@@TheJayson8899 I was nog completely serious, hadn't looked up the length of Rubber Soul. It's 35 minutes so the deep dive is almost twice as long. I thought Rubber Soul was shorter, maybe 25 minutes (old records are short) but if I had divided 25 minutes by 14 tracks, I would've known directly I was totally wrong...😉
I'm glad you mentioned Paul's many voices. I have been a fan for a long time and that didn't occur to me until I started listening to reaction videos about the Beatles. I mean, I knew he is a brilliant singer and harmonizer , but I just didn't think about how many different styles/sounds (or voices) he used. He's really quite a genius at it. He can sound dreamy, rough, raspy, hoarse, high, angelic, low, cartoonish. It's like changing musical identities. This is my first time watching you. I'm 25 min in and feel like you're an old friend. So glad I found this and you.
FYI, "The Bard" was a nickname / title bestowed on William Shakespeare, The Bard of Avon. It was a complement of the highest order from that music critic to dub The Beatles as the Bards of Pop. It meant they were making reflective songs, full of the elements of drama, comedy and tragedy (a la William's plays). Like they were writing musical poetry. Songs the elites at the palace could enjoy right along with the surfs.
Ringo's drum pattern in My Life is pure genius . in the place of two eighth notes normally played on the snare drum he replaced one of the eighth notes with a single strike on his Hi Hat . if you are not a drummer you readers may not realize how unique Ringos drumming is 🥁💡
Think for Yourself is one of the first examples of a Fuzz box used on a bass guitar. Paul recorded a normal bass line then a Fuzz Bass lead. It's fuckin' rad.
You Won't See Me is VERY Paul. When John writes a bitter song, they're more masochistic. He wants to know how she can treat him the way she does, what he can do to get her back, he may plot some kind of revenge etc. Paul's tends to lash out, just like, you'd better treat me right, or your loss, bitch, I can do better than you. We see an interesting confluence of these approaches in Ticket to Ride. In the verses, John says that living with him was bringing her down and that she could never be free. He's trying to understand why she's leaving. Then the bridge goes, you outta think right, you outta do right by me. So you get Paul going, you're gonna regret leaving and come crawling back, just you wait.
Hi Lars, you were right. I have just re-listened to You Won't See Me, and it is a Lennonesque departure for Paul. Instead of his usual kiss off, in this song he is pining for her, which is something which happens more often in John's songs.
I first heard Rubber Soul when I was a child, so I didn't think of the deeper meanings of any of it, but the music just sounded really interesting. Sometimes I think children can be a better judge of music than adults. I was in a band playing Blues, and sometimes we'd get booked at "family" events where the adults wouldn't respond to us because Blues wasn't "hip" music, but meanwhile the kids would all be dancing and having a ball - that always made me feel good.
So glad you are doing this. The only way to make young people acquainted with the great body of work THE BEATLES left behind them. RUBBER SOUL is one of the best albums ever !
Lars, this was your best video yet. I enjoyed everything about it. The info, research, readings, video effects ( especially the zoom out spinning box indicating contemplation), the graphics, the insights, and opinions (which I totally agreed with). I remember when, as a kid, in the 60s, the first days when the album hit the stores, I brought it home and played it repeatedly, memorising the vocals and music. My mom rushed into the living room after “Norwegian Wood” played, she asked briskly, “What the hell does that mean?”. I answered her calmly , “ I don’t know, and I don’t care because the vocals and music on this entire album make me feel things very strongly. Maybe someday I’ll understand it more. Meanwhile, these Beatles always hit a spot in my heart that before was limited to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, the Ronettes, Bob Dylan, and Dion”. Mom shook her head and returned to the kitchen. Later, I overheard her singing along.
Being from the U.K. and loving and listening to the Beatles since 1962, it’s always amazing how much love and attention they got and still get now from different generations 😊
Wow, @LarsLand and what brilliant deep dive it is too! Enjoyed every minute if it. I still remember buying this album when I was 16. Everything about it was a mystical experience for me. The slick and totally hip cover art, all those songs I'd never heard as they very rarely got played on the radio. (The singles 'We can work it out; and 'Day Tripper' released in the same month got more airplay than anything on this album on our local radio station.). It's an album of total firsts for me. First album that looked like a hippie album. First album truly awash with sophisticated and personal lyrics. And then there was Drive My Car that sounded like a funny take on a Stax/Motown groove and Norwegian Wood that was this witty narrative song that was India meets modern western folk and reeked of herbal jazz cigarettes. I like Run For Your Life, too. I always listened to it as if he was singing in character from the point of view of some jealous nutter. I was just amazed by the killer riff and amazing vocal arrangement. And how much the people who wrote 'Last Train To Clarksville' for The Monkeys had lifted from it. x
Dylan had two very important albums that came out in 1965 before the Beatles wrote and recorded Rubber Soul in October. Bringing it all Back Home and Highway 61 revisited.
Hi Lars! I got a notification about this video! I'm gonna make time over the weekend to watch it! Since it's over an hour I wanna get comfortable with a snack and a drink. See you soon! 😊
The Beatles most perfect album. It’s sound from track to track is seamless. It wasn’t Revolver or St Pepper that blew Brian Wilson’s mind , it was Rubber Soul . For me it remains , with the The White album their greatest achievement. One album is order, the other is chaos.
First of all, I'm really loving this video, so thank you! It's fun and funny and engaging and just all the good stuff. You're a peach and I'm glad the algorithm send you my way; duly subscribed. :) More specifically, with respect to the "la la la's" ("You Won't See Me"), yes, I too adore them and have since I fell in love with the boys in sixth grade or so in the eighties, but it's only very recently I realized why. I was watching another reaction video and the youtuber made the really perceptive (and yet so simple!) point that the Beatles build in all sorts of opportunities for people to sing along, offering lots of "ooohs" and "la la la's" and repetition and call and response so that even upon your first hearing the song, you can readily join in. So not only is it that their melodies are obviously memorable and hummable, but the devices used in the songs invite the listener to sing along. And I think that's one reason I get so disappointed with so many groups where you listen and have no idea what they're saying. Not only am I actually interested in the lyrics, but it also makes it harder for me to sing along, which is really my favorite thing in the world to do! All of which is to say, I can't *note* sing the "la la la's" when I hear them which is why I love them so much. Maybe that's why you do too. :) Thanks again for the video and I look forward to exploring you channel! Cheers!
yo this video is awesome. just found your channel an your content is great. I've been a big Beatles fan for almost 2 decades now and you go in depth in a way that teaches me a lot, and I already know a lot. thanks
The Hammond is just two quick chords/notes followed by the twiddly guitar immediately after the words "you're not the same".i.e. Ringo hits the same chord 8 times ( 4 pairs) during the musical interval
I normally like Beatle videos by people who can analyze the songs using more music theory, but this was a great video. And you look fabulous in this video. Keep ‘em comin’!
