Reviews (page 9 of 14)
A solid album with a lot of variety. Drive My Car and In My Life are highlights for me, but just like Revolver it's consistently great but not amazing. It was obviously an extremely influential album but I'm rating based on how much I enjoy listening to them now.
I'll give it another listen and might raise it to 4. But definitely a strong 3! I liked it a good amount on first listen. was raised to a 4
It’s the Beatles. It can’t be anything less than 4 stars. It’s not my favourite Beatles album. But it’s still excellent.
I never know how the fuck to rate Beatles albums. On one had there’s some absolute classics on here. But then like, the songs I don’t know as much are so forgettable and mid, and I feel like they don’t live up to the standard set by the others. But is that because of cultural os osmosis and being exposed to them since I was a baby? I don’t know.
Så mye bra på hver side av denne plata. Førstesiden er den klart sterkeste, mens andresiden lener seg mye på to av Lennons beste sanger fra midtperioden (Girl og In my Life). Helhetlig et album som er verdt å lytte gjennom igjen og igjen, men jeg klandrer ingen som bytter til noe annet når 'Wait' starter.
Vermakelijk en bangers, maar ook beetje stale soms
Great album. Minus one star for "Run for Your Life", which is a shitty song.
Not as great as I remembered.
Not my favourite Beatles album, but still a classic, and a turning point in their career leading to later albums that are my favourites. Highlights: Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, In My Life
358/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
They have a timeless quality that makes the albums easy to listen to.
Beatles, again...good, again...
Unfortunately, I can’t help but compare this to other Beatle albums.
Good, but had some tracks I would skip
Mostly great
Turning point in the Beatles' discography, legitimizing pop music albums as art, and kicking off an arms race that became the "album era" lasting until Napster. Brian Wilson was right when he said this was the first album where "Every Track is a Gas"
The beginning of everything, the Beatles would ever explore sonically
I liked this even better than the previous Beatles album.
I really got introduced to the Beatles by my 5th grade teacher Miss Salomon. She played their RECORDS all the time. Even then, I preferred Beatles from Sgt Peppers onward. imo they were a lot better post acid experimentation
On va pas faire comme si on était un grand spécialiste des Beatles en décortiquant chaque chanson, mais c'était quand même vachement bien.
Do i give it a 5 tho?
Another solid Beatles album. Some great songs all the way through, but it just doesn't hit the heights of Abbey Road.
Classic stuff so good!
Complete album with a good balance of excellent songs. I cannot fault it. One of the better beatles albums. would listen again. 4.5 stars
Run for your life was a surprise! I enjoyed the album. Beatles have such a specific sound.
4.9
Not my favourite Beatles record, but appreciate and understand the impact this had on music of that era. You can tell the musical influences and writings of both John and Paul are apparent on this album. I prefer the albums Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, White Album and Revolver.
goated
Album is listenable the whole way through, and doesn't totally pigeon-hole itself into purely 60s British Psychedelic rock. There's enough diversity, particularly with the Beatles' exceptional rotation of singers. However, I refrain from giving it a 5, as it doesn't aim to break away from the norm in the way that later Beatles albums would. And while the same can be said about the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album which I gave a 5 for S&G, that album was full of lyrical masterpieces, whereas this album is still very much short, radio pop hits. Great album though.
Once again feeling like an idiot for never bothering to really explore The Beatles This is a consistently good album but I didn't feel like anything in particular really stood out. A very good showcase of the band's innovation and how influential they would be though, an example being the vaguely CCReqsue guitars on What Goes On and the use of sitar on Norwegian Wood (I'm fond of western bands incorporating that) Highlights: Michelle, Norwegian Wood, Drive My Car, If I Needed Someone, What Goes On
Pretty chill album.
This is where old Beatles meets what they would become.
'Norwegian Wood' and 'In My Life' must be one of the best Beatles songs. This album marked their turn to becoming proto-progressive and those compositions show this perfectly. Some of the rest of the album is not so great though I find especially the last track.
Nice
A turning point for the Beatles. They were a solid band before Rubber Soul, but this is when they pivot towards being one of the best to ever do it. Their songwriting and arrangements got more advanced, they pulled on a wider range of influences, and utilized more diverse instruments and sounds. All while delivering delectable melodic pop rock (everything is so damn melodic) that is their bread and butter. Paul’s bass lines are ridiculously catchy. Overall, a great album but doesn’t quite reach the highs that they do in their next few efforts. The first half is so good, that it makes the still solid second half not grip me as strongly. For as great as it may be, I don’t find myself reaching for it as much as many other albums in their catalog, which is what makes it a 4 for me.
