Rubber Soul

Album: Rubber Soul
Artist: The Beatles
Release Year: 1966
Genres: pop-rock, art-rock

1) Drive My Car; 2) Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown); 3) You Won't See Me; 4) Nowhere Man; 5) Think for Yourself; 6) The Word; 7) Michelle; 8) What Goes On; 9) Girl; 10) I'm Looking Through You; 11) In My Life; 12) Wait; 13) If I Needed Someone; 14) Run for Your Life.

Best Song: In My Life

So it only took me two random song picks to come up with a Beatles album, which I guess is for the best. After all, are they not a universal standard by which we (unfairly) judge other musicians? Actually, I hope not, because then everything else would seem...well, sucky. Just be forewarned that I find it hard to write about Beatles albums-- first, because they're so uniformly good; and second, because it's all been said before.

Anyway, I've heard this album being called a defining Beatles album, apparently because it sits right between the "Beatlemania period" of the early '60s and the "artsy period" of '66 onward. I guess that's somewhat accurate, although a few listens will show that the real transition didn't come until Rubber Soul a few months later. The melodies are still fairly simple, although there is certainly an artistic touch to the songs, making them richer and fuller, although at times the album could use a little more punch. Such a transitional phase is still great listening, though. There are a few average (relatively speaking, of course) tracks in the middle, like "The Word" and "Girl," but even those are saved by some interesting instrumentation. The rest are all winners.

Take "Norwegian Wood," for example. It's so simple, yet intriguing, and the sitar compliments the whole thing perfectly. Or "In My Life," a genuinely touching tribute to those past and those we love now, with great harmonies and a piano solo. By now, I'm afraid I've said about all I can without reviewing each individual song, so I'm going to leave off here. Oh, but George's guitar licks on "Run for Your Life" are some of the coolest I've heard in a while.

Rating: 8