Recorded: 17 June 1965
12131618212224 October 1965
34681011 November 1965
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 3 December 1965 (UK)6 December 1965 (US)
Personnel
John Lennon: vocalselectric guitaracoustic guitarpianoVox Continental organtambourine
Paul McCartney: vocalsbass guitarelectric guitaracoustic guitarpiano
George Harrison: vocalselectric guitaracoustic guitarsitartambourine
Ringo Starr: vocalsdrumscowbelltambourinemaracaspercussionbellsHammond organ
George Martin: pianoharmoniumtambourine
Mal Evans: Hammond organ
Tracklisting
‘Drive My Car’
‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’
‘You Won’t See Me’
‘Nowhere Man’
‘Think For Yourself’
‘The Word’
‘Michelle’
‘What Goes On’
‘Girl’
‘I’m Looking Through You’
‘In My Life’
‘Wait’
‘If I Needed Someone’
‘Run For Your Life’
The Beatles’ sixth UK album and 11th US long-playerRubber Soul showed the group maturing from their earlier pop performancesexploring different s of songwriting and instrumentationand pushing boundaries inside the studio.
In October 1965we started to record the album. Things were changing. The direction was moving away from the poppy stuff like ‘Thank You Girl’‘From Me To You’ and ‘She Loves You’. The early material was directly relating to our fanssaying‘Please buy this record,’ but now we’d come to a point where we thought‘We’ve done that. Now we can branch out into songs that are more surreala little more entertaining.’ And other people were starting to arrive on the scene who were influential. Dylan was influencing us quite heavily at that point.
Rubber Soul furthered the group from the straightforward love songs that had characterised their early recordingsand continued the exploration of wider themes that had begun in songs such as ‘Help!’ and ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’.
John Lennonin particularwas enjoying a songwriting peakcreating some of his best work such as ‘Girl’‘In My Life’and ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’.
In ‘Nowhere Man’Lennon detailed his lack of confidence and feelings of insecurityand ‘Norwegian Wood’ dealt obliquely with an affair he was havingyet didn’t want his wife to discover.
‘In My Life’meanwhilebegan as a nostalgic set of memories of Liverpool. In 1980 Lennon described it as “my first real major piece of work”,
I think ‘In My Life’ was the first song that I wrote that was reallyconsciously about my lifeand it was sparked by a remark a journalist and writer in England made after In His Own Write came out. I think ‘In My Life’ was after In His Own Write… But he said to me‘Why don’t you put some of the way you write in the bookas it werein the songs? Or why don’t you put something about your childhood into the songs?’ Which came out later as ‘Penny Lane’ from Paul – although it was actually me who lived in Penny Lane – and ‘Strawberry Fields’.
All We Are SayingDavid Sheff
Paul McCartney’s songwritingtoowas maturingalthough his creative peak as a songwriter arguably didn’t arrive until 1966’s Revolver.
‘I’m Looking Through You’ and ‘You Won’t See Me’ were inspired by McCartney’s often turbulent relationship with Jane Asherwhile album opener ‘Drive My Car’ – a playful humorous song with a twist in the tale – showed the lighter side of his songwriting.
In their rush to complete the albumLennon and McCartney resurrected some older songs. ‘Wait’ had been recorded for Help!and with a few overdubs in late-1965 was deemed good enough for inclusion on Rubber Soul.
‘Michelle’meanwhilewas one of McCartney’s oldest songsdating as far back as 1959. It was inspired by Austin Mitchellone of John Lennon’s tutors at the Liverpool College of Art.
He used to throw some pretty good all-night parties. You could maybe pull girls therewhich was the main aim of every second; you could get drinkswhich was another aim; and you could generally put yourself about a bit. I remember sitting around thereand my recollection is of a black turtleneck sweater and sitting very enigmatically in the cornerplaying this rather French tune. I used to pretend I could speak Frenchbecause everyone wanted to be like Sacha Distel…Years laterJohn said‘D’you remember that French thing you used to do at Mitchell’s parties?’ I said yes. He said‘Wellthat’s a good tune. You should do something with that.’ We were always looking for tunesbecause we were making lots of albums by then and every album you did needed fourteen songsand then there were singles in betweenso you needed a lot of material.
Many Years From NowBarry Miles
their first truly amazing album!
Yeah. Their first collection of songs that seem to work together on the album somehowthey make the album seem to have a concept or something
Their first albums were AMAZING too but they put fill-in songswhich they stopped doing after Rubber Soulor Revolver
Its incredible the way they progressed so fastin every aspect a musician could
Even their fill-in songs were fab in their own wayeh?
Absolutely. The group had a very tight time schedulewith recording sessionstoursconcertsradio- and TV showsphoto sessionsmoviesetc. They had very limited time to write songsand still they made songs of very high quality. The group’s cover versions were greater than the originals. That’s my personal opinion.