Great album.
Looking Through You whips pretty hard. Drive My Car. How is "In My Life" the most-listened on Spotify?! I mean the keys solo near the end sounds like Daft Punk or Porter Robinson could've done it, so that was cool, but I don't feel like that song is the standout here. "Run For Your Life" is an upsetting weird ending!
'In my life' is amazing
É um album bem diferente da minha ideia de Beatles. Mas teve músicas que me chamaram a atenção: Michele, Girl, Run For Your Life e Norwegian Wood. Se não fosse os vocais eu não acharia que era Beatles, talvez eu precise perder um pouco do preconceito.
Honour mention : Drive my car Think for yourself
Not surprised to be starting with Beatles, but so many good songs on this album despite not being Beatles #1 songs.
All time classics at either end. Couple of merely good tracks in the middle mean it’s just outside top tier Beatles for me. I think the John tracks on this one are the better ones.
Kicked off with the amazing Beatles, I’ve only listened to 4/12 Beatles albums and this was one of them that’s for sure, i knew all the songs because it used to be my favorite Beatles album (Revolver beats that for sure) and Sgt Pepper is way too good. The songs were all good except for the my girl song which was a little underwhelming, it all seems like revolver songs in that it was perfect, but I have to give it 4 since some of the songs were not the greatest and some of them didn’t feel like Beatles at all. Still an incredible album
Yks lempilevyistä Beatlesilta
Han fatto di meglio
I’m not the biggest Beatles fan, but even I can respect what they had going on here.
Unverkennbar Beatles. Rock aus den 60ern, zeitlos klassisch. 4/5
The Good: We are safe from lightning striking us due to our soles! The Bad: Dyslexia… The Ugly: The rubber not protecting us from anything… Ah, the Beatles; or, as they say in Spain Los Be-at-les… I have nothing to say about this album. I listened to it, I recognized one too many songs, I realized it was good… But, unlike plenty of other people, I am not going to fall over this album as it being the kit-n-kaboodle, or that there isn’t anything quite like this made since, except for other Beatles albums… So, I am shooting slightly north to across the middle, and will give it 4* for posterity’s sake.
88% Best: Drive My Car; Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown); I'm Looking Through You; In My Life; Run for Your Life Must-Hear? Sure
A Beatles album is always a pleasure. Pity the album ends with Run for Your Life, leaves a sour taste in your mouth.
Da beeeeeeets. It's rubber soul. Don't we all know by now? It's the Beatles but it's not the best Beatles. It's in a weird halfway between boy band and drugs I guess. Some sachrine bullshit sometimes but Norwegian wood exists so 🤷.
The song writing is excellent throughout even with all the cooks in the kitchen. In My Life The Word I’m Looking Through You Norwegian Wood If I Needed Someone Nowhere Man Run For Life What Goes On You Won’t See Me Drive My Car Wait Girl Think For Yourself Michelle
Awesome album, lots of iconic songs, and you can really feel the progression in the Beatles' songwriting quality, but there are still a couple of filler songs IMO.
Sound not usually heard from Beatles. Interesting and surprising but not super impressive
i like it
A more adult album. Proto-psychedelic, folk rock, chamber pop. 2009 remix sounds different to how I remember it, having heard the mono version as a teenager. Darker lyrical content to previous records.
Beatles eh?
i got this on the 55th anniversary of paul quitting the band. beep beep; beep beep yeah there was a time this was frontrunner with critics for best record of all time. not sure how Abbey Road of all records made it to the top on this site, but i guess the people want "maxwell's silver hammer." either way, some crackerjack tracks: "norwegian wood," "nowhere man," ringo's tune. love the sitar, the stratocasters, and the harpsichord. and it inspired at least one murakami novel and a short story. but paul is in an exceptionally corny mood, and john is particularly vindictive (i still reject the reading that he burns down the house though). that sharp inhale in "girl" is the kind of sin only someone bigger than the beatles could forgive.
classic album with some notable songs from the Beatles. really liked - you won’t see me - nowhere man - michelle - i’m looking through you - in my life
Nice album, very « Beatles » indeed, and weirdly enough I’d only heard 1 or 2 of these songs before !
I’m a big fan of this middle period Beatles where they were still straddling the early pop sound of their early albums with the experimentation of their later period. I much prefer Revolver, but there’s some gold on Rubber Soul and it was nice to revisit it as one of my least listened to Beatles albums.
It's the Beatles. They make good music.
