Track Listing

1. Red Morning Light
2. Happy Alone
3. Wasted Time
4. Joe�s Head
5. Tranny
6. California Waiting
7. Spiral Staircase
8. Molly�s Chambers
9. Genuis
10. O Dusty
11. Holy Roller Novocaine
12. Talihina Sky (Hidden Track)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1391 in Music
• Released on: 2003-08-21
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Kings of Leon are four members of the Followill family, three brothers and a cousin. The title Youth & Young Manhood is an accurate summary of their places in life--the oldest member, drummer Nathan Followill, is 23, while the youngest, bass player Jared Followill, is just 16. The brothers had a childhood that was both eccentric and peripatetic, living out of a car while their preacher father toured the southern United States, and have most recently been living in Nashville; they don't appear, judging by this startlingly assured debut, to have been unduly traumatised by either experience.

Kings of Leon, up to and including their haircuts and moustaches, are steeped in the rock & roll of the American south: Youth & Young Manhood is largely four-square boogie whose ideal setting would be a bar with sawdust on the floor and chicken wire protecting the stage. The Kings of Leon do not have a single formative influence drawn from within their own lifetimes--they clearly whiled away their father's long road trips listening to radio stations that broadcast an unleavened diet of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Allman Brothers and a pre-sequencers ZZ Top (although vocalist Caleb Followill sounds more than anything else like AC/DC's Bon Scott). Perhaps Youth & Young Manhood manages to be significantly more than an exercise in pastiche because the Followills are still too young to be jaded by these old noises. Whatever the reason, this is a fine start. --Andrew Mueller

CD Description
'Youth And Young Manhood' is the debut album from Nashville-based band Kings Of Leon. Featuring production work from Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams/Crosby Stills & Nash), the album fusesgritty southern garage rock, blues, alt-country and classicrock. Includes tracks taken from their first two EP's such as 'Molly Chambers' and 'Red Morning Light'.

Customer Reviews

best thing I've heard in the last 5 years
Being an older music fan (over 35 but only just) I usually have very conservative tastes but when my 15 year old son bought this album I immediately confiscated it and have been playing it ever since. I'm even accompanying him to their Birmingham gig in December. The sound is reminiscent of the 70s American rock I had played to me by my dad when I was growing up and so I felt immediately at home listening to this album. I can't say I have a favourite track as they are all equally excellent. I can't wait for the next album.

Brothers (& cousin) in Arms.......
Brilliant. Truely is. I managed to get hold of the Holy Roller Novocaine E.P on initial release (after hearing Molly's Chambers on Rollingstone.com) and was blown away. I think California Waiting is bleeding gorgeous! HOWEVER, on the album -California waiting has been re-mastered and has lost some of its magic for me (track the e.p down its worth it)

Track for track, every song is really good (not a massive fan of Dusty - but still like it), Best tracks here are 'Joe's Head', 'California Waiting', 'Trani' & hidden track 'Talihina Sky'(also a b-side on single 'what i saw')......This album should be bought by everone.....& if you like this album: wait till you see them live!

Rocking Debut Album
I bought this album on hearing only one of The Kings of Leon's songs - Red Morning Light. What a buy! Not only was this song brilliant (the opening song to the album, luckily), but as I continued to listen, I liked the album more and more.
Never have I heard 12 (including the hidden track) more bluesy rock songs so brilliantly sung, with such raw talent, on a debut album.
The songs on the album range from upbeat-rocky ones, that make you want to dance like Mick Jagger and play air guitar, to some more soulful ones, that make you want to sit back relax and enjoy the soulful rock tunes that have been created by these new Gods of Music.
An album that will surely go down in history as one of the greatest debut albums ever, listened to, by people who truly love music.
Can't wait for the next one!!