Youth And Young Manhood - Kings Of Leon

Every now and again an album will come along that captures the zeitgeist; where every paper, magazine, TV programme and radio station are talking about it, dissecting it and discussing it. 'Youth and Young Manhood' was one of those albums. Now I like to think that I'm a reasonably informed music listener but this album made me question whether this assumption was misguided. Somehow I'd totally missed it. Not that I hadn't liked what I'd heard - I just never got around to buying it until long after the buzz had died down. So what made me finally get around to buying the album? Driving around Europe in a Renault Espace. Obvious really but I'll explain.

In 2004 a bunch of mates, Sarah and me drove around Europe for a two week holiday and visited Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Lichtenstein. Not quite a world tour but and adventure nonetheless. It didn't start well though. We arrived in Italy in the middle of a heat wave. Anxious to get out of our UK clothes (jeans, t-shirts, jumpers and waterproofs) we rushed over to the car hire place and picked up the keys for our people carrier. Taking turns to get changed into holiday clothes (shorts, sandals, t-shirt and suncream) the huge hulk of a vehicle was packed and we were finally ready to hit the road. Our European Odyssey was ready to begin.....except we couldn't find the handbrake. We were trapped - the car was fully packed, tunes were loaded on the iPod and the open road beckoned but the vehicle was immobile. Perhaps a two week hoilday in the airport car park wouldn't be so bad; plenty of shops, food, sun and handy for the trip home.... But no that wouldn't do. We weren't going to be outfoxed by a piece of machinery, so the car was unpacked; the bags dumped on the Tarmac unceremoniously whilst the hunt for the elusive handbrake began.

Perhaps it was in the glove compartment? Of course - obvious really. But nope, not there. The entire front of the car was searched but no handle shaped object could be seen. Ah! Perhaps the cunning French had fashioned it into something more fashionable? But the cockpit was free of any such adornments. We were getting desperate so we widened the search; not quite sure how the driver was going to operate a handbrake that was fixed into the boot but we looked in there for a good ten minutes. Where the hell was it? Then the only female in the group suggested looking in the manual! Tscchh schoolgirl error - we were blokes so we had no need to look in a manual. The very idea! Manuals were for.....I won't say it but you know what I'm thinking! At this stage about an hour had passed and it was getting hotter, we were getting hungrier and we had a long drive in front of us. So the manual it was. How embarrassing - we would need therapy after admitting we needed written help.

So with some shame and a good helping of humble pie we opened the manual....it was in Italian! Being proud English people we only had a smattering of a foreign language between us (I'm still not sure that Geordie actually counts as a foreign language - indecipherable yes, but foreign language - not sure). Oh my god - we were really going to have to spend a fortnight in an airport car park. Then, like a bolt of inspiration (or a visit to the car hire counter - I forget which) the answer became obvious - it was a BUTTON ON THE DASHBOARD! What the!?! Who on earth wants a button for a handbrake? How were you supposed to do a handbrake turn with a bloody button? Never mind. The vehicle was re-packed, sunglasses donned and we hit the open road. Italy beckoned. What? Oh what about the Kings Of Leon?

Oh yes, well 'Joe's Head' was one of the first songs out of the iPod and featured several times in the opening week. A great tune to drive to and, along with the rest of the album, provided a great backdrop whilst the miles and the scenery passed by......