Wow! Great 'deep dive' into 'Rubber Soul.' We almost landed in the Mariana Trench with this one! 😁 If I had one 'skip' on this album, it would be Michelle. There is usually one Paul song on each album that I could list as a skip. Totally love both of George's songs, he really ended up being a remarkable song writer!
It's true that George Harrison was a terrific songwriter. He simply had to deal with 2 of the greatest singer songwriters EVER. All this, in the same band. The Beatles were something we'll never hear again.
The American release of Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album. The Capitol Records version was the acetate the Brian Wilson heard that inspired the creation of Pet Sounds. The American Rubber Soul is a very folk rock album. The Beatles weren’t happy with it but I love it. The Capitol Records albums were what I grew up with.
Correction and notes: There is a Hammond organ on “I’m Looking Through You.” I would cut it out but I straight up do not trust the TH-cam editor*, I’m sorry. 😢 truly. Always learning. I know the bards Shakespeare reference, I just thought it was such a weird term to attach to the Beatles. 😅 PS) check the comments for extra tidbits that y’all share. There’s always more info to be found by the Lars Land visitors!! 🖤 *there are like four videos that are completely chewed up because of TH-cam Editor. When I cleared copyright bits, it cut unrelated parts. I’m sure I could figure it out but I am afraid.
I have just re-listened to my dad's Capitol mono copy of Rubber Soul and my own Parlophone stereo copy. I can easily believe that Ringo is playing the organ in I'm Looking Through You since it is very percussive. It's one chord on the off-beat. So timing is much more important than the notes here. Interestingly, on the mono mix, I couldn't hear Mal's organ on You Won't See Me; it might not be in the mix or it is quite buried. However, it is clearly there in the stereo mix, though again, pretty buried. [Also speaking of You Won't See Me, you were right, it is more like a John song, since Paul is pining for her here, rather than being aloof.]
To my mind, "Rubber Soul" was the band's break from "Beatlemania" and their covers of other artist's tunes (i.e., Chuck Berry and The Isley Brothers, The Marvelettes). Thanks, Lars Land!
This was fantastic, great job! You're right, the percussion is fab throughout the entire record, and Ringo doesn't get enough credit for it. The lead vocals and harmonies are just perfect, as well. They always seemed to know exactly the right touch for each song. I probably listen to "Rubber Soul" more than any other Beatles album, although I love them all. It just makes me happy. Regarding "Run For Your Life": I have mixed feelings about it. I kind of have to tune out the lyrics when I listen to it, because they do bother me, but they're mitigated by everything else in the song - John's lead vocal, the backing vocals, the instrumentation, and the fact that it's a great tune. Speaking of John's lead vocal, it makes me sad that he hated his voice, because he had a great voice. I don't know when he decided that he hated it, because that didn't seem to be the case early on. As for "In My Life", Paul has been very consistent over the years (basically since the '60s) that he wrote the melody. Rob Sheffield, of Rolling Stone, did a deep dive into this, and he came to the conclusion that Paul did indeed write the melody, so I'm willing to give this one to Paul. In any case, the lyrics are some of John's finest, and he's rightly praised for them. It's actually one of my favorite Lennon-McCartney joint compositions, along with "She Loves You", and "A Day in The Life". A stellar achievement on an overall terrific album.
Just bumped into your channel with this deep Rubber Soul dive. Loved it!! Subscribing. I'll be back. As a huge Beatle fan and successful songwriter myself.. I also think this was perhaps the last Beatles album John really dominated..
John and Paul's recollections of In My Life will be complicated because of the genesis it shares with another song - John had his list of places but abandoned his attempt to create a song from it. Paul would pick the idea up and run with it and years later it would become Penny Lane. Meanwhile John's new approach leads to In My Life.
Hi Lars 👋😃 I'm so lucky that the TH-cam algorithm recommended this video of yours to me. I love Rubber Soul (it was my first Beatles album) I especially love that you give full credit to the songs The Word, Wait and Run For Your Life, all songs that I love a lot and think they are often underrated. Now I'm curious to watch your other videos. Immediately subscribed 👌😊👍
In terms of what John remembers i don’t particularly trust him lol. I’ve listened to many interviews with him and I just feel like he forgets details a lot. Which makes sense considering the level of trauma and drugs he’s experienced. May Pang also said he had a bad memory. So I do tend to trust Paul more when he remembers song details (although he can certainly be wrong too) Girl is so Paul coded .. at least in terms of traits he’s listing.
Girl is paul coded???paul mccartney claimed he wrote yellow submarine by himself but the demo of john proved that he was lying!!every one knows in my life is john's(john,george,george martin)but he says he wrote the whole melody! and he claimed many of john songs...
Yes and Paul often places himself in the composition of a lot of John's works that he had absolutely nothing to do with just to preserve the Lennon and McCartney songwriting brand. Or maybe He possibly gets arrangement confused with composition. He ( and his ego)has gotten worse in recent years now he's an old man. The effect generally diminishes John making it seem like he never wrote a song by himself and makes it looks like Paul did everything. And the more guilable McCartney fan believes every word he says. Anyway, neither of them were realiable witness in their own story.
I just watched a guy react to this album in 20 minutes, and was agonizing, so this is a nice breath of fresh air! I LOVE this reaction. These albums deserve not only to be reflected on but everyone has to hear the songs properly, to bring the legacy on! However, this was not the first album influenced by Mary Jane... They were basically wasted all through both the recording of the Help! album and the movie with the same name. That being said, I highly recommend Help! the album and Help! the movie because they are both AWESOME!! The song Help! itself is about Mary Jane helping them out. Before the psychedelics, the Beatles were basically crazy speed and alcohol freaks... They would play live in Hamburg for days on straight completely wired!!!
