Kings of Leon - Because Of The Times
Published by Woody March 31st, 2007.
The Kings of Leon are getting ready to release their 3rd disc, Because Of The Times. I first saw Kings of Leon back in ‘03 at The Double Door in Chicago. They were a group of dirtbags wearing jean jackets and not showing a high musical fortitude. Their album, Young & Youth Manhood was great but their live performance lacked.
Moving forward to Aha Shake Heartbreak; the album was vastly improved as was their live performance. I caught them at the Metro and the performance was tight and there was a buzz in the air. You knew that you were seeing something special. Somewhere between album one and two, they started banging models, wearing designer clothes and having songs placed in commercials and reality shows.
Which leads me to Because of The Times. On my first spin through, the album felt forced, almost as if they were trying to make a soundtrack or music for a commercial. It’s ironic because I heard the album through a buddy who had received an advanced copy because he works at an ad agency. It kinda pissed me off. What had happened to my dirtbag sons of a preacher from Tennessee?
I have been listening Because of the Times repeatedly since my first listen. Its streaming on their myspace page and I have been trying to learn to love it. While I still think it doesn’t hold a candle to Aha, it has grown on me. There are a number of really good tunes such as “On Call”, “True Love Way”, “Black Thumbnail” and the 7 minute epic, opening track “Knocked Up.”
I think the main problem is that I had huge expectations. I expected those catchy hooks and snappy choruses that give me immediate enjoyment. There are some bands, however, that I am willing to work for in order to enjoy their music. I just never expected Kings of Leon to be one of them.
Apparently, in addition to sporting sweet duds and scoring more strange than they know what to do with, the boys have also grown musically. Good for them. I guess it would get boring churning out the same formula time and time again. Bottom line: its a good album that gets better with time. Just be prepared to work a bit for the payoff.
Kings of Leon - Black Thumbnail (Courtesy of Born by the River)
Kings of Leon - My Third House (B-side track, again courtesy of Born by the River)
29 Responses to “Kings of Leon - Because Of The Times”
- 1 Pingback on Apr 5th, 2007 at 9:50 am
- 2 Pingback on Apr 10th, 2007 at 7:36 am
I was a huge fan of their debut, I liked Aha, and I really dislike this album so far. Maybe I need to “work” at it, but there’s too much music I’m listening to that requires less effort to enjoy. I’m really disappointed.
This is the best album we’ve heard in 10 years! Anyone who thinks it’s not good or are dissapointed in it should get their heads checked and put on your Stone Sour CD back on!
I don’t think your comment deserves a response, but Stone Sour? Good one. I’ve listened to this album twice so far and will continue to listen. I really hope it grows on me, but their earlier efforts sucked me in immediately. This one didn’t stand out at all. It bored me. I’m a Kings of Leon fan, so I hope I change my mind.
Best album in 10 years? Come on. It’s not even the best album of this year.
im loving it. powerful drums, tight guitar, a production the band deserved for long. its like americana u2 to me. i agree, go listen to stone sour. i hate critical indie fans.
Listening to Stone Sour now. Thanks guys.
Big big fan , since the first album . Almost was expecting the lull album this time or the rehab album etc
The Kings of Leon have never tried to prove any point or ‘be’ anything other than who they are , which makes them unique in this crap riddled music market.
I have the album and for the record think that this is one of the best rock albums ever. Ever.
If you can’t hear it , that is a damn damn shame.
Yay the Kings of Leon ! Thank you gentlemen. Shines up my silverware REEEEEEEEEEEEEEAL NiIIIIIIICE . Love from New Zealand x
Everything I’ve heard of this record so far screams “classic.” I don’t own any of their previous efforts, but I’ll be purchasing this one on day one. “Charmer” and “Knocked Up” are just killer tracks. I’ll have to agree that ears should be thoroughly cleansed if one finds themself not enjoying this great rock music. I think even non-indie-snobs will dig this. KOL will break out big without changing a thing… and then just watch the indie-snobs line up to label them sellouts.
