The Beatles
Rubber Soul

THE REVIEW

"Rubber Soul" was the first work by the Beatles conceived and produced as an album and not as a simple collection of tracks. It was the first album to introduce the new Beatles, the grown-up Beatles, to the world with imagination in power. For the first time, they began to think of records as an art form in itself, as complete and unique entities.

With this epoch-making work, the Beatles made a record that raised the stakes of pop and rock music to an absolute level. The virtues of "Rubber Soul" were so numerous and significant that many distinguished colleagues were encouraged and inspired to create something similar, especially Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys who in 1966 produced his masterpiece "Pet Sounds", while music enthusiasts worldwide recognized the Beatles as top of their class. "Rubber Soul" has a full and sparkling sound and the three-part vocal harmonies are true gems. Among the highlights of the work, all stemming from John Lennon's genius, it's worth mentioning "In My Life", a touching tribute to the past with vaguely neoclassical echoes by George Martin, "Nowhere Man", a sad reflection on the senselessness of life, and "Norwegian Wood", the not-so-subtly masked story of a secret relationship, with George Harrison debuting on sitar. The influence of American soul music reaches new heights in tracks like "The Word", a sort of anticipation of "All You Need Is Love" for its universal content, and in the opener "Drive My Car", one of the most convincing and coherent performances by the group up to that moment. Even "Wait", a track recorded for the previous "Help!", magically transforms into something exhilarating thanks to the impeccable work of the Starr-McCartney rhythm section.

Among the ballads shine the tender "Girl" and the highly successful "Michelle", two tributes to imaginary women written with entirely new introspective accents and points of view. Dominated by a simple lyric and a precise and delicate harmonic structure "Michelle", mystical, allusive, and vaguely sadistic in content "Girl". If Paul McCartney in "You Won't See Me" and in "I'm Looking Through You" does not spare details on the bitter disappointments of his relationship with Jane Asher, George Harrison with "If I Needed Someone" and "Think For Yourself" delivers two successful efforts, performed with the attention they deserve, both rich in meticulously chiseled harmonies and highly effective. Finally, it's worth noting the usual country exercise of "What Goes On" entrusted to Ringo, who signs it as an author along with John and Paul, and the sarcastic and never particularly loved "Run For Your Life", a piece perhaps a bit too anachronistic for an album like this.

"Rubber Soul" was a masterpiece album conceived in a short period of time to be released on the market for Christmas 1965. When the studio work began, it was October 12th and the Lennon & McCartney duo had very little material ready. But those were truly creative days for them and they were not yet divided by too many resentments and jealousies. "Rubber Soul" was one of the absolute peaks of John Lennon's art, analogous to what Paul McCartney would achieve a year later with "Revolver". Moreover, the single "We Can Work It Out" / "Day Tripper, released on the same day as "Rubber Soul", represented one of the band's highest points. A record so solid on both sides that, for the first time, it was released as a "double A-side". Along with "Rubber Soul", it represented their pre-psychedelic masterpiece. A unique example of pop-beat music elevated to its highest artistic expression.