Rubber Soul - Classic Album Discussion

[johnniegold]

This 1965 recording by The Beatles was definitely a flashpoint in their career. The lyrics become a bit more introspective and the music becomes a bit more experimental. This album was definitely a shadow of things to come. (Sgt. Pepper is still two years away, but the cultivation of the mindset that was to become that psychedelic masterpiece were being sown.)

Although the album is chock full of the well-known hits such as Nowhere Man, Michelle and Drive My Car. It is some of the lesser-known tracks (if that's possible at this point) such as Wait, I'm Looking Through You and The Word that are stand-out tracks for me as well as George's harmony-laden If I Needed Someone. Personally, I don't think The Beatles ever released another album that had as many beautifully-penned ballads such as Michelle, Girl, In My Life and Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).

This album gets five-stars from the Rolling Stone Album Guide and deservedly so. It is truly one of my faves by the Fabs.

The Beatles' 1965 classic: Rubber Soul

Front Cover:

Back Cover (Album):

Back Cover (CD):

This is my first selection since Shane and Henry joined the Classic Album Discussions, so I figured I'd better make it a good one.

The addition of these two fine gents has made this segment all that much more enjoyable for me. Thanks to both for joining in.

 

[PKHammer]

Best. Beatles. Album.

This is where it all came together. Not a bad song on here and some absolute stunners. "In My Life" is absolutely gorgeous while "Run For Your Life" is just a burner. This is probably on my desert island disc list, as it best represents the best era of Beatles music for me. The stuff before this gets played on the oldies stations. The stuff post Rubber Soul/Revolver gets air play on Classic Rock radio. This era gets kind of ignored and it is such a shame.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Rubber Soul represents the Beatles at the absolute height of their powers. Not a weak song here. Not even one weak note in any of the songs. The magic for me can be attributed to the purity of the artistic product that abounds on this record. The creative juices flowed and, lucky for the world, were distilled and preserved in this timeless masterpiece.

 

[tortswon]

1964 was the Beatles' breakout year. They had hit the charts big and made the famous appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. They were worrying moms and dads all over with their long hair and huge popularity. Although not as appalling to most parents as the Rolling Stones, the foundations of society were beginning to crack.

Parents, for the most part, were not listening to the lyrics of the Beatles' songs. The overt, explicit sexuality of Please, Please Me would have appalled most parents more than the haircuts if they had been listening. Fortunately, they weren't.

So up pops Rubber Soul into the mix. Listen to all the pretty tunes. Michelle (some of the lyrics are even in French so this may actually make little Joey study). In My Life...listen to that harpsichord...see Joey, even THEY must have listened to Bach.

But while Paul and George were penning pretty ballads, John Lennon was heading toward a completely different place that wound up with Helter Skelter from the White Album (now celebrating its 40th anniversary).


Read the lyrics of Norwegian Wood rather than listening to them. This is a song about arson after a woman rejects the singer's sexual advances. (The reason he "crawled off to sleep in the bath").

Girl is more ambiguous but still very adult-themed. How many ways can you read this lyric?

"Was she told when she was young that pain
Would lead to pleasure?
Did she understand it when they said
That a man must break his back to earn
His day of leisure?
Will she still believe it when he's dead?"

The album ends with the song Run for Your Life. This is not some pretty ballad. The first line of this song, "I'd rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man," is not sung like it would be by some sad eyed teenager hanging his head as his girl is leaving him for the captain of the football team. This is a threat, plain and simple. And just to make the point, he continues,

"Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead"

The Beatles managed to keep their good boy images while producing songs with lyrics like this. Somehow, the Stones got the image of being the bad boys but when you follow the Beatles, especially from Rubber Soul forward, you see the anger that would eventually explode into the violence of the sixties. A very adult album, even if we didn't know it then.

 

[professorchaos]

The high water mark of pre-psychedelic pop. Musically and lyrically this is the best of their pre-Sgt. Pepper's albums. Yes all the songs are pop love songs. But that is what The Beatles did so well. And on this album, they were firing on all cylinders. Their prior recordings seems a little saccharine in retrospect and the post-LSD stuff, well it speaks for itself. But Rubber Soul is their masterpiece and possibly the best pop record ever. You cannot listen to this album and not get a song stuck in your head.

Thanks for having me!

 

[Isaac]

I must say that this isnt THE BEST as others have said IMHO. But this is a gem of an album. There isnt one bad song, and its funny how many songs on this album never hit mainstream fame, despite how great the sonts were.

 

[cvac]

Not my favorite but a good one. The Word and What Goes On have always annoyed me.

Sgt Peppers was always very overrated, IMHO. I much prefer the White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, or Revolver. I'd even rather listen to some of their pre-Rubber work before that one. There are a few really incredible songs on it though.

 

[fili123]

big beatles fan- my favorite of theirs, followed by revolver, sgt pepper, abbey road.

 

[ouch]

I listened to this while on the elliptical machine today. I wish the album was a bit longer (have to be very careful what you say around here these days).

 

[jazzman]

I listened to this while on the elliptical machine today. I wish the album was a bit longer (have to be very careful what you say around here these days).

You, sir, have insulted the Beatles for not making albums long enough to suit you. I challenge you to a duel: shaving cream cans at 10 paces!

 

[ouch]

You, sir, have insulted the Beatles for not making albums long enough to suit you. I challenge you to a duel: shaving cream cans at 10 paces!

Let's rock.

I knew those rusty cans of Edge would eventually come in handy.

 

[tortswon]

I thought duels were affairs of honor. There is certainly no place for cans of Edge in such a place, especially rusty ones!

 

[philamac]

My parents had this album and I first listened to it when I was about seven, I could sing every song, maybe not all of them suitable for a kid that age.....

I just love the fuzz bass on Think for Yourself. Thirty two years later and Rubber Soul is regularly played on my i-pod.

 

[big1096]

This album marks the beginning of my favorite Beatles era, as the early stuff just doesn't do it for me. As they moved from here into "Yesterday...and Today", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper'...", and so on, it just got better.

JMTC

 

[prometheus]

This was the first beatles album I bought (mind you, I am in my 20s). The moment Norwegian wood started playing on my cassette deck, I was a fan. My parents had the earlier Beatles stuff, which I adored, but now as a lad of 11, I had a totally different appreciation of their music.

Since, I have come to appreciate Revolver and White Album more but this album still holds a special place in my heart. And, yes its way better than Sgt. Pepper's.