Rubber Soul is a very high quality hit album from start to end. Beatlemania was on its’ peakand the pressure on the group was thereafter. EMI wanted the album to be released in time for the Christmas shopping. That may have increased the pressure on the group.
Yepfunny how a group can be so damned good in order to accomplish that.
Its was Johns last hurrah as head honcho before Paul started to dominate… All good… It was always the Beatles anyway… John made a big recovery on The White Album And also Abbey Road but their creative processes were so intertwined that its not only difficult but also unnecessary to separate them out
from each other That unity and synergism was what made them the Beatles. These were guys who loved each other for the most part.
Sorry but how do you know what they felt for each other? It’s presumptuous to pretend to know what they felt.
I agree. It was the first Beatles album I bought. I also thought Revolver was fantastic. This time of Beatles was the transition from the love song Beatles to the latter modern Beatles. Also the beginning of the most underrated Beatle George Harrison who later became the most successful of all of them after all went solo. The began to explore new sounds. The sitar is introduced along with other strange guitar sounds. They made seagull sounds on Revolver ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ with some backwards track sounds as well. It becomes more obvious that drugs are influencing their music ‘Dr Roberts’. These two albums are my favorite Beatles albums of all. It’s a difficult choice.
Whoa! George Harrison became the most successful?? That’s a bit of a stretch considering how McCartney was so prolific in both albums written and released & who had the most song on the music charts; I do admit that George’s work had much more depth & I certainly appreciate his music much morebut you cannot argue with what McCartney accomplished.
They progressed and responded to the amazing competion they had at the time on both sides of the Atlantic.
Could’ve conceivably been my favourite album if it didn’t noticably fizzle out near the end with a couple of middling songs. They were new to the art of constructing capital-“A” Albumsand consequently hadn’t thought to create a super-spectacular mindblower of a closing track along the lines of “Tomorrow Never Knows” or “A Day In The Life”.
HeyRun For Your Life isn’t bad!
Quite right Lukeybut it’s definitely in another (inferior) league with respect to the two ones mentioned by our friend Von Bontee!
Just bung “Daytripper” on the end and voila! It even leads nicely into Revolver. I’ve put “We Can Work It Out” after “You Won’t See Me” to round it out.
We here in the U.S. really like the Capitol release on vinyl. Especially the “East Coast/Dexterized” version with the added reverb. This variation of the album is rare and is not included on the Capitol albums box set.
You can spot this particular version of the album by looking in the “dead wax” on the record. If it has IAM in a triangle following the matrix # and “The Beatles” listed on the label (the first edition has the Beatles individual names only)it’s a Dexterized version.
ManI never heard of ANYbody who likes that fake stereo – uhexcuse me“Duophonic” sound! Give me pristine stereo or mono anyday.
Well this particular lp was in true stereonot Duophonic. I do have some Capitol lp’s with some songs in Duophonic and I agree with you…not the greatest sound.
AhI see. I assumed that by “Dexterized” you meant Duophonic – he’s the one who usually gets the blame for that process.
You can almost smell the pot on this album! I’ve heard on the Anthology DVDs that this was probably one of there most favorite albums. A great collection of songsfront to back. I think after this one and Revolver their albums seemed a bit patchythey still had great songs on them but it became more individual. They didn’t seem to work together as much. Really either the end of an era or the beginning.
This was the first Beatles album I ever bought. It had just come out and I bought with my 9th birthday money.
I bought Rubber Soul and Help that day. I remember being amazed (even as a 9 year old) at the incredible musical differences between the two albums.
Plus the Rubber Soul cover – didn’t even have their names on it – just those incredible four faces! it was all you needed.
Their best album in terms of song qualitythe problemmaybeis that there’s no remarkable end that the next two albums offered. But that’s also why I love this albumyou can start it anywhere and end everywhere. It just flows really well.
I was nine when this came outand it was my second LP (my first was With The Beatles). I played them both morningnoon and night!
Rubber Soul was the first time I realised that The Beatles had an appeal beyond kids and teenagers. I was dragged along to visit some of my mother’s friends – they were school teachers – and to my amazement THEY had Rubber Soul!
Rubber Soul features such a great collection of songsit’s hard to separate it sometimes. It’s my second fav behind “Pepper”. They never had better harmonies than on this album. “In My Life” was Lennon’s greatest majority work in my opinion & “Norweigan Wood” isn’t far behind. It was a revolutionary sound for them with the sitarat the time & it really stands out still even after their studio years. It does kind of just flow alongbut I think that some of their most underrated songs are on this albumlike “You Won’t See Me”“Wait” & “You Won’t See Me”. Love this album.
