RUBBER SOUL, The Beatles' sixth studio album in a mere three years, takes its place as the very first full length release that truly beings the evolution of away from the bubblegum pop that dominated the first half of their career.

The truly fascinating element of The Beatles are going through their recordings chronologically. You can watch that extremely rapid artistic growth explode. It is amazing that this is the same band who, a mere three years ago, recorded PLEASE PLEASE ME. Obviously, there are several influences that can be felt on this album, although The Beatles up the antes one with this release.

This album sounds like The Beatles playing (and beating) The Byrds at their own game. There are gorgeous three part harmonies, several compositions that would become standards almost on their release, and such a vast improvement artistically over the last five albums. The Beatles knew the time to move was now. Dylan had released BRINING IT ALL BACK HOME and HIGHWAY 61 REVISTED that year, both of which are much better ascetically than The Beatles' effort that year (HELP!).

The critics always talk about RUBBER SOUL being that pivotal album in The Beatles' artistic growth, but that is simply not true. While it is true that it is the first ALBUM by The Beatles to have that mature sound, about half of HELP! stands proudly alongside this release, as does the non lp tracks "Yes, It Is," and "I Feel Fine," which, to me, has always sound much more midperiod Beatles than the earlier material with which it belongs. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had they scrapped HELP!, but the five or six extra tracks on this, and released the other half as singles, but we can never know. What we do know, however, is that tracks like "Help!," "Ticket to Ride," "It's Only Love," "Yesterday," "I've Just Seen a Face," and "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," (which, by the way, is the best song Dylan never wrote) point toward this release. The first two tracks cited hearken back to tracks like "Hard Days' Night" and their earlier sound, the lyrics are much better and without expense to the melody.

Those who complain that the record company has butchered the pre-1967 Beatles releases by coming out with totally reconfigured albums are putting on prominent display their ignorance of The Beatles' history and the decadence of Capitol in regards to respecting the artistic integrity of their artists. There were ELEVEN*, count them, eleven U.S. albums released from1963 to 1966. In the UK, however, The Beatles had only issued FIVE albums before this. No one complains about these missing albums with the exception of this US version of RUBBER SOUL.

In those days, The Beatles were extremely hot commodities (which they still are) and the market supported singles more than albums anyway, so the reshuffling of all the tracks does not effect (much) the artistry of the songs until we get to RUBBER SOUL and REVOLVER. It is only until SGT. PEPPER that the American version and the UK version coincided. The most famous of these bastardized American albums is "Yesterday . . . and Today," the famous Butcher album, which is comprised of the four lost RUBBER SOUL tracks, two from the Side 2 of Help!, three from the then current REVOLVER sessions (the album was not completed when YESTERDAY was released), and the "Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out Single." Yet that album has its place in Beatles history more for the cover as opposed to the music inside, although the music is brilliant. But of all the American albums, this and the U. S. RUBBER SOUL are the most sorely missed.

Why are they sorely missed? Well, there's a reason why there have been many people complaining about the UK version when they grew up with the American version. With the release of this particular album, The Beatles and their contemporaries (especially Dylan) were firmly moving the market away from the singles and were becoming much more album oriented, which is why this is the most controversial reconfiguration. The rest sound like a collection of singles: this sounds like a unified album. To those who argue that the American release is better I do not necessarily agree. "Nowhere Man" stands as a vastly important composition, the first of The Beatles to move beyond the boy-girl subject of their bubblegum pop, and to remove it from this album makes the record suffer greatly. The American release compensated (partially) as having "Face" as the opener, which I greatly prefer to start the album off as opposed to "Drive My Car." This version of the album also is strengthened by dropping the rather bland "What Goes On," the worst track on the album.

As everyone praises this album, no one seems to fully discuss the disturbing "Run For Your Life," an extremely misogynistic Lennon song and the most baffling song in The Beatles' canon. This song makes a rather weakened end, and Ringo's simply isn't that impressive.

Still, an enthusiastic five star release non-the-less.

* For those interested, on these eleven albums there are tracks that are no longer available commercially, although they are of only marginal interested to the general fan as they are only tracks used for scoring the movies. A HARD DAYS NIGHT has four instrumental tracks used for movie scoring which are currently unavailable. THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM supposedly has some tampering to it to the actual recordings themselves, though what I do not know. The U. S. version of HELP! contains five tracks of Ken Thorpe's film score from the movie, which makes it like the YELLOW SUBMARINE album.


A Timeless Masterpiece   November 12, 2000
paperbackriter (USA)
47 out of 50 found this review helpful

To say that "Rubber Soul" was merely groundbreaking, is like saying the Titanic was just another boat! With the release of this timeless masterpiece, the Beatles effectively rewrote the rock-n-roll rulebook. In doing so, they launched themselves into a four-year spell in which they were simply untouchable. Every element of "Rubber Soul" -- from its ultra-hip cover to the magnificent songs -- turned the rock world on its collective ear in 1965.

Ultimately, when judging the merit of an album, it all boils down to the quality of the songs and "Rubber Soul" is chock full of classics. "In My Life", "Norwegian Wood", "Michelle" and "Nowhere Man" are permanently ingrained in public consciousness. In a nutshell, they are essential elements of mid-20th Century pop culture. "Drive My Car" -- the album's rockin' opener --and John's seething "Girl" are pure pop pleasures. Paul's catchy "You Won't See Me" is a bitter send-off politely dressed in three-part harmony. The most surprising element of "Rubber Soul", however, was the emergence of George as a songwriting force. The Quiet One penned a pair of beauties with "Think For Yourself" and "If I Needed Someone". Each of "Rubber Soul's" 14 songs worked cohesively in terms of sound and theme. In other words, this wasn't two hit singles and a bunch of filler -- this was a "concept" album. The Beatles were growing up and soon the entire rock community would follow suit.

