Music: Rubber Soul (The Beatles)

Beatles Album #6: Rubber Soul

The Beatles released this album in a shockingly low span of time after Help!: four months. It adds to the impact of Rubber Soul overall, which I feel is where The Beatles finally achieved the level of not just being a great band, but a special one; and, in my opinion, would go even further to become the best pop music act of the 20th century. Thus, such a short turnaround from Help! (a very good album anyway, of course) to this is amazing to me. Essentially, this album is a collection of finely-honed, if still somewhat standard, pop-rock songs all falling under 3 minutes except one; song creativity would come later, but this album shows that they could craft each aspect of a song to its fullest potential.

1. "Drive My Car" (Lennon/McCartney)
As usual, The Beatles get off to a great start on the album. It's immediately apparent that the music has evolved, yet again, from the previous album (although previewed in tracks like "Ticket To Ride"). But there's more to this evolution than previously; I guess the best way I can put it is that they really just put it all together. For example, this track pulls in all the elements of the song into the "car" theme nicely, from the opening guitar riff, to the lyrics (obvious; but they are also clearly several notches above similar earlier tracks), to the "beep beep" vocal effects. On a more general note, the Paul's bass part is fantastic, as are Ringo's drums (even the basic cowbell adds some nice drive). John and Paul harmonize brilliantly, a feature that is not so new but a welcome one nonetheless (Paul's vocal is primary, and he uses his awesome hard-rock style). Fantastic opener.

2. "Norwegian Wood" (Lennon/McCartney)
And now The Beatles change it up completely; this is one of the most recognizable non-single Beatles songs out there. George, having been exposed to Indian instruments during the filming of Help!, gives the sitar a try here, and it's one of the signature touches of the song, along with the hook that it shares with the guitar. This is one of John's best songs, in my opinion, and I really like the 6/8 rhythm. If the music alone weren't enough to clue you in, the lyrics are also far different from previous Beatles songs. Paul adds nice harmony at the refrain, and the backing instrumentals let the vocals dominate but are still very impressive. I think this is a little like "Yesterday," in that it's a sign of things to come, but there's nothing else like it on this particular album. A classic, obviously.

3. "You Won't See Me" (Lennon/McCartney)
Back to a more upbeat song here, although not as driving as the opener. On the surface, it seems there's little remarkable about this song, but I really like it. The composition is pretty simple, but I think it's a perfect example of Paul's incredible strides as a writer - it's a great tune, and it gives the feeling of a master's effortless ease. Once again, Ringo's drum part is just great; they may not stand out, but they're perfect in so many cases. The piano, also present in "Drive My Car," is another welcome addition. Of course, there's more harmonization too, which builds from a pretty low-key backing at the start to a much more intense one by the end. It doesn't dazzle, but it's just a great song.

4. "Nowhere Man" (Lennon/McCartney)
This one is a favorite Beatles song for a lot of people, but I'm not a terribly big fan of it. I think it's a good song, but don't see all the fuss about it. This one is simple, too, but I prefer the kind of simple on "You Won't See Me" to this - but I admit, I can't explain it. It certainly feels like it captures the sound of the era in which it was written. The harmony is of course even more dense here, although you can still hear that it's Lennon in the lead (he also was the primary writer). The lyrics again point to an evolution for John, one that continued to peel back the image of him as purely a cocky, overconfident rock star. It's a very good song, and a worthy addition to the album, but nothing in the composition, vocal or instrumental performance really stands out to me in particular.

5. "Think For Yourself" (Harrison)
Here's another jolt: George's songwriting talent took a big jump, too! I like this song quite a bit, although perhaps some of it is because I'm a sucker for songs that switch up the style (ie: "Paint It Black"). The improvement for George is two-fold: he is beginning to acquire his lyrical voice, rather than uisng generic pop stuff; and even more importantly, the musical structure is a lot better, too - and despite learning from John and Paul, it is distinct from theirs. It's getting old, but I have to repeat that the drums are again superb, and I like George's muffled-sounding guitar. John and Paul add some terrific harmony, while letting George's vocal carry most of the song. This one is great on its own, and even better as a sign of the improvement of Harrison.

6. "The Word" (Lennon/McCartney)
This is one of the few semi-blotches on the album. Part of the problem is that its placement on the album is horrific, which is unusual since I think The Beatles typically ordered the tracks quite well. The sound is just too similar to "Think For Yourself", yet this one is significantly weaker, in my opinion. The composition feels to me like it was knocked off pretty quickly - The Beatles did write and record the album remarkably fast, remember. The nice thing is that where the band may have mailed in the performance on earlier albums, this one is done well. The repetitive quality of the song can unfortunately cause headaches if you listen to it at the wrong time. It's not a bad song, but it's certainly an outlier on this album.

7. "Michelle" (Lennon/McCartney)
This McCartney ballad is pretty much the follow-up to "Yesterday". I like some things about it better, others worse. I think the composition is inferior, although that's not saying much when compared to the perfect simplicity of "Yesterday". It does, however, give a nice atmosphere of old-fashioned, foreign romance, particularly with the backing vocals. George adds a very nice, subdued guitar solo, too. There's not a lot more to say: it's just a nice, pleasant diversion. The composition doesn't impress me much, but the relaxed yet precise performance is very nice.