First of all, definitely buy both previous albums. They are two of my favorites. Secondly, here’s a review that doesn’t scream “classic”. http://www.spin.com/reviews/2007/03/0704_kingsofleon/
To all those handing me a shit sandwich, I think this a great album. Do I think its as good as Aha, no not yet? If you read the piece again, you’ll see that it’s a compliment to them for growing as musicians, for making music that it is more complex and requires more of the listeners.
Who knows, maybe after I continue to keep listening to this album, it will supplant Aha as my album of choice.
i love, love, love this album.
i’ve been vaguely conscious before this one, but nothing ever caught my ear until i heard knocked up. then on call, then my party, then… the whole damn album. this is probably my favorite complete rock album since boys and girls in america.
Wow, I love the hostility and blog aggression. I just said I was disappointed folks. I had really high expectations and felt let down. I listened to it 4 more times this weekend to see what all the fuss was about and still haven’t changed my mind. No need to get all homophobic on the blog.
“Classic” is the perfect word to describe “Because of the Times”…I just bought it a few hours ago and I am already on my second listen. OZ, I respect your opinion…so…there’s that.
Thanks King. The world’s equilibrium has been restored.
Again, I like several songs on the album. I never said it was garbage or that I hated it. It just didn’t meet my high expectations and I don’t feel the body of work is as good as the previous albums.
I also tend to like the grittier production (like Youth and Young Manhood) versus the slicker, glossier studio production.
I still don’t see the “classic” comments yet either. Again, hopefully this album grows on me. I’d love nothing more than to love three KOL albums in a row.
I’ll keep listening and I’m sure 6 months from now, I’ll be writing about how much of an a-hole i was for entering into this messy dialogue.
That’s my final eight cents.
I also remembering Oz not liking ‘Z’ by MMJ when it first came out. Had most of the same things to say about that album as he is saying about Because of The Times. Now I think he would give up his left arm before relinquishing his copy of ‘Z’.
Does that mean he is an idiot or enjoys gagging on a male appendage? I don’t think it does. Music hits us all differently and at different speeds.
So give him a break. His dad dropped him on his head when he was young and it just takes a little bit longer for the music to seep into his skull.
I couldn’t have said it any better myself, especially with this appendage in my mouth.
i love this album! i dont care what anyone says. guys, let OZ have his opinion. he said he likes the kings thats good enough for me..they dont get enough recognition here in the U.S. i dont no where u guys are all from but they are my favorite band and i love this album as well as youth and aha shake. best band out right now..and the strokes SUCK. i hate how they get the reputation of either copying or following the strokes. even being compared to the stroke..they are 1000000 times better then them.. am i alone on that?
Kings. I don’t think The Strokes suck. I’m actually a big fan. Is This It? was a tremendous album. My problem with them is that I don’t think they’ve grown since then.
KOL on the other hand made a significant jump forward from album 1 to 2, and with Because of The Times, they are really spreading their wings. I still like Aha better but the gap between the two is closing every day.
I am a huge Kings of Leon fan and think they are the best thing to come out of America in the last 5 or 6 years. I love the first two records. They were fresh and exciting and came out of nowhere. Unfortunately Because of the Times is just ok. I’m actually disappointed. It has nothing to do with production. Bands have to expand and try different things. The songs are just not there. There are good tracks. My pics are Mcfearless, Black Thumbnail and Fans. The others fall short really hard. Charmer sounds like an outtake from a Pixies record, Surfer Rosa or Tromp Le Monde. On call is just boring except for the bridge. On that tip there are bits of music in several songs which I think are cool, like Knocked Up and Trunk. But in my opinion, the lyrics to a song like Knocked Up in particular are not as big as the music. Maybe i’m sick of bands glorifying and romanticising teenage or unwanted pregnancies. And the lyrics on this record are left to be desired. On YAYM and Aha they were daring, painfully honest,and self deprecating, and hilarious. On this record those lyrics just stumble. Fans is cool, and Charmer has some good lines, but the rest of the record I feel like Caleb is just boasting and taking himself way too seriously. And there’s nothing wrong with being serious, but the Kings are known to celebrate everything in their music. On Because of the Times they are just celebrating their pride. The Kings will still be Kings in my book but I’ll be waiting for the next record.
Because of the times deverves to be a classic but probably won’t be!
