Rubber Soul Analysis

‘Rubber Soul” is a great album because it can help people who are in some difficult situation or if they are feeling lonely. It can remind people of loved ones that they lost, give them strength and encourage them because they know that they have someone who is watching from the sky. Also, songs are filled with inspirational meanings that can uplift someone’s mood.

Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Beatles. The album consisted 14 songs, John and Paul wrote 11 songs, George wrote two and the last one was written by Lennon, Starkey and McCartney. Rubber Soul was produced by George Martin. It unites a mix of 1960s soul, pop, and folk music styles. It was released on 3 December 1965. The album's name comes from the term plastic soul, which popular African American soul musicians used to describe Mick Jagger, a white musician singing soul music.

“I think the title ‘Rubber Soul’ came from a comment an old blues guy had said of Jagger. I’ve heard some out-takes of us doing ‘I’m Down’ (from June 14th, 1965) and at the front of it I’m chatting on about Mick. I’m saying how I’d just read about an old bloke in the States who said, ‘Mick Jagger, man. Well you know they’re good – but it’s plastic soul.’ So ‘plastic soul’ was the germ of the ‘Rubber Soul’ idea.” In fact, at the end of the first take of “I’m Down” the tape

captures Paul exclaim, “Plastic soul, man, plastic soul!” - Paul McCartney.
The song “Norwegian Wood” also showed George's interest in Indian culture and music.
“Songwriting for me, at the time of ‘Rubber Soul,’ was a bit frightening because John and Paul had been writing since they were three years old,” - George Harrison
Rubber Soul represents a huge improvement in their music, especially in lyrics. Songs on the Rubber Soul represented a development in complexity and contemplation. The theme was curiosity about women. "I'm Looking Through You", "If I Needed Someone", "Girl," - these are compound and mysterious females, much like the ones that they ended up with in real life. "I'm Looking Through You" is the song about Jane Asher, he blames on her because she won’t give him everything he wants at cost of her happiness. “Wait” was firstly recorded for album Help, it describes worries about long distance relationship. "The Word" looks at love as an abstract term, possibly the first time a Lennon’s and McCartney’s song strayed from their typical girl-boy view of love. Songs "Nowhere Man" and "Think for Yourself" discovered subject matter that had nothing to do with love."Norwegian Wood" shows a failed relationship between the guy and a mysterious girl, where she leaves while he sleeps.
On this album the Beatles began to try out different things like great fuzz bass on "Think For Yourself", a harpsichord solo on "In My Life" and sitar on "Norwegian Wood".

But the Beatles' earlier sound isn't missing either the guitars, the harmonics and other instruments can be heard on songs like "You Won't See Me" or "If I needed Someone". There were two songs about girls, "Michelle" and "Girl". "Michelle" was an incredible ballad from McCartney with French overtones. "Girl" was a more German sounding written by Lennon. Paul McCartney started to use a new way of bass playing that can't be unnoticed while

listening.
The Beatles about this album:
“’Rubber Soul’ was my favorite album, even at that time. I think that it was the best one we made; we certainly knew we were making a good album. We did spend a bit more time on it and tried new things. But the most important thing about it was that we were suddenly hearing sounds that we weren’t able to hear before. Also, we were being more influenced by other people’s music and everything was blossoming at that time; including us, because we were still growing.”.
I chose this album because it means a lot for me, it reminds me of my grandma and she was one of the most important persons in my life. She was a huge fan of the Beatles and almost every time I went to see her these songs were played. She was always telling me that this was the greatest album. She died eight years ago and every time when I listen these songs I go back in time when I could enjoy with her.