Youth and Young Manhood

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Youth & Young Manhood
Studio album by Kings of Leon
Released	July 7, 2003 August 19, 2003
Recorded	2003 in Sound City Studios California, Van Nuys, Memphis and Nashville
Genre	Southern rock, garage rock
Length	46:01
Label	RCA, HandMeDown Records
Producer	Ethan Johns
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Blender link The Guardian link NME (9/10) Pitchfork Media (4.2/10) link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone RS 930, September 4, 2003 Uncut Aug 2003, p110 XFM (favorable) link
Kings of Leon chronology
What I Saw (2003) Youth and Young Manhood (2003) Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)

Youth & Young Manhood is the debut album from Kings of Leon, released in August 2003. The title was taken from a drawing of the family tree of Moses, found on the inside of one of their Pentecostal preaching father's Bibles. Each branch contained a line that the band was quoted as saying could easily have passed for an album title. Youth and Young Manhood, however, seemed fitting and was quickly agreed upon by all members. This album lacks a parental advisory sticker despite the use of the word "Fuck" used in Genius.

Recording and Release

The album was recorded between Sound City Studios, California (where Nirvana's Nevermind and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours were made) and Shangri-La Studio in Malibu.^[1] "Molly's Chambers", "Wasted Time" and "California Waiting" were all released as singles. "Spiral Staircase" featured on the PS3 game Motorstorm. "Red Morning Light" was also featured on a Ford Focus commercial, and as the opening song in FIFA 2004 by EA Sports. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was featured in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as well as on the soundtrack.

Reception

Critical reception was generally favorable receiving a score of 79 from Metacritic.^[2]. Many appreciated the band's punk and garage rock-influenced revival of the southern rock genre with NME hailing the album among the "best debuts of the last 10 years." Allmusic claimed the album wasn't "socially adventurous", but that "some greasy licks sure sound good".^[3] Village Voice called the album "2003's finest rock debut" saying the band built of their first EP.^[4] Rolling Stone declared that the band knew "when to lay back and let things simmer" as well as "when to jump up and testify with tambourines banging" in a favorable review.^[5] Rolling Stone critics named it the tenth best album of 2003 and NME named it the seventh best.^[6][7]

The album peaked at number 3 in the United Kingdom, but fared worse in the band's homeland peaking outside the top hundred. The band's popularity exploded in Australia during the weeks of the 22nd and 29th of September, 2008, when they had all 4 of their studio albums in the top 50, with Youth and Young Manhood making its first top 50 chart appearance since its release in 2003, peaking at number 46. The album sold more than 240,000 copies worldwide.The album was also ranked at #80 in Rolling Stone's Top 100 Albums of the Decade.^[8]

Track listing

All songs were written by Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill and Angelo Petraglia.

1. "Red Morning Light" – 2:59
2. "Happy Alone" – 3:59
3. "Wasted Time" – 2:45
4. "Joe's Head" – 3:21
5. "Trani" – 5:01
6. "California Waiting" – 3:29
7. "Spiral Staircase" – 2:54
8. "Molly's Chambers" – 2:15
9. "Genius" – 2:48
10. "Dusty" – 4:20
11. "Holy Roller Novocaine" – 12:08 [ends at 4:00, hidden track "Talihina Sky" (3:47) starts at 8:21]

Personnel

• Caleb Followill – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Matthew Followill – lead guitar
• Jared Followill – bass guitar, piano on "Talihina Sky"
• Nathan Followill – drums, percussion, vocals

Singles

• "Molly's Chambers"
  • Released: August 11, 2003
  • Chart positions: #23 (UK Singles Chart)
• "Wasted Time"
  • Released: October 20, 2003
  • Chart positions: #51 (UK Singles Chart)
• "California Waiting"
  • Released: February 16, 2004
  • Chart positions: #61 (UK Singles Chart)

Album chart positions

Notes