While the boys were off having a “tea break” and George Martin was writing and performing the half-speed piano thing, that’s basically when Baroque Pop was invented. The entire genre owes its existence To “In My Life.” The same argument could be made for “The Word” and Sunshine Pop. Both of these songs led to Pet Sounds, which ultimately defined the mid-‘60s musically.
Norwegian Wood: Maureen has always denied the connection. In one of John's biographies, another suspect was put forward and on the surface it seems to make more sense. Before John and Cynthia moved to Kenwood, they had a flat in South Kensington in a building they shared with Beatle cover photographer Robert Freeman and his wife Sonny. The Freemans had a wood-panelled apartment, Sonny identified as Norwegian and claims that they did have an affair, despite the protagonist's lack of success in the song.
The Rubber soul started it for the Beatles as true recording artists. Yes Bob Dylan and the Byrds influenced them on this album but neither of those artists could record a whole album of quality songs. Just about every song on Rubber soul could have been released as singles and would have been hits.
Great video! This video on Rubber Soul is like the Larsland equivalent of the Beatles major leap from Beatlemania Beatles to Rubber Soul Beatles! Larsland has entered the STRATOSPHERE!!!
I like listening to you becuase you have a soothing way with words. Witty and fun, educational and honest. Your glasses really look great on you. Cheers. Oh, Run for Your Life seriously sounds like the Monkees, Last Train to Clarksville, another fantastic tune.
I always felt like this record was super interesting since it showed the Beatles suddenly having a bunch of love trouble. Paul and Jane were obviously having issues and of course John and Cyn were having problems. The whole album has those themes of cheating and heating someone but also songs like wait where it almost feels like John and Paul are pleading with their respective significant others to stay with them despite the issues of being a Beatle.
One of my favorite Beatles albums. I like a lot of the different versions, The US, UK stereo and mono, 86 and 65 mixes. The US version is so tight and really well put together.
I'm sick and tired of Run For Your Life pearl clutching. people can write songs about dark things. they've been doing it for as long as songs have been sung, and they still do it today also great vid :)
You know your Beatle stuff. I was a big fan when this musisc was new, and yep this album was the new, more grown up Beatles. (That old school guitar on What Goes On was a return to Georges rockabilly Gretsch which he had used a lot on earlier albums). When he began using the 12 string Rickenbacher and the Sitar it really changed their sound. And many groups followed suit. Many songs in 65 and 66 used the 12 string and the sitar. And of course they began to use string sections and such. I liked the early Beatles, the mid Beatles, and the Later Beatles. Almost 3 different bands.
I don't see any problem about not finding Run For Your Life "problematic". Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Norwegian Wood both feature crazed, violent protagonists but no one talks about those.
if you could find professional drummers who somehow never heard the Beatles and took off Ringo's drums and let them record a drum track I'm sure they would all be in time and very good, but not quite as perfect as Ringo
Good video - you misunderstood Paul about Nowhere Man, though. He's saying that John said, "I wrote a song last night and found out later it was about me" - ie about John. Paul's not saying he found out later that it was about him.
Ahhh those harmonies, that’s one things that’s missing from later period Beatles. What was once a defining feature of their music had all but disappeared after ‘67, very sad
If you want to understand the Beatles influences for this album, check out The Byrds album Mr Tambourine Man Even though they were influenced by the Beatles they took the 12 string sound further (according to George Harrison in a guitar magazine interview) and had amazing harmonies. Their harmony singing is peerless with the exception of the Beach Boys. Also, the song If I Needed Someone is influenced by The Byrds The Bells of Rhymney per George. The Byrds got a completely different sound going into the 3rd album Fifth Dimension. Eight Miles High by the Byrds is one of the first psychedelic songs. Incorporating John Coltrane in the guitar solos BTW Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of the Byrds turned George Harrison onto Ravi Shankar. The Byrds changed their sound constantly. They ended up giving the Beatles a run for their money creatively A deep dive into the Byrds first five albums is essential. Whether on this channel or privately. But if you do decide to check them out listen to the first 2 albums in mono as it has more muscle soundwise. They have the full albums by the Byrds in mono up here on TH-cam. Let me know if you would like the links and ill post them here.
How many times will I say 'Brilliant!'? Maybe infinitly until the word is overused as 'cute' but I swear Paul Is Dead if you're not The Fifth Beatle or at very least the first authentic Beatlemaniac of this century. Love and Kudos!
Love the fact you are so voluble about what matters to you. There is a balance in your appreciation of all four members that you don't always come across, a lot of people take sides. It's alight to like one, but listen to them all when you're listening to The Beatles : one band had all of 'this' in it. I'm a ballad person. I am. No I am. It looks like this band is a lifetime thing in Lars Land so you might change too. Run For Your Life? Na: he's a songwriter to praise to the skies but the song is ungenerous at best and we've had too much of men saying stuff like this to women in history. Did you say there was a cat at the door? I like it when they try to bash the window in with their paws.
I mean, I made a separate comment but I think you're taking the song too seriously. It's a character. No one listens to it and says "Yeah I guess I oughtta go slap around the wife."
@@xthatghomiex2939 I agree that the songwriter has licence to write 'outside' of their own experience or to explore the darker side of human behaviour, you make a point. Your charge against me that I seem to think that there is a direct correlation between art and somebody's actions, is to call me stupid: I'm not. I wasn't saying that the song has a pernicious influence I was saying 'I dislike' its attitude. I listen to the song I don't cancel it. Midnight Rambler, middle eight of Getting Better, same. If a song, a novel, a movie whatever includes actions, expresses thoughts against women without any comeback, without any allowance for the womans 'point of view' that is misogyny. Patriarchy is embedded in popular forms and conventional patterns of behaviour. Or do you think we live in an equal society? Lennon, a brilliant artist, had history, all 'am sayin'. You can read all about it. He was contrite. Doesn't make Run for Your Life right.
What you missed on the song Girl is how it is entirely Russian influenced musically with the guitars aping a Russian Balalaika stringed instrument and Ringo's cymbal crashes are exactly in that style with off-beat crash cymbal. John is evoking how a man will slave for a woman like in a Gulag. It is a very effective cinematic-like compositional style.
