,"Rubber Soul, for me, is the beginning of my adult life"- Paul McCartney.
That's a very valid statement from the legend himself. 60 years ago, The Beatles released Rubber Soul; The record that showcased the band maturing not only physically, but also in their songwriting. With help from the great Mary Jane introduced to them by Bob Dylan. of course. 1965 was the year rock n roll was growing up. So were the Fab Four. Though the band would perform their final show as a band the following year, the band was finally free to record and write in a continuous period. Because of the band being free of any commitments, it planted the seed that sprouted their creativity even further. The result was and is still a masterpiece. For example, in the context of their songwriting, take for example Lennon's composition 'Girl" compared to an earlier hit like "Eight Days A Week". "Was She told when she was young that pain would lead to pleasure." Lennon wrote the lyric as a critique of the Catholic religion that suffering is a path to salvation. That's an insane lyrical jump from a man who was just 25 at the time. That is mindboggling.
The album kicks off with "Drive My Car' an upbeat, Motown feel thanks to George Harrison wanting to simulate a heavy bass-guitar part in ode to Otis Redding. Filled with sexual overtones, it's a romping song to ease the listener in. Then we are treated to Norwegian Wood (This Bird has flown). This is when the listener realizes that the band was truly fermenting their songwriting oats. It was also the first modern pop song to feature a sitar. This song is in ¾ time which is known as a waltz and has its Lennon lyrical genius as usual.
“Think For Yourself” sung by George Harrison for me is a song that doesn’t get as much love as it deserves. The guitar driven crunch from a Fender Strat and the Rickenbacker bass are precise and bright while Starr’s drumming is really cooking.
“Nowhere Man” is John Lennon’s first philosophical, solely written song that included no romantic perception whatsoever. It’s beautifully written, the three part harmonies, and the blissful trebly guitar tones accompanied by the harmonic finish on the guitar solo really makes it one of the standout tracks.
“I’m Looking Through You”, is a McCartney song that was written about his troubled relationship with then girlfriend Jane Asher who was a famous British actress. “Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight”. When you go through the motions of love through your mid to late 20’s, that hits home pretty hard.
“In My Life” is Lennon’s best on the record. Legend has it it was written from an autobiographical standpoint from Lennon, and the beauty is that the poetry written can be connected with anyone. That’s genius.
Happy 60th Rubber Soul. It was the first record I truly remember listening to my sophomore year of college. I was only allowed to bring a certain amount of records in a crate so I had to pick wisely. I bought the record a while back but truly had to pick a Beatles record in case someone wanted to inspect it. Glad I picked this one. Easy to say, this album holds a special place for me. Cheers.
