslines on Closer, Crawl, Cold Desert and even 17 are all fantastic, the deconstructedaout drum part for I Want You is incredibly catchy and when the drums come in Sex On Fire’s chorus never fails to get me pumped. This isn’t a bad album, but it isn’t KOL’s best, and while I can justify the inclusion of their earlier albums on the list, I don’t think OBTN deserves it’s spot. Even then, it’s still a four

För mig ett ganska ojämnt album men i stora delar tycker jag det saknas "själ", detta sångarens jämrande till trots. Ganska ofta tycker jag det finns en "frånkoppling" mellan sångens känsla och resten av kompets. Albumet har har helt klart sina höjdpunkter, för mig är det de mer rockiga bidragen i form av Crawl och Be Somebody. Men det räcker föga för att komma med på en lista med album alla borde höra innan de dör, detta är inte stor musikkonst och det är inte ett album som är av musikhistorisk väsentlighet i min mening. 1/5.

Det var länge sedan jag lyssnade på det här albumet. Minns inte att det var såhär bra. Bangers och deep cuts.

This has some good tunes. Overall it's good but not that memorable.

I forgot what a jam 'Use Somebody' is. The bridge is a good lesson in borrowed chords (D -> F#m, song is in C). I played it to a metronome for probably two hours to practice playing in time. Added 'Revelry'. Love the bass licks. Should revisit and learn. Was expecting bland mid-2000s rock and I guess it kind of is that. There's not anything groundbreaking happening, but I'm totally here for it. I think the vocals and the nostalgic emo vibe here and there are doing a lot for my enjoyment.

I'm torn with this album. I liked the songs on here that I had never heard before, particularly the first two. I don't know if it's because I've just heard "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" way too many times - I think I just prefer the more grunge/rock & roll than the screeching ballads. I would probably listen to a few of these off the album, but not the entire album again.

I've heard of this group, but couldn't have named any of their songs prior to listening. Maybe an opportunity to discover some new music? Nope. This album is OK but there's nothing remarkable about it. Sound like generic mid-00's rock music.

There was no escaping this album when it first came out. So much so that it very much put me off at the time, and hearing the start to 'sex on fire' still makes me roll my eyes. It's a pretty dull album, with each song bleeding into the next. Every song has one rif that gets repeated ad infinitum, and it well and truly bores me. If I never have to hear 'Sex on Fire' or 'Use Somebody' again it'll be too soon.

Fire!

Best album so far! Genuinely enjoyed a handful of songs. "Use Somebody" being the highlight. Would probably enjoy a live show of theirs.

Pretty good album. A lot of this sounds the same but at least the sound is something I can handle for a full album. Probably won’t go back but I didn’t hate jt

Gotta be honest, Sex on Fire gives me the ick. Now I'll add Only 17 to that list! Quite like Use Somebody but otherwise didn't find myself paying much attention. And the vocals started to grate.

I remember buying the first album and being really impressed by the raw sound of the band. Unfortunately this album is very beige. Apart from the 2 big hits sex on fire and use somebody the rest of the songs are instantly forgettable. Was considering giving this a 3 but then came across the dreadful 17 and instantly deducted a point. So it's a 2 from me. Don't really understand why this hasn't been bumped off the list to be honest.

Legend

They took a disappointing turn in their careers when they produced this. They used to be fun.

Decent album, not for me tho

i was expecting to go easier on this than most because kings of leon was big when i first started really listening to music….but i just can’t! the singers’ voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me - pretty much an early iteration of the indie voice, with heavy emphasis on stretching the vowel O as far as possible. get it away from me!!! 2 stars for the mainstream bangers and i want you, which is a song i loved as a moody teenager.

I must have listened to this a lot back when it came out because I remembered all the songs. It’s actually pretty good - I have not listened to the band since then though, so there’s a fine line between good and forgettable with this one

Bien

I liked the emotion on this record, and the musicianship was solid. That said, it was otherwise more or less forgettable, and I can't give it a high rating when I couldn't care less if I ever heard this record again.

Nope. No thank you.

3/4

Sounds of the 90s!

Generically inoffensive.

