Let's Just Be

Let's Just Be
Studio album by Joseph Arthur
Released April 17, 2007 (US)
September 3, 2007 (UK)
Recorded October-November 2006
Donner & Blitzen Studios, Arcadia, California
Genre Alternative rock
Length 78:43
Label Lonely Astronaut Records
14th Floor Records
Producer Joseph Arthur, The Lonely Astronauts
Joseph Arthur chronology

Let's Just Be
(2007)		 Temporary People
(2008)
Joseph Arthur chronology
Nuclear Daydream
(2006)		 Let's Just Be
(2007)		 Could We Survive (EP)
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link (was originally given until September 2008)
EW.com
L.A. Times
Paste Magazine
Pitchfork Media (3.4/10) link
Spin
Stylus Magazine
Q [1]

Let's Just Be is the sixth studio album by Joseph Arthur, and his first with his backing band The Lonely Astronauts. The album was released on April 17, 2007 in the US, and on September 3, 2007 in the UK. According to Arthur: "the philosophy of the whole record was sort of a letting go, that's why I called it Let's Just Be, because it was like everything about that record [came from] a Zen-like approach. Just letting things be how they are."[2]

Let's Just Be was released seven months after his previous album, Nuclear Daydream. The band recorded the album in a quick stint while touring in Southern California in 2006 at Mathias Schneeberger's studio. Arthur notes that: "the idea for us was to record all of these new songs straight to tape using only 16 tracks with no reverb, sort of a back to basics like how the Stones or Neil Young used to record. These albums are really a band effort, there was a lot of collaboration in the studio and quite a few songs on the album were co-writes."[3]

There is a standard edition and a special edition (featuring different artwork) of the album available (in the US only, released on May 15, 2007).

The album version of "Diamond Ring" is featured as the B-side to the UK single of "Enough to Get Away," released August 27, 2007. The album version of "Take Me Home" is featured as the B-side to the single of "Honey and the Moon," released March 26, 2007.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Diamond Ring"  Arthur, Kraig Jarret Johnson 3:26
2. "Good Life"  Arthur 4:24
3. "Precious One"  Arthur 3:28
4. "Spacemen"  Arthur 4:33
5. "Take Me Home"  Arthur, Johnson 4:41
6. "Chicago"  Arthur 5:01
7. "Cockteeze"  Arthur, Johnson 1:46
8. "Lonely Astronaut"  Arthur 20:32
9. "Cocaine Feet"  Arthur 3:43
10. "Let's Just Be"  Arthur, Johnson 2:31
11. "Shake It Off"  Arthur 1:32
12. "Lack a Vision"  Arthur 4:45
13. "Gimmie Some Company"  Jennifer Turner 3:01
14. "I Will Carry You"  Arthur, Johnson 3:55
15. "Yer the Reason"  Arthur, Johnson 2:20
16. "Star Song"  Arthur 8:57

Notes

Album credits

Demos

In December 2006, 14 new songs (recorded with the Lonely Astronauts) were placed on Joseph's website, available for free download or with a donation. The 14 tracks comprised the original tracklisting for Let's Just Be in this order:

  1. "Baby's Got a New Friend" – 5:59
  2. "Cockteezzze" – 1:44
  3. "Famous Friends Along the Coast" – 5:28
  4. "Love" – 6:34
  5. "Skull Kiss" – 3:53
  6. "Cocaine Feet" – 4:14
  7. "Bust Me" – 3:05
  8. "Breadhead" – 4:29
  9. "Precious One" – 4:27
  10. "Take Me Home" – 4:41
  11. "Here Come the Spacemen" – 3:49
  12. "Let's Just Be" – 2:36
  13. "Diamond Ring" – 3:42
  14. "The Good Life" – 4:28

References

  1. ↑ David Smyth Q, October 2007, Issue 255.
  2. ↑ Joseph Arthur interviews, 2007
  3. ↑ (Taken from a promo press sheet from RED Distribution)