Hehyou like “You Won’t See Me” that mucheh? 🙂
I really do. I think it was the best usage of Paul’s double tracking of his voice until he did “Penny Lane”. AlsoJohn & George were great in accenting background vocals. It was their most complex instrumental songbut vocally it stands up with anything of that period.
Wellmy point was that you mentioned it twice in that one sentence! (Or was that intentional?…)
(Anywaydon’t worryI think it’s good enough to be listed twicetoo.)
You Won’t See Me is so great! Extremely underrated.
I also don’t understand how none of the Beatles liked Wait. It’s so beautifulit puts a weird pit in my stomach like I’ve achieved nothing.
yesexactly! its almost like whatever kind of music you ‘crave’ you can find it on the album.
This is another where I think Capitols bastardizing of the albums worked in the Beatles favor. I’m sure I would have loved either tracklist. But having grown up with the leather-and-suede acoustic feel of the American Rubber Soul it is downright DIFFICULT for me to play the british version all the way through. What Goes On isto mesimply a travesty in the world of Rubber Soul. Drive My Car and Nowhere Man are good tracks — Nowhere Man a great one — but the Capitol album is just so much more COHERENT a collection of songs.
It is interesting that UK versions have now taken over because when a lot of people refer to Rubber Soul historically they are talking about the U.S. Capitol version. That is the collection of songs that inspired Brian Wilson not the Uk one. I remember listening to the warm “I’ve just seen a face” a staring at the pictures on the back of Rubber Soul and my mind just being blown. Opening track on the uk version is “Drive my car”it just doesn’t work for me as the Rubber Soul feel. Should have been strictly a single.
It is amazing how John dominates 1965 with major achievements like HelpTicket to RideYou’ve Got To Hide Your Love AwayNorwegian WoodGirlIn My LifeNowhere Man (I know Paul helped with some of these but they are definitely John songs). Paul taking a back seat with exception of Yesterday writing filler tracks like The Night BeforeAnother GirlYou Won’t See Me etc. But I feel John takes a back seat to Paul in 1966 (I think Paul’s years are 1966 and 1968).
The combination of John’s disillution with his marriage to Cynthia and his motivation being somewhat dulled by his prodigious intake of acid are the two main reasons that Paul took over as the central focus of the band during 1966/67 and its de-facto leader. And once John met Yoko…wellthat meant more to him than anything else. Oddlythoughthe ‘White Album’ was the one exception in the later part of the Beatles’ career where John’s songwriting became front-and-center again.
I agree with you 100%!!! Whenever I hear the UK version I’m disappointed. The album really flows much nicer on the US version!
Yesstarting off with “I’ve Just Seen a Face” on the U S. version seemed to signal a sharp change in The Beatles’ sound. That song appeared the preceding August on the Help! album (side 2the non-film side) in UK.
Yeahthe yanks are always there with their attempts at oneupmanship. They cracked the Enigma code (so would one of their trash films have us believe)then TAUGHT the Beatles (who were of course yanks anywayas everybody knows) how to put albums together. Talk about “bastardising” and “travesties”!
The Beatles discovered black American music and sold it back to the Americans
OKmaybe you could lose What Goes Onbut Drive My CarNowhere Man and If I Needed Someone are among The Beatles’ finest songs. I wonder if Capitol really ‘got’ The Beatles. Bad enough they ignored the early songsbut the butchering (or bastardizing!) was uncalled for here. I wonder how The Beatles themselves felt about it. Joe?
The following comment is regarding Julio’s preference for the US edition of ‘Rubber Soul’. I thought it would be listed right after his commentbut apparently it hasn’t.
I don’t agree. The UK version is the way the Beatles intended it to beand the Capitol version cuts out three of the album’s best songs — “Drive My Car”“Nowhere Man” and “If I Needed Someone”. Yes“What Goes On” is the weakest track on the albumbut it’s certainly better than later Ringo songs like “Yellow Submarine” and “Octopuss’ Garden”. Besides“I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “It’s Only Love” were recorded earlier for the UK ‘Help!’ albumand they fit in just fine on that record. Capitol always bastardized the early Beatles albumsand once you hear the UK versions in their fullintended presentationsyou don’t want to go back. At least I don’t.
Although I post an alternative fantasy Capitol scenario (in another posting) which keeps DmCNMand If I Needed… (I completely agree with you about those three songs)I do generally agree with your assertion that Capitol bastardized the Beatles’ artistic intentions by chopping things up.
On the differences between the U.S. and U.K. versions of “Rubber Soul.” Since I discovered the Beatlesreallywhen “Pepper” came out in 1967I never really heard the U.S. version as a whole although I grew up in the U.S. There are clear disappointments with the U.S. versionmost notablytwo of the best songs–“Nowhere Man” and “If I Needed Someone”have been removedas well as the very creative “Drive My Car”. Capitol would have created a better product by knocking off “Wait” and “Run for Your Life” (RfYL is a weak ending to an album packed with masterpieces; even Lennon himself claimed that it was one of his worst songs).