Another surprise

Idk. This band is so mid to me.

Catchy songs but lacks substance

3/5 Only By The Night sounds great from the beginning, with fantastic guitar playing. However, maybe the lyrics and vocals are lacking a bit, and as the album progresses, there are not really any new sounds or exciting ideas and it becomes stale. I Want You in particular is exceptionally boring. Cold Desert as a finish pulls it back well though. Closer 4.5/5 Crawl 3.5/5 Sex on Fire 3.5/5 Use Somebody 3.5/5 Manhattan 2.5/5 Revelry 4.5/5 17 2.5/5 Notion 3/5 I Want You 2/5 (LEAST FAV) Be Somebody 3/5 Cold Desert 4.5/5 (FAV)

Why? Just why?

Fav song: Cold Desert Really well written songs for the most part. A couple of filler-sounding ones in here, but the singles are heavy hitting titans for sure. Top notch production and some fantastic guitar hooks and tones!

cool

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. There are some filler songs but overall it was very listenable

This album was… odd in my opinion. I kept waiting for each track to like get harder, or crunchier, or do something that would differentiate it from the track before it. I felt like every song, as a singular track, didn’t really change and all the songs kind of felt monotone. You couple together 11 tracks of monotonous sounds and you get a less than stellar album. Coupled with singer that I think is kind of hard to understand - and a weird lyrical choice with a song about a 17 year old girl, I feel pretty happy about giving this album a 2. Sex on Fire is probably the one exception for this album, but it’s not enough to save it

Good. A couple heavy bangers and then some mid level songs throughout.

I’m sure it’s nostalgia winning out, but I love this album. The grip that Kings of Leon had on alternative music in the 2000s was inescapable, and for good reason in my opinion. There’s two hits that pretty much everyone knows, but the other tracks are solid as well. Manhattan takes me right back to my old Mazda driving around with my busted speakers blasting music off my iPod. Getting to come back to this album today while on a road trip was undefeated.

I love the Kings of Leon sound. "Use Somebody" was a top 25 song for me at one point. "Use Somebody" and "Sex on Fire" are undisputed highlights of this album, and if you like those you will probably like the rest of the album. There's not a whole lot of variation, so if you don't like those, you probably won't like this album.

Good album with a couple of great songs. The rest is not nearly as impressive as the hits.

This is kind of viewed as Kings of Leon’s selling out record, but they were hardly Black Flag in the first place. Sex on Fire and Use Somebody both still sound huge, the opening song Closer has a really cool slinking feel to it that’s instantly far more polished than anything of theirs from the preceding albums on this list without sounding too artificial, and Notion is another incredibly catchy highlight. I think this is my first time listening all the way through this for probably 12 years and I was surprised how well it holds up and how much I got out of it

Good middle-of-the-road rock and roll.

I like their rawer earlier stuff more, but this expansive stuff works as well

The drums on this album put it over the top. It's a great rock album: super tight rhythm section, fat bass, guitar tone so fuzzy and comfy, you could wear it as a sweater. Minus one star for the super skeevy 17. Why do rock guys keep making odes to underage girls?

3 stars

There's a lot to unpack when I listen to the Kings of Leon. I found Youth and Youngmanhood when I was young, my hair was long, and my pants were tight. I once drove 90 minutes down the highway in the wrong direction, realized it, turned around and balred that album. This is not that album. It came out the year after I graduated high school. Navigating an entirely different reality. In hindsight, even the early stuff is a little cringier than I thought. This one is mixed. I can't completely pan it. Is it over the top? Yes. Is it completely self-reverential and pompous? Absolutely. But there are moments when the sound is pretty fucking good. And that's what they could do. It took me a long time to realize just how problematic the lyrics on the first few albums were. Because the sound really did it for me. And I feel that still. At least a little bit.

