When casually discussing your favorite music with family or friends, there is a high chance that The Beatles will be mentioned or even further talked about. Up to this day, the Beatles remains a relevant icon to the music industry simply because of their timeless influence. The Fab Four, as the English rock band is referred to, has shaped lives across all age groups around the world. It’s no surprise that the Beatles is considered the greatest rock band ever. Just like how Dubai values their gold refinery and made a significant impact globally, it goes the same with the Beatles. Everyone just loves Paul, John, George, and Ringo.
Arguably the best Beatle album
In 1965, the Beatles released its sixth studio album called Rubber Soul. At this time, the boys were at the pinnacle of their careers – the Beatlemania era. Every year since their first album release, they just keep getting better. But with Rubber Soul, it’s a whole new understanding of who the Beatles is because, for the first time, the boys were making music in their own terms. In an interview with Rolling Stone’s Jann S. Wenner in 1970, John Lennon claimed how they don’t take anymore what was given to them, unlike in their earlier days. This was a transitional period for the band. Rubber Soul was a product when the Beatles “finally took over the studio.”
The stories unfolded
One notable remark on the Beatles’ songwriting in this album is how the Fab Four were inspired by collective experiences that molded who they were at that age. The tracks that can be related to this are Michelle, Girl, and If I Needed Someone. For instance, Michelle is about Paul McCartney’s fascination over French culture just to impress ladies, while Lennon defined his ideal girl in the song ‘Girl’, who later turned out to be his second wife, Yoko Ono. Moving on, If I Needed Someone is George Harrison declaring his love for his former partner, Pattie Boyd.
The emancipation of a woman
The Beatles have always been known for writing about their personal relationships with women, and one can still hear songs about these relationships in Rubber Soul. But their lyrics are no longer about how much the boy wants to hold the girl’s hand. Their songs have evolved and matured. In this case, there is a shift in focusing on the narrative of a woman. The women in songs like Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, You Won’t See Me, and I’m Looking Through You are not being objectified, but they aren’t empowered either. The Beatles just naturally described their own character without viewing from the lens of a man’s perspective. The boys allowed themselves to be vulnerable and frustrated over the women they encountered.
The search for oneself
More than love songs, the Beatles also wrote about self-discovery. Rubber Soul has songs that will make one look at life from the perspective of the Beatles. Perhaps the track that captures this statement the most is In My Life, and it can be supported by Nowhere Man and Think for Yourself. It’s common that there are periods one’s life, he or she gets lost and confused, and the Beatles shares the same sentiments. The boys were reflecting on their struggles and how it gets better slowly because life goes on. It doesn’t stop for anyone.
Brought to everyone by the greatest rock band in history, Rubber Soul is arguably the best album the Beatles produced. Aside from the fluidity the boys had in songwriting, they experimented with instruments that no one thought would be value-adding to music. Rubber Soul is the album that pushed beyond their limits and influenced other artists to do something similar.
