I would go the other way and say the grammy's mean nothing... Being nominated with the foo fighters, U2,, beyonce etc. doesn't mean anything. I thought them not being nominated for their first 3 albums was a good thing but I really dislike their new album. I see it as the opposite approach to what Pearl Jam, Silverchair and a host of other bands who didn't like the fame. They may as well be Coldplay in 2008 same type of band now. It's sad because I thought their ideals were the same as MMJ or Wilco but we were sadly mistaken. I want bands who are famous because they write good songs but keep their integrity intact. With their sharper cleaner image they have alienated some of their fans in a negative fashion. The new KOL fans are 15 girls who think Caleb is hot. I don't want that. Hopefully they change back to their credible ways next album/tour.
But Caleb is hot Def not my fav album, but there are enough good songs to make it worth a listen (i.e. cold desert, manhatten, etc)...and closer makes me think about really dirty sex :oops:
I don't care about my feelings towards the new album anymore all I can think about is comebackgirl's post
Why is everyone writing responses assuming I wrote this because they are becoming more mainstream? I wrote it because the album sucks. Nothing on the album is anything above decent. It's an album you will listen to for a couple months but once you go on with your life you will forget about it and you will forget you even own it. It doesn't have any songs that will bring you back to listen. It 's an album full of overproduced filler songs with terrible lyrics that a 5 year old can write that don't even make sense. I liked Kings of Leon's previous albums regardless of their meaningless lyrics because the music was actually kind off cool- now it's shitty lyrics with over produced music.
Closer- decent song- nothing great, but a solid song Crawl- cool live and stripped down, album version sucks, sounds like a producer trying to creat the best song ever Sex on Fire- shit. Doesn't even make sense. It's not even their sound Use Somebody- being over dramatic with crap lyrics to sound like something they are not. They are being Oasis;they tried to write the best song ever, but it turned into a forgetful song sung by a band trying way too hard Manhattan- good song Revelry- ugh, just filler- nothing great 17- worst song KOL ever made. The lyrics suck. They music is annoying. Notion- decent groove, but nothing spectacular- nothing terrible I Want You- again, nothing specular. Sounds like they are trying to mimic BOTT Be Somebody- ehh, nothing great. Music is more annoying than catchy. Lyrics are bland Cold Desert- Trying to create the prototypical more-alternative-than-our-sound last song on an album. It's not bad, but it sure isn't great
It's not the worst album ever- but it's not the best Kings of Leon album by any means. It sounds forced and over produced- I don't know if they were chart chasing, or if they were trying to create the best album ever to be produced. I still like them. I don't care how they dress. I don't care who they hang with, and I sure as hell don't care who their core fan base is (I have no problem with young women). I just don't think this effort is any good. It's similar to the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighter haven't put anything great out since the 90's- every one of their new albums sounds like a band trying to be the best band in the world; just listen to 'Best of Me'. They get awards, but their best years are behind them when TCATS came out. Now they are just being rock stars trying to live up to their own hype- same goes for Oasis and Coldplay- I hate putting Kings of Leon into that- which is why I wished this album would flop
Why is everyone writing responses assuming I wrote this because they are becoming more mainstream? I wrote it because the album sucks. Nothing on the album is anything above decent. It's an album you will listen to for a couple months but once you go on with your life you will forget about it and you will forget you even own it. It doesn't have any songs that will bring you back to listen. It 's an album full of overproduced filler songs with terrible lyrics that a 5 year old can write that don't even make sense. I liked Kings of Leon's previous albums regardless of their meaningless lyrics because the music was actually kind off cool- now it's shitty lyrics with over produced music.
Closer- decent song- nothing great, but a solid song Crawl- cool live and stripped down, album version sucks, sounds like a producer trying to creat the best song ever Sex on Fire- shit. Doesn't even make sense. It's not even their sound Use Somebody- being over dramatic with crap lyrics to sound like something they are not. They are being Oasis;they tried to write the best song ever, but it turned into a forgetful song sung by a band trying way too hard Manhattan- good song Revelry- ugh, just filler- nothing great 17- worst song KOL ever made. The lyrics suck. They music is annoying. Notion- decent groove, but nothing spectacular- nothing terrible I Want You- again, nothing specular. Sounds like they are trying to mimic BOTT Be Somebody- ehh, nothing great. Music is more annoying than catchy. Lyrics are bland Cold Desert- Trying to create the prototypical more-alternative-than-our-sound last song on an album. It's not bad, but it sure isn't great
It's not the worst album ever- but it's not the best Kings of Leon album by any means. It sounds forced and over produced- I don't know if they were chart chasing, or if they were trying to create the best album ever to be produced. I still like them. I don't care how they dress. I don't care who they hang with, and I sure as hell don't care who their core fan base is (I have no problem with young women). I just don't think this effort is any good.
