Young Manhood, Revisited: Kings of Leon to Release Vinyl Box Set

In the past decade, there have been plenty of bands hawked as the one to save rock music and radio from the doldrums it's sat in for far too long. But few were agreed upon quite like Kings of Leon, whose Southern and blues influences, coupled with some alternative sensibilities and an arena-worthy sound, made them one of the hottest bands in the world of late. And this December, RCA is set to celebrate their path to "hottest band" status with The Early Vinyl, a lavish, seven-LP box set chronicling the first four years of their career.

The box, first announced as a Record Store Day exclusive but now available to order on the band's official website, will feature remastered, double-vinyl editions of the band's first three albums, Youth and Young Manhood (2003), Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004) and Because of the Times (2007), as well as Rarely, a bonus LP of studio and live rarities, including four live performances making their debut on any format.

Kings of Leon were officially formed in Nashville, but came of age in Albion, Oklahoma, where their family was raised. Indeed, the band is comprised of three brothers in the Followill family - singer Caleb, bassist Jared, drummer Nathan and guitarist Matthew (a cousin) - and their early style, reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd by way of The Strokes and infused with a touch of their father's Pentecostal preacher fire, won them a major critical following from the debut release of their Holy Roller Novocaine EP in the summer of 2003.

While their native U.S. was slow to catch on, the U.K. public embraced them warmly. (Youth and Young Manhood sold 750,000 copies in Europe against 100,000 in the States.) In fact, it wasn't until 2008, with the release of Only by the Night - which peaked at No. 4 in the U.S. and spawned the Top 5 single "Use Somebody," which won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 2010 - that the Kings got their due in their home country. (It was seemingly short-lived anyway, after the cancellation of this summer's tour following what some perceived as Caleb Followill's onstage drunkenness and a subsequent announcement of a temporary hiatus.)

But the release of The Early Vinyl will hopefully take some of that edge off for KoL fans. You can order it at the link above and view the full track lists after the jump.

Kings of Leon, The Early Vinyl (RCA, 2011)

LPs 1 and 2: Youth and Young Manhood (originally released as RCA 82876 52394-2, 2003)

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

LPs 3 and 4: Aha Shake Heartbreak (originally released as RCA 82876 64544-2, 2004)

Slow Night, So Long
King of the Rodeo
Taper Jean Girl
Pistol of Fire
Milk
The Bucket
Soft
Razz
Day Old Blues
Four Kicks
Velvet Snow
Rememo
Where Nobody Knows

LPs 5 and 6: Because of the Times (originally released as RCA 88697 06669-2, 2007)

Knocked Up
Charmer
On Call
McFearless
Black Thumbnail
My Party
True Love Way
Ragoo
Fans
The Runner
Trunk
Camaro
Arizona

LP 7: Rarely

California Waiting (from Holy Roller Novocaine EP - RCA 07863 60614-2, 2003)
Molly's Hangover (from "Wasted Time" U.K. single - Handmedown HMD 31, 2003)
Head to Toe (from "Four Kicks" U.K. single - Handmedown HMD 45, 2005)
Woo Hoo (from "Fans" U.K. single - Handmedown HMD 53, 2007)
My Third House (from "On Call" U.K. single - Handmedown HMD 51, 2007)
On Call (AOL Music Sessions) (iTunes U.K. bonus track on Because of the Times - RCA (no cat. #), 2007)
Happy Alone (Live @ the O2 Academy Brixton, London - 12/11/2003) *
Genius (Live @ the O2 Academy Brixton, London - 12/11/2003) *
Wicker Chair (Live @ the Roskilde Festival, Denmark - 7/30/2004) (from "The Bucket" U.K. 10" single - Handmedown HMD 42, 2004)
Razz (Live @ AB Box, Brussels - 11/4/2004) *
Joe's Head (Live @ AB Box, Brussels - 11/4/2004) *
Trani (Live @ the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, TN - 6/12/2004) (from "The Bucket" U.K. 7" single - Handmedown HMD 43, 2004)