Ah, Kings of Leon, the last gasp of American stadium rock. Big hits, and then disparaged for the things we used to celebrate our rockers for being - hard drinking, hard living. A classic band caught in the wave of a changing time. I know they’re not for everyone but I like this album. In all its overblown cheesiness. I love the whiny voice, I love the U2 guitar hooks, I love how seriously it takes itself. A couple suspect songs here (again, in classic rock fashion there’s a song about loving a girl who’s only 17), but most of this I really enjoy.

it's mid

apsolutni klasik. junaan? ei kai. ylläpidolta aivan helvetillistä vitsiä.. paitsi ei ole minulle vitsi.. ei ole hauska jos toinen puoli kärsii toiminnasta. ja arvaa mikäpäs on hirveintä? kakkosen albumi.. EIIIIIIII. miksi tämä bändi teki lähes kuunneltavaa musiikkia... kaksi kertaa olen kakannut tämän bändin rinnalle.. nyt vaan pissaa suuhun huoh.... (tykkäävät siitä, nashvilleläisiä) ääh vitut annetaan yksi tälle ollaan nyt objektiivisia ei yritetä olla KivaKoulu esque tyyppisiä henkilöstöä. alkaa pikkuhiljalleen vituttaa tämä koko homma. I can concede that at least the songwriting is quite good. Oh she's only seventeen. closer

Да ничего особенного

I think expanding their scope to arena rock levels did this band no favors and just laid bare their limitations. This album did nothing for me and just sounded like some U2 indie rock mashup.

fine

Well i always had a love-hate relationship with this band. I liked their singles and hated the albums. While te singles alone show they are a good band capable of producing great music, when it comes time to form them Into an album everything falls apart. This is the same with this album, the singles are amazing and the other half of the album is bland and boring. And sorry, What the hell is up with 17?

Middling.

I prefer their earlier, more garage stuff. But even then, I’m not super into these guys at all.

Such weird mid tempo songs

This album, especially its two lead singles, was HUGE my last two years of college. I’ve always liked, perhaps not loved, the band since. As the kid of a minister myself, I definitely feel a connection to the brothers (and cousin) Followill and their upbringing. Sex On Fire and Use Somebody were inescapable in 2008 and 2009, and KOL became one of the biggest bands in the world seemingly overnight. I discovered their early records after their popularity soared, and at the time I preferred the sound of Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak to the “Sex On Fire” version of the band. When this album showed up as my album of the day it occurred to me that I’ve never listened to it. It’s honestly a very, very good record. The singles are still the highlight overall, but there isn’t a bad song that I hear on the album. Closer is a really good opener and sets the tone. Notion is a really good deep track later in the album. A very good album from a very good band.

Call me a poser, but I always like Only By The Night better than Youth and Young Manhood. Listening to it today, I might of changed my opinion. It’s a good album, it’s got a smooth vibe, sexy even. I love the opener Closer and the closer, Cold Desert. The singles are certainly overplayed. 7.9/10

I can't stand the singer's constant vocal fry singing. Some of the music isn't bad, but I really wanted to shut this off after a few songs. 1.5/5

It's fine. Sounds good. Just not really my taste.

Shame about the voice as the band sound good, but his voice, no thanks!

Ok rock album, not much to say. Singer was hard to understand at times.

Another in a list of bands I really should like but don’t do much for me.

Somehow worse than I remember thinking it was going to be.

Better than expected. Good range.

really nice sound, chill

All I knew about Kings of Leon was that I had heard the band's name before. This wasn't bad. It wasn't something that would make me want to seek out more of their work but this was enjoyable and I would listen to it again. 3.25/5

Better than the earlier Kings of Leon album. Has a lot of their hits. More pop, less Southern sounding. I didn't understand much of the lyrics. Low 4.

Thought a lot of this was more dramatic than it needed to be low 3/ high 2

7/10- The songs on this album were better than the other Kings of Leon album. Sex on Fire and Use Somebody I have heard plenty of times. 17 and I want You were pretty strange songs. 17 was creepy sounding and I want You was just bad and weird to listen to.

