Let's Just Be

Infobox Album |
Name = Let's Just Be
Type = Album
Artist = Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts


Released = flagicon|US April 17, 2007
flagicon|UK September 3, 2007
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
Reviews = *Allmusic (was originally given Rating|2.5|5 until September 2008):
** Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:b0qvad5kv8xo link]
*EW.com Rating|3.5|5
*L.A. Times Rating|3.5|5
*Billboard Rating|3|5
*Alternative Press Rating|3|5
*Paste Magazine Rating|3|5
*Stylus Magazine Rating|2.5|5
*Spin Magazine Rating|2.5|5
*Boston Globe Rating|2|5
*Pitchfork Media (3.4/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42585-lets-just-be link]
Last album =
This album = "Let's Just Be"
(2007)
Next album = "Temporary People"
(2008)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Joseph Arthur
Type = Album
Last album = "Nuclear Daydream"
(2006)
This album = "Let's Just Be"
(2007)
Next album = "Could We Survive (EP)"
(2008)

"Let's Just Be" is the sixth studio album by Joseph Arthur and the first with his new band, The Lonely Astronauts. It was released just 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. "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," commented Arthur. "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." [Taken from a promo press sheet from RED Distribution] . 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

"All songs written by Joseph Arthur except where noted."

# "Diamond Ring" (Arthur, Johnson) - 3:26
# "Good Life" - 4:24
# "Precious One" - 3:28
# "Spacemen" - 4:33
# "Take Me Home" (Arthur, Johnson) - 4:41
# "Chicago" - 5:01
# "Cockteeze" (Arthur, Johnson) - 1:46
# "Lonely Astronaut" - 20:32
# "Cocaine Feet" - 3:43
# "Let's Just Be" (Arthur, Johnson) - 2:31
# "Shake It Off" - 1:32
# "Lack a Vision" - 4:45
# "Gimmie Some Company" (Turner) - 3:01
# "I Will Carry You" (Arthur, Johnson) - 3:55
# "Yer the Reason" (Arthur, Johnson) - 2:20
# "Star Song" - 8:57

Notes

* Lonely Astronaut Records #002.

Album credits

* The Lonely Astronauts are:
** Joseph Arthur - vocals, guitar
** Kraig Jarret Johnson - guitar, keyboards, vocals
** Jennifer Turner - guitar, vocals
** Sybil Buck - bass, backing vocals
** Greg "G. Wiz" Wieczorek - drums, backing vocals
* Produced by Joseph Arthur with The Lonely Astronauts.
* Mixed by Joseph Arthur.
* Recorded and engineered by Mathias Schneeberger at Donner & Blitzen Studios, Arcadia, California.
* All songs mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering, Inc.
* Original artwork (ink and charcoal on arches watercolor paper) by Joseph Arthur.
* Photos by Cerise Leang, Joseph Arthur and Lauren Pattenaude.
* Copy help by Karen Karibian.
* Art direction and design by Judith Salavetz and Spencer Drate.

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:

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

* The song "Breadhead" was conceived at the House of Blues side stage in San Diego, California during Arthur's tour for "Nuclear Daydream". Near the end of the concert, he began strumming a song, and told the band to play along. A few minutes later, "Breadhead" had been written and played for the first time, and Arthur said it would appear on the next album.

References