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Because of the Times | 
 enlarge | Artist: Kings Of Leon
Label: Columbia
Category: Music
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £4.14
You Save: £5.85 (59%)
New (35) Used (7) from £4.14
Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 104
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
UPC: 886970774123
EAN: 0886970774123
ASIN: B000NQR892
Release Date: April 2, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New - Factory Sealed - Import Edition - Shipped from Florida via USPS First class international mail. We ONLY sell what we have in stock. NO back orders here.
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| Tracks:
| • | Knocked Up | | • | Charmer | | • | On Call | | • | McFearless | | • | Black Thumbnail | | • | My Party | | • | True Love Way | | • | Ragoo | | • | Fans | | • | Runner | | • | Trunk | | • | Camaro | | • | Arizona |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Aha Shake Heartbreak may have blown open the doors of fame for Kings of Leon, but their third full-length album (named for a United Pentecostal Church ministers' conference) could well usher the Nashville foursome directly to rock and roll's zenith. There's hardly a change in plans for the three Followill brothers and their cousin, and that means producer Ethan Johns, a smorgasbord of musical influences, and a cacophonous ensemble of guitar, bass, and drums. A trio of relentless rockers--"My Party," "Camaro," and the sarcastic "Charmer"--are sure to pacify those familiar with the Kings' blueprint, yet there is ripening in the band's approach heard, in several of the record's 13 songs. Reverb guitar and vocals and a "woo woo" chorus add a sinister aspect to "Trunk," and "Knocked Up" features a laissez-faire Caleb Followill crooning "She don't care what her mama said/She's gonna have my baby." The seven-minute revelation of fatherhood that opens the album leads into the U2-influenced "McFearless," a reggae-splashed "Ragoo," and the rambling English blues of "Black Thumbnail." It's a rogue element that has always left every record fresh, and this time it has Kings of Leon teetering on the edge of rock renown. --Scott Holter
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 A great third album. March 15, 2007
AK74 (London, England)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
I'm a big KoL fan and I had been waiting or this album for a long time. In my opinion, it's certainly a progression from the previous two albums - more mature with more going on musically. So much so, that there is a lot to take in on the first listen, i'd argue. I recommend listening to it again either immediately or a little later and the really album comes to life.
The overall sound is quite different to Y&YM and ASH, which were more striped down in comparison. This album, to me at least, has somewhat of an 80s vibe to it. Not the bad stuff, rather all the decent guitar bands of the era. "Charmer" for example, sounds remarkably like something off of Pixies' "Sufer Rosa" or "Doolittle" albums, it's uncanny, complete with screams, repetitive bassline, distorted guitar chords and leads. "McFearless" reminds me of early U2 material. "Black Thumbnail" opens with a more familiar KoL sound but soon rocks out hard, when they step on the gas. Incidentally, the heavy parts on this album really are a lot heavier and fuller than on previous albums and will certainly get you moving.
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Amazing - Some of the best songs being written at the moment July 31, 2007
J. E. W. Jackson (surrey, england)
18 out of 23 found this review helpful
Kings of Leon have definatly changed since their earlier stuff. The tracks are more atmospheric (as has been said in a previous reveiw) and the bass has been upped for this album (you can feel it through every bone in your body). As a whole the album is great - there are several briliant songs, complimented by good and very listen-able 'lesser tracks'. (This strong points being tracks 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 13)
1.Knocked Up
This song is 7minutes long - it's good (quiet but smooth drumming; great bass, and then it all gets louder, which is good but seems a bit smudgy) but after 5minutes of it, becomes slightly tiring
2. Charmer
Much better - the screaming (very slight amount) rubbs off a more 'rock and roll' feel and the bass is excellent
3. On Call
Good bass again; quite a smooth easy-going song
4. Mcfearless
Good bass and guitar; more 'rythmic' singing - you can't help but move to it
5. Black Thumbnail
Great strumming; well complimented by drums and bass - it again makes you move to the music, but it's another long song. Not as tiring, however - the chorus is pretty 'rocked-up'
6. My Party
More strong bass and some great vocal work (assuming you like his voice) with the drums makes for a slick song with a nice breaking-up of style for the chorus
7. True Love Way
A quieter song, less striking but still smooth listening
8. Ragoo
Possibly the best track (either this or 9.). Some great lines and the singing lays down the slightly jaunty guitar, making yet another smooth ride. The chorus is a bit of a change of heart, but the kings manage to pull it off stylishly
9. Fans
Amazing song - the singing is great with the way Caleb (singer) pinches the lines in a such a different but beautiful way (this may sound wierd but I'm running out of adjectives!). The drumming and guitar doesn't get too overpowering and the bass is subtle but still enforces the choruses very well. The song also nods at the english (because kings are more popular over here), which is a nice touch
10. The Runner
Not a terrible song but probably the worst the album has to offer. The singing doesn't flow as well and the song seems spoilt (there's nothing wrong with the guitar, bass or drums)
11. Trunk
A forgettable song but a very easy-going one - especially the nice chorus ("woooooo")
12. Camaro
This song feels dragged out but is more of a jaunty, 'rocky' affair than the rest of the album. The singing feels more desperate and lacks the charm of the other tracks, bu there is some great guitar
13. Arizona
A swaying-lighter song. Slower but brilliant. The singing has a touch of lullabye (that spelling is probably wrong) to it and the gentle whine of the guitar works well.
