A-Z CDs - Day 31

Quite a kingly day.
257. B.B. King - 36 All-Time Greatest Hits (last listen: 2-5 years) - This 3-CD set is pretty good. I don't like B.B. King as much as I like other bluesmen, but it's still good.
258. King Konga - Monkey See, Monkey Groove (last listen: 2-5 years) - For those of you not hip to King Konga, they are the band that I followed that I'm most pissed didn't become big. Hailing from Hattiesburg, Mississippi (as anyone who ever went to any of their shows probably knows), they were on the verge, getting some radio play in the south, Indianapolis, and Chicago, but then broke up after their third album. This album (their first) is my least favorite of their three albums. It's a little more mellow than the others, although it sounds like they're trying too hard to sound like Dave Matthews. "Addicted to You" is my favorite song off this album.
259. King Konga - Halo (last listen: 1-2 years) - Anytime I hear this CD, it takes me back to Saturday of Little 5 Week junior and senior year, with Konga playing in the basement at Pi Kapps, and me not having a care in the world. They were one of the better and more energetic bands I've seen live. Anyone who saw them live immediately fell in love with them. They really hit their stride with this album (my favorite of their three). It's rock, pop, blues, and Caribbean, all rolled into one. "Dancing Girls," "Halo," and "Virginia" are solid, but "Say Mercy" (the hidden seventh track) is my favorite, since it used to be their final song of their encores. The rhythm section, featuring Steve Cook on bass, Skeeto on drums, and Tony Lymon on electric xylophone and bongos, is phenomenal, as is Dan Hannon's blue-eyed soul voice.
260. King Konga - Something Good (last listen: 1-2 years) - This was their final album, and it picks up where Halo left off, with well-crafted, radio-friendly pop rock. The title track is a fast-paced, bongo-laden anthem that used to always get the crowd going. My other favorites are "Never Gets Any Better," "Just Remember Me," and "Gonna Be Fine."
261. Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood (last listen: 1-2 years) - The debut from one of the better rock bands around right now, this album is what would happen if you mixed AC/DC, the Black Crowes, the Strokes, and southern garage rock in a blender. The album is full of uptempo rockers, often sung in a barely intelligible drawl by lead singer Caleb Followill. If you've ever seen the Farrelly Brothers' movie, Stuck On You, four or five songs off this album are featured in the movie. "Wasting Time," "Holy Roller Novacaine," "California Waiting," and "Joe's Head" are my favorites.
262. Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak (last listen: 3 months to 1 year) - Their second album was just as rocking as the first, but a little more polished (which isn't a knock by any means on the first album). My favorite songs are "Taper Jean Girl," "The Bucket," and "Four Kicks."
263. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times (last listen: 0-3 months) - Their latest effort. It's different than their previous two albums, but fantastic. It sounds like they listened to a lot of U2 and Pearl Jam while making this album (which is quite possible, since they opened for both bands).
264. The Kinks - Greatest Hits (last listen: 3 months to 1 year) - In addition to the well-known hits ("You Really Got Me," "All Day And All Of The Night," etc.), there are a couple lesser known gems on this CD, such as "I Need You," "You Still Want Me," and the tongue-in-cheek "Well Respected Man" and "Dedicated Follower of Fashion." Unfortunately, "Lola" and "Waterloo Sunset" are not on here.
265. Kiss - Kiss (last listen: 0-3 months) - Their debut album kicks off with "Strutter" and pretty much kicks ass the rest of the way. "Cold Gin" is a badass song, written by Ace Frehley, although as far as I'm concerned, it's never "cold gin time," much less "cold gin time again."