The influence of "Rubber Soul" was widespread. Upon first hearing the album, an awestruck Brian Wilson was said to have shook his head in disbelief. Wilson, of course, eventually recovered and answered the Beatles with his stunning "Pet Sounds" the following year. The most amazing attribute of "Rubber Soul" is that it was recorded in a single month! (Under immense pressure from the record company which was desperate for a Christmas offering from the Fabs.) Remarkably, the double-sided single "Day Tripper/ We Can Work it Out" was also recorded during these sessions, yet was never considered for inclusion on the long-player. Yes, that's how good the Beatles were in 1965, a banner year in rock's history. The Beach Boys, James Brown, Dylan, the Stones and Smokey Robinson all blazed a trail in '65, but ultimately the Fab Four grabbed the rock-n-roll mantle and ran with it. They were the trendsetters and "Rubber Soul" was their vehicle. I'd give this album 10 stars if I could !!


A CLASSIC RELEASE EITHER SIDE OF THE POND   November 17, 2006
John Robert Harrison (USA)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful

"Rubber Soul." Like most baby boomers, I first heard this Beatles release as it was compiled by Capitol Records in the United States. It wouldn't be until much later that I'd discover "Rubber Soul" the way its original creators meant for it to be heard. Regardless, be it the United States or the United Kingdom version, this is a classic release either side of the pond! The acoustic-base that attracted me to the U.S. version, much akin to the feel I get from the first album by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, early Eagles, or "Listen Up... It's The Echoes," gives way to much more experimentalism on the U.K. version. Of course, Capitol was trying to stretch out the group's records to allow for more releases and, thus, more sales within the States. That said, songs from the U.K. version of "Help!" would surface on "Rubber Soul" in the U.S. while songs meant to be on "Rubber Soul" were destined for "Yesterday And Today," unique American release that it was. Singles, too, which were seldom included on a Beatles album overseas, would find their way onto American releases, but it didn't really matter to the fans who were eager to hear more of their favorite group from England! While "Help!" remains one of my personal favorites by the group, "Rubber Soul" runs a close second as it shows the band breaking new ground and taking their time in the studio much more seriously. John's words, George's solos, Paul's tunefulness, and Ringo's percussive explorations all make this an album worthy of any rock fan's collection! "Nowhere Man," "Girl," and "In My Life" are among some of John's finest mid-career work while "If I Needed Someone" shows George emerging as a force to be reckoned with. "You Won't See Me" and "I'm Looking Through You" display Paul's pop sensibilities at their best, despite the fact I always think of "I've Just Seen A Face" as a "Rubber Soul" number due to its original inclusion on the U.S. version. Of course, this number truly belongs on the "Help!" album, but that's what growing up with Capitol releases does to someone forced to contend with the compact disc era! Ringo even gets a song-writing credit on "What Goes On," a pleasant country number that would pave the way for "Don't Pass Me By" on the "White Album." It being pointless to go on and on singing praises of the Beatles, a mild fan wanting familiar songs should stick with a greatest hits compilation, but a serious fan of the Beatles or rock and roll in general can't go wrong with this release! Highly recommended.


Perhaps the most influential album ever.   March 14, 2000
43 out of 47 found this review helpful

The impact of this 1965 album is incredible. The earliest recorded of the five great Beatles albums (Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, White Album, and Abbey Road are the others), Rubber Soul was the album that invented "album rock." This was the first rock album recorded for its own sake, without any Top Forty hit singles to back it up (Nowhere Man did not appear on the U.S. version). The songs "Girl", "Michelle", and "Norwegian Wood" each got massive radio airplay despite never being released as singles. Before Rubber Soul, most albums were junk, consisting typically of one or two songs that were Top Forty hit singles with the rest being throwaway filler tracks. Thanks to Rubber Soul, rock artists for the first time got serious about recording albums as works of art rather than just another way to make money. My favorite songs here are "Girl" and "In My Live", but just about everything on this CD is superb. However, I don't like the way they tinkered with the song selection; I would have preferred the original vinyl release format. The psychedelic cover art was the best of its time and it too was trendsetting. Overall, a must have CD for anyone who wants an introduction to their work, and don't forget the other four!


Style + Substance= "Soul"   May 22, 2000
John Jones (Chicago IL)
106 out of 126 found this review helpful

By the time they recorded "Rubber Soul," The Beatles were an unstoppable sensation with classics like "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "A Hard Day's Night" under their belt. "Rubber Soul," however, marked the band's first foray into the arty pop that would make up the bulk of their later efforts.

"Drive My Car" and the brilliant, lesser-heard "You Won't See Me" are certainly of the pure pop ilk, ditto for "What Goes On" and "I'm Looking Through You." And while these songs are all among rock's finest compositions, a more mature, forward-thinking spirit inhabits the likes of "Nowhere Man," "I'm Looking Through You," and "Wait." Three of the Beatles' finest ballads are featured as well (in fact, they're two of rock music's finest ballads), "Michelle," a country-tinged gem; the bluesy "Girl"; and the stately "In My Life," a masterpiece that gave the first true glance of the lyrical depth Lennon & McCartney were capable of.

A minor slip-up can certainly be forgiven in the face of such brilliance, which is fortunate for "Run for Your Life," a deceivingly-happy sounding pop number that offers a glimpse of the Fab Four's ability to occasionally shock ("I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than with another man"). Unlike some of their other dark lyrics this one doesn't register on the fun scale. Luckily the same can't be said for the rest of the album..."Rubber Soul" is one of the brightest moments in rock history, and with The Beatles' growing taste for experiment, one of the most important as well.