The cover of Rubber Soul was the first album cover that did not have the name of the performers on it. The Beatles were so well known by its release time that they decided that it wasn't needed.
In the UK, The Rolling Stones No. 2 (as was the title of their second album there) didn't have the band's name or the title of the album on the cover. Just a picture of the band. Released in January 1965.
It's interesting that you make a link between What Goes On and Don't Pass Me By having the best match for Ringo's vocals. Perhaps there's more than lyrics behind Ringo's songwriting credit on the song, despite his modesty.
"Nowhere Man" - the quote you reference "it was about me" - that is Paul telling us WHAT JOHN SAID TO HIM. The ME is JOHN. As in, Lennon says to Paul, "The song is about me." When Paul explains it to us or the interviewer, he doesn't say who the ME is. He is saying it as the direct quote from John. In other words, THAT line should be in quotation marks to designate it was John saying it. And that is WHY you never heard it anywhere else that the Nowhere Man was Paul. Because it wasn't. It's a grammatical thing on how it was written on the page & how the reader interprets it. It should be in quotation marks to tell us that it was John saying it to Paul & Paul is now relating that quote from John to us. Get It???
I see your original comment has been erased and, thus, the entire exchange with Lars. Thanks for the clarification. This is valuable input. I found myself thinking that it was very interesting that Paul should see himself in the song. But it turns out it was all a misquotation.☺ But there's no need to be rude here: "Get It???" Your original comment was very confusing and I interpreted it the same way Lars did (for clarification: your comment, not Paul's )
Thank you for the deep dive. Great listen. Rubber Soul is an amazing album, but. . . . forgive me for saying . . . I maintain that it's sloppily recorded (weird tempo changes, percussion sometimes too loud, random notes and sounds, etc.) and messily mixed. There are mistakes that don't come off as cool mistakes, IMO. I would like to see this amazing collection of songs fixed and remixed. Note . . . I love The Beatles, just trying to honest when listening.
so uh...what I heard was that Norwegian Wood was about Robert Freeman's wife, Sonny but hey, that's gossip and for our purposes, listening to it, it doesn't much matter who it was. Anyway, I've thought "norwegian wood" was a John-ism because, as we know, he liked to play around with words and that it was playing with "isn't it good, knowing she would". I might be wrong.
Enjoyed your excessively deep dive into Rubber Soul. I've never been one to study the interviews, opinion pieces, background, rumors etc. about anything or anybody. Don't care what tacos my right fielder favors, not worried about how many girlfriends the President has, and so on. My interpretation of Norwegian Wood was that John rolled a joint as he left her apartment. I guess I've lived a sheltered life. But I clearly remember Rubber Soul, it was when I realized I'd be listening to these guys the rest of my life. Are the restrictions on you playing the music all encompassing? Would it count if you didn't speak but included your commentary as captions? Just an idea from an idiot. thanks
I'll have to listen again, but isn't that Paul harmonizing with Ringo on 'What Goes On'? On the original stereo mix Ringo's vocal and the harmony are split up hard left and hard right. By lowering one speaker you can hear the harmony vocal without the lead, and it sure sounds like Paul.
So sad that The Beatles were drowned out by their fans- while, just a few years later, technology advances allowed bands to fill massive stadium gigs and everyone heard everything.
I agree with your assessment of "Run for Your Life"; such a catchy song. I was around 14 or so when this came out, and I Never took these lyrics seriously! I just felt it was artistic license. Is everyone who makes a violent movie advocating murder??
The thing I love about “Girl” is it’s such an adult sounding song. But then they go “tit tit tit tit” because they weren’t really adult at all 😂
I love the "tit tit tit tit."
Lars Land’s deep dive is literally longer than the entire album and I’m here for every second of it.
It’s what I’m here for 🫡
3 times longer but indeed very entertaining
@@hubabavait’s certainly not 3 times longer.
@@TheJayson8899 I was nog completely serious, hadn't looked up the length of Rubber Soul. It's 35 minutes so the deep dive is almost twice as long. I thought Rubber Soul was shorter, maybe 25 minutes (old records are short) but if I had divided 25 minutes by 14 tracks, I would've known directly I was totally wrong...😉
I'm glad you mentioned Paul's many voices. I have been a fan for a long time and that didn't occur to me until I started listening to reaction videos about the Beatles. I mean, I knew he is a brilliant singer and harmonizer , but I just didn't think about how many different styles/sounds (or voices) he used. He's really quite a genius at it. He can sound dreamy, rough, raspy, hoarse, high, angelic, low, cartoonish. It's like changing musical identities. This is my first time watching you. I'm 25 min in and feel like you're an old friend. So glad I found this and you.
Yay!
I always call him a vocal chameleon
Good description.
That's because he is a different paul.
Faux paul?
FYI, "The Bard" was a nickname / title bestowed on William Shakespeare, The Bard of Avon. It was a complement of the highest order from that music critic to dub The Beatles as the Bards of Pop. It meant they were making reflective songs, full of the elements of drama, comedy and tragedy (a la William's plays). Like they were writing musical poetry. Songs the elites at the palace could enjoy right along with the surfs.
Gotcha.
Ringo's drum pattern in My Life is pure genius . in the place of two eighth notes normally played on the snare drum he replaced one of the eighth notes with a single strike on his Hi Hat . if you are not a drummer you readers may not realize how unique Ringos drumming is
🥁💡
Each new album of theirs was the greatest album ever
This is true. It’s science.
Think for Yourself is one of the first examples of a Fuzz box used on a bass guitar. Paul recorded a normal bass line then a Fuzz Bass lead. It's fuckin' rad.
Kicking my feet and giggling over this video
One of my Beatles favorites
Yay!!!
You Won't See Me is VERY Paul. When John writes a bitter song, they're more masochistic. He wants to know how she can treat him the way she does, what he can do to get her back, he may plot some kind of revenge etc. Paul's tends to lash out, just like, you'd better treat me right, or your loss, bitch, I can do better than you. We see an interesting confluence of these approaches in Ticket to Ride. In the verses, John says that living with him was bringing her down and that she could never be free. He's trying to understand why she's leaving. Then the bridge goes, you outta think right, you outta do right by me. So you get Paul going, you're gonna regret leaving and come crawling back, just you wait.
