Rubber Soul

eric (January 5, 2011)

White Soul,the Beatles at their pinnacle and a breakthrough Album to Boot.All the songs are inventive classics From 'I've just seen a Face to 'Run for Your Life. George's Sitar playing on Norwegian WooD is simply sublime.Made the Beach Boy's Brian Wilson sit up and listen,a creative,enjoyable albun from beginning to end.

d bestwhkibb (December 31, 2007)

Possibly the greatest album ever? I wouldn't deny it. Simultaneously the peak of the Beatles' first career and the very beginning of their second. As a whole I far prefer the second, but Rubber Soul captures them right at the moment where the fantastic melodies meet moderately meaningful lyrics and a fantastic folky atmosphere. John takes the cake by FAR, with the 4 best songs on the album: Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Girl and In My Life. However, George writes his first greats: If I Needed Someone, Think For Yourself. Not to say Paul slags though - I love Michelle. Anyway, this may be the most melodically sound Beatles album, and for those with ears for smoothness, this is undoubtedly the best. At many points I've found myself favoring RS over all others.. then I always listen to Revolver and change my mind. But get this immediately, first or maybe second Beatles purchase.

Bruce Beatlefan (May 7, 2007)

Not really a Rubber Soul review (I\'ve already done that), just something to dig on awhile: consider the musical output of John Lennon during the years 1964-1965 (terminating with the Rubber Soul album). This has to be, hands down, the greatest burst of rock and roll songwriting ever, far and away. Here\'s a partial listing of John Lennon\'s compositions: \"A Hard Days Night\", \"I Should Have Known Better\", \"If I Fell\", I\'ll Cry Instead\", \"You Can\'t Do That\", \"I\'ll Be Back\", \"I Call Your Name\", \"I Feel Fine\", \"No Reply\", \"I\'m a Loser\", \"Eight Days a Week (half-credit)\", \"I Don\'t Want to Spoil the Party\", \"Yes It Is\", \"Ticket to Ride\", \"Help\", \"You\'ve Got to Hide Your Love Away\", \"You\'re Gonna Lose that Girl\", \"Ticket to Ride\", \"Day Tripper\", \"Norwegian Wood\", \"Nowhere Man\", \"Girl\", \"In My Life\".

Whew! Incredible list. Not to suggest that he slagged off from 1966 onwards, but he did slow down (at the same time the Paul McCartney kicked it into high gear) and turn more to the surreal, drug-oriented songs. I defy anybody to come up with a more powerful, history-making two years of songwriting. How long did it take for Handel to write his Messiah?

Bruce Beatlefan (August 25, 2005)

The Beatles maximized songs better than anyone. Their career is highlighted by great songs, and by so-so songs which are made great by their sheer energy and urgency (think about "Tell Me Why", "Devil in Her Heart", "For You Blue", "Obladi Oblada"...). "Rubber Soul" has truly great songs, but during the process of making the album a vampire sneaked in the Abbey Road Studios and sucked out all the energy and urgency (I think the vampire's name may have been Exhaustion), leaving an album which has fine songs that I cannot get excited about. Are there any Beatle fans who whoop for joy when "Nowhere Man" comes on the radio? What on earth happened between the "I'm Looking Through You" that rocks on the Anthology 2 album and bores on "Rubber Soul"? Why does the terrific rocker "The Word" end up sounding like Supertramp? Remember the marvelous transformation of "And I Love Her" between its Anthology 1 version and the Hard Day's Night version? George's beautiful "If I Needed Someone" needed but did not receive a similar transformation...here it is a nice song anyone could have done. John's "Run For Your Life" sounds the most energetic of these songs...but when stacked up against his other mysogenistic classic "You Can't Do That", man, Billy Joel could have done this.

I sense that I am slamming this album far more than it deserves...it is a greatly enjoyable album. "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Think For Yourself", and "Michelle" actually are performed brilliantly. "Girl" is for my money the most flawless vocal of John's career. This compensates for "In My Life" which everybody raves about but for me is the Beatles most overrated song. But no more slamming. This is a four-star album, which is a magnificant accomplishment...but had the potential to be so much better....