Overall, as I said, this is a great album and definatly worth your money and attention. It contains the lyrics which is always a plus for me (not for my friends and family though). I find it hard to classify the Kings of Leon. They are rock, but softer, possibly with a hint of Indie influence too.
They Just Keep On Bringing It July 15, 2007
Mark McDaid (Ireland)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Most of the negative reviews about this albumn have been based around its lack of riffy based, fun or 'Youth and Young Manhood' esque rockers. I can only say, if you want to hear this type of music then have another listen to their first two albumns: Kings of Leon are developing and with gusto if I may say so myself.
The albumn is very different and, as has been mentioned before, full of atmosphere. I think the guitar effects used in production are fantastically subtle and beautiful, allowing the vocals and bass line to carry the albumn. However, they drop in the odd fantastic rocky tune, such as 'My Party', which would rip the place apart at a live show.
Truly an albumn displaying a maturing band with many idea's which are intricate and working very well.
The Followill Brothers & Cousin strike again! April 29, 2007
jayhikkss
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
The Kings of Leon's third album sees them successfully transcend their original southern-rock influences in order to stretch their range and enrich their stylistic routes. "Because of the Times" is, in my opinion, their best offering yet.
"Knocked Up," the brooding first track, is a long, slow, moody number that builds and recedes. It opens the album with a deliberate hint that the group aspires to reach for more. Its theme of imminent fatherhood is a far removed from, say, "Slow Night, So Long" - dealing with groupies - that came with their sophomore album.
The second track, "Charmer", shows that the group is not softening up his act, as it is pure thrash rock. This kind of bashing returns on the head-banging chorus of the blues influenced "Black Thumbnail." I imagine that, on an earlier CD, the latter song might have shown more of a Lynyrd Skynyrd influence. This track sees, however, Matthew Followill playing a wild, psychedelic-influenced, howling lead.
Indeed, Matthew Followill's guitar playing has never sounded better and continues to be at the core of the band's firepower. Just listen to "On Call", a tune that features a flurry of notes delivered at full speed.
Background vocal accents feature on some tracks, like in "True Love" and "Trunk," This is welcome as Caleb's voice sounds, at times, definitely dry-throated. A minor quibble is that, sometimes, like on "At My Party", the voice processing seems overdone. However, I feel that Caleb's vocals have now improved a lot.
The songwriting is certainly better than before and plays a big part in the band's development. This is crucial to the quality of "Because of the Times." In this regard, "My Party" and "Fans" are two very accessible tracks. These two tracks document a very effective aspect of the group's songwriting by which they manage to insert a catchy chorus into a garage-rock structure. Listening to "My Party," say, the turn comes in the chorus: "Ooh she's at my party" is, without a doubt, exactly the right move. Later on, the straight-ahead beat and howling guitar accompaniment prove perfect. "Fans" is a very good pop tune, a quintessential guitar-rock hymn with many robust changes. It should grab the attention of potential new fans.
"Ragoo", with its reggae edge is also prime stuff and goes on to show the diversity of the King of Leon's influences.
On the opposite side, the moody single "On Call" and the dramatic "McFearless" may not be immediately hummable, but after a few listens, they really grow on you and reveal layers of unsuspected melody and emotion.
Finally, I would like to single out the measured "Arizona" that proves a very effective finale.
Ethan Johns, who again produces, deserves kudos for the well balanced, dynamically rich, and moderately compressed sound captured on this album. The band playing is of a uniformly high level.
This album really deserves its worldwide success (it is also their best showing in the US Billboard Top 200, reaching #25.)
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