Kings Of Leon Appreciation Thread

[La Dispute]

I think because of the recent success of KOL and in particular their overall changing of style, old KOL fans are jumping off and old haters are even more disparaging. However KOL was once a sensational band; unique, unusual and fun, so I thought I would just pay homage to this band who I believe are still quality and capable of making exemplary music.

First up (I thought I'd go in chronological order) is a seriously good track, pretty much typifying their early music

Wasted Time
[YOUTUBE]zJlHYkeq6zo[/YOUTUBE]

Another good 'un of YAYM

Happy Alone
[YOUTUBE]BQqh315QCSk[/YOUTUBE]

Now onto their next album.. Similar in style to Youth.. with sharper melodies and more thoughtful songwriting

King of the Rodeo
[YOUTUBE]2pVaB6XUPNE[/YOUTUBE]

And another...

The Bucket
[YOUTUBE]ivY1rgeP6N0[/YOUTUBE]

So now we move onto the greatest step as a band, into the world of pop music, however they still retain their southern sensibilities.

Knocked Up (At Glastonbury)
[YOUTUBE]Z4lP9bTzhmA[/YOUTUBE]

Oh And...

WOAW!!

Charmer
[YOUTUBE]9YO0J-a-FxI[/YOUTUBE]

Now to their newest stuff, they've matured and can now write a pop song, however the next couple show they haven't lost their ability to combine their southern sound with the mainstream.

Cold Desert (Live) - best song on the album FYI (sorry about the shitty bootleg)
[YOUTUBE]ahdAa0OpsMs[/YOUTUBE]

Another gun song...

Closer
[YOUTUBE]wKe8HTPTlFQ[/YOUTUBE]

Top Band.

 

[kangaroo19]

I think because of the recent success of KOL and in particular their overall changing of style, old KOL fans are jumping off and old haters are even more disparaging. However KOL was once a sensational band; unique, unusual and fun, so I thought I would just pay homage to this band who I believe are still quality and capable of making exemplary music.

Top Band.

Agree 100%. I get sick of people bagging out KOL now that they are successful... WTF?!? They are still putting out good music, but really it's just the fact that they are popular which is putting their orignial fans off them. Trying to be cool for the sake of it rather then appreciating their career of music.

 

[PHX]

Can't agree with that. They were very popular last year with On Call but no one was that turned off by them because "because of the times" was still a strong album. They put out a successful mainstream album and the majority of "old" fans were quite happy as well I felt.

But Only by the Night is, for the most part, bland, and completely made for commercial radio airplay. Use Somebody is a commercial song but well constructed, and Closer is a good opener. That's about it.

They have moved away from what used to make them unique and are now just another run of the mill rock band. That's what pisses me off most.

 

[blackshadow]

Their first albums have some great songs but their current album is a huge steaming pile of middle of the road commercial crap.

Also, live they are one of the most boring bands I have ever had the displeasure of seeing - stage presence = 0.

I see and listen to a wide variety of music - sure I have my own personal preferences but when being objective about KOL I believe my opinion above is pretty close to the mark.

 

[krusden]

Their first albums have some great songs but their current album is a huge steaming pile of middle of the road commercial crap.

Also, live they are one of the most boring bands I have ever had the displeasure of seeing - stage presence = 0.

I see and listen to a wide variety of music - sure I have my own personal preferences but when being objective about KOL I believe my opinion above is pretty close to the mark.

- agree. Sex on fire, etc sucks. The bucket is pretty cool. Cutting of the hair seemed to lead to commercialisation.

 

[La Dispute]

- agree. Sex on fire, etc sucks. The bucket is pretty cool. Cutting of the hair seemed to lead to commercialisation.

Yep, can't appeal to women if you look like a fourteen year old kid trying to grow some respectable facial hair.

OBTN wasn't an overall disappointment to me because although they kinda lost the fun and freedom of their earlier works, they still put out some cool ballady tracks which were still enjoyale. Cold Desert in particular I love, I suppose it ends the album very well.

 

[The Dice Man]

They dont make me feel like getting drunk anymore

 

[VINCANITY]

Agree their first 3 albums are quality and OBTN has its little gems like Cold desert, closer, crawl and Be somebody

 

[EnglishWarrior]

[YOUTUBE]Hw6W2oU2ovE[/YOUTUBE]

Love it

 

[hellfire]

Once a band attains commercial success, music snobs turn their noses up and call them overrated or bland or something along those lines.

Kings of Leon are still good. Yeah, the new album has some average songs, every band has average songs. So what?

 

[PHX]

Three songs I really like from the Kings. Watching the videos it almost looks like they're younger now than 6 years ago.

Molly Chambers live on Letterman - Simply their best song, they will never better it.

