brendan2's Full Review: Rubber Soul by The Beatles
In October 1965, the Beatles began recording their sixth album, Rubber Soul. As was typical in those days, the Beatles recorded for about a month and completed the album less than three weeks before its scheduled release date. But this album marked a turning point in Beatles history and is often seen as their first masterpiece. Their previous album, Help!, had shown signs of the Beatles' maturity, with more personal lyrics and different sounds. With Rubber Soul, the Beatles moved past songs like "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" and made an album that made adults take their music more seriously instead of dismissing it as songs for the kids.
Like all the Beatles' albums until Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the U.S. and U.K. versions of Rubber Soul differ significantly. The U.S. version cut four songs ("Drive My Car," "Nowhere Man," "If I Needed Someone," and "What Goes On") and replaced them with "It's Only Love" and "I've Just Seen a Face," which were on the British version of Help!. The U.K. version is the one available on CD, but if you really miss the two American songs, you can buy the Help! soundtrack and create your own American Rubber Soul CD.
So, let's take a look at the 14 songs that make up this brilliant album. Drive My Car is an instantly likeable pop-rock Paul McCartney number. Paul and John duet on this one, with George providing backing vocals. Paul's piano bit and bass riffs carry the song along, with John's tambourine and Ringo's drums keeping the rhythm. George also does a twangy, almost country-style guitar solo. The lyrics are about an aspiring actress who offers to let the singer drive her car. This is a kind of role reversal song, with the "baby" being the man and the woman offering to show him a good time. And just try getting those shouts of "Beep beep beep beep yeah!" out of your head.
We move from the upbeat rock of "Drive My Car" to the soft, haunting Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). It starts off as a simple folky song until George Harrison's sitar shows up (the first time the instrument was used in popular music), adding a certain something to the song and fitting the mood perfectly. This is another role reversal song, with a girl having her way with a guy, then dumping him. This was John's attempt at writing about an affair without letting his then-wife Cynthia know what the song was really about. The theme is pretty obvious, though, with lyrics like, "I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me" and "She asked me to stay, and she told me to sit anywhere, so I looked around, and I noticed there wasn't a chair." The song ends with John waking up alone and lighting a fire (perhaps burning her place down). Anyway, this is an excellent song and one of my favourites from the album.
You Won't See Me is an upbeat McCartney tune. Well, musically, at least. Lyrically, the song is about a failed relationship: "Though the days are few, they're filled with tears, and since I lost you, it feels like years." Paul plays piano and sings this one, with John and George adding "la la la"s after almost every line, which can get kind of annoying. However, their harmonies are excellent, and it sounds like they were having fun singing together. John shakes a tambourine through much of the song, Ringo does some cymbal-crashing work on the drums, and Beatles roadie Mal Evans plays the Hammond organ. It's the longest song on the album, but it goes by pretty fast.
Nowhere Man has the distinction of being the first song written by the Beatles that is not about love. Personally, I didn't think "Help!" was about love, but apparently, no one else agrees with me on that. So anyway, this song was written by John, and it shows how insecure he was feeling at the time. It begins with a breathtaking acapella introduction before the guitars and drums kick in. John strums an acoustic guitar, Paul contributes a melodic bassline, and Ringo's drums keep everything together without being too loud or overpowering. And George's guitar solo is fantastic and fits the song perfectly. The vocal harmonies on this song were some of the best the Beatles had done to that point, and the lyrics remind us that we're all nowhere men at times.
Think For Yourself is George Harrison's first of two contributions to the album. Lyrically, the song is about someone who just can't think for themselves, and it encourages that person to start trying to think more. "Although your mind's opaque, try thinking more if just for your own sake/ The future still looks good, and you've got time to rectify all the things that you should." George sings lead, with Paul and John providing some nice harmonies (there are a lot of nice harmonies on this album). There is a lot of tambourine and maraca action going on here, but the dominating instrument is Paul's fuzz bass, which gives the song a sound that is heavier than anything else on the album.
The Word is kind of a precursor to "All You Need Is Love," with John, Paul and George singing about spreading the word, which is love. It has been said that this song is about drugs, which could be true, with lyrics like, "In the beginning I misunderstood, but now I've got it, the word is good." I'm not sure, though, because any song could probably be interpreted as a drug song. So moving on to the music, in addition to the guitars and drums, Paul plays his piano, producer George Martin plays the harmonium (which sounds pretty cool), and Ringo shakes his maracas. The song is interesting because it's just the same note over and over, but that also makes it get on my nerves after awhile. It's a good song, but not one of my favourites.
Michelle is one of the Beatles' most famous songs. This song is pure Paul, and it's often considered one of his best. While I think this track is a bit overrated, I do like it. The song is Paul's attempt to communicate to his French sweetheart how much he loves her, complete with some French lyrics. The soft, acoustic melody is very pretty, and John and George's harmonies are impeccable. Paul does an admirable job singing lead, especially on the French lyrics, and he does a nice little solo on his bass guitar.
