Just Be is the second studio album by Dutch DJ Tiësto. It was released on 6 April 2004 in the Netherlands and 15 May 2004 in the United States (see 2004 in music). The album features BT, Kirsty Hawkshaw, and Aqualung on vocals, as well as a remake of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings". The album's singles were "Love Comes Again", "Traffic", "Just Be" (the title track), and "Adagio for Strings". The track "Sweet Misery" was originally written for Evanescence but it did not meet the deadline for the release of their debut album, Fallen.[1]

Just Be
Studio album by
Released6 April 2004 (2004-04-06)
Recorded2002–2004
GenreTrance
Length78:47
Label
Producer
  • Tiësto
  • DJ Waakop Reijers
Tiësto chronology
Nyana
(2003)
Just Be
(2004)
Parade of the Athletes
(2004)
Singles from Just Be
  1. "Traffic"
    Released: 8 October 2003
  2. "Love Comes Again"
    Released: 8 April 2003
  3. "Just Be"
    Released: 11 October 2004
  4. "Adagio for Strings"
    Released: 31 January 2005

Style

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The album begins with "Forever Today" which is composed of soft classical sounds of strings before moving into a strong trance beat and bassline later in the 12-minute track. The album's second track, featuring BT, is the second single from the album "Love Comes Again". The song uses Latin percussion sounds which are followed by BT's vocals. The third track is the uplifting "Traffic". Then he introduces his first work with Joanne Lloyd, titled "Sweet Misery", it is a chill out track with dark vocals and flowing synth lines, it is an unexpected break from the usually expected sounds of Tiësto. He continues by performing the title track of his previous album compilation Nyana.

Tiësto's first down tempo track in the album, "UR" features vocals of Matt Hales from Aqualung and was remixed by Junkie XL and released as a single with "A Tear In The Open" as its B-side. Another down tempo track in which Tiësto collaborated along half of Gabriel & Dresden, Josh Gabriel in "Walking on Clouds" and Kirsty Hawkshaw's vocals, the song was also released as an instrumental version. "A Tear In The Open" is played in track eight and was composed by Tiësto, Geert Huinink and Daniël Stewart. The title track "Just Be" features Hawkshaw again and became a successful song as it was included in Gabriel & Dresden's Nip/Tuck: Original TV Soundtrack. Then the final track of the album, "Adagio for Strings" begins with a hard bassline which builds up until the melodic breakdown rises. The sounds of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" have been featured in movies such as Platoon and on William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style.[2] Sound Designer Mike Clark contributed to this album. He made the Access Virus Soundset.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]

Upon its release, Just Be received mixed reviews from music critics. Jack Smith of BBC Music gave the album a mixed review, calling the album, "a more concentrated trance session aimed at those expecting to hear a replica of his live DJ set." Smith goes on to say that Tiësto "is giving the people exactly what they want, although at times in so doing he is guilty of sounding a little too clichéd in the process."[4] David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album 2.5 stars out of 5, stating, "A better album to watch lava lamps slowly flow than for frantically twirling glowsticks, Just Be is as moody as the black-and-white photographs throughout the booklet, until a couple mindless tracks screw it all up."[3] Kevin Hainey of Exclaim! gave the album a negative review, stating, "You couldn’t find dance music more thinly ethereal, fluffily uplifting and overtly cheesy if Yanni, John Tesh and Kitaro met up with Chris Sheppard and Vengaboys to record a three-disc Buddha Bar mega-mix."[5]

Track listing

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All tracks produced by Tiësto, with additional production by DJ Waakop Reijers.[6]

Standard version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Forever Today"
11:59
2."Love Comes Again" (featuring BT)
  • Tiësto
  • BT
8:15
3."Traffic"Tiësto5:30
4."Sweet Misery"
7:29
5."Nyana"Tiësto6:44
6."UR" (featuring Aqualung)
6:00
7."Walking On Clouds" (featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw)
7:27
8."A Tear in the Open"
  • Tiësto
  • Huinink
  • Stewart
9:23
9."Just Be" (featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw)
  • Tiësto
  • Judie Tzuke
  • James Wiltshire
  • Hawkshaw
8:45
10."Adagio for Strings"Samuel Barber7:23
Just Be – Press Kit
No.TitleLength
1."Just Be (album)"78:47
2."Press Photos"?
3."Love Comes Again (video)"3:23
4."Tiësto In Concert (DVD)"3:20:00
Bonus Disc Avex Asia Inc.
No.TitleLength
1."Traffic (Radio Edit)"2:55
2."Traffic (Original Mix)"6:59
3."Traffic (Max Walder Remix)"7:35
4."Traffic (DJ Montana 12" Edit)"7:41
5."Love Comes Again (Radio Edit)"3:16
6."Love Comes Again (Mark Norman Remix)"7:23
7."Lethal Industry (DJ Richard & Johnny Bass Remix)"6:39
Limited Edition DVD Kontor Records
No.TitleLength
1."Nyana (video)"?
2."Traffic"?
3."Love Comes Again (video)"?
4."Interview & Photos"?
5."Traffic (DJ Montana Full Length Edit)"7:47
Limited Edition Dance Planet
No.TitleLength
1."Love Comes Again (video)"3:23
2."Traffic (video)"2:58
Sample credits[6]
  • "Traffic" contains a sample from the track "Psykofuk" by Sean Deason.
  • "A Tear in the Open" contains a vocal sample from the track "Vocal Planet" by Spectrasonics.

