Customer Reviews

Holy Roller Novocaine

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is KOL's first release. It includes a different version of California Waiting from what was later released on their 1st album. It also includes Wicker Chair, which as been released on a number of CD Singles (and a Japanese album) but remains unreleased on any other album.

Because you either adore or detest the Kings of Leon, and because the band has not only made it but is obviously going to be a major voice in rock, I see no point in the host of reviews that are either cheerleading or dissing them. I've not seen a band generate so much love/hate since the Stones broke in way back in 1964 (and I'm old enough to remember that very clearly).

Personally, I'm convinced KOL will be one of the greatest bands ever (and I can count the number of bands I've said that about over the last 40 years on one hand)....and yes, I've seen them live more than once.

For those of you who don't want to miss a moment of the bliss as it arrives, here is a comprehensive list of what KOL has released. Here is a key to the notations so you won't miss any of their releases:

* tracks that have not been released on albums
# different version
@ live track
$ video

Holy Roller Novocaine - EP (2003 Feb 18)
Molly's Chambers
Wasted Time
# California Waiting (different version from Youth & Young Manhood LP)
* Wicker Chair
Holy Roller Novocaine

Molly's Chambers - UK Import (2003 Sep 23)
Molly's Chambers
@ Wasted Time (Live)
@ Spiral Staircase (Live)

Red Morning Light - Import (2003 Jul 15)
Red Morning Light
* Wicker Chair
Talihina Sky

Molly's Chambers - Import (2003 Oct 27)
Molly's Chambers
@ Molly's Chambers (Live at Birmingham Academy)
@ Red Morning Light (Live at Birmingham Academy)

Wasted Time - EP Import (2003 Nov 25)
Wasted Time
* Mollys Hangover (Previously Unreleased)
@ Joes Head (Live From LA)
$ Wasted Time (Enhanced Video)

Youth & Young Manhood - LP (2003 Aug 19)
Red Morning Light
Happy Alone
Wasted Time
Joe's Head
Trani
California Waiting
Spiral Staircase
Molly's Chambers
Genius
Dusty
Holy Roller Novocaine
Talihina Sky (hidden track 8 min after end of last track)

California Waiting (2004 Mar 4)
California Waiting
@ Joe's Head (Live at Brixton Academy)

The Bucket - UK Import (2004 October 25)
Bucket
* Where Nobody Knows

The Bucket Part 1 - German Import (2004 Dec 14)
Bucket
Slow Night, So Long
* Wicker Chair

The Bucket Part 2 - German Import (2005 Jan 18)
Bucket
* Where Nobody Knows

Youth & Young Manhood - Japanese Import LP (2005 Feb 1)
Red Morning Light
Happy Alone
Wasted Time
Joe's Head
Trani
California Waiting
Spiral Staircase
Molly's Chambers
Genius
Dusty
Holy Roller Novocaine
* Wicker Chair

Aha Shake Heartbreak - Japanese LP (2005 Feb 1)
Slow Night, So Long
King Of The Rodeo
Taper Jean Girl
Pistol Of Fire
Milk
Bucket
Soft
Razz
Day Old Blues
Four Kicks
Velvet Snow
Rememo
* Where Nobody Knows

Aha Shake Heartbreak - LP (2005 Feb 22)
Slow Night, So Long
King Of The Rodeo
Taper Jean Girl
Pistol Of Fire
Milk
Bucket
Soft
Razz
Day Old Blues
Four Kicks
Velvet Snow
Rememo

4 Kicks - Import (2005 Mar 1)
4 Kicks
* Head To Toe

King Of The Rodeo - Import (2005 May 24)
King of the Rodeo
@ Taper Jean Girl (Live in Belgium)
@ Molly's Chambers (Live in Belgium)
$ King of the Rodeo (Video)

I was recommended this album back in May of 2003 by a cd store owner who asked me what I liked to listen to. He hit the nail on the head for sure. The Kings of Leon are a band that FINALLY manages to reinstate some hope in me for the future of rock and roll.

Don't listen to people when they say these guys are "steeped in southern rock" - these kids grew up not being permitted to listen to any kind of rock music. They didn't even know who Lynard Skynard WAS until people started telling them "uh...you kinda sound like them." Their music, interestingly enough, IS somewhat reminiscent of roadtripping through Tennessee, pounding back Coors Original and making out with strangers in sleazy off-highway motels. But it's more than that.

Their songs are melodic, thoughtful, heart-felt and honest, and for a band that has little experience being an actual band and even less at making out with strange dirty-girls, these guys manage to create music that surpasses many groups that have been trying for years. "The Southern Strokes"? Nah, not even close. A band like the Strokes has too much hipster attitude that it overshadows any attempt at writing good music they make. The Kings of Leon...they probably only recently learned what the word "hipster" even means.

The sure sign of a lousy review is when the reviewer uses another band as an adjective. "The Southern Strokes," "Lynyrd Floyd," etc...what the hell does that stuff mean exactly?