I do think that “I’ve Just Seen a Face” does work well as an opener on the U.S. album. Many have argued that because of thisthe U.S. version has a more “folky” flavorbut replacing “What Goes On” with “It’s Only Love” reverses that feelsince “What Goes On” has more of a country sound (I’m not crazy about either song). Though I’m not a fangenerallyof Capitol’s practice of chopping up Beatles albums and creating new hodgepodgessince they were going to do it ANYWAYhere’s what they should have done (since they changed track orderI did tooto create what I think would have been a more coherent album without losing two of its best songs and including the two singles that were released on the same day). Keep in mind that Capitol albums would only have 6 songs per sidenot 7.
Side One:
“I’ve Just Seen a Face”
“Girl” (a great song that works anywhere on the album but links thematically to IJSaF)
“We Can Work it Out” (not on the original album but released as a single the same day)
“Drive My Car” (after three more “folky” songsmoves to a harder rock feel)
“Day Tripper (maintains the harder rock feel)
“Norwegian Wood” (one of Lennon’s masterpiecesworthy of being a side closer)
Side Two:
“Nowhere Man” (a much stronger side opener than either “What Goes On” or “It’s Only Love”
“I’m Looking Through You” (picks up on the theme of “sight” that’s address in “Nowhere Man”)
“You Won’t See Me” (keeps the theme going)
“Michelle” (beautiful melodyuninspired words–would sound better if the whole thing were in French)
“In My Life” (another masterpiececould be the album closer if the last chords were more assertive and final sounding)
“If I Needed Someone” (one of Harrison’s best ever)
So as you can seeI knocked off “Wait”“Run for Your Life”“What Goes On”and “Think for Yourself” (not a fave)and “The Word” (which I think is overrated). I know that many will take issue with these choicesespecially the last two (which I’d leave on if I were producing a 14-track album). This is just a thought exercise anyway.
I didn’t mean to imply that my choices were superior to those of the Beatleswho remain the last word in their artistic creations. I was just trying to say that if I were the producer at Capitol and had to chop up the albumI would have done it differently and more creatively.
Drive my car
Norwegian wood (This bird has flown)
I´m looking through you
Nowhere man
Think for yourself
The word
Michelle
Day tripper
What goes on
Girl
You won´t see me
If I needed someone
We can work it out
In my life.
John’s output in 66 & 68while not as catchy or single-worthy as Paul’swas awesome and inspiring nonetheless:
I’m only sleepingTomorrow never knowsDr. RobertShe said she saidAnd your bird can singHappiness is a warm gunI’m so tiredRevolutionGlass OnionDear PrudenceThe continuing story of Bungalow BillJuliaYer bluesEverybody’s got something to hide except me and my monkeySexie SadieCry Baby CryGoodnight.
ThereJammy. I think thatgiven the impossibility of picking the best Beatle songI can’t squeeze the shortlist any tighter than four “best songs”to wit: Dear PrudenceHappiness is a warm gunYer blues and Oh! Darling. Three of these are Lennon’sand from the period you mention. John was an extreme talentbut his disorganisation and tendency to laziness dragged his career down when he lost (dumped) his three wonderful colleagues. And yethe somehow managed to turn in gems like Woman is the n—-r of the world and Steel and glass. If only he could have kept Paul’s coherenceattention to detail and dutifulness (virtues he once had hadfor example by the time of A hard day’s night)John would have cut a really amazing solo career. Andif only he had stayed away from Phil Spector…..
Call me old-fashioned….but I don’t think heroin added to his abilities.
You Won’t See Me is a hidden classic. Harrison has two gems here. About the only thing off-putting are the lyrics on the last song on side twobut the playing on that song and the melody are quite good.
You won’t see me is one of there best songs that nobody knows about. All people ever know are “Come Together” and “All You Need is Love”
The “Rubber Soul” album released in the United States did not have “If I needed Someone” on itnor “Drive My Car.” “If I needed Someone” was the song right after “And Your Bird Can Sing” (my FAV on the album) on “Yesterday and Today,” the butchered babies album that got covered up with a more “respectable” cover. I have one of the butchered babies albums but alasI was just a kid and it looks like a kid tried to get the cover-up off by herself. In other wordsit is a mess. “Drive my Car” was also on the US release album “Yesterday and Today.” “I’m only sleeping” was the second song after it. I wish we could buy CDs with the same songs on the original US release albumsbut I’ll be thankful for what we can get.
What d’you mean “the original US release albums”Freak? The original Beatles albums are those issued in the UK. Calling a mish-mash including “Drive my Car” followed by “I’m only sleeping” (separated in fact by a full EIGHT MONTHS) an “original” is only a token of how deluded and wide-of-the-mark of reality yanks are!!!