Credits

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[20] Gold 25,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[21] Platinum 80,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 60,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region[23] Date[24] Label[25] Format[26] Catalog[27]
Netherlands 14 May 2004 Magik Muzik
Magik Muzik CD 03
19 June 2007 Magik Muzik LP 07
June 2004
Magik Muzik LP 03
United Kingdom 17 May 2004 Nebula
  • CD
  • album
NEBCD9010
14 May 2004
  • 2 x vinyl
  • 12"
NEBT 9010
  • 2 x vinyl
  • 12"
NEBTX 9010
United States 1 June 2004 Nettwerk America
  • CD
  • album
0 6700 30364 2 9
  • 4 x vinylLP
  • limited edition
0 6700 30378 1 5
Taiwan 20 April 2004 Avex Asia Ltd.
  • 2 x CD
  • album
AVTCD-95757
  • 2 x CD
  • album
AVICD60322/3
Spain 20 May 2004 Vale Music
  • CD
  • album
VLCD 297-1
Japan 16 April 2004 Superb Tracks
  • 2 x CD
  • album
  • copy protected
AVCD-17457/B
Switzerland June 2004 Sirup
  • CD
  • album
MV-SIR903562
Romania 14 May 2004 NRG!A
  • CD
  • album
3570-2
Australia 7 June 2004 Bang On!
  • CD
  • album
BANGCD034
Germany and Europe 2004 Kontor
  • CD
  • limited edition
Kontor379
  • CD
  • limited edition
  • DVD
Kontor379
Edel Records (Germany)
  • CD
  • album
0154992 KON
Poland Magic Records
  • CD
  • album
982013-2
Russia Dance Planet Ltd.
  • CD
  • album
  • enhanced
  • dance planet edition
DPCD025-04
Germany (only)
  • none
  • Black Hole DVD 02/1

Just Be: Train Tour

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The Just Be: Train Tour is a Tiësto tour in support of his album Just Be. The event began in Breda, on Thursday, May 20, Ascension Day; Tiësto was honored by the mayor of The Hague as an officer of the Royal-Nassau.[28] At 11:00 AM, everyone is on board and Tiësto's special train leaves from platform 1 to the first stop, Eindhoven. He is driven by a car with blacked out windows and escorted by two policemen on motorbikes, then he arrives at a stage built on a huge trailer of a truck housing with a huge sound system. Disc jockey Barry Paff from Radio 538 is says Tiësto will be there in five minutes. He finally appeared on stage and began spinning "Traffic", followed by his first single from Just Be, "Love Comes Again". He finishes his presentation and goes back to the train station toward his next stop in Utrecht. Utrecht is a small town for press purposes only, no one thought that he would play in there, but some people began to gather, as if the rumors were being spread, even though people started to realize about what was going on, Tiësto still played. Then he went back to the station to his final destination, Amsterdam. Some parts of the train were mini-discos complete with a bar and a sound system while others were relaxing zones to sit down and chat with other fans. It also makes for great pump up music. Amsterdam is also the location for the last promotional stop and the official release party which will take place later that same night at the Heineken Music Hall. It's a venue that was nominated for the highest prize in the concert industry for the third consecutive time that year. Tiësto hosts his official release party which featured a set along with a special live PA by Kirsty Hawkshaw, and support from Black Hole Recordings' deejay's Cor Fijneman, Ton T.B., Mark Norman, Montana and Le Blanc.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sweet Misery".
  2. ^ "About Just Be". Archived from the original on 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
  3. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Just Be - Tiësto". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Tiesto Just Be Review". BBC Music. 2004.
  5. ^ Hainey, Kevin (1 July 2004). "Tiesto - Just Be". Exclaim!. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  6. ^ a b Just Be (booklet). Tiësto. Magik Muzik. 2004. Magik Muzik CD 03.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ "Track samples, composers, producers and vocalists". Discogs.
  8. ^ "Tiësto ARIA chart history, albums complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 20 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  9. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tiësto – Just Be" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tiësto – Just Be" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tiësto – Just Be" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tiësto – Just Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2004. 33. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Tiesto Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Tiesto Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2004". Ultratop. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2004". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  19. ^ "2004 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. 25 December 2004. p. YE-61. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2006". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Tiësto – Just Be" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 24 March 2023. Enter Just Be in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2007 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  22. ^ "British album certifications – Tiesto – Just Be". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Regions released". Discogs.
  24. ^ "Dates released". Discogs.
  25. ^ "Label releases". Discogs.
  26. ^ "Format releases". Discogs.
  27. ^ "Catalog". Discogs.
  28. ^ "365 Magazine".
  29. ^ "Just Be: Train Tour".