How you feel about the new album is a good approximation of the way I feel about BotT, and I would raise most of the songs a couple letter grades, from your review of OBtN.
I wasn't pointin you out about the chart chasin. Alotta the comments from the haters just seem to point in that direction.
Why is everyone writing responses assuming I wrote this because they are becoming more mainstream? I wrote it because the album sucks. Nothing on the album is anything above decent. It's an album you will listen to for a couple months but once you go on with your life you will forget about it and you will forget you even own it. It doesn't have any songs that will bring you back to listen. It 's an album full of overproduced filler songs with terrible lyrics that a 5 year old can write that don't even make sense. I liked Kings of Leon's previous albums regardless of their meaningless lyrics because the music was actually kind off cool- now it's shitty lyrics with over produced music.
Closer- decent song- nothing great, but a solid song Crawl- cool live and stripped down, album version sucks, sounds like a producer trying to creat the best song ever Sex on Fire- shit. Doesn't even make sense. It's not even their sound Use Somebody- being over dramatic with crap lyrics to sound like something they are not. They are being Oasis;they tried to write the best song ever, but it turned into a forgetful song sung by a band trying way too hard Manhattan- good song Revelry- ugh, just filler- nothing great 17- worst song KOL ever made. The lyrics suck. They music is annoying. Notion- decent groove, but nothing spectacular- nothing terrible I Want You- again, nothing specular. Sounds like they are trying to mimic BOTT Be Somebody- ehh, nothing great. Music is more annoying than catchy. Lyrics are bland Cold Desert- Trying to create the prototypical more-alternative-than-our-sound last song on an album. It's not bad, but it sure isn't great
It's not the worst album ever- but it's not the best Kings of Leon album by any means. It sounds forced and over produced- I don't know if they were chart chasing, or if they were trying to create the best album ever to be produced. I still like them. I don't care how they dress. I don't care who they hang with, and I sure as hell don't care who their core fan base is (I have no problem with young women). I just don't think this effort is any good.
How you feel about the new album is a good approximation of the way I feel about BotT, and I would raise most of the songs a couple letter grades, from your review of OBtN.
I wasn't pointin you out about the chart chasin. Alotta the comments from the haters just seem to point in that direction.
I agree that BOTT was the first signs of going this way- but I still like some songs on there. I think it gets hard for these guys to write songs once they hit it big and no longer have the struggle, mixed with trying to live up to expectations. They try to write songs to better their prior years but don't work as hard as they did when they were struggling. I guess this explains why just about every band that has a breakout album, gives a bomb for their next one- which I guess is what makes Pearl Jam unique. All these albums come off as rich rockstars trying to remember feelings they used to have before they were in the lifestyle. I'm not saying KoL is that, but it just sounds like it. Oasis are the posterboys to trying to live up to your past and failing miserably (though I do like some recent Oasis songs (none on their new one)). Oasis had 2 very good albums, and since then have released a bunch of flops- but they would never tell you that. They will tell you that they have written the best songs ever and we are all stupid for preferring their music of 1996 to their music of 2006; Oasis is the only band that actually says it, but all these other guys think it and don't say anything about it.
Why is everyone writing responses assuming I wrote this because they are becoming more mainstream? I wrote it because the album sucks. Nothing on the album is anything above decent. It's an album you will listen to for a couple months but once you go on with your life you will forget about it and you will forget you even own it. It doesn't have any songs that will bring you back to listen. It 's an album full of overproduced filler songs with terrible lyrics that a 5 year old can write that don't even make sense.
Because
1. Many of us disagree with it being a shit album with nothing worth hearing again. I think it's their best and the first 5 songs on there are all incredible, with none of the rest being "filler" to me.
2. You spent more time talking about their new clothes, hairstyles, and targetting teeny-boppers than you did talking about the music.
That's why we assumed that.