8. "What Goes On" (Lennon/McCartney/Starkey)
Ringo's song of the album, and it's yet another country-flavored tune. Unfortunately, I'd say this about equals "The Word" as a low on the album. Interestingly, it's the harmonies this time that kind of drag it down; they should have either been drastically changed or eliminated altogether. Again, I don't think they spent too much time writing this one. There were better Ringo songs on earlier albums, I must say. Another potential inducer of headaches if listened to at the wrong time. I don't blame you if you move on quickly to the next track.

9. "Girl" (Lennon/McCartney)
Here's a nice little ballad from John, with some interesting things going on (unlike the previous song, despite its title). The sound is quite reminiscent of "Michelle," making for a neat little pair of John-Paul songs. Speaking of sounds, The Beatles hint none too subtly at their drug use (they had met Dylan the year before and were steadily increasing their use) with the intake effects. The instrumental accompaniment is quite simple, but the guitar part is very good, again, with similarities to "Michelle". Not one of my favorites, but a very nice song, and it fits quite well on the album.

10. "I'm Looking Through You" (Lennon/McCartney)
Here's another up-tempo rocker (in fact, I think it's the fastest song to this point on the album) from Paul, and I like it quite a bit. The composition style is very similar to "You Won't See Me" in the effortless quality, but it is still quite a distinct little number. Paul brings back some of his rocker vocal style from "Drive My Car," and employs a lyric that is a little jarringly critical, if not angry. Paul does a great job of somehow reflecting the bouncy, brighter feel of the instrumental tempo with the edginess of the lyrics in his voice. Speaking of instruments, the guitar has a nice jagged edge to it as well (to be heard from again later). This is a vastly underrated song, and one of my favorites on the album.

11. "In My Life" (Lennon/McCartney)
Here is the gem of the album, of course. Sadly, it's used a little too much in montages of all kinds, but there's a good reason: it's a very beautiful song, without being at all sappy. As with so many of The Beatles' classic songs, and as I've noted before, it all just comes together here. To start, Lennon's composition features his own effortless simplicity. His lead vocal is strong but tender, while Paul and the others add varied and powerful harmonies. The backing instruments are the same, from the drums (actually, a pretty prominent part here) to the bass and guitars (very subdued but equally as influential). The lyrics are classic Lennon, bare bones and speaking from the heart. And finally, there's the hook and George Martin's baroque piano part that was played back twice as fast for the effect you hear. Another classic.

12. "Wait" (Lennon/McCartney)
This song is actually a leftover from the Help! recording sessions, but I like it. A medium-tempo rocker, this song is another that features two distinct sections, as well as some of John and Paul's better harmonies. Once again, Ringo's percussion works well here, although I'm not a big fan of what sounds like a synthesizer in a few places (something that does give it the feel of earlier albums). Otherwise, I think it's a pretty good composition with a good blend of The Beatles' instrumental and vocal strengths. A nice addition.

13. "If I Needed Someone" (Harrison)
Here is George's second song on the album, a feature that is new in itself, even if it is relegated to the end of the record. This one has a similar structure to George's other song, "Think For Yourself", but it has a distinct sound and is good as well if perhaps not quite as good. The song has starts with pretty straightforward verses, and George is soon joined by a harmony similar to that on "Think For Yourself". The middle eight drives forward a little more thanks to Ringo's percussion, and George gets this part to himself. The bright guitar part is perfect for the song, and I think has quite a big effect on the overall feel of the song in a positive way. Very solid track here, despite its position on the album.

14. "Run For Your Life" (Lennon/McCartney)
This is about as standard a rock tune as there is on the album, and so musically there's not a lot that stands out. Lennon sings the lead, as I believe he was the primary writer, and he's joined by a harmony at the chorus. The percussion provides a basic beat, and the guitars get a laid back solo in the middle. What really stands out, though, are the lyrics. Not that I believe The Beatles were any kind of saints, but I was rather shocked by the words here the first time I heard them. Perhaps it's made worse because it seems they treat it like any other song, but the anger and violence beneath it is surprising. I could simply be taking it too seriously, but this is another of The Beatles' unexpected album closers, that's for sure.

Essentials: "In My Life", "Norwegian Wood", "Drive My Car", "You Won't See Me", "Think For Yourself"
Weak(er) Songs: "The Word", "What Goes On"

My Rank of The Beatles' Albums So Far:
1. Rubber Soul
2. Help!
3. A Hard Day's Night
4. Please Please Me
5. Beatles For Sale
6. With The Beatles

Now my top ten songs of the "middle-late" period for The Beatles (albums and singles released between Beatles For Sale and Rubber Soul):

1. We Can Work It Out (again, my favorite song of the era wasn't on any of the albums; which is too bad, because this is an excellent song and it was recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions)
2. In My Life
3. Yesterday
4. Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey (yeah, it's a cover, but they absolutely nailed it)
5. Norwegian Wood
6. Help!
7. You Won't See Me
8. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
9. Ticket To Ride
10. Eight Days A Week

Honorable Mentions: Drive My Car, Day Tripper, Think For Yourself, Baby's In Black, I'm Looking Through You