Why Isn't ' Rubber Soul ' Our Favourite Beatles Album ?

It’s mine for sure! Just edges out Revolver on my list.

 

Can I hire you to write my SHF with your abilities and added wit? Wit is a thing much needed in the always way too serious Beatles and solo Beatles bickering of the fanboys and fangirls threads...lol.

 

Not sure what you want me to write, but glad I could share my wit, or at least half of it (yes, I just called myself a half-wit.)

I love The Beatles and I agree that they are the fundamental groundwork for a majority of the best rock music out there. I remember hearing Ozzy and Alice Cooper lament how what is wrong today is not enough musicians are starting with The Beatles, and I agree with that to an extent. But there is a point when you can listen to Sgt. Pepper for the 500th time or Studio (Tages) for the first time, and Abbey Road for the 500th time or Parachute for the first time. Not that those other albums are better, but that Beatles obsession can be all consuming, as I mentioned in the opener of: Your gateway out of The Beatles.

But Rubber Soul cannot be changed IMO. I've tried and it always fails. Adding the singles doesn't make it better, in fact it takes the tambourine to a breaking point and introduces too many car rockers. This is my attempt to put In My Life last, but Run for Your Life just obliterates everything in its path and has no good place but a bitter stinger.

Drive My Car
Norwegian Wood
You Won't See Me
Nowhere Man
Think For Yourself
Run For Your Life
The Word
Michelle
Wait
If I Needed Someone
What Goes On
Girl
I'm Looking Through You
In My Life

 

. . . but that's not what was issued.

Happily, playlists are your friend.

 

What's weak about Think For Yourself? The lyrics are brilliant.

I've got a word or two
To say about the things that you do
You're telling all those lies
About the good things that we can have
If we close our eyes

Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

I left you far behind
The ruins of the life that you had in mind
And though you still can't see
I know your mind's made up
You're gonna cause more misery

Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

Although your mind's opaque
Try thinking more if just for your own sake
The future still looks good
And you've got time to rectify
All the things that you should

Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

 

Great audio clip on YouTube where the Fabs are working on this song.

 

Lol...maybe I just need a better brain...your posts and ways of presenting into really slay.

 

I believe it was George Harrison's favorite Beatles album.

 

Ooh, haven't seen that. Thanks!

 

Once I lived somewhere where I only had one speaker. It was hooked up to the vocal track of the American Rubber Soul. I liked it a lot and still do.

I don't like Nowhere Man. If you are going to write about a creep have the balls to put in in the first person.

 

Seems pretty routine to me. Not horrible but nowhere near the level of most of the album and definitely below-average George.

 

Because I like AHDN and Revolver better...

 

There's also an audio recording of Paul admitting that he hit Linda.

 

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together

 

I agree, not his very best but then I like to think George never wrote a bad song as a Beatle.

 

Run For Your Life is a cool song. Llllove it!

 

I heard Rubber Soul before any other Beatles albums. So it's always been my favourite. I never really heard Revolver until the early seventies, so it's never really clicked with me in the same way.

 

It's in their top 3 albums (with White and Abbey) and I like it more than Revolver.

 

‘What Goes On’ and ‘Run for Your Life’ are not in the same league as the other ‘Rubber Soul’ songs. In a perfect world, removing those two and adding ‘Day Tripper’ and ‘We Can Work It Out’ would make a phenomenal album.

 

Agree 100%. With the changes you suggest, it would definitely be a contender for best Beatles' album ever.

 

Both Harrison songs on this album are pretty good IMO.

 

Yep!

 

I have to disagree with you guys on those two songs. Granted, What Goes On is very lightweight in numerous ways compared to, I guess, ALL of the other songs on RS but I think it’s a great performance that really saved it. I also feel it works very well in vinyl-format album context as a nice, simple side two opener following the “heaviness” of all the songs on side one. So all that said, I wouldn’t remove it.
Far as RFYL, I always saw it as a great album closer…it’s not on the level of Norwegian Wood or In My Life but I think it’s better than a lot of people give it credit for. An okay melody, some very cool guitar parts all overridden by a great vocal.

 

So now I wonder if Michelle ran for her life. The Beatles are soooo complex.

 

John, Paul, & George delivering a smoking hot backing performance/track for Ringo's vocal. Did nothing to diminish Rubber Soul.