November 11, 2008...8:10 pm

My Favorite 13: If Kings of Leon Released One LP

Jump to Comments

utterli-image

I’ve been a fan of Kings of Leon since around August of 2003 when I was a young intern at RCA Records and was first handed their debut album Youth & Young Manhood by the guys I interviewed with and would become my supervisors. With a countrified garage rock sound, they were then regarded as the “Southern Strokes” but, three albums later (Aha Shake Heartbreak, Because Of The Times and, most recently, Only By The Night), have grown to become an arena rock band in the same vain as Pearl Jam (imho, Kings of Leon is very much what Pearl Jam was to the 90s but without the overwhelming mainstream popularity that came with radio/tv outlets that really mattered – to this end I’m including a version of KOL’s “Slow Night, So Long” performed with Eddie Vedder).

But this post isn’t so much about comparing one artist to another, historically or sonically, so much as wondering ‘what if’: what if we could create one perfect Kings of Leon record, what tracks in what sequence would be on it? You can play this game with any artist that has released three or so LPs, particularly when allotted the time that comes with road trips or the seemingly neverending email exchanges that arise between two friends separated by too much land.

Anyway, here are the 13 tracks that I consider to be personal favorites and how I would sequence them:

1. “Knocked Up” from Because Of The Times
2. “King of the Rodeo” from Aha Shake Heartbreak
3. “Sex on Fire” from Only By The Night
4. “Charmer” from Because Of The Times
5. “The Bucket” from Aha Shake Heartbreak
6. “True Love Way” from Because Of The Times
7. “Notion” from Only By The Night
8. “Fans” from Because Of The Times
9. “Molly’s Chambers” from Youth & Youth Manhood
10. “Day Old Blues” from Aha Shake Heartbreak
11. “Ragoo” from Because Of The Times
12. “Slow Night, So Long” from Aha Shake Heartbreak
13. “Rememo” from Aha Shake Heartbreak

You can download my perfect LP, song for song, via YouSendIt here.

The Tennesseans are wrapping a US tour now, and playing two Boston shows at the Orpheum starting tomorrow night, catch ‘em if ya still can:

  • 11/12 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
  • 11/13 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
  • 11/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory Ballroom
  • 11/18 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
  • 11/19 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium

BONUS: Kings of Leon REMIXED


2 Comments

Filed under other

Tags: , , ,

2 Comments

  • Sam
    November 16, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    Seeing Eddie sing with the Kings Of Leon at Lollapalooza was definitely the highlight of the festival for me. I like the parallel to PJ. The Kings rock.

  • Petite
    November 23, 2008 at 5:10 pm

    Hey, I got here somehow looking for KOL tourdates (not for me to attend, since as far as I know there´s no southamerican tour on their plans, but for a more fortunate friend of mine who is currently working in indianapolis), and I found your post very interesting. Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon are my favorite bands, so how could I not?
    For me, there’s definitely a connection between the two, I’ve just never been able to put it into words, to single out the linking element. You got a little closer, I guess.

    As I write this, I’m listening to your favorite 13… so far, so good, Knocked Up is an excellent choice to open a record, and King of the Rodeo follows nicely. I’m probably gonna have to make a few adjustments, though… Arizona and Manhattan definitely need to be in MY favorite 13! :)

    Regards from Uruguay!


Leave a Reply