Been putting this off because I didn't want to listen to it. My thoughts on the album itself aren't too crazy; it was fine. Pretty similar to the last Kings of Leon album we got, but a little more poppy, which leads me to the main point of the review. I was talking to Alex earlier and he was explaining how little he liked the Sonic Youth album, which honestly was understandable; I was really into it, but can see how someone might not be willing to sit through all the screeching and shouting for the few moments of really good stuff (which is kinda how I see their music, obviously some might just think it's shit). To me, even though that album was pretty abrasive, I liked that it was unlike any other album we've heard and is totally different from anything you might hear in the mainstream, while still being (to me) a pleasant listen (I liked the songs). My point is just that I think I definitely skew towards trying to give points for things that I like while also doing something unexpected or different, and I'm more into stuff like that than this album, which is objectively fine. I think my reaction to a first listen of this wasn't that much more negative than Sister - it's just that this is super reminiscent of a lot of other pop rock you'll hear on the radio. I feel like kind of a dickhead after writing this. Obviously people are gonna like stuff that's somewhat unique. I guess between this and music league I'm just trying to rationalize how someone can genuinely love something that someone else genuinely hates. If anyone's read this far and has any good theories please lmk. Maybe this will get covered in a philosophy class I take in the future. That being said I do not think these guys deserve more than one album on this list, especially since this was just a more formulaic version of the other album. For that reason I'm rating it lower even though it was probably a more enjoyable listen.

a album for eternity

Kuuntelin 2 min sitten tekemättä mitään keskittyen pelkästään musiikkiin mutta en muista albumista paskaakaan

Your average bland radio rock with two pretty good singles and a bunch of nothing. It's like U2 for even whiter people. Horrifying, I know.

Worst selection I've seen so far (400+).

For me this is the last great album they made

I listened to their earlier albums a lot in 2007, but since then the only time I've come across them was playing Sex On Fire on Guitar Hero many years ago now. This album now sounds VERY of its time. The intro to Use Somebody is like a million noughties TV idents. It's fine to listen to, but I wouldn't particularly return to it.

Undoubtedly better than their first album with some really enjoyable songs, but still a ton of droning, forgettable, same-sounding dreck.

good album, some bangers

don't find it interesting enough to bother downloading to keep

Not their biggest fan but this one is pretty alright

Biased, because this is already one of my favorite albums ever. The southern edge in the rock, the cool factor throughout. Great stuff

Yes

Pretty good. A little more mellow than what I normally gravitate towards but still solid. I recognized a few songs which was a nice surprise.

A return to the form of their first album after a few albums just wantering the wastelands. Killer list of singles here: "Sex On Fire", "Use Somebody", and "Revelry". I know so many bands who would crawl over miles of broken glass for a list like that in their greatest hits.

This is the first of theirs I've heard besides their debut and it has the main radio hits. I usually find this era of rock pretty generic and while I think this album is, it doesn't push the boundaries in any ways, I still enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Better than their debut but not an album I'd go out of my way to champion. Rating: 4.1

Some bangers. A few songs are just okay.

The hits really hit, rest is pretty forgettable

Vocalist is reminiscent of Steve Perry from Journey. And, much like Steve Perry, his voice ranges from compelling emotion to overwrought and annoying. I want to rate this higher to give a boost to my score for albums from the 2000s. But I honestly can’t say I want to listen to this again as a whole. A couple singles, maybe.

This music tries to be inspirational. I think it succeeds well enough to round up.

Good stuff! I've heard the radio releases and liked them, but never explored deeper. Solid rock album w/out a sniff of "indie rock" to be had! They've got a unique sound, good songwriting, enjoyable singing, good musicianship (particularly some of the bass lines) and what else do you need? This is what this 1001 album project is all about: finding stuff you like that you probably wouldn't have otherwise. Feels like a high price to pay sometimes when you just got through listening to the Residents or Robert Wyatt, though.

It's not even the best KOL album, so no idea why it's on this list.

Good album! Enjoyed it

Sex on Fire and Use Somebody punctuated my awkward teen years, hard to get past the nostalgia factor, but there's a couple other decent tracks here at the beginning with Closer and Crawl. But then it falls apart and it's hard to listen to the singer's garbled voice for an entire album, not even sure what accent it's supposed to be, only just learned from this album that they're southern. Had to skip through the end.

I enjoyed it ! 3*

Despite the fact it quickly became cool to hate KOL; I cannot deny that there was a zing of nostalgia to this and I thought it was OK.