If nothing else I do believe the "Because Of The Times" will finally clue the US into what the UK has known for quite some time: that Kings of Leon are a musical force worthy of their constant praise. I've been listening to this album for 3 weeks and it's only gotten better. Known for their unique type of bruising, muscular and chucky southern fried rock they have had quite a following since they hit the world stage as the opening band for U2 during their monster Vertigo tour. KOL could have easily made album #3 a near replica of albums # 1 and 2 and their fans would have probably loved it. But something happened in the past two years; I guess touring witht he like of U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan is an education unlike anything else because those KOL gents seem to have grown up nicely (musically, if nothing else). The first single "On Call" is pure testament to that. When I first heard a live version of this song my initial reaction was: "Where the f*ck did that song come from?" The song is sexy, mature...the hollow effects, the vocal delivery...it's a very "adult" departure from their usual punchy, almost violent southern rock but it's still all their sound. That was my hook. There's a lot of musical variation to dig into from "Arizona", which is just dead lovely, to "True Love Way" to "Charmer" which makes me marvel at Caleb's vocal ability. And Caleb's vocals are flexing throughout this album; so much tone and texture to that voice I forget that he's do young If this album doesn't seal KOL into the musical minds of people, nothing will.… Expand

Breath of fresh air,they needed to oull off a good album and theyve done it in style!!

Amazing album, continuing their tradition of pure class albums. you get the sense of a more mature band when you listen to this album.

brilliant, a masterpiece. this album has everything, and i haven't heard anything so fresh in years. but it as soon as it comes out, i know i will. many standout tracks, great musicianship, great lyrics. just amazing.

A work of genius that builds on the first two albums and gets so far into your head you can't get it out. Ragoo and Fans particular favourites and as good as anything they've done so far. The band extend their playing to the next level and Caleb has to be the best singer in rock.

Listening to this album makes me feel like a badass

by far their best album yet! the first two had great moments, but this has classic songs all the way through. i'm lucky to really enjoy 4-5 songs on any record. that is when i know i like it. i can easily listen to at least 9-10 of these at any given moment! this record is perfect for soundtracks to great movies. it's like explosions in the sky with shorter, poppier songs, a singer and more distortion and reverb.… Expand

Absolutely nothing to be disappointed about here. A Classic.

Great album. A little more matured for the more matured rock your socks off listener. I believe "Filter" magazine had it right with "This is meat and 'taters rock mixed with the Devil's blood." Good stuff and mixes well with Black Crowes, Drive-by-Truckers, etc.

Don't you think it is interesting that this CD doesn't get released for another three weeks but it already has several 10 scores? Those votes couldn't be from record company shills, could they? I mean it's not like Kings Of Leon has ever lied about themselves...oh, wait: their entire "preacher's sons" backstory is a sham! Swallow the kool-aid, hipsters.

Shows a ton of growth since Aha Shake Heartbreak, both as musicians and songwriters. One of my favorites of 2007 so far.

Buy this album!

This bands sound is unique, catchy and it is great

this album oozes greatness. and the followill family? they ooze greatness with a side of sex appeal. "knocked up" takes my breath away.

I was surprised by this record. I liked their last record "Aha Shake Heartbreak", it had a few great songs but it was a bit unfocused and not quite all the way there. With "Because of the Times" Kings of Leon have finally arrived delivering a cohesive album full of brilliant songs. Great vocals, great guitar playing, and great mood throughout.

This is by far the best album of 2007! Caleb have not sounded better for years, and the rest of the band swings so cool. This bad-ass-rock-n-roll-album is a must for every fan of Jet, The Fratellis, The Vines or just for fans of good rock. The best number is the amazing single "On Call", and i strongly recommend this album to everyone!

i will never understand the appeal of this mediocre garage band singer needs to spit the marbles out of his mouth

fan fucking tastic!!

F'n awesome!

i enjoy alot of the songs, but think the score is a bit to high, id say it deserves about a 65-70, not at all a bad album, then again perhaps it needs to just grow on me. I do know one thing for sure, "charmer", the yelling is flat out annoying.

It's awesome - don't like a few moments on the songs, but it is still pretty cool!

A more focused album by a brilliant band on the verge of a great career! 'Kings' have a sound that is a complex mix of many influences too often pigeon-holed as Southern Rock. Listen to tracks like "On Call", " Knocked Up", "Ragoo" and my personal favorite "McFearless" and you will hear music from a band too young for this amount of scope.

great record! best yet! love them!

The best album i've heard in years.

Classic

I admit, I was mislead by the music they have posted on MySpace. This album is refreshing. Straight up, head nodding beats. Great vocals. More good songs than bad. The song "Fans" is one of my new fave. songs.

this album was so good it beats ford rovers!

seen the band 1/2 dozen times. so have wife & kids. just heard - bott - new album on spinner.com (aolmusic). what happened? you guys rocked & now you smells like ass. shame on followills. like a musical fug u at they fans. save your cash.