What Goes On is the first song Ringo Starr got songwriting credit for (along with John and Paul). Ringo later said he "wrote about five words," and when I copied the song to my computer, the composer credit just said "Lennon-McCartney," so I guess Ringo didn't write too much of it. The song has a definite country feel to it, and Ringo's simple lead vocal delivery fits the song nicely. Unfortunately, the backing vocals from Paul and John are pretty annoying, as they drone, "What goes onnn in your heart, what goes onnn in your mind, you are teeearing me apart, when you treeeat me so unkind." I guess it's not really Ringo's fault this song is not too great, and it's still not really that bad.
Girl is a Lennon ballad with a bitter feel to it, as John sings of a "girl who puts you down when friends are there, you feel a fool." The instruments are all very soft-sounding, with a nice guitar lick throughout, acoustic guitars, and almost unnoticeable drums. John's voice sounds wistful, and you can tell he is longing for this girl, even though she causes him pain. His intakes of breath during the chorus sound both lustful and disgusted, as if he is in awe of her beauty and dismayed by her behavior at the same time. The song does have a lighthearted feel during the middle section, with Paul and George providing backing vocals containing an objectionable word.
I'm Looking Through You is, like "You Won't See Me," a poppy-sounding McCartney number about a bad relationship. It's a rather angry song directed at a woman (probably Paul's then-girlfriend Jane Asher) who is no longer the girl Paul once knew and loved. "I'm looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know? You don't look different, but you have changed." The song alternates between being very gentle and then having a rocking feel to it. A tambourine is heard throughout, and Ringo also plays the Hammond organ. I don't know what it is about this song, but there's just something about it that annoys me. It's not awful, but it's definitely not my favourite.
Fortunately, the next song is much better. John's In My Life is my favourite from the album, and one of my favourite Beatles songs ever. The lyrics are the best Lennon had written to that point and remain incredibly moving and poignant. John does a fine job singing, with Paul providing able backup. This song has a nostalgic feel to it as John and Paul sing of places and people gone by. "All these places have their moments, with lovers and friends, I still can recall/ Some are dead and some are living, in my life, I've loved them all." The melody is beautiful, with George Martin doing a wonderful piano solo.
The Beatles follow up this poignant ballad with the poppy Wait. Apparently, no one liked this song that much, as it was originally intended for the Help! soundtrack but rejected. The Beatles needed one more track for Rubber Soul, so they threw this one in. Surprisingly, though, "Wait" actually isn't a bad song. It's a simple number about a couple reuniting after a long time apart. "It's been a long time, now I'm, coming back home, I've been away now, oh how, I've been alone." John and Paul cowrote this one and share lead vocals, and they really sound great together. The guitars and drums sound upbeat and fun, and the tambourine is a nice touch.
If I Needed Someone is Harrison's second contribution to Rubber Soul and is probably his best to that point. This is a sweet, romantic love song George wrote for his then-girlfriend Pattie Boyd. "If I needed someone to love, you're the one that I'd be thinking of, if I needed someone." I love the music for this song, with George's cute, upbeat guitar hook and someone shaking a tambourine. George's lead vocal is impressive, and John and Paul's backing vocals are perfect. This is one of my favourites from the album and my favourite of George's early works.
Run For Your Life is Lennon at his most jealous, as he actually threatens to murder his girlfriend if she cheats on him. The lyrics after the instrumental break are particularly creepy, with John singing, "Let this be a sermon, I mean everything I've said, baby I'm determined and I'd rather see you dead." The acoustic guitar and tambourine keep the song going, with some electric guitar licks that are almost as vicious as the lyrics. This was actually the first song recorded for the album, but apparently John wasn't too proud of it, so I guess they decided to throw it in at the end. The melody for this one is pretty catchy, and it's actually a cool song, despite its disturbing lyrics.
Rubber Soul is often called the Beatles' "transition album." With this album, the group began breaking away from the poppy love songs and the basic guitars and drums. The lyrics for these songs are more personal, particularly for Lennon's songs, but also for some of McCartney's and Harrison's. Their search for different sounds led them to new instruments like the sitar and the fuzz bass, adding a unique feel to their songs. There are some darker, bitter songs on here, but there are also happy, romantic songs, too, and they all mix well together. Even the cover for this album is noteworthy, with a cool elongated shot of the Beatles. Although it often is overshadowed by the album that followed it (Revolver), Rubber Soul is still an amazing album from an amazing band and certainly a Beatles classic.
Repeat (songs I can never get enough of): Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), In My Life, If I Needed Someone, Drive My Car, and so on Skip (songs I have trouble listening to even once): I'm Looking Through You
Though some might argue that the Beatles unprecedented evolution from British Invasion pin-ups to pop music visionaries began with Beatles For Sale, R...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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