Sounds to me like you're opposed to anything catchy... I happen to think the Foo Fighters are still a great band. Their best album was made after TCATS (Nothing Left to Lose). True, Oasis hasn't made a great album since Morning Glory, but they've still made plenty of stuff worth hearing. As to Coldplay, their third album was terrible, the first 2 had some decent singles, but this most recent album is the only compelling album they've ever released.
So basically, I think the opposite of everything you say
I know Grammys are a joke- but how in the hell is Only By The Night up for a Grammy? Am I missing something with this album? Don't get me wrong, I love Kings of Leon, and wish them nothing but the best- but this album was terrible. It sounded like a band that strayed from their sound and it sounds extremely involved and inflated. I could see them being given an award for any of their previous 3 albums, but why this one? I guess it pisses me off because I wished this album would flop so they would go back to their own sound and not this U2esque arena rock crap they made in 08
Someone explain what I'm missing
Opinions are a bitch. I've been trying to force myself to like Kings of Leon for years. I know the new album is a little easier to digest, but It really has opened a door for me into their music. I really like their new album.
There's nothing wrong with arena rock. Who are we kidding, Pearl Jam is the king of arena rock. How many more anthems, sing-a-longs and epic can you get?
I actually like this new album. Yah, I really wish that I was listening to Youth and Youngmanhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak pt. 2, but based purely on its merits, its grown on me and I enjoy it. Closer is one of the absolute greatest songs they've ever done, while I would say that Crawl, Be Somebody and Cold Desert are also amazing songs, while the rest is good but not great to me. Basically, if this was a 4-song ep I'd be drooling over it = p Oh, and honestly the best thing about the kinds of leons early music was the song structures! Codas, diversions, tempo changes, extended bridges were EVERYWHERE. There's only one on this album, although it is awesome (on be somebody).
Although with that said, there is absolutely no way I would have listened to this album if it didn't have the Kings of Leon name in it. Everyone here is arguing over whether or not this album was just to sell albums, but honestly every single interview they've done, every single article on them, and all kidns of press have said exactly that. They're own words, they wanted to be big in America and they made the kind of record to do that. There's nothing wrong with that really, although personally, I would never give a second look to a band that is trying to make it mainstream so blatantly. And then the hair cuts and clothes don't matter, I know, but I find it extremely hard to respect any band that is willing to look the way they do. I found I couldnt even listen to the album until all memory of the image was wiped from my mind. Oh and, excuse the long windedness.
I have been a KOL fan since I first heard Youth, and have liked all of their albums,including loving their new one- 17 is the only song I skip on occassion, bu tstill listen to it most times. I agree that their sound has changed dramatically, but I love both sounds. Closer and Cold Desert are killer songs
I'll ride the wave where it takes me
*BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
*BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
*BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
*QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
*EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
*Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
*EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
Why is everyone writing responses assuming I wrote this because they are becoming more mainstream? I wrote it because the album sucks. Nothing on the album is anything above decent. It's an album you will listen to for a couple months but once you go on with your life you will forget about it and you will forget you even own it. It doesn't have any songs that will bring you back to listen. It 's an album full of overproduced filler songs with terrible lyrics that a 5 year old can write that don't even make sense.
2. You spent more time talking about their new clothes, hairstyles, and targetting teeny-boppers than you did talking about the music.
When did I ever mention the way they dress? I don't have a problem with it- they dressed that way when they were good- I never mentioned their dress in this thread.
When did I ever mention the way they dress? I don't have a problem with it- they dressed that way when they were good- I never mentioned their dress in this thread.
I confused you and Yellow Ledbelly, my bad. Sorry!
I actually like this new album. Yah, I really wish that I was listening to Youth and Youngmanhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak pt. 2, but based purely on its merits, its grown on me and I enjoy it. Closer is one of the absolute greatest songs they've ever done, while I would say that Crawl, Be Somebody and Cold Desert are also amazing songs, while the rest is good but not great to me. Basically, if this was a 4-song ep I'd be drooling over it = p Oh, and honestly the best thing about the kinds of leons early music was the song structures! Codas, diversions, tempo changes, extended bridges were EVERYWHERE. There's only one on this album, although it is awesome (on be somebody).
Although with that said, there is absolutely no way I would have listened to this album if it didn't have the Kings of Leon name in it. Everyone here is arguing over whether or not this album was just to sell albums, but honestly every single interview they've done, every single article on them, and all kidns of press have said exactly that. They're own words, they wanted to be big in America and they made the kind of record to do that. There's nothing wrong with that really, although personally, I would never give a second look to a band that is trying to make it mainstream so blatantly. And then the hair cuts and clothes don't matter, I know, but I find it extremely hard to respect any band that is willing to look the way they do. I found I couldnt even listen to the album until all memory of the image was wiped from my mind. Oh and, excuse the long windedness.