I truly love this album. Every song is perfectand that is very rare. I like Abbey Road and Revolverbut I’d say this was their masterpiece. Album openers don’t get much better than ‘Drive My Car,’ one of the funkiest things they ever recorded. Four white guys from Liverpool sounding like four black guys from Detroit!
This has always been one of my top 10 albums of all time in either the UK or folkier US incarnation. The songs are superb. I love the variety of sounds and the economical arrangements. And the performances have a relaxed confidence. The one thing I don’t really like is George Martin’s famous ersatz baroque solo in “In My Life”especially the end of it when it smashes into the middle eight. But that’s a small thing. Wall to wall this is a truly great album.
The songs on this album – RUBBER SOUL – by The BEATLES -In MY opinion is the most QUANTUM – LEAP in the history of POP MUSIC – To me I feel that here the Beatles were totally ahead of any one on the EARTH that was writing songs – This RUBBER SOUL album is the TURNING POINT in Pop Music HISTORY – all 12 songs on the U.S. album and 14 on their U.K. release show how their minds(the Beatels’) were so far advanced from anyone on Earth – Joe Nania A.K.A. Hollywood Joe
I much prefere the uk track listing to us. I cant imagine the album opening with any track but drive my car. Song for song one of there better albums. I enjoy so called filler such as waitwordrun for your life just as much as in my life and Norwegian wood.
I still agree with George Harrison that Rubber Soul & Revolver could have been album 1 & 2. Yes Revolver is a great LPbut Rubber Soul is the album that they matured. Matter of factRubber Soul had 6 hits on the 1962-66 Red LPwhile Revolver only had 2.
I hadn’t realised that Rubber Soul was the album with the most tracks included on either of the red or blue albumswhich is impressive when you consider that the WCWIO and Day Tripper were also included to give 8 tracks from late 1965!
In retrospect the Revolver selection does seem ridiculously skimpywith just the 2 tracks issued as a singleand only the A side of the Paperback writer single to give a meagre 3 tracks from 1966
It certainly would have been an awesome double album. The only problem with that is I enjoy them separately to more independently observe the beatles growth in almost every way imaginable present on both lps.
I got this in 1979 for my 13th birthday,36 years ago tomorrow!! I also got the album A Hard Days Night. Rubber Soul was a landmark at the end of 1965 when The BeatlesThe StonesThe WhoBob Dylan,The Beach Boys and The Byrds were all seemingly competing with each other and producing classic albums and singles. When I first got it; for quite awhile after it was my favourite Beatles albumthough over the years that opinion has chopped and changed. Rubber Soul mixes folk rockclassic pop and ballad and country with some of the best harmonizing courtesy of JohnPaul and George. Harrison matured as a song writer on this with If I Needed Someone and Think For Yourself. Pauls Michelle and You Wont See Me are classics. John Lennon was on a real roll on this album with brilliant numbers like Norwegian Wood,GirlNowhere Man and one of his greatest works In My Life. The latter is one of my favourite songs of all time with a timeless message that we can all relate to. I just love The Word and Run For Your Lifeeven though Lennon himself was critical of the latter years later. Drive My Caranother great song. This is one of the greatest albums of all time.
Does anybody happen to know if they were inspired by a Dylan song/album specifically? I was always curious about this..
@J.D. Lyle: In the Anthology George says that they listened excessively to “The Freewheeling Bob Dylan”in Barry Miles’ “Many Years From Now” Paul also says that they all had the first Dylan LP and that Lennon actually adopted his black cap (that leather thing he used to wear in 1964) from the cover of that LP. I read somewherebut don’t know if Lennon said so himselfthat the “Another Side Of Bob Dylan” – LP influenced Lennon to write more personal and introspective songs. I get the impression that they were all big Dylan fans (especially John & George) and pretty much owned every album he issued at the time.
By the way: Dylan was a big Beatles fan as well – he later “confessed” that he didn’t dare to say so at the time because to his purist folk hipster friends they were sellouts that represented the bad bad establishement (the same “friends” that turned on him when he went electric – a move probably inspired by the Beatles and/or the whole British invasion).
To me from a songwriting point of view Rubber Soul is their best album. I don’t think Rubber Soul and Revolver are like part 1 & 2 although there is of course a connection between those albums. Rubber Soul is folkysparse and laid back. It works very well as a unit. Revolver is very diverse and every song seems to come from a totally different place (look at the first 4 songs: TaxmanEleanor RigbyI’m Only SleepingLove You To – 4 songs 4 genres) – hearing it nowadays it almost feels like a sampler compiled to demonstrate the diversity of the group. Regarding that it’s more like a forerunner of the White Album. Some tunes could indeed have been on both albums but having Tomorrow Never Knows on Rubber Soul is unthinkable.