Where to begin. This album seems to be a little over rated by most. I agree that there are a few good tracks but they do no justify some of the high ratings this album is getting. If you have enjoyed past Kings albums you may find this one is lacking something.. ..Rawness and unadulterated Zeal come to mind. Sad to say The kings seem to be moving in the wrong musical direction !!! I hope this is only a glitch!!… Expand

Great album that benefits from multiple listens. Not more of the same but more great stuff either way.

I've been a huge Kings of Leon fan every since their first album was released, and Because of the Times just doesn't measure up to the previous two LPs. The music doesn't strike you like their former songs do. The lyrics are lame for the most part and a lot of the music sounds like it was thrown together in a couple takes in the studio. The only reason I give it a 7 is because I'm a fan of the band and Knocked Up is great song, maybe there best to date. Overall, however, the album is very disappointing.… Expand

They just keep making original music without going overboard. I didn't think they would be able to beat the first two albums, but they did. Their best effort to date and if you've heard their first two, then that is a gigantic complement.

great work, boys

Iconic Album .. amazing

The Kings of Leon sound gets bloated and smaller at the same time; falls well short of debut and Aha Heartbreak.

Definitely a 10.Having read some reviews it seems to me critics miss the point about records,if they sound good they are good and this one sounds great.It's also a grower.I've now listened to the full album over a dozen times & it keeps getting better.It doesn't matter if they sound a bit like this band or that band only that they make good songs doing it and these boys are talented enough to carry it off.Can't wait for their next offering.Meanwhile i'll just play this album 'til my ears bleed.Keep up the good work boys,Scotland loves you.… Expand

This album is great from start to finish. Its soul searching and makes you question yourself. All of it equals awesome. Pick it up! definitely one of the best of 2007

Best album of 2007.

This album is definitely a 10. You would have never expected it from them. It's emotional and rough at the same time. Like a jam session with emotion. Amazing, you should all listen.

Wow, I thought their last album was complete crap with hints of promise and I absolutely was not interested in hearing their new one. Well, thank god I gave it a shot!! Those hints of promise have blossomed in a massive way, the album is excellent.

Weak arena rock. Doesn't come close to Youth and Aha. They need to grow back their beards and their balls.

Great album. Shows the diversity and musical intelligence that the band has. awesome album best tracks: McFearless, Ragoo, On Call and Charmer.

The Kings of Leon's songwriting expertise and musicianship are nothing short of jaw-dropping on this album. The guitars in particular are very tasteful and breathtakingly creative, in my opinion right up there with anything the Edge or Joey Santiago has done over the years. The only reason I deduct a point is because I don't particularly care for the singer. That and some of the songs, while still top quality, are a little too country-fried for my sensibilities. Excellent album and well worth a listen for anyone who's a fan of rock music.… Expand

An amazing album by an amazing band!

I really enjoyed Aha Shake Heartbreak. This album was a huge let down for me. Aha seemed like a jam session, but it was a sound all its own. This album was a dissapointment.

Because of the time is an awe-inspiring album, a step up from the already high-flying Aha Shake Heartbreak. White this release Kings of Leon prove they are more than a one trick pony and pave their ways to rock superstardom

A quite good album, I dare say!

Sometimes a band comes along and their first CD is OK, but you think, "Wow, once these guys get into a real studio, they are gonna be incredible." I remember the first Pearl Jam album and how the songs were great but it sounded like the producer was stuck in 1982. Once they got their studio sound refined it was one great album after another. Then you have bands like Kings of Leon who shouldn't change a thing (I feel like that about the Strokes, too, but that's another story). I want to know where all that raw, jangly, Allman-Brothers-suffering-through-a-whiskey-hangover, redneck stomp from Youth and Young Manhood went. That was the sound I liked and much preferred from them. Not that this album isn't good, because it is. But that's the thing - it's just good. With the exception of the vocal tones, this has all been done in some form or fashion before. There are a few great songs, and the rest is like leftovers from the sessions where they created those songs. Some of the riffs are so similar I had to keep flipping back and forth to make sure I wasn't listening to the same track on repeat. You can definitely tell that the Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam and U2 influence weighed heavily on this album, and there are elements of Tom Petty and other classic American rock in there as well. I feel like it's just a little too much of those influences and not enough of what they do (or used to do) best. It's better than Aha, which was a big disappointment for me, but still not quite what I liked about them when I first heard them.… Expand

This album is extremely disappointing, repetitive, boring and unimaginative. It seems Kings of Leon are going backwards--each album is worse than the last.

Last album was rock solid. This album is even better. And while I like the U2-experimentation, I still think the Kings are at the top of their game while spitting out fast, "classic rock" thrums ("Black Thumbnail", "Camaro") and hopelessly catchy pop gems ("True Love Way", "Fans"). They have yet to dissapoint.

Algunos aprecian el hehco de arriesgarse a hacer algo diferente de llo que se espera. Los Kings of Leon se arriesgaron y apenas salieron a flote. El disco es diferente, sonbre todo del anterior y muy básico Aha Shake... El disco funciona mejor entre más oidas se le dé y mi última opinión es que es bueno a secas.

