Where to start with this band? My favourite band. Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew started the band back in 1999. This is where they dawned the long hair and beards that made Kings Of Leon Kings Of Leon. The band started in the Basement of Caleb who had roped the help of brothers Nathan and Jared and called his cousin Matthew to help and play lead. The band wrote their first four songs in the basement of Caleb. According to refference they used a lot of weed to do this and from this their first four songs were made which consisted of "Wicker Chair", "Holly Roller Novacaine" "Mollys Chambers" and "California Waiting". These four songs made a lasting impact on an agent from a music label.
Youth and Young Manhood hit the UK in July 2003. It recieved positive reviews from all the magazine's and music journalists. NME called it one of the best debut albums from the past 10 years, While Rolling Stones magazine gave it a good 9/10. Youth and Young Manhoods lead single "Molly's Chambers" is nothing short of rock perfection. From the instantly recogniseable vocals to the hard hitting rhythem guitar nothing could fault this song. The album was so popular along with the single that Kings Of Leon went on to tour with The Strokes and U2. Not bad for a band in their first year is it guys? But even with the huge popularity of Kings Of Leon in the UK they had still not taken off in the USA. But surley stardom would come with the second album? Or would it..?
The band's second release "Aha Shake Heartbreak" is no short of exquisite. Spawning such singles as "Four Kicks" (Pictured above). Four kicks is a true rock song. No questions asked. The way the guitar hits you is like a stone to the face. The vocals again instantly recogniseable from his high pitched scream attempts. The simple yet catching drum beat and the bass keeps on churning that same driving rhythem is almost hypnotic. The whole album is amazing. From the soft acoustics of "Milk" to the upbeat ness of "King Of The Rodeo". This album defines what Kings Of Leon is about. No pre produced dribble just hard, raw rock. Rock at its finest is hard to beat and this is the still true for Kings Of Leon as it is hard to beat such a defining album. Songs such as "The Bucket" and "Taper Jean Girl" broke into the UK top 40 (The Bucket reaching number 9) proing that England still loved Kings Of Leon after this album. But popularity and success had still eluded them in America, Third time lucky?
Curtains up its time for Because Of The Times. The album was released in July 2007 with the lead single of "On Call" being released beforehand selling 70,000 copies in its first week. Love them or lothe them Kings Of Leon know how to make a dam good record. This record featured a lot more songs based around acoustics rather then rock. Now im open for change and for most of the record it worked with songs like "Fans" being a regular in the setlist when they played live. However reviews were not so kind as me. Kings Of Leon recieved mix recognition to this album saying that "The formula had been changed to much" that they were "Getting lost". Now from my opinion a band has to change and that Kings Of Leon did and to my favour. I love this album with a passion as I try to scream Charmer to anyone that is around me. Whilst the later tracks lack in being out there the album is still good but hey this is not my Kings Of Leon story its what they've done. So 50/50 on this album guys, but still! America NO LIKEY KINGS OF LEON! But what happened next was about to change Kings Of Leon forever..
In September 2008, Kings Of Leon released Only By The Night. Their fourth studio album. The world went from who are Kings Of Leon? To. OH MY GOD ITS KINGS OF LEON. The album went straight in at album charts at number one producing a lengthy stint. The first single of the album was called "Sex On Fire". This to me is the song that killed Kings Of Leon. Kings Of Leon to me and many others sold out on this album. They ditched their southern style of rock for a more poppy sound. A sound that would sell records and their career became less about the music and more about the money. I felt let down by the album athough it had some great tracks. Tracks such as "Be Somebody" and "Closer" got no recognition when THE Kings Of Leon track came out that won the world over for sure. "Use Somebody" was released and it went through the roof. Everywhere you went you couldn't escape it. It was on music channels, the radio, and on Chav's phones everywhere you went. This is not Kings Of Leon! Their music deserves to be played for its raw agressiveness like "Black Thumbnail" and "Four Kicks". Admitingly, I like this song but I know its not the best Kings Of Leon track out there. I know they have produced more then one album and they deserve recognition for the genius of the first three albums.
Kings Of Leon went on to headline numerous English festivals such as Reading and Glastonbury. I was in the crowd for Reading and when playing an older song off an album I heard someone say "Is this a new one?". Its things like this that show me Kings Of Leon have sold themselves out. They then went on to rant about how the crowd didnt like them and didnt sing along. But to be fair why should they when your new audience only knows two songs? I still love them but it was a pretty low point of their career.They are now currently touring their new album Come Around Sundown and are down to play a lot of festivals across the summer. I like the new album it sounds like the old ones.. Enough said.
Kings Of Leon have so much depth and passion to their music yet they didn't stick to it when they mattered, so they didnt conquer America with their albums? Everywhere else loves you but you still needed to make that much more money that you had to do that. I still love Kings Of Leon and always will. If they could just rekindle that old spirit of music that made them so ambitious and so out there.. I could fall in love all over again.
Kings Of Leon say that they are on call to be there, I hope they'll be on call for a long time and continue to amaze me with their music (Be it good or bad)TOWZ.
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