The Beach Boys made Pet Sounds a response to this albumtrying to top it. You can really hear the similarities. Most great albums rise emotions and peak at the endthis one sounds like it’s about to peak after If I needed Someoneand just all falls apart at Run For Your Life. Pet Sounds does the same at Here Todayand starts falling at I Just Wasn’t made for these times.
Interesting to ponder: did the Beach Boys hear the U.K. version of the album or its chopped-up U.S. counterpart?
In a couple of interviews I’ve seen with Brian Wilson he refers to the “folky” sound of the album. I’d therefore assume he meant the U.S. version
and therefore wouldnt have heard If I needed Someone.
I love The Beatles. They are the best band of all time. Sgt. PepperRevolver and Abbey Road all find a place in my top 5 favourites of all time. The Double White makes it 4 in the top 10. ButI’m sorry. I don’t understand what’s so great about this one. It’s not in my top 20. I don’t come close to seeing any “concept” in here. It seems like a great big leap from this to Revolver for me. I want tobut I just don’t connect.
What makes “Rubber Soul” such a great albumin my opinionis not the “concept”but (1) the collection of some of the best song-writing the Beatles ever displayedparticularly Lennon’s “Norwegian Wood”“In My Life”“Girl”; McCartney’s “I’m Looking Through You”and Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone”(and the melodyif not the wordsto “Michelle”) (2) the increased willingness to experiment with harmony and texture in songs like “Drive My Car”“Norwegian Wood”“Nowhere Man”“Girl”and “If I Needed Someone”and (3) the use of new techniques in the recording studio in just about every song. It doesn’t necessarily hang together as a complete album the way “Revolver”“Pepper”or even “Abbey Road” doesbut most of the parts are worth listening to the whole.
The relative virtues of the Brit and US versions of “Rubber Soul” are infinitely debatableobviously. I heard the US version firstbut have long since owned both. I suppose I like the British original betterin part because that’s the one the band members created and preferred. Butas much as I love “Drive My Car,” it seems sonically out of place on the overwhelmingly acoustic Brit version. Capitol did find a compatible opener in “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” And “Nowhere Man,” though it’s beautiful melodicallyis preachy and feels to me out of place among all those love songs. Here againCapitol’s trim makes a certain sense. I actually like “What Goes On” as a record even if it is the weakest “song” on the British “RS.” But that’s a defensible trim too. What I wish Capitol had doneif it just had to cut one moreis leave George’s second “RS” song on the record and remove “Run for Your Life,” an early blast of Lennon misogyny. It hasn’t aged well.
I have read that part of reason for the “bastardization” of Rubber Soul in the U.S. format (apart from fleecing the public with shorter and more albums) was that with the new popularity of the Byrds and American Folk/RockCapitol were creating the Beatles Folk/Rock album. Ironic then that they left off “If I Needed Someone” which has Harrison recreating his own Byrds sound with his won “jingle-jangle 12 string guitar sound.
Even after 30+ years of having the “proper” edit of “I’m Looking Through You” it still – to this day – startles me when the song starts without the two false-starts. LOL!
So happy Wait was resurrected from help sessions. Had it not beenWait would have been their best unreleased track. As it is I feel Leave My Kitten Alone is there most solid unreleased track and should have been used on Beatles For Sale as it is better than half the tracks on BFS.
It’s pretty clear in my life was a cowrite not just Lennon
In my opinionRubber Soul is the Beatles best. Wait and If I needed someone are seriously underappreciated. Run for your life is an the only average song with a deeply disturbing subject matter that is glossed over in the beatles myth.
My favourite nowadaysbut I believe that’s only because I over-listened Sgt. Pepper’s and Abbey. Magical Mystery is equal favourite nowadays as well with Rubber. I always thought Rubber was far better than Revolverin-fact Revolver is easily my least favourite of the Rubber and onwards albums. Still love it a ton though. Rubber Soul has the best harmonies and is the perfect transition album. Songs like MichelleGirl (underrated) and Norwegian Wood are among my favourites and George really shines on this album with some of the best here with If I Needed Someonehis incredible contribution to Norwegian Wood and Think For Yourself. It’s also the second best in terms of sound quality oddly enough right behind Abbey Road. Not sure why. The silly vocals to the right thing and it being quiet on Norwegian Woodsimilar to the song Sgt. Pepper’s is a real shame though. Can’t stand that. All in all one of my favourite albums and nowadays my favourite Beatles album tied with Mystery Tour.
I’m with you on that. Von Bontee makes and excellent point about having a great closing track. Having a great opener goes without saying for the marketing point of view – but a great closer is equally important from the artistic point of view.
