29. Rubber Soul - The Beatles.
Back again with another album from the Fab Four. The first thing that I have noticed about this album is the use of different sounds and textures than in the earlier Beatles albums. It is apparent that they are maturing as musicians and honing the art of songwriting to a fine point, and also embracing the effects that the studio can deliver in a recording. This is a good album. The songs are short, and the total listening time is just over thirty five minutes.
It starts off with "Drive My Car". The standout feature on this one is the bassline. It is a catchy tune, with nice harmonies and nice lead guitar playing. But the bass sliding around in the background is what grabs my attention. You really get a sense that they are understanding that they can do what they want in the studio, and not adhere to the previous recording standards. Evolution.
Next up is "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). This song has always intrigued me. The lyrics conjure up a late night, post pub conversation which leaves our protagonist disappointed and sleeping in the bathtub. At the beginning when she shows him her room the comment is made "Isn't it good Norwegian Wood?". After our pal wakes up in the bath and she is gone, he lights a fire...and remarks "Isn't it good Norwegian wood?" I have always taken this to mean that he burned her house down, but have been a little gun shy on bringing this up in casual conversation. There are two reasons why, the first being the fact that this scenario is so obvious as to be unworthy of conversation, and I am simply exposing my ignorance by bringing it up, or secondly, imagining such a fiendish act taking place in such a beautiful song would not paint a pretty picture of my psyche, and might offend those with whom I converse. Either way, it is a good song, and features sitar as further evidence of broadening musical horizons.
"You Won't See Me" is the longest song on the album at three minutes and twenty three seconds. It is a decent track that is inoffensive enough, it is quite straightforward, but the vocal line and backup oohs and ahhs are very catchy. "Nowhere Man" is a popular track that falls into the same mold. I read that this album was released after the Beatles had toured North America and were introduced to, and exposed to the work of, many American artists. This included folk musicians like Bob Dylan. I personally cannot pick up the influence of Dylan in these songs, but perhaps the broadening of subjects to be written about and the use of dark humour (like alluding to burning someone's place down) came out of that exposure. This is pure supposition on my part.
"Think For Yourself" is further proof of the search for sounds to fill out their musical ensemble. The bass is fuzzy and low, and this track is a harbinger of things to come. "The Word" is far more straightforward but it has great runs by the bass quietly incorporated into the background. The guitar is almost funk chops, and the incorporation of the organ at the end makes me wish they had used it through the whole song.
With the next track "Michelle" they change gears on the listener, and let the vocals do the work with the instruments staying mostly in the background while Paul sings the famous lyrics, partially in French, and then plays a nice melody line on the bass. "What Goes On" is one song where the American influence might be heard; it is almost a country song with great guitar picking going on. I hadn't realized how good a player Harrison was, but he is putting in some really tasty fills and licks. I like his playing a lot. "Girl" is a famous song, but surprisingly, it almost has the same feel as music you would hear in a Greek Taverna over a plate of souvlaki. The standout feature for this track is the wistful inhale after they say 'girl'. It is the sound of someone longing for a separated lover, maybe an involuntary intake of breath as a memory is quickly relived. It adds a lot of depth to the song, probably exactly as intended.
"I'm Looking Through You" is a good track that is dominated by some organ shots in the chorus followed by a lightning fast guitar fill. It seems like an energy release, I'm sure that one was fun to play. "In My Life" is a classic song that features a piano solo that sounds like classical chamber music on a harpsichord. I have heard the song many times but had never paid attention to this before, but since the fuzzed out bass on "Think For Yourself" I have been listening for different sounds that enrich the album, and have been pleasantly surprised on many of the songs I thought that I was familiar with.
I cannot really think of anything to write about "Wait". It is a good song, it sounds like the Beatles. I guess the inclusion of the tambourine is a feature worth mentioning. It is not hidden in the background, but stands out in the mix. That's about all that I can come up with."If I Needed Someone" has more nice guitar work that largely echoes the vocal line, but is also rather unremarkable, yet it remains a good song. The album finishes up with "Run For Your Life" which is basically a warning to a cheating lover. He'd rather see her dead than with another man. It would be interesting to release this album today, folks might get excited over the arson and murder angles. Probably not, however, since Kanye West is singing about ejaculating on and in some guy from the Hamptons' wife. Comparatively, Rubber Soul seems pretty tame, unless McCartney or Ringo Starr has a place in the Hamptons, then someone is going to die unless they get out quick. They aren't as young as they once were, but they have considerable influence.
