Youth & Young Manhood

Youth & Young Manhood is the debut album from American rock band Kings of Leon, released on July 7, 2003, in the United Kingdom and on August 19, 2003, in the United States.

Youth & Young Manhood
Studio album by Kings of Leon
Released	July 7, 2003 (UK) August 19, 2003 (US)
Recorded	2002–2003 at Shangri-La in Malibu; Sound City in Van Nuys; House of Blues in Memphis; Ocean Way and Groundstar in Nashville
Genre	Garage rock southern rock
Length	46:01
Label	RCA/HandMeDown
Producer	Ethan Johns, Angelo Petraglia
Kings of Leon chronology
What I Saw (2003) Youth & Young Manhood (2003) Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Singles from Youth & Young Manhood
"Red Morning Light" Released: May 26, 2003 "Molly's Chambers" Released: August 11, 2003 "Wasted Time" Released: October 20, 2003 "California Waiting" Released: February 16, 2004

Recording and release

The album was recorded between Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Shangri-La Studios in Malibu and Ocean Way Nashville.[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 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as well as on the soundtrack.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Blender	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
The Guardian	[6]
NME	9/10[7]
Pitchfork	4.2/10[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Spin	B+[11]
Uncut	[12]

Critical reception was generally favorable, as the album received 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 past 10 years." AllMusic claimed the album wasn't "sonically adventurous", but that "in the new-millennium pop realm, some greasy licks sure sound good."[3] James Hunter of The Village Voice called the album "2003's finest rock debut," saying the band had built off of its first EP.[13] Greg Kot, writing in 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.[10] Rolling Stone critics named it the 10th-best album of 2003 and NME named it the seventh best.[14][15]

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 29 September 2008, when all four of the band's studio albums reached the top 50. With this, Youth and Young Manhood made its first top 50 chart appearance since its release in 2003, peaking at number 46. The album sold more than 940,000 copies worldwide, and was ranked at number 80 in Rolling Stone's Top 100 Albums of the Decade list.[16] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill and Angelo Petraglia, except "Trani" by Matthew Followill.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Red Morning Light"	3:00
2.	"Happy Alone"	3:59
3.	"Wasted Time"	2:46
4.	"Joe's Head"	3:21
5.	"Trani"	5:00
6.	"California Waiting"	3:28
7.	"Spiral Staircase"	2:55
8.	"Molly's Chambers"	2:15
9.	"Genius"	2:48
10.	"Dusty"	4:21
11.	"Holy Roller Novocaine"	4:05

Personnel

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

Singles

• "Red Morning Light"
  • Released: December 30, 2002
  • Chart positions: #22 (UK Singles Chart)
• "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)

Charts and certifications

Charts Year Country Position 2004 Ireland 18 United Kingdom 3 United States 113 2008 Australia 46

Certifications Region Provider Certification Australia ARIA 3× Platinum[18] United Kingdom BPI 2× Platinum[19]

References

1. Bible Kings!, NME (May 19, 2003)
2. "Reviews for Youth & Young Manhood by Kings of Leon". Metacritic. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
3. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Youth & Young Manhood – Kings of Leon". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
4. Smith, RJ (August 2003). "Kings of Leon: Youth and Young Manhood". Blender (18): 126. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
5. Farber, Jim (August 22, 2003). "Youth & Young Manhood / It Still Moves". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
6. Clarke, Betty (July 4, 2003). "Kings of Leon: Youth and Young Manhood". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
7. "Kings of Leon: Youth & Young Manhood". NME: 41. June 28, 2003.
8. Plagenhoef, Scott (August 20, 2003). "Kings of Leon: Youth and Young Manhood". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
9. "Kings of Leon: Youth & Young Manhood". Q (205): 108. August 2003.
10. Kot, Greg (August 12, 2003). "Youth And Young Manhood". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
11. Gross, Joe (August 2003). "Things Have Changed". Spin. 19 (8): 111–12. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
12. "Kings of Leon: Youth & Young Manhood". Uncut (75): 110. August 2003.
13. Hunter, James (September 9, 2003). "Post-Pentecostal Boogie". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
14. "Rocklist.net Rolling Stone (USA) End Of Year Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
15. Archived June 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
16. "100 Best Albums of the 2000s: Kings of Leon, 'Youth and Young Manhood'". Rolling Stone. July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
17. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
18. "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2009 Albums". Aria.com.au. 2009-12-31. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)