Hi Lars, you were right. I have just re-listened to You Won't See Me, and it is a Lennonesque departure for Paul. Instead of his usual kiss off, in this song he is pining for her, which is something which happens more often in John's songs.
I first heard Rubber Soul when I was a child, so I didn't think of the deeper meanings of any of it, but the music just sounded really interesting. Sometimes I think children can be a better judge of music than adults. I was in a band playing Blues, and sometimes we'd get booked at "family" events where the adults wouldn't respond to us because Blues wasn't "hip" music, but meanwhile the kids would all be dancing and having a ball - that always made me feel good.
So glad you are doing this. The only way to make young people acquainted with the great body of work THE BEATLES left behind them. RUBBER SOUL is one of the best albums ever !
I am a lifelong Beatles fan. Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album. I am new to your channel and love it!
Okay, I can't put into words how excited I am that I found this channel!
I've been waiting for someone to make a video about this! Thank you!
Lars, this was your best video yet. I enjoyed everything about it. The info, research, readings, video effects ( especially the zoom out spinning box indicating contemplation), the graphics, the insights, and opinions (which I totally agreed with).
I remember when, as a kid, in the 60s, the first days when the album hit the stores, I brought it home and played it repeatedly, memorising the vocals and music. My mom rushed into the living room after “Norwegian Wood” played, she asked briskly, “What the hell does that mean?”. I answered her calmly , “ I don’t know, and I don’t care because the vocals and music on this entire album make me feel things very strongly. Maybe someday I’ll understand it more. Meanwhile, these Beatles always hit a spot in my heart that before was limited to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, the Ronettes, Bob Dylan, and Dion”.
Mom shook her head and returned to the kitchen. Later, I overheard her singing along.
Usually continual interruptions are annoying, but with you it works.
Being from the U.K. and loving and listening to the Beatles since 1962, it’s always amazing how much love and attention they got and still get now from different generations 😊
Im 19 and i owe a lot to them
Wow, @LarsLand and what brilliant deep dive it is too! Enjoyed every minute if it. I still remember buying this album when I was 16. Everything about it was a mystical experience for me. The slick and totally hip cover art, all those songs I'd never heard as they very rarely got played on the radio. (The singles 'We can work it out; and 'Day Tripper' released in the same month got more airplay than anything on this album on our local radio station.). It's an album of total firsts for me. First album that looked like a hippie album. First album truly awash with sophisticated and personal lyrics. And then there was Drive My Car that sounded like a funny take on a Stax/Motown groove and Norwegian Wood that was this witty narrative song that was India meets modern western folk and reeked of herbal jazz cigarettes. I like Run For Your Life, too. I always listened to it as if he was singing in character from the point of view of some jealous nutter. I was just amazed by the killer riff and amazing vocal arrangement. And how much the people who wrote 'Last Train To Clarksville' for The Monkeys had lifted from it. x
Last Train To Clarksville was more Paperback Writer.
MY FAVOURITE ALBUM LET'S GOOO
LETSFUCKINGOOOOO
Dylan had two very important albums that came out in 1965 before the Beatles wrote and recorded Rubber Soul in October. Bringing it all Back Home and Highway 61 revisited.
Hi Lars! I got a notification about this video! I'm gonna make time over the weekend to watch it! Since it's over an hour I wanna get comfortable with a snack and a drink. See you soon! 😊
The Beatles most perfect album. It’s sound from track to track is seamless. It wasn’t Revolver or St Pepper that blew Brian Wilson’s mind , it was Rubber Soul . For me it remains , with the The White album their greatest achievement. One album is order, the other is chaos.
Well, Pepper’s did too.
First of all, I'm really loving this video, so thank you! It's fun and funny and engaging and just all the good stuff. You're a peach and I'm glad the algorithm send you my way; duly subscribed. :)
More specifically, with respect to the "la la la's" ("You Won't See Me"), yes, I too adore them and have since I fell in love with the boys in sixth grade or so in the eighties, but it's only very recently I realized why. I was watching another reaction video and the youtuber made the really perceptive (and yet so simple!) point that the Beatles build in all sorts of opportunities for people to sing along, offering lots of "ooohs" and "la la la's" and repetition and call and response so that even upon your first hearing the song, you can readily join in.
So not only is it that their melodies are obviously memorable and hummable, but the devices used in the songs invite the listener to sing along.
And I think that's one reason I get so disappointed with so many groups where you listen and have no idea what they're saying. Not only am I actually interested in the lyrics, but it also makes it harder for me to sing along, which is really my favorite thing in the world to do!
All of which is to say, I can't *note* sing the "la la la's" when I hear them which is why I love them so much. Maybe that's why you do too. :)
Thanks again for the video and I look forward to exploring you channel! Cheers!
yo this video is awesome. just found your channel an your content is great. I've been a big Beatles fan for almost 2 decades now and you go in depth in a way that teaches me a lot, and I already know a lot. thanks
The Hammond is just two quick chords/notes followed by the twiddly guitar immediately after the words "you're not the same".i.e. Ringo hits the same chord 8 times ( 4 pairs) during the musical interval
I normally like Beatle videos by people who can analyze the songs using more music theory, but this was a great video. And you look fabulous in this video. Keep ‘em comin’!
Idk music theory at all. We are not smart here 😅
The Beatles put out album after album and hit after hit. By the time Rubber Soul was out, oh they had gone rock and not top 40
Great video! Thanks for taking the time on it.
not far off 60 years and we are all still rivetted
RIGHT?!???
Wow thanks for making this video. I love the Beatles & this album. 🤘
Wow! Great 'deep dive' into 'Rubber Soul.' We almost landed in the Mariana Trench with this one! 😁 If I had one 'skip' on this album, it would be Michelle. There is usually one Paul song on each album that I could list as a skip. Totally love both of George's songs, he really ended up being a remarkable song writer!
Thanks Steve D!!!
It's true that George Harrison was a terrific songwriter. He simply had to deal with 2 of the greatest singer songwriters EVER. All this, in the same band. The Beatles were something we'll never hear again.