So that is Rubber Soul in a nutshell. I loved it. There is a real sense of growth on this one, they are making their own musical boundaries, which I expect will continue in subsequent albums. I have found that I like it more and more every time I listen to these songs, and there isn't a bad one in the bunch. Apparently the band set aside the time to work on this album exclusively, without the distractions of touring or appearances. However, as alluded to in the write up in Rolling Stone magazine, some of their relaxation activities may have influenced the embracing of new sounds. It paid off in spades. Rolling Stone placed this album at number 5 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
It starts off with "Drive My Car". The standout feature on this one is the bassline. It is a catchy tune, with nice harmonies and nice lead guitar playing. But the bass sliding around in the background is what grabs my attention. You really get a sense that they are understanding that they can do what they want in the studio, and not adhere to the previous recording standards. Evolution.
Next up is "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). This song has always intrigued me. The lyrics conjure up a late night, post pub conversation which leaves our protagonist disappointed and sleeping in the bathtub. At the beginning when she shows him her room the comment is made "Isn't it good Norwegian Wood?". After our pal wakes up in the bath and she is gone, he lights a fire...and remarks "Isn't it good Norwegian wood?" I have always taken this to mean that he burned her house down, but have been a little gun shy on bringing this up in casual conversation. There are two reasons why, the first being the fact that this scenario is so obvious as to be unworthy of conversation, and I am simply exposing my ignorance by bringing it up, or secondly, imagining such a fiendish act taking place in such a beautiful song would not paint a pretty picture of my psyche, and might offend those with whom I converse. Either way, it is a good song, and features sitar as further evidence of broadening musical horizons.
"You Won't See Me" is the longest song on the album at three minutes and twenty three seconds. It is a decent track that is inoffensive enough, it is quite straightforward, but the vocal line and backup oohs and ahhs are very catchy. "Nowhere Man" is a popular track that falls into the same mold. I read that this album was released after the Beatles had toured North America and were introduced to, and exposed to the work of, many American artists. This included folk musicians like Bob Dylan. I personally cannot pick up the influence of Dylan in these songs, but perhaps the broadening of subjects to be written about and the use of dark humour (like alluding to burning someone's place down) came out of that exposure. This is pure supposition on my part.
"Think For Yourself" is further proof of the search for sounds to fill out their musical ensemble. The bass is fuzzy and low, and this track is a harbinger of things to come. "The Word" is far more straightforward but it has great runs by the bass quietly incorporated into the background. The guitar is almost funk chops, and the incorporation of the organ at the end makes me wish they had used it through the whole song.
With the next track "Michelle" they change gears on the listener, and let the vocals do the work with the instruments staying mostly in the background while Paul sings the famous lyrics, partially in French, and then plays a nice melody line on the bass. "What Goes On" is one song where the American influence might be heard; it is almost a country song with great guitar picking going on. I hadn't realized how good a player Harrison was, but he is putting in some really tasty fills and licks. I like his playing a lot. "Girl" is a famous song, but surprisingly, it almost has the same feel as music you would hear in a Greek Taverna over a plate of souvlaki. The standout feature for this track is the wistful inhale after they say 'girl'. It is the sound of someone longing for a separated lover, maybe an involuntary intake of breath as a memory is quickly relived. It adds a lot of depth to the song, probably exactly as intended.
"I'm Looking Through You" is a good track that is dominated by some organ shots in the chorus followed by a lightning fast guitar fill. It seems like an energy release, I'm sure that one was fun to play. "In My Life" is a classic song that features a piano solo that sounds like classical chamber music on a harpsichord. I have heard the song many times but had never paid attention to this before, but since the fuzzed out bass on "Think For Yourself" I have been listening for different sounds that enrich the album, and have been pleasantly surprised on many of the songs I thought that I was familiar with.
I cannot really think of anything to write about "Wait". It is a good song, it sounds like the Beatles. I guess the inclusion of the tambourine is a feature worth mentioning. It is not hidden in the background, but stands out in the mix. That's about all that I can come up with."If I Needed Someone" has more nice guitar work that largely echoes the vocal line, but is also rather unremarkable, yet it remains a good song. The album finishes up with "Run For Your Life" which is basically a warning to a cheating lover. He'd rather see her dead than with another man. It would be interesting to release this album today, folks might get excited over the arson and murder angles. Probably not, however, since Kanye West is singing about ejaculating on and in some guy from the Hamptons' wife. Comparatively, Rubber Soul seems pretty tame, unless McCartney or Ringo Starr has a place in the Hamptons, then someone is going to die unless they get out quick. They aren't as young as they once were, but they have considerable influence.
So that is Rubber Soul in a nutshell. I loved it. There is a real sense of growth on this one, they are making their own musical boundaries, which I expect will continue in subsequent albums. I have found that I like it more and more every time I listen to these songs, and there isn't a bad one in the bunch. Apparently the band set aside the time to work on this album exclusively, without the distractions of touring or appearances. However, as alluded to in the write up in Rolling Stone magazine, some of their relaxation activities may have influenced the embracing of new sounds. It paid off in spades. Rolling Stone placed this album at number 5 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Buy it here.
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