Rubber
Soul: a turning point
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Songs
such as Ticket To Ride, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
and Help! had signaled a shift in the Beatles' musical direction.
The release of the album Rubber
Soul in December 1965 confirmed this change. Rubber
Soul was pop music unlike it ever before had been presented.
The songs were just as catchy as before, but they had a
darker undertone and a somewhat urgent appeal.
 This
was particularly apparent in the songs Nowhere
Man, The Word and We Can Work
It Out, although the latter song was not included on
the album, but released as a single together with Day
Tripper (The
Beatles usually tried to avoid releasing a song as a single
if it also featured on one of their albums).
With Rubber
Soul, the Beatles reached a new level of musical sophistication.
The album was way ahead of its time in terms of both song
writing and production. New and exciting sounds had been
developed, such as Harrison's Indian sitar on Norwegian
Wood, the baroque-style piano on In
My Life (played by George Martin) and McCartney's fuzz
bass on Think
For Yourself. In addition, the lyrics were more reflective
and diverse than on previous albums.
"Every
cut was very artistically interesting and stimulating,"
said Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. In fact, Rubber Soul
inspired Wilson to record his own master piece, Pet Sounds,
released in 1966, which in return had a big influence on
the Beatles, particularly on McCartney.
Rubber
Soul was a turning point in the Beatles' career. It was
a statement that the band would let their talents and creativity
lead them in new musical directions regardless of whether
it would harm their popularity and commercial value.
Although
the Beatles had started experimenting with new sounds and
instruments, it was again the sheer quality and uniqueness
of the songs that made the album stand out. It was a record
that captured the Beatles in a transition period, from childhood
to manhood, and some would say it offered the best of both
worlds.
Four of
the songs on Rubber Soul were not included on the US
version of the album; Drive
My Car, Nowhere Man, If
I Needed Someone and What
Goes On. Instead, these songs ended up on the album "Yesterday"…
and Today, which was released in the US in June 1966.
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