The American release of Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album. The Capitol Records version was the acetate the Brian Wilson heard that inspired the creation of Pet Sounds. The American Rubber Soul is a very folk rock album. The Beatles weren’t happy with it but I love it. The Capitol Records albums were what I grew up with.
What an AMAZING GROUP, these guys are incredible now I know why they are #1 of all time!
Correction and notes: There is a Hammond organ on “I’m Looking Through You.” I would cut it out but I straight up do not trust the TH-cam editor*, I’m sorry. 😢 truly. Always learning.
I know the bards Shakespeare reference, I just thought it was such a weird term to attach to the Beatles. 😅
PS) check the comments for extra tidbits that y’all share. There’s always more info to be found by the Lars Land visitors!! 🖤
*there are like four videos that are completely chewed up because of TH-cam Editor. When I cleared copyright bits, it cut unrelated parts. I’m sure I could figure it out but I am afraid.
Hi @larsland exceptionally fab video. Would you like to get married please?
the Hammond organ is played on beats one & two of each of the four bars after the chorus (after the lyric "you're not the same").
I have just re-listened to my dad's Capitol mono copy of Rubber Soul and my own Parlophone stereo copy.
I can easily believe that Ringo is playing the organ in I'm Looking Through You since it is very percussive. It's one chord on the off-beat. So timing is much more important than the notes here.
Interestingly, on the mono mix, I couldn't hear Mal's organ on You Won't See Me; it might not be in the mix or it is quite buried. However, it is clearly there in the stereo mix, though again, pretty buried. [Also speaking of You Won't See Me, you were right, it is more like a John song, since Paul is pining for her here, rather than being aloof.]
@@Kieopthanks for the extra info! Always learning more on how to do reviews going forward to make sure things are correct.
To my mind, "Rubber Soul" was the band's break from "Beatlemania" and their covers of other artist's tunes (i.e., Chuck Berry and The Isley Brothers, The Marvelettes). Thanks, Lars Land!
That would have been A Hard Days Night album. If you're not American.
@@scottandrewbrass1931 So true! Many thanks.
I recall being 15 and listening to Rubber Soul at a sleep over. We all had our favorite song. So many good times in 1966.
I wouldn't know how good things were in 1966. I was born in 67
Amazing you really put a lot of work on this
This was fantastic, great job! You're right, the percussion is fab throughout the entire record, and Ringo doesn't get enough credit for it. The lead vocals and harmonies are just perfect, as well. They always seemed to know exactly the right touch for each song. I probably listen to "Rubber Soul" more than any other Beatles album, although I love them all. It just makes me happy.
Regarding "Run For Your Life": I have mixed feelings about it. I kind of have to tune out the lyrics when I listen to it, because they do bother me, but they're mitigated by everything else in the song - John's lead vocal, the backing vocals, the instrumentation, and the fact that it's a great tune. Speaking of John's lead vocal, it makes me sad that he hated his voice, because he had a great voice. I don't know when he decided that he hated it, because that didn't seem to be the case early on.
As for "In My Life", Paul has been very consistent over the years (basically since the '60s) that he wrote the melody. Rob Sheffield, of Rolling Stone, did a deep dive into this, and he came to the conclusion that Paul did indeed write the melody, so I'm willing to give this one to Paul. In any case, the lyrics are some of John's finest, and he's rightly praised for them. It's actually one of my favorite Lennon-McCartney joint compositions, along with "She Loves You", and "A Day in The Life". A stellar achievement on an overall terrific album.
Thank you for loving The Beatles! They and their music were and still are just amazing. 💖
Details are everything for us Beatle Nuts. You do a fabulous job ✌️
Dude, you're not bad for liking that song. John is honestly reflecting human emotions, and you are honestly responding. Geez a Louise a. Nuff said a.
Just bumped into your channel with this deep Rubber Soul dive. Loved it!! Subscribing. I'll be back. As a huge Beatle fan and successful songwriter myself.. I also think this was perhaps the last Beatles album John really dominated..
John and Paul's recollections of In My Life will be complicated because of the genesis it shares with another song - John had his list of places but abandoned his attempt to create a song from it. Paul would pick the idea up and run with it and years later it would become Penny Lane. Meanwhile John's new approach leads to In My Life.
(Different video)
Hi Lars 👋😃 I'm so lucky that the TH-cam algorithm recommended this video of yours to me. I love Rubber Soul (it was my first Beatles album) I especially love that you give full credit to the songs The Word, Wait and Run For Your Life, all songs that I love a lot and think they are often underrated. Now I'm curious to watch your other videos. Immediately subscribed 👌😊👍
I'm still glad I subscribed 👍
I thought George was inspired by the sitar on the set of "Help!"
In terms of what John remembers i don’t particularly trust him lol. I’ve listened to many interviews with him and I just feel like he forgets details a lot. Which makes sense considering the level of trauma and drugs he’s experienced. May Pang also said he had a bad memory. So I do tend to trust Paul more when he remembers song details (although he can certainly be wrong too)
Girl is so Paul coded .. at least in terms of traits he’s listing.
Girl is paul coded???paul mccartney claimed he wrote yellow submarine by himself but the demo of john proved that he was lying!!every one knows in my life is john's(john,george,george martin)but he says he wrote the whole melody! and he claimed many of john songs...
Yes and Paul often places himself in the composition of a lot of John's works that he had absolutely nothing to do with just to preserve the Lennon and McCartney songwriting brand. Or maybe He possibly gets arrangement confused with composition. He ( and his ego)has gotten worse in recent years now he's an old man. The effect generally diminishes John making it seem like he never wrote a song by himself and makes it looks like Paul did everything. And the more guilable McCartney fan believes every word he says.
Anyway, neither of them were realiable witness in their own story.
I just watched a guy react to this album in 20 minutes, and was agonizing, so this is a nice breath of fresh air! I LOVE this reaction. These albums deserve not only to be reflected on but everyone has to hear the songs properly, to bring the legacy on!
However, this was not the first album influenced by Mary Jane... They were basically wasted all through both the recording of the Help! album and the movie with the same name. That being said, I highly recommend Help! the album and Help! the movie because they are both AWESOME!! The song Help! itself is about Mary Jane helping them out.
Before the psychedelics, the Beatles were basically crazy speed and alcohol freaks... They would play live in Hamburg for days on straight completely wired!!!