The last album was great. I didn't expect this one to be as good. But i hate it when people expect every album from every band to be the same thing over and over. Its different but its just as good in its own way. It starts out with a great unexpected 7 minute song ... i dont think the last album was even 7 minutes long. That was the Kings of Leon telling you that they are older this album is different but you are going to like it. Buy it listen to it more than once and put it your regular collection.… Expand

I have to agree with Ilya R on this one, only I think it doesn't get much better than the entire album (though there may be notable exceptions)

None of the songs are bad, I don't think and there's some good melodies in between the songs, but none of the songs are killers either. Some of the music gets too stagnant, and if you'd expected something that will blow your mind like 'Aha Shake Heartbreak' you may be disappointed. That being said, they're still my favourite band at the moment.

Great record, great band. A breath of fresh air. The boys are stretching it out, people have to allow them to evolve.

Much, much better than their first two records. I didn't like them at all but Because of the Times is really wonderful! It is stuck on my iPod at the moment.

loved the first two albums but kol get better with each album. this is definatly the album of the year for me. so many good tracks, camero, black thumbnail, my party, mcfearless

Exceeds the promise shown on their first two albums, this is flawless. The band still have raw energy, but now play with atmosphere, acoustics and benefit from improved (Springsteen-esque) lyrics, previously their achilles heel.

Great stuff. I saw them live not too long ago, and they blew me away. "Knocked Up" is a classic.

I only didn't give it 10 because no-one should get 10! Looking at all the reviews I am amazed that there is so little fuss about "Knocked Up"! It was about 3 days before I heard any other track on the album. Everything about that opening track had me hooked immediately. If these guys ever make a better song I will crawl on hands and knees to get a copy. Oh, and when I did get round to it, the rest of the album is sublime, Idon't think one track is in the slightest disappointing. Wonderful stuff.… Expand

best album of 2007 so far. no filler tracks, the album flows beautifully from beginning to end. every track is unique and awesome in its right...highly recommended.

Just gets better and better with every listen. It's a shame they don't get as much attention in the states as they do over in Britain.

If you listen to Knocked Up, Charmer (Get past the yelp), On Call, True Love Way, Ragoo, Fans, McFearless, Black Thumbnail. I don't see how this scores less than a 7. It's good. Great for drinking whiskey in the dark or driving in the dark.

The year is rapidly coming to a close and it's my favorite of the year too - and I hadn't owned anything of theirs previously and went out and bought all of it on the strength of this.

Initially a promising record, but after a few more listens reveals itself to be as mediocre as their other records. there are plenty of better records from 2007, don't bother with this.

A mature, beautiful third album from the new kings of southern rock.

Has it's ups and downs like any CD and it certainly can't touch their marvellous debut, but a superb offerng nonetheless. Some fans of the band might not appreciate the new direction, but most Rock'n'Rollers will enjoy this one.

A little more up-and-down than most albums, but when it's up it's pretty damn catchy. Solid effort.

Great new sound for KOL, not as passionate as they are on the previous records.

While lyrically it's no masterpiece, the words still resonate as personal, impassioned tales that help carry the tunes, but ultimately, it's the depth of the music, the beautifully thick and well placed drum sounds and the soaring neo-shoegazing guitar work that makes this album a real gem of 2007.

Best album of 2007.

The greatness of the Kings of Leons first couple of discs was the fact that they made sleazy slurring rock n' roll and sported fashions that COMPLETELY ignored current trends and fashions. On this CD, they turn their back on their previous stance and jump the latest haircuts, fashions, and sounds in quest of the top of the latest-greatest heap. Congratulations dudes, you're a success and...you suck like everybody else.… Expand

Flawed, spectacular and sprawling, Because of the Times is the Kings best album yet. it's contagious and insane and "On Call' is by far their best song since "California Waiting." If the bittersweet melody of that song and "Arizona" doesn't touch you in some way, you have no soul.

I was let down, some good songs here and there, but in general this isn't the kings I used to love. I hope with the next cd they return to their roots. p.d. Zeke this cd is their FOURTH LP.

Kings of leon changed their style for the better.They're half hard rock half soft rock style finally works on this record.My problem with old KOL was that theyre slower songs lacked feeling and were ultimitly boring.'Arizona' and 'The Runner' are highlights on this terrific album

best album of the decade. enough said.

Arizona is one of the best songs I have ever heard, just one of the many highlights on this album. Big change in the kings sound in this album but it works perfectly.

Because Of The Times is a great album. The Sound of it all sounds so much more unique from their previous albums. Caleb's voice has definitely matured. So many amazing tracks. The album starts off with the slow-burning "Knocked Up" which is just a great song to kick off the album with. "Charmer" is a really playful song. Caleb's yell catches your attention quick. "On Call", "My Party", and "Ragoo" are all wonderful songs. All In All, "Because Of The Times" is The Kings Of Leon's second best album. A-… Expand

The Kings of Leon keep the quality levels high on their 3rd record. A clear move from alternative guitar rock to heavier stadium rock can be heard here - this record is full of rock and it's the first time on a KOL record that you can hear the songs being fit for huge stadiums. The tunes are excellent on this and this rightly propelled the band to massive stardom. I still prefer Aha Shake Heartbreak as an album but this is a close second.… Expand