Such a shame…The music industry sucks right now…it’s also such a shame that Pearl Jam’s self titled and The Strokes First impressions of Earth wer’nt embraced as classic…
oh well they’re classic to me…that’s all that matters!
yeah oz i know what you mean, I expected this cd to blow my mind, i guess i just set my expectations to high
Dont leave no smell on me!!!!!This album is unreal!!!!!!!!! Just great rock. This is an album that will be listened to 20 years from now. Your kids will want this album.
you’re absolutely right. I was disappointed at first. I missed the old Kings of Leon, but then it started to grow on me and I love it now.. it’s a good album. you can’t compare it to the old albums though. this one is just different, but still not as disappointing as the strokes’ third album. yuck.
First of all, I think it’s really annoying when a band gets bitched at for not putting out the same album over and over again. The Killers got bitched at for putting out Sam’s Town instead of Hot Fuss 2, and Sam’s Town is a fan-freaking-tastic album. On the other hand, someone like, say… Nickelback, who had an interesting first album hits it big with Sliver Side Up, and then puts that album out over and over and over again gets rewarded. That’s bullshit. Bands grow in talent and gain influences and their sound changes. Well, good bands do anyway.
I really like this album. It shows serious growth. Their are sonic experiments on this album that are really decent. Knocked Up, McFearless, Black Thumbnail, and My Party are as good as modern music gets. Youth and Aha were great albums. This one sounds a little more rock. Like maybe the boys have been partying a little harder and rocking a little more. DOn’t like the change? Go buy Siver Side Up pt. 7. or some Evanesence. Hell maybe you could even talk Creed or Limp Bizkit back into getting back together. I just find it really annoying when people bemoan a good band not being derivative. Don’t like Because of the Times? You suck. I’m sure you can exchange it for Hinder’s album.
You lost me at The Killers.
Waaaaat a bomber album! I loved youth and aha cos they were so raw and southern with such awesome imagry.. Hell good points by Easy T tho!! Where u work Sony records?? in the know dude!
What i love about this album is how they have brought back that awesome rusty 70s rock sound as shown in Ragoo yet also have songs like Trunk which is just an amazing new KOL realm which i look forward to hearing more of! Aaaand still having ‘Fans’ thats just classic KOL!
ULTIMATE ALBUM soo many styles in it!!
I lost your Mom at the Killers too.
I know this is a freakin’ old blog but i dont care. I wont to leave my mark;)
Firstly,
Sure thing, BOT is a cool album: musical growth, trying differant styles etc. etc. etc. -great songwriting on songs such as knocked up and for sure, a decent, deffinitely original album.
but….
It lacks all the energy, excitement, rawness, and most importantly, the rock ‘n’ roll which made the first two albums; especailly their debut.
Now dont go and get all pissed off that I said the latest album, “aint rock ‘n’ roll”, as many of you will think wtf??!! its KOL!!! its Rock/Indie/Whatever!!! Thats rock ‘n’ roll isnt it?!!! -Go listen to some rolling stones, some lynyrd skynyrd, some neil young then come back and tell me BOT is a rock ‘n’ roll album. It’s not.
Because of the times is just a solid, original, ROCK- album by the brilliant Kings of Leon.
Take the masterpiece Youth and Young Manhood- it’s raw as hell, with flippin awesome riffs, solos, the most origional raspy rock ‘n’ roll voice in ages- and brilliant songs such as Red Morning Light, Talihina Sky, and the beautiful, Trani. The whole freakin album just makes you want to get up and groove for the whole 40 minutes!!! …then pick up your guitar and write your own kick ass piece of indie rock afterwards- Now THAT’S what a great rock album should do to you. For shit’s sake people, they had massive greasy hair, wore leather jackets, dirty jeans, and grew fuckin’ moustaches!! I mean, Hell Yea!! The entire album flowed like a smooth butter and they where the best damn thing to happen to rock ‘n’ roll in a damn long time- which, DIDNT, sound like The Strokes.
Yea for sure, good move expanding their sound, style and songwriting, but as a rock ‘n’ roll fan this album just doesnt leave a mark on the other two.
Love from FRICKEN” NEW ZEALAND;)