While the Beatles still largely stuck to love songs on Rubber Soul, the lyrics represented a quantum leap in terms of thoughtfulness, maturity, and complex ambiguities. Musically, too, it was a substantial leap forward, with intricate folk-rock arrangements that reflected the increasing influence of Dylan and the Byrds. The group and George Martin were also beginning to expand the conventional instrumental parameters of the rock group, using a sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," Greek-like guitar lines on "Michelle" and "Girl," fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself," and a piano made to sound like a harpsichord on the instrumental break of "In My Life." While John and Paul were beginning to carve separate songwriting identities at this point, the album is full of great tunes, from "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and "Michelle" to "Girl," "I'm Looking Through You," "You Won't See Me," "Drive My Car," and "Nowhere Man" (the last of which was the first Beatle song to move beyond romantic themes entirely). George Harrison was also developing into a fine songwriter with his two contributions, "Think for Yourself" and the Byrds-ish "If I Needed Someone." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Track List
(try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11)
Rubber Soul is THE transition album away from "The Fab Four" to four very human beings, and four of the most innovative musical patriarchs of Rock and Roll.
Beatles will never go away. They'll be listened to a century from now. These four musical icons may become as classic as Mozart.
get Rubber Soul, Revolver, Help, and Yesterday and Today and you have the middle period Beatles covered...the greatest four lp's ever released in a relatively short period of time by one group in the rock era
Re the Dylan "Norwegian Wood" influence: Compare "4th Time Around" on Blonde on Blonde. Isn't that Dylan song strikingly similar to N.W.? I'm not even sure which one came first, but Dylan was certainly influenced by the Beatles as well as vice versa.
Definitely their most underrated album. I'm tired of the White Album getting more credit than Rubber Soul. Rubber Soul was the bridge from the pop stuff to the explosion musically.
Remember - the Beatles plucked their singles off of their album work. Just imagine 'We Can Work it Out' and 'Day Tripper' added to Rubber Soul. Still my favorite of all time. The Beatles simply have no equal.
I see what you are saying, and musically I agree, both groups did try to put good music, but I think the Beatles kept control over things, whereas Cobain WAS controlled and ultimately destroyed.
...I always thought the Beatles true legacy was to put out quality product in an era when many an album was a hit single with a half dozen 'filler' songs....I'm no fan of grunge rock but it seems Cobain tried to follow that model....
Kids long after "Smells like teen spirit" is long forgotten, you will still hear and love the beauty of the music the Beatles created. I mean ask an average 20 something who is Nirvana. See what answer they give.
Really? Nirvana? I mean the Beatles were able to change styles effortlessly and brilliantly, wrote songs which touched theirs and subsequent generations,
had an impact on culture that lasted more than 3 or 4 years, and were truly artists. Nirvana wrote "Dumb". Wow! they are like mirror images. Thanks for pointing that out. Cobain on his best day could not come up with anything comparable to the Beatles worst song.
This album showed that they started to change the basics of how Rock & Roll sounded. They changed the fundamentals of how instruments sounded. By getting behind the scenes, tinkering with the EQ, microphone positions, volumes and using non-rock instruments, they were able to create a type of alternative rock (a 60's Nirvana, but without the depression).
While people and critics/best-of all-time lists usually put the White Album and Revolver at the top of Beatles' albums, this one is probably in the top 3--Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, and Rubber Soul. It's a bridge from the more pop-like to the more psychadelic/mature stuff.
It is one of those rare albums I can listen to a million times and it sounds as fresh as the first time I heard it, Wonderfully crafted, lovely album.
Timeless
yeah mikul, this with revolver was the cusp,transition from poppy singles to THE beatles and everything changing. then pepper's.bam! like tommy making the who THE WHO, also changing it all.
Great album.I also like the American version ,which opens with 'I've Just Seen a Face". I remember distinctly ,when I was very young ,I had a very high fever and I had continuous auditory hallucinations of many of the songs on this album. Strange ,the stuff one remembers.
sounds like james san psychedelia doesn't know much about what he's talking about. your post only belies your general lack of knowledge concerning music...
love this album -- best beatle album to sing along with! amazingly cool album to have been released in '66 -- they were soooooo hip. they just never missed back then! :-)
Arguing that this or that Beatles album is their best is just silly. They were, almost without exception, all fantastic, so it's just a matter of taste and preference. And I'd have to go with "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver" - never can make up my mind for certain.
I love this album!! This was my favorite beatles album when i began to listen to their music every day!! "In my Life" & "Michelle" are my favorite tunes!!
"I've Just Seen A Face" and "It's Only Love" were originally included on side 2 of the UK "Help!" LP, which, unlike the crappy US version, contained 14 BEATLE songs (2 covers:"Act Naturally" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"). By the way, "Yesterday" made its debut on side 2...as a ALBUM TRACK...of the UK release of "Help!"
"I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love" are both missing from the UK/CD version. Wikipedia says Capitol added them to the US LP since they were more "folky" love songs, and omitted a couple of the more upbeat ones. Personally, I find that restoring the UK song lineup makes it a stronger album.