It not so subliminally suggests ‘there’s plenty more where this came from so if you like itstart saving for the next album’! Run For Your Life is not a great songit’s anything but positive and is not blessed with either great harmonies or great bass-playing. If I’m going to listen to Rubber Soul and Revolver back to back (which I often do) I sometimes kill it and move on. Wait is pretty good (good drumming) and IINS is one of my all-times faves so Side 2 always gets played – just not RFYL. A brave song in some waysjust not a good song. I suppose it reveals a true side of John that we wish wasn’t there. He knew it was true and showed some courage in revealing it. Shame the others didn’t veto it pressed John to come up with something better – much better. He certainly had it in him. They were beyond covers by this stage but I’d sooner listen to John doing Money or Please Mr Postman than this track. It Won’t Be Long of course is another far better song that comes to mind though John was moving away from rock’n’roll in some ways and going into himself from where so many greatgreat songs would emerge.
One of my first Beatles album experiences was listening to my mother’s US Rubber Soul that I “acquired” (stole) during my burgeoning Beatle-obsessed teens. Even though I’m a ’90s kid that’s grown up only knowing them on cassette/CD I absolutely loved itand I completely agree with all those that say it’s superior to the UK version. (Though I would add the missing songs from the UK version plus Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out to my personal playlist — I’m greedy. 😉 ) My dad still has that albumand if I only had a turntable I’d rescue it.
When I was a kidI was always buying their albums in the U.S. version; so I get thrown off now by songs on Rubber Soul and Revolver.
Either waymy top two favorite albums of theirs…wellthat changes from time to timethough. 😀
Amazing amount of rubbish commentaryas if some of these musos had the credibility to criticize anything. Attempting to criticize ¨Run for your life” as if the only good Beatle song must be a happycheery one (?)… Its a powerful kick in the facewith great harmonies and clever guitarwhich I challenge the “critics” here to come up with something 1/10 as good. There certainly are Beatle songs that I dont likebut I wouldntand Its complete buffoonery to make Statements such as “Its A weak closing song¨… Until you present something betterANY Beatles song is far superior to anything you produceas a false “Beatle elitist”.
A silly and childish commentto be honest. “Rubbish” because YOU don’t agree? And the old saw of “Let’s hear you do better” is as ridiculous and irrelevant as it sounds.
“Run…” is not a great song at all – IN MY OPINION. It’s loud and has a beat. Sowhat? It’s listenablebut not much more.
While your passion is perhaps commendableI cannot endorse the notion that only those deemed to be brilliant composers and musicians have any right to be critical of a piece of music. I meanif this were truehow would it ever be determined what people were creating great music in the first place? Perhaps more importantlypeople do not have to be brilliant composers of music to enjoy music.
I agreeone should not have the right to express any opinions. We need less democracy in the world.
A great album and a massive achievement for such an incredibly busy touring group to come up with 14 original songs for itindeed the first time they’d done this as previous albums had either included covers or in the case of A Hard Day’s Night the A and B sides of previous singles
“Rubber Soul” is one of the best albums ever made in British 60’s music as well as one of The Beatles’ best out of their discography. It was absolutely the right thing for The Beatles to develop and grow up musically and artistically; otherwisetheir music would’ve sounded boring and outdated.
The innovations and new ideas during the sessions consisted of Paul using a capo on his bass part on “Michelle” and using a fuzzbox on his bass for “Think for Yourself”Ringo playing two-vamp notes on a Vox organ on “I’m Looking Through You” (incorrectly credited as Hammond organ in the liner notes)George playing a sitar on “Norwegian Wood”John and George began to frequently employ capos on their guitars with Paul doing likewise on “Michelle” as well as his bass and George Martin playing a piano solo on “In My Life” at half-speed to give it a harpsichord-like timbre upon playback at normal speed.
The song “Michelle” featured an interesting composite of four different guitar parts – 6-string acoustic guitar (Paul)nylon-string acoustic guitar (John)12-string acoustic guitar (George) and electrified 6-string acoustic guitar solos (George). In additionPaul used his new left-handed Rickenbacker bass for the first time over the course of the sessions and he increasingly gravitated towards it for recordingbut he still used his left-handed Höfner as well.
JohnPaul and George took their songwriting in new directions as well and Ringo got his first co-writing credit on “What Goes On”.
I have been through three vinyl copies of the album.
I remember listening to my parents and their friends talk about this record and the divide between all the records before and after Rubber Soul. All the straightforward loves songs are gone and personal and reflective songs appear. Instead of sounding closer to the 50snew and exciting genres and sounds are explored and obviously the big influence over everything was weed. In My Life is one of the best songs ever written and George really starts coming into his own with If I Needed Someone
I adore Rubber soul.