The Strokes comparisons are ridiculous. Why? Because the lead singer's voice is sometimes impossible to understand? The music isn't alike by any stretch, so what could people be comparing? The Strokes guitarists are phenomenal and have been playing for quite a while - jagged, angular guitar lines and lots of interesting rhythms and meloides. The KOL are much more basic, having only been playing for a year at the time this EP was released. I'm not saying one is better or more respectable than the other...just different.

Back to the review...KOL are steeped in southern music, and this EP is a great example. Most great Southern Rock groups rely on good ol' Blues-based guitar licks, but KOL one-up that tried and tested formula with some guitar that could almost qualify as "punk."

Two tracks here do not appear on the Youth & Young Manhood LP. This version of California Waiting was recorded in a 5 day rush that the band were not happy with. The LP version is different and sounds much better to my ears. Wicker Chair also does not appear on the LP.

If you are going to get this EP, get it AFTER you get the "Youth & Young Manhood" LP. Excellent bonus material.

If you've never heard Kings of Leon, this is as good a place to start as any. I can't say what exactly it is that attracts me to this music, except to note that I seem to have become a very withered old soul when it comes to popular music, and the song "Holy Roller Novocaine" is the first since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (which was a very long time ago, in the scheme of things) to get my pulse going.

OK, I lied: I do know what attracts me to this music, it's just embarrassing to admit: They sound like they just invented rock'n'roll, which is no small achievement in the 21st Century. They play like they really mean it, and they also play like they don't give a damn, which is what the really good stuff sounds like. I envy them their purity of spirit, and I also fear for their souls, because the Great Hype is well underway, because no matter what they think they're doing, their record company sees them as generators of Product, and Product is what they'll be soon enough unless they are very smart and very tough. I wish them all the luck in the world, and if they never do anything else, they at least laid down these tracks, which give an old rocker hope that it is still possible at this late date to make rock'n'roll that isn't Product.

the first time i heard kings of leon i was blown back. the mix of southern,garage,punk rock amazed me. picture allman brothers mixed with the srtokes.great ep.

This is a great EP (mini-album). I have listened to this CD about 10 times in the past week. I read a web site that said Kings of Leon are one of 10 new bands to watch in 2003. The site had an interview with the band and talked a lot about their upbringing and creative process. I picked up the CD at a local record store and have been wanting more ever since.

Kings of Leon have a good sense of time and know when to rock and how to write lyrics. There really isn't a band that can be used in a comparison. The Kings of Leon have a distinctive sound that isn't Southern Rock. It isn't alternative. It isn't bar room rock. It isn't garage rock. It is hard to nail down exactly what they sound like.

They are straight ahead rock...coming from a Southern geography. This EP is an excellent introduction to the band that only leaves fans wanting more. The driving guitars, timely rhythm section, and unique vocal talents of the band are showcased in 5 songs. It is a much appreciated endeavor that far surpasses the "talent" that has been spewed forth from the recording industry in the past couple of years. If this band can stay together, they will be a very big thing in the future. Buy this record and PLAY IT LOUD.

i saw kings of leon open for another great band called the coral, and these guys set the place on fire. this band is for real. so i went out and got this ep, and it showcases their great songwriting ability, but for the real thing, go see them live.. california waiting rocks hard live.. it's mellower here. so, enjoy your ghosts, skynard and the stones.. i can't wait for some fresh new rock and roll from this real live band.

Personally, I like the Kings Of Leon very much. This is a pretty good EP. If you haven't seen them live, you haven't lived. I saw them with The Coral and they both just blew both myself and the crowd away. Despite some of the negative things that some might say about them, they still are very cool and considerate guys. All of them are good spunky southern rocker boys all at a young age. The youngest ones are guitarist Matthew Followill and bassist Jared Followill (both around the age of 18). They all have good reationships with each other, despite the fact that 3 of them are brothers (Caleb, Nathan, and Jared) and the other one is their first cousin (Matthew).
The kings know how to rock!

I still think this is the best thing they have done. I'm listening to it now and decided to write a review. I saw them in a bar around this time on one of their first road trips. I saw them play twice in the same bar. It was much more crowded the second time(LOL). Almost nobody was there the first time. This is o.o.p., get it while you can. They don't sound like this anymore. Molly's Chambers and Holly Roller Novocaine are my fav's. I can't believe you can get it used so cheap! It's just an EP, but still...

I admit it - the first time I heard KOL was Molly Chambers on the VW Jetta commercial, and as anti-music-for-advertising as I am, there was no way of denying that this was real rock n' roll. So I bought the song, listened to it about a hundred times and realized that my initial assessment was correct.

Then I bought the Holy Roller CD and was even further convinced, if that were possible. Another reviewer stated that these guys sound like they invented rock n' roll, and that's so true - and it needs to be invented every once in while. When contemporary music gets to the point where image and hype supplant talent and energy, fortunately there's always someone or some band to shake things up and make it new again.

The Stones did it (may they rest in peace), Alice Cooper did it, the Ramones did it, Nirvana did it, and KOL does it.

This is a great album.