While the boys were off having a “tea break” and George Martin was writing and performing the half-speed piano thing, that’s basically when Baroque Pop was invented. The entire genre owes its existence To “In My Life.” The same argument could be made for “The Word” and Sunshine Pop. Both of these songs led to Pet Sounds, which ultimately defined the mid-‘60s musically.
Norwegian Wood: Maureen has always denied the connection. In one of John's biographies, another suspect was put forward and on the surface it seems to make more sense. Before John and Cynthia moved to Kenwood, they had a flat in South Kensington in a building they shared with Beatle cover photographer Robert Freeman and his wife Sonny. The Freemans had a wood-panelled apartment, Sonny identified as Norwegian and claims that they did have an affair, despite the protagonist's lack of success in the song.
The Rubber soul started it for the Beatles as true recording artists. Yes Bob Dylan and the Byrds influenced them on this album but neither of those artists could record a whole album of quality songs. Just about every song on Rubber soul could have been released as singles and would have been hits.
My Top 5 Beatles albums
1. Rubber Soul- 100/100
2. Abbey Road- 99/100
3. Sgt Pepper- 99/100
4. Revolver- 98/100
5. White Album- 97/100
IMO, their height was Revolver and the various singles and B-sides that came along in 1966.
@@anonUKVarious? You mean the whole two singles they released?😅
Great video! This video on Rubber Soul is like the Larsland equivalent of the Beatles major leap from Beatlemania Beatles to Rubber Soul Beatles! Larsland has entered the STRATOSPHERE!!!
I like listening to you becuase you have a soothing way with words. Witty and fun, educational and honest. Your glasses really look great on you. Cheers. Oh, Run for Your Life seriously sounds like the Monkees, Last Train to Clarksville, another fantastic tune.
Your editing is perfection! I just come here for the jokes. Oh yeah and something about insects? ... Just kidding Tehehe
Thanks!
I always felt like this record was super interesting since it showed the Beatles suddenly having a bunch of love trouble. Paul and Jane were obviously having issues and of course John and Cyn were having problems. The whole album has those themes of cheating and heating someone but also songs like wait where it almost feels like John and Paul are pleading with their respective significant others to stay with them despite the issues of being a Beatle.
Just saw this. It's nearly 2 in the morning in England land. Need my dreams :-). Will definitely catch up tomorrow.
❤
George did point out in the Anthology that Rubber Soul and Revolver could be volume 1 and volume 2 so the "mistake" really wasn't a mistake 😉
Completely different sounding albums.
One of my favorite Beatles albums. I like a lot of the different versions, The US, UK stereo and mono, 86 and 65 mixes. The US version is so tight and really well put together.
I'm sick and tired of Run For Your Life pearl clutching. people can write songs about dark things. they've been doing it for as long as songs have been sung, and they still do it today
also great vid :)
You are right. This is The Beatles as The Beatles.
Paul is "quoting " John saying nowhere man was about me meaning it was about John
You know your Beatle stuff. I was a big fan when this musisc was new, and yep this album was the
new, more grown up Beatles. (That old school guitar on What Goes On was a return to Georges rockabilly Gretsch which he had used a lot on earlier albums). When he began using the 12 string
Rickenbacher and the Sitar it really changed their sound. And many groups followed suit. Many songs in 65 and 66 used the 12 string and the sitar. And of course they began to use string sections and
such. I liked the early Beatles, the mid Beatles, and the Later Beatles. Almost 3 different bands.
Sounds like she's learning Beattles stuff to me. But I'm way older.
SO GOOD. I had no idea how much more to the story there is! ❤
I don't see any problem about not finding Run For Your Life "problematic". Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Norwegian Wood both feature crazed, violent protagonists but no one talks about those.
if you could find professional drummers who somehow never heard the Beatles and took off Ringo's drums and let them record a drum track I'm sure they would all be in time and very good, but not quite as perfect as Ringo
Trying to keep time with What Goes On 😓😰
How many times has everybody said to a friend “I’m going to kill you”? So what? It’s a song.
Valid point
I can actually see the back of your chair through your earlobe. How fantastic is that!
Good video - you misunderstood Paul about Nowhere Man, though. He's saying that John said, "I wrote a song last night and found out later it was about me" - ie about John. Paul's not saying he found out later that it was about him.
Ahhh those harmonies, that’s one things that’s missing from later period Beatles. What was once a defining feature of their music had all but disappeared after ‘67, very sad
If you want to understand the Beatles influences for this album, check out The Byrds album Mr Tambourine Man
Even though they were influenced by the Beatles they took the 12 string sound further (according to George Harrison in a guitar magazine interview) and had amazing harmonies. Their harmony singing is peerless with the exception of the Beach Boys.
Also, the song If I Needed Someone is influenced by The Byrds The Bells of Rhymney per George. The Byrds got a completely different sound going into the 3rd album Fifth Dimension.
Eight Miles High by the Byrds is one of the first psychedelic songs. Incorporating John Coltrane in the guitar solos
BTW Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of the Byrds turned George Harrison onto Ravi Shankar. The Byrds changed their sound constantly. They ended up giving the Beatles a run for their money creatively
A deep dive into the Byrds first five albums is essential. Whether on this channel or privately. But if you do decide to check them out listen to the first 2 albums in mono as it has more muscle soundwise. They have the full albums by the Byrds in mono up here on TH-cam. Let me know if you would like the links and ill post them here.
Somebody's gonna give you the bird.
LOST is my favorite show and the Beatles are my favorite band. I love your channel.
My fav Beatles album
Ringo I believe is using the brushes on "Girl"
41:37 beautifully put, Lars.
How many times will I say 'Brilliant!'? Maybe infinitly until the word is overused as 'cute' but I swear Paul Is Dead if you're not The Fifth Beatle or at very least the first authentic Beatlemaniac of this century. Love and Kudos!
Thank you!!
Love this! Are you doing similar "dives" into all Beatles albums post-Help? What will you do re. MMT and Yellow Submarine movies?
Yeah all albums will be done. Just making sure everyone knows I’m redoing those albums. No plans on the movies yet
I'm here for this
🤠
love the videos! @@larsland
Love the fact you are so voluble about what matters to you. There is a balance in your appreciation of all four members that you don't always come across, a lot of people take sides. It's alight to like one, but listen to them all when you're listening to The Beatles : one band had all of 'this' in it.