When I first got into the Beatles as a 13-year-oldback in ’76that was the beginning of 30+ years of me frequenting record shopson the hunt. I’ve had such a great time in record shops all over the UK and Europe and it all started with the Beatles. About a mile from where I used to live was a shopping centre and there was a shop that sold classical records and sheet music. I used to go in there to look at Beatle pictures on the covers of the sheet music books. They used to fascinate me visually. They looked so unusual. I eventually got to see the Rubber Soul cover and I thought it was out of this world. To this dayit’s my second favourite Beatle album cover2nd only to Revolver.
I actually bought Revolver and Rubber Soul on the same dayat a record shop called Loppylugs. My Auntie had given me some money when I was on holiday in Nigeriaand I changed it back into £££s when I got home. It worked out to about £5 but with a bit of change addedit meant I could buy the two albums.
Rubber Soul knocked me out straight away. 49 years laterit still does. I had no idea of its significance at the timeso many views I may have regarding the songs were literally formed in a vacuumthe vacuum of a 13-year-old boy’s mind.
I love reading the story of how the album came to be……but as great and exciting as that story isit pales in comparison to the actual songs.
While I have my issues with the way Capitol messed up the Beatles’ albums prior to 1967I have come around to the acceptance that those Capitol albums are the way that Americans heard and therefore appropriated the Beatlestheir musical and artistic growth and the way one grows with an artist is the way one grows. I don’t knock it any more.
That all saidI do think what Capitol did was pretty naughty. They had not the slightest regard for artist concernsnor where the Beatles were headed. They farted around with Rubber Soul in order to cash in on that year’s big swishwhich was folk-rock. The Beatles sort of had a foot in that camp {they had done so for 2 years} but were never a folk-rock outfit. They were musical magpies that had this wonderful English ability to take musical forms and internalize them and then knock out songs in that formatbut which were so idiosyncratic as to sound nothing like that which they were influenced by. I meanlook at “I Call Your Name.” It has a ska middle 8 but it isn’t really ska in the accepted sense of the music from the West Indies. But is is the Beatles doing their take on ska. And closer to home“Norwegian Wood” is hardly Indian music!
Hollywood Joe said back on 24 June 2014:
The songs on this album – RUBBER SOUL – by The BEATLES -In MY opinion is the most QUANTUM – LEAP in the history of POP MUSIC…all 12 songs on the U.S. album and 14 on their U.K. release
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and everyone else is entitled to disagreeand I do disagree. I think the jump from 1965 in generalbut even just Rubber Soul to Revolver constitutes a far greater leap. Nothing on Rubber Soul really prepares one for the backwards experimentsmuch of the technical innovation that occurredthe brass excursionsthe tape loops“Love You To,” “Yellow Submarine,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” let alone the major leap in the variety of subject matter . On Rubber Soulonly “Nowhere Man,” Think For Yourself” and “The word” departed from their standard subject of relationships concerning males and females. On Revolver10½ of the songs did.
That’s a pretty quantum leap right there !
For methere is an innate contradiction in the above quote [nothing personalby the way]because “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “It’s Only Love” on the American version are much earlier songs from 1965 and “Wait” was also from the “Help!” sessions and was resurrected with a bit of percussion added. With that in mindaccording to the statementRubber Soul therefore couldn’t really be such a huge jump forward from “Help!”
I feel that here the Beatles were totally ahead of any one on the EARTH that was writing songs ….all 12 songs on the U.S. album and 14 on their U.K. release show how their minds(the Beatels’) were so far advanced from anyone on Earth
I disagree with this too….Earth was a big place back then….
It might have been more applicable if the year being referred to was 1966. The story of the Beatles in 1965 is that musicallythey were moving at a pace faster than many of their lyrics were able to match. And into pop had suddenly appeared the Stoneswith songs like “Satisfaction,” the Who with songs like “My Generation” {which appeared halfway through the Rubber Soul sessions} and the Kinks with songs like “A Well Respected Man,” songs from bands that the Beatles had clearly ledwho were now putting out songs that were more lyrically daring and musically exciting. And from the USADylan had put out two groundbreaking albums in “Bringing it all back home” and “Highway 61 Revisited” and the Byrds were now on the scene. I think there were quite a few songwriters that were putting out some remarkable stuff in ’65. And this only continued in ’66.
This RUBBER SOUL album is the TURNING POINT in Pop Music HISTORY
It’s definitely one of them. And not the Capitol versioneither. In factthe Capitol versionif anythingdilutes the radical nature of the album by leaving off four of the actual songs that the Beatles recorded for the project and thrusting twoby thento the Beatlesold and tired songs from a past that they were keen to move away from.
I think it would be more apt to say that 1965 was the turning point in pop music historybecause Dylanwith “Bringing it all Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited” {both out before Rubber Soul} and the Beatles with “Rubber Soul” said decisively that the album is the format by which musical art is taking place and communicatingnot the singlealthough the single would continue to play an important role.