The Beatles’ album, Rubber Soul, was released December 3rd, 1965, making it sixty years old this year. Rubber Soul is often seen as a turning point in The Beatles’ career. Rubber Soul has less of the traditional romantic pop songs of their previous work. Songs like "Norwegian Wood” and “Think For Yourself” both feature new styles of instrumentation for pop music at the time. The Beatles’ love for experimentation starts to take hold in Rubber Soul. This is the beginning of the band’s transition from lovable moptops to more serious studio pioneers. Rubber Soul kicks off with “Drive My Car”, a vibrant contribution from Paul McCartney. This track immediately gets listeners’ attention with its catchy opening riff and McCartney’s gritty vocals. This song brings up the energy and is a fantastic hook for the album. McCartney still plays it live today! The next song is an acoustic folk-style ballad of John Lennon’s called “Norwegian Wood.” While working on this track in the studio, the band felt that it needed a different sound. George Harrison suggested the sitar. He hadn’t taken any lessons yet, but he managed to pick out the main melody of the song. George’s innovation added a widely loved new flavor to The Beatles’ music.
The inclusion of the sitar in "Norwegian Wood” is the first time elements of traditional Indian music were ever featured in pop music. This led to further usage of the sitar in popular music, notably by The Rolling Stones on “Paint It Black” and many other artists. Excluding the use of the sitar, “Norwegian Wood” is heavily inspired by Bob Dylan. Lennon’s storytelling of a less than perfect romance between two people is reminiscent of Dylan’s latest album Highway 61 Revisited. The Beatles were massive fans of Bob Dylan and tried to emulate his songwriting on Rubber Soul. Another standout track on this album is “Nowhere Man”. This song is another of Lennon’s, and it features Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney harmonizing together throughout the majority of the song. Their voices blend together seamlessly. “Nowhere Man” also includes a tasteful guitar solo from Harrison. While his guitar solos are not known for being overly complicated or flashy, Harrison consistently serves the song perfectly. The next track on Rubber Soul features a new piece of musical technology for the rock ‘n’ roll world: the fuzz pedal. Paul McCartney used a fuzz pedal on his bass in “Think For Yourself”, which was a relatively new innovation. The Beatles were constantly innovating and experimenting with their instrumentation. Paul McCartney also shines with “Michelle”, a French love song of his own composition. The idea for the song came from a bit McCartney would do at parties when he was a teenager. He would speak in French gibberish to impress girls, and John Lennon suggested he write a song similar to his old partying habits. The result was the beautifully crafted “Michelle.” The instrumentation evokes images of sightseeing in Paris with a romantic partner.
McCartney excels in writing love songs, and “Michelle” is another one of his masterpieces. The most widely known track on Rubber Soul is another Lennon composition. “In My Life” is a stunning reflection on the people and places of Lennon’s past. He takes listeners down memory lane as he reminisces on experiences that have shaped his life. The reason “In My Life” is so timeless is because its themes are universal. Everyone has felt nostalgia for the past, lost loved ones, and overcome challenges in their lives. Lennon taps into this universal theme and creates a gorgeous song that outshines the other songs on the album. His surprisingly sweet vocals accompany the well crafted instrumentation from the other Beatles. Lennon laments about lovers and friends of his past, “some are dead and some are living, in my life, I’ve loved them all.” This song captures the bittersweet feelings of nostalgia perfectly. The impact of Rubber Soul is undeniable. In the sixty years since its release, it has inspired thousands of artists. The Beatles put everything into this album, and it still stands the test of time.
- Ashley Bendorf