You say you could care less about the haircut and the clothes but then say its hard to respect a band willing to look the way they do??? Sorry but I don't get it. I think the people that keep bringing up their "image" are more obsessed with it than the band or their PR guys. Since when did you have to look like a homeless person to make good music?
You say you could care less about the haircut and the clothes but then say its hard to respect a band willing to look the way they do??? Sorry but I don't get it. I think the people that keep bringing up their "image" are more obsessed with it than the band or their PR guys. Since when did you have to look like a homeless person to make good music?
This thread is full of such contradictions. The hipsters can't keep their excuses and posturing straight anymore. It just comes down to one thing: KoL is popular now, and if you want to be cool in their circles, you must hate their new stuff as being mainstream crap for the masses and pine for the early days when only you and your record store coworkers knew who they were. Thus you have:
"I don't care how they dress"
"I can't respect a band that looks like they do"
"I'm not saying they sold out"
"They clearly are sacrificing their musical integrity for money and fame"
"I just don't like their new direction"
"I can't publicly admit to liking a band with a fanbase that includes teenagers and girls, excluding, of course, the hypocritical fact that I jumped on the Pearl Jam bandwagon under similar conditions when I was that age, but I am definitely not a mindless sheep like these kids are and Pearl Jam was never trying to make a successful musical career like KoL are."
I really like KOL and think they are a fantastic band. Are their things that bother me about them, sure, but it isn't their studio albums. Each one is great in its own way and the majority of the songs I really enjoy. The only thing I can't stand is that their live shows (which are very tight) don't ever change. No variations in set lists or even an occasional cover thrown in. Its almost like they are afraid to drift from the comfort of the studio recordings. They are still learning though and hopefully change things up in the future.
I hope KOL does win a Grammy, after all the effort in the states in about time they got some recognition.
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
Comments
I don't care about my feelings towards the new album anymore all I can think about is comebackgirl's post
Closer- decent song- nothing great, but a solid song
Crawl- cool live and stripped down, album version sucks, sounds like a producer trying to creat the best song ever
Sex on Fire- shit. Doesn't even make sense. It's not even their sound
Use Somebody- being over dramatic with crap lyrics to sound like something they are not. They are being Oasis;they tried to write the best song ever, but it turned into a forgetful song sung by a band trying way too hard
Manhattan- good song
Revelry- ugh, just filler- nothing great
17- worst song KOL ever made. The lyrics suck. They music is annoying.
Notion- decent groove, but nothing spectacular- nothing terrible
I Want You- again, nothing specular. Sounds like they are trying to mimic BOTT
Be Somebody- ehh, nothing great. Music is more annoying than catchy. Lyrics are bland
Cold Desert- Trying to create the prototypical more-alternative-than-our-sound last song on an album. It's not bad, but it sure isn't great
It's not the worst album ever- but it's not the best Kings of Leon album by any means. It sounds forced and over produced- I don't know if they were chart chasing, or if they were trying to create the best album ever to be produced. I still like them. I don't care how they dress. I don't care who they hang with, and I sure as hell don't care who their core fan base is (I have no problem with young women). I just don't think this effort is any good. It's similar to the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighter haven't put anything great out since the 90's- every one of their new albums sounds like a band trying to be the best band in the world; just listen to 'Best of Me'. They get awards, but their best years are behind them when TCATS came out. Now they are just being rock stars trying to live up to their own hype- same goes for Oasis and Coldplay- I hate putting Kings of Leon into that- which is why I wished this album would flop
How you feel about the new album is a good approximation of the way I feel about BotT, and I would raise most of the songs a couple letter grades, from your review of OBtN.
I wasn't pointin you out about the chart chasin. Alotta the comments from the haters just seem to point in that direction.
