Kings of Leon
Youth and Young Manhood
(RCA)
Rock fans, take notice: the south has risen again. With Youth
and Young Manhood, Tennessee natives Kings of Leon deliver a
whiskey-fueled joyride of an album destined for honky-tonk heaven.
With their unruly mops of hair and lean frames, the Kings seemed
destined to be packaged as “the southern Strokes,” but this
couldn’t be more inaccurate. Forgoing the urban chic that has so
far highlighted the garage rock scene, Youth and Young
Manhood features chugging guitar riffs and vocals delivered
with backwoods drawl instead of city sleaze. Incredibly, the tales
of long nights in all the wrong places come not from road-weary
veterans, but from three preachers’ sons and their cousin who are
barely past adolescence.
From the opening “Red Morning Light” to the closer “Holy Roller
Novocaine,” Youth bristles with raw energy and never quits.
The Followill clan shows no fear in experimentation along the way.
“Happy Alone” recalls American Girl era Tom Petty, and the
first single “Molly’s Chambers” seems tailor-made for a bar fight.
Other songs showcase the Kings’ punk leanings, but no matter how
upbeat the licks get, they never abandon their southern roots.
Critics nationwide have attempted to shoehorn Kings of Leon as a
second coming of southern rock. Although the family dynamic is
indeed reminiscent of the early Allmans, and traditional themes of
whiskey and cigarettes in smoky bars live on in the music, Youth
and Young Manhood shows a sophistication and maturity that city
slickers and country bumpkins, alike, will enjoy.
Fans of said bands should not miss this album. Buy Youth and
Young Manhood as soon as possible, and buy it not to relive old
glories from classic rock musicians gone to pasture. Discover the
Kings of Leon to experience the sheer joy that comes from hearing a
talented young band blazing a new trail in the grand tradition of
their predecessors. Somewhere in rock ‘n’ roll heaven, Ronnie Van
Zandt is smiling. So, for that matter, is Kurt Cobain.
Recommended if you like: Tom Petty, The Strokes, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers
-Jon Butler
Neil Young
Greendale
(Warner Bros.)
Over 20 years ago, Neil Young wrote one of the most famous lines
in rock when he sang, “It’s better to burn out than fade away.” In
the years since, whenever Young’s own storied career has shown
signs of fading, he has risked burning out by carrying his music in
bold new directions. He went country with Harvest, dabbled
in early electronica with Trans, mercilessly battered MTV’s
commerciality with his daring “This Note’s for You” video and was
hailed as the “Godfather of Grunge” with the Pearl Jam
collaboration Mirrorball. After last year’s Are You
Passionate?, Young led many to believe that the longtime social
commentator had softened with age; however, he had other plans.
Inspired by the war in Iraq and the current problems with the Bush
adminstration, Young’s critical eye has returned in a visit to
Greendale.
Concept albums are always a risky venture, and Greendale
is no different. The album’s title refers to a fictional town
populated by the Green family. Grandpa Green longs for days gone by
and personifies Young’s disillusioned outlook on modern life. In
“Grandpa’s Interview,” the media assaults Grandpa with questions
about his cop-killer son Jed. Noted for his wariness around the
press, Grandpa’s words could easily be Young’s own when he sings,
“It ain’t an honour to be on TV/and it ain’t a duty either. The
only good thing about TV/is shows like Leave It to Beaver.”
Never one for subtlety, political activist Sun Green allows
Young to revisit his protesting days in “Sun Green.” Sun chains
herself to a large corporation’s statue of a golden eagle, railing
against corporate tyranny and “corruption on the highest floor.”
Young’s wit and criticism are still as sharp as ever, although his
choice to record this sort of political album with Crazy Horse
instead of a more accomplished band is a dubious one. The
stripped-down sound that permeates Greendale is a welcome
departure from his recent studio albums, but nothing on Greendale
is as catchy as the politically charged anthems from his Crosby,
Stills, Nash and Young days. Greendale is a worthwhile
purchase for longtime Neil Young fans, but recent converts
expecting radio-friendly hits in the vein of “Keep On Rockin’ In
the Free World” should start elsewhere.
Recommended if you like: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young,
Crazyhorse, basically anything associated with Neil Young
-JB