I'm a ballad person. I am. No I am. It looks like this band is a lifetime thing in Lars Land so you might change too. Run For Your Life? Na: he's a songwriter to praise to the skies but the song is ungenerous at best and we've had too much of men saying stuff like this to women in history.
Did you say there was a cat at the door? I like it when they try to bash the window in with their paws.
Yeah like I said I know I’m in the wrong lol
I mean, I made a separate comment but I think you're taking the song too seriously. It's a character. No one listens to it and says "Yeah I guess I oughtta go slap around the wife."
@@xthatghomiex2939 I agree that the songwriter has licence to write 'outside' of their own experience or to explore the darker side of human behaviour, you make a point. Your charge against me that I seem to think that there is a direct correlation between art and somebody's actions, is to call me stupid: I'm not. I wasn't saying that the song has a pernicious influence I was saying 'I dislike' its attitude. I listen to the song I don't cancel it. Midnight Rambler, middle eight of Getting Better, same.
If a song, a novel, a movie whatever includes actions, expresses thoughts against women without any comeback, without any allowance for the womans 'point of view' that is misogyny. Patriarchy is embedded in popular forms and conventional patterns of behaviour. Or do you think we live in an equal society?
Lennon, a brilliant artist, had history, all 'am sayin'. You can read all about it. He was contrite. Doesn't make Run for Your Life right.
What you missed on the song Girl is how it is entirely Russian influenced musically with the guitars aping a Russian Balalaika stringed instrument and Ringo's cymbal crashes are exactly in that style with off-beat crash cymbal. John is evoking how a man will slave for a woman like in a Gulag. It is a very effective cinematic-like compositional style.
More Greek influenced.
The cover of Rubber Soul was the first album cover that did not have the name of the performers on it. The Beatles were so well known by its release time that they decided that it wasn't needed.
In the UK, The Rolling Stones No. 2 (as was the title of their second album there) didn't have the band's name or the title of the album on the cover. Just a picture of the band. Released in January 1965.
It's interesting that you make a link between What Goes On and Don't Pass Me By having the best match for Ringo's vocals. Perhaps there's more than lyrics behind Ringo's songwriting credit on the song, despite his modesty.
"Nowhere Man" - the quote you reference "it was about me" - that is Paul telling us WHAT JOHN SAID TO HIM. The ME is JOHN. As in, Lennon says to Paul, "The song is about me." When Paul explains it to us or the interviewer, he doesn't say who the ME is. He is saying it as the direct quote from John.
In other words, THAT line should be in quotation marks to designate it was John saying it. And that is WHY you never heard it anywhere else that the Nowhere Man was Paul. Because it wasn't. It's a grammatical thing on how it was written on the page & how the reader interprets it. It should be in quotation marks to tell us that it was John saying it to Paul & Paul is now relating that quote from John to us.
Get It???
I see your original comment has been erased and, thus, the entire exchange with Lars. Thanks for the clarification. This is valuable input. I found myself thinking that it was very interesting that Paul should see himself in the song. But it turns out it was all a misquotation.☺
But there's no need to be rude here: "Get It???" Your original comment was very confusing and I interpreted it the same way Lars did (for clarification: your comment, not Paul's )
Rubber Soul.....it hasn't aged a day since its release. It was an early peak for the band and the start of a new era. Nice deep dive!
Thank you!
Thank you for the deep dive. Great listen.
Rubber Soul is an amazing album, but. . . . forgive me for saying . . . I maintain that it's sloppily recorded (weird tempo changes, percussion sometimes too loud, random notes and sounds, etc.) and messily mixed. There are mistakes that don't come off as cool mistakes, IMO. I would like to see this amazing collection of songs fixed and remixed. Note . . . I love The Beatles, just trying to honest when listening.
so uh...what I heard was that Norwegian Wood was about Robert Freeman's wife, Sonny but hey, that's gossip and for our purposes, listening to it, it doesn't much matter who it was. Anyway, I've thought "norwegian wood" was a John-ism because, as we know, he liked to play around with words and that it was playing with "isn't it good, knowing she would". I might be wrong.
Damn it I wish I’d caught that!!!! 😢 thanks for sharing
Enjoyed your excessively deep dive into Rubber Soul. I've never been one to study the interviews, opinion pieces, background, rumors etc. about anything or anybody. Don't care what tacos my right fielder favors, not worried about how many girlfriends the President has, and so on. My interpretation of Norwegian Wood was that John rolled a joint as he left her apartment. I guess I've lived a sheltered life. But I clearly remember Rubber Soul, it was when I realized I'd be listening to these guys the rest of my life. Are the restrictions on you playing the music all encompassing? Would it count if you didn't speak but included your commentary as captions? Just an idea from an idiot. thanks
You're fantastic. Very astute
I like soul better than Revolver . Fun fact , no where on that album does it say “ the Beatles “.
True!
I'll have to listen again, but isn't that Paul harmonizing with Ringo on 'What Goes On'? On the original stereo mix Ringo's vocal and the harmony are split up hard left and hard right. By lowering one speaker you can hear the harmony vocal without the lead, and it sure sounds like Paul.
I subscribed ✌🏻and I’m glad I have access to this AWSOME ⭐️⭐️⭐️channel
the best analysis on this album!great job!
are you going to make a white album deep dive? easily my favorite beatles album:)
So sad that The Beatles were drowned out by their fans- while, just a few years later, technology advances allowed bands to fill massive stadium gigs and everyone heard everything.
the bomp bomp in Looking thru You is hammond organ
very nice video. i enjoyed it 😀
You make my heart melt♥
This was really good...i enjoyed this...love proper beatles nerds...
thank you for this great deep dive. curious about why one reviewer would say the album had a lack of variety.
They could fill a whole book of bad reviews where the critic was wrong and the songs and albums became beloved classics!
I agree with your assessment of "Run for Your Life"; such a catchy song. I was around 14 or so when this came out, and I Never took these lyrics seriously! I just felt it was artistic license. Is everyone who makes a violent movie advocating murder??
And, by the way, I am a female!
Incredible video. New subscriber here