I agree that BOTT was the first signs of going this way- but I still like some songs on there. I think it gets hard for these guys to write songs once they hit it big and no longer have the struggle, mixed with trying to live up to expectations. They try to write songs to better their prior years but don't work as hard as they did when they were struggling. I guess this explains why just about every band that has a breakout album, gives a bomb for their next one- which I guess is what makes Pearl Jam unique. All these albums come off as rich rockstars trying to remember feelings they used to have before they were in the lifestyle. I'm not saying KoL is that, but it just sounds like it. Oasis are the posterboys to trying to live up to your past and failing miserably (though I do like some recent Oasis songs (none on their new one)). Oasis had 2 very good albums, and since then have released a bunch of flops- but they would never tell you that. They will tell you that they have written the best songs ever and we are all stupid for preferring their music of 1996 to their music of 2006; Oasis is the only band that actually says it, but all these other guys think it and don't say anything about it.
Because
1. Many of us disagree with it being a shit album with nothing worth hearing again. I think it's their best and the first 5 songs on there are all incredible, with none of the rest being "filler" to me.
2. You spent more time talking about their new clothes, hairstyles, and targetting teeny-boppers than you did talking about the music.
That's why we assumed that.
Sounds to me like you're opposed to anything catchy... I happen to think the Foo Fighters are still a great band. Their best album was made after TCATS (Nothing Left to Lose). True, Oasis hasn't made a great album since Morning Glory, but they've still made plenty of stuff worth hearing. As to Coldplay, their third album was terrible, the first 2 had some decent singles, but this most recent album is the only compelling album they've ever released.
So basically, I think the opposite of everything you say
Toledo, Ohio (September 22, 1996), East Troy, Wisconsin (June 26, 1998), Noblesville, Indiana (August 17, 1998), Noblesville, Indiana (August 18, 2000), Cincinnati, Ohio (August 20, 2000), Columbus, Ohio (August 21, 2000), Nashville, Tennessee (April 18, 2003), Champaign, Illinois (April 23, 2003), Noblesville, Indiana (June 22, 2003), Chicago, Illinois (May 16, 2006), Chicago, Illinois (August 05, 2007), West Palm Beach, Florida (June 11, 2008), Tampa, Florida (June 12, 2008), Columbus, OH (May 06, 2010), Noblesville, Indiana (May 07, 2010), Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013), US Bank Arena (October 01, 2014), Lexington (April 26, 2016), Chicago Night 2 (August 20, 2018), Boston Night 1 (September 02, 2018), Nashville (September 16, 2022), St. Louis (September 18, 2022)
There's nothing wrong with arena rock. Who are we kidding, Pearl Jam is the king of arena rock. How many more anthems, sing-a-longs and epic can you get?
Although with that said, there is absolutely no way I would have listened to this album if it didn't have the Kings of Leon name in it. Everyone here is arguing over whether or not this album was just to sell albums, but honestly every single interview they've done, every single article on them, and all kidns of press have said exactly that. They're own words, they wanted to be big in America and they made the kind of record to do that. There's nothing wrong with that really, although personally, I would never give a second look to a band that is trying to make it mainstream so blatantly. And then the hair cuts and clothes don't matter, I know, but I find it extremely hard to respect any band that is willing to look the way they do. I found I couldnt even listen to the album until all memory of the image was wiped from my mind. Oh and, excuse the long windedness.
*BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
*BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
*BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
*QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
*EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
*Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
*EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
When did I ever mention the way they dress? I don't have a problem with it- they dressed that way when they were good- I never mentioned their dress in this thread.
I confused you and Yellow Ledbelly, my bad. Sorry!
You say you could care less about the haircut and the clothes but then say its hard to respect a band willing to look the way they do??? Sorry but I don't get it. I think the people that keep bringing up their "image" are more obsessed with it than the band or their PR guys. Since when did you have to look like a homeless person to make good music?
This thread is full of such contradictions. The hipsters can't keep their excuses and posturing straight anymore. It just comes down to one thing: KoL is popular now, and if you want to be cool in their circles, you must hate their new stuff as being mainstream crap for the masses and pine for the early days when only you and your record store coworkers knew who they were. Thus you have:
"I don't care how they dress"
"I can't respect a band that looks like they do"
"I'm not saying they sold out"
"They clearly are sacrificing their musical integrity for money and fame"
"I just don't like their new direction"
"I can't publicly admit to liking a band with a fanbase that includes teenagers and girls, excluding, of course, the hypocritical fact that I jumped on the Pearl Jam bandwagon under similar conditions when I was that age, but I am definitely not a mindless sheep like these kids are and Pearl Jam was never trying to make a successful musical career like KoL are."
I hope KOL does win a Grammy, after all the effort in the states in about time they got some recognition.
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11