[youtube]CAmXdPXKyhI[/youtube]



Black Thumbnail - Just one hell of a good song.

[youtube]U79IamCDJz0[/youtube]




Use Somebody - Excellently constructed song performed live on Later with Jules Holland.

[youtube]B1HXVlqexz4[/youtube]

 

[La Dispute]

Ahh Molly's Chambers

Great Song.

 

[blackshadow]

Once a band attains commercial success, music snobs turn their noses up and call them overrated or bland or something along those lines.

Let's hear it for gross generalisations

 

[krusden]

Once a band attains commercial success, music snobs turn their noses up and call them overrated or bland or something along those lines.

Kings of Leon are still good. Yeah, the new album has some average songs, every band has average songs. So what?

The new album is average. full stop. I thought they were good when they supported Pearl jam a while ago. The songs were good fun and I was surprised by how much i enjoyed them.

Now they're middle-of-the-road-nickelback-like-sugar-sweet-commercial-twaddle.

 

[DemonWilly]

Someone posted it on here a while back, and it has stuck in my head as it summed up the band perfectly

"they have gone from being a southern version of The Strokes to a southern version of U2".

 

[Lets Beyblade]

Someone posted it on here a while back, and it has stuck in my head as it summed up the band perfectly

"they have gone from being a southern version of The Strokes to a southern version of U2".

Haha that is a great comment.

You just cannot say that they have not changed their style in the latest album to achieve the success which they probably deserve, but didn't really need.

I don't dislike KOL now because they are popular, I stopped liking the direction they started on BOTT and then finished on OBTT.

 

[BomberGal]

Agree 100%. I get sick of people bagging out KOL now that they are successful... WTF?!? They are still putting out good music, but really it's just the fact that they are popular which is putting their orignial fans off them. Trying to be cool for the sake of it rather then appreciating their career of music.

Are you kidding? Lets Beyblade got it right - whatever the band, fans might not like new directions. Particularly if the new direction is no good.

I never liked Kings of Leon (disliked them as far back as 03), so I'm not familiar with all of their music catalogue, but certainly their current stuff is quite derivative and very same-ish. I'm forced to listen to their latest CD all the time and I have been known to ask, without any malicious intent, "didn't we just listen to this song?"

 

[hellfire]

Let's hear it for gross generalisations

There are very few exceptions. It's just the way it is. People who are fans of bands before they're well-known, seem to take it to heart when everyone else starts listening to them, and start degrading them. Yes, the KOL changed their music a bit, but they still have some very good songs on the album. It's exactly the same with the house music scene, you'll see people saying how much they like a track before it's officially released, then when it hits Nova a couple of months later, it's pure crap.

 

[blackshadow]

There are very few exceptions. It's just the way it is. People who are fans of bands before they're well-known, seem to take it to heart when everyone else starts listening to them, and start degrading them. Yes, the KOL changed their music a bit, but they still have some very good songs on the album. It's exactly the same with the house music scene, you'll see people saying how much they like a track before it's officially released, then when it hits Nova a couple of months later, it's pure crap.

Chances are that if it ever hits Nova it was pure crap to begin with.

 

[hellfire]

Chances are that if it ever hits Nova it was pure crap to begin with.

I mean in the Saturday night thing, overdrive (?)

And thanks for proving my point, people think that because it's on commercial radio, it's crap.

But yes, a lot of it is crap. A lot of it isn't too.

 

[Colin Grigson]

people think that because it's on commercial radio, it's crap.

and they would be right

 

[FRUMPY]

The fact KOL have changed their music style with their latest album shows they are developing as a band. They wouldnt want to release the same kind of music all the time. They probably wanted to experiment and try a new sound.

Pearl Jam are a perfect example of this, they started out rocking, then changed it up with the softer No Code and so forth.

I think Because of Times is a better album but there were songs on that that dont grab me, just like the new album. Better songs on the new album are Closer, Manhattan, Revelry, Notion and Be Somebody.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Now they're middle-of-the-road-nickelback-like-sugar-sweet-commercial-twaddle.

That is simply just the most ridiculous uneducated comment regarding their latest album of many that have been posted. Yeah it certainly isn't as good as their earlier work but its still pretty good.

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

Never rated them full stop to be honest.

Use Somebody sounds like the type of song to use for some reality based sht MTV show.

Embrassing to be honest that a bad can chase the lucre and resort to making a teeny booper turn designed purely and simply to gain airplay.

Carry on children.

 

[krusden]

That is simply just the most ridiculous uneducated comment regarding their latest album of many that have been posted. Yeah it certainly isn't as good as their earlier work but its still pretty good.

disagree with your summation of my opinion. I have some songs off the new album and I think they are instantly forgettable twaddle and for mine rates along with nickelback and creed.