Piste préférée : Girl J'aime bien, mais un peu en dessous du reste de leur discographie selon moi
Beatles komt sowieso niet onder de 4 bij mij. Ik vind dit album leuk, maar mist naar mijn mening echte hits. Runtime van 35 min is wel top
A very important bridge for The Beatles, but not 5*
A transitional album for the beatles between their pop and experimental sound. Doesn't have the juice of their later albums, but it's still damn good.
i’m not afraid to say the beatles are actually good and not overhyped they’re kinda like The Office - everyone in the world knows about em. contrarians and hipsters and lames love to hate em. but they’re actually good
The annoying thing about The Beatles is that they genuinely are that good. This isn't even close to their best album, probably best described as the first album in an 8 album run that defined western pop music. The whole album is insanely listenable, and songs like Norwegian Wood show just how cutting edge and influential they were every single album. 4 Stars according to the rating system I've been using and am outlining in text for the first time below: 5 Stars: A great album I love, and one which I will be purchasing physically to have as a part of a permanent collection. 4 Stars: I get why the albums on the list and I like it, but it isn't going in the permanent collection. 3 Stars: I get why the albums on the list but I don't much care about it. 2 Stars: I get why its on the list but I hate it. 1 Stars: Either: I understand why its on the list but I hate it with the core of my being, or, I don't know why I listened to this, and it could be removed from the list tomorrow.
Beep-beep beep-beep, yeeaah Most of the songs are good, Nowhere Man and In My Life are great. Michelle kinda sucks. Run For Your Life is yikes.
Pura nostalgia. Para nós brasileiros lembra demais a "Jovem Guarda".
Great album showcasing the lads when learning their craft and harmonies
basically they won 1965, how many more years can they just win outright?
Good album, liked a lot.
antes de escuchar este disco ya venía con un bias, mi vieja es fanática de ellos así que básicamente crecí escuchándolos. ahora que escuché con conciencia su música me pareció muy bueno, sentí que algunos temas eran similares entre sí pero la fórmula funcionaba, se puede escuchar tranquilamente de seguido. no es algo que me haya volado la cabeza tampoco, pero es un disco muy digno de uno de los grupos musicales más grandes de la historia.
This is The Beatles' transitional album. Between the British Invasion/Merseybeat sounds of their earlier output and the experimental and psychedelic later work. And as such, it doesn't really excel at either of the two styles but the will of the group to evolve and try new things is palpable. Also, this is The Beatles, after all, so the songwriting is bulletproof. Key tracks: Drive My Car Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) The Word Michelle In My Life
splendid pop but Lennon's bitter misogyny spoils it at the end
An interesting mix. They still do their bubblegum stuff that I don’t like, but they start playing with the weird stuff I love.
amazing, grew up with this album and i still love it
First time through this Beatles record. Just like I've heard, it's quite good. More straightforward than some of the stuff they'd do very soon after, but you can see how they've matured from their earlier records here. Very competent, and a blissful listen. It really breezes by. Standouts: Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, In My Life
I've actually never listened to a Beatles album before ever in my 26 years on this planet. Probably because everyone I knew who were super into The Beatles were born-in-the-wrong-generation kids (aka massive losers). Plus I always thought they were massively overrated from just listening to their hits. My standouts on this record all seemed to have some sort of Blue's inspiration. What Goes On and I'm Looking Through You specifically. Those two songs were outstanding, but looking at streaming rates, they seem to be the most overlooked. I'm also not sure why In My Life gets all the praise from this record, that song was the most boring on this album lmao. It was a fairly enjoyable listen, I wouldn't call myself a fanatic about this album, but it's got a lot going for it. Great production, quality, good writing, interesting instrumentals. I've also gotta give props to the fact this album doesn't go for 500000 minutes. I love it when an album runtime starts with a 3, which is something the Brits tend to struggle with. I'd definitely come back to this when I'm in the mood to listen to Wifebeater & Other Couple of Drugfucked Fellas. OOPS - I meant to say The Beatles.
It’s the Beatles what do you want me to say? There’s only so many jokes you can make about domestic violence and being way too into India.
It takes a pretty complicated guy to write a song as beautiful as In My Life and then also Run For Your Life.
Can’t beat the harmonies and that tight-knit sound. Funky, groovy. Revolutionary.
My first Beatles album on here. It’s catchy, it’s interesting, and it’s actually pretty calming.
Very good of course
What many would consider the beginning of the peak of the Beatles albums, great album not a bad song on it.
It’s the fucking Beatles. Didn’t finish it, probably 4 star.
I love this transition period of the Beatles, that fertile time around 1965 when they were rapidly evolving from kiddie pop to creative visionaries, and the albums hint at where they are going. Rubber Soul and Revolver are the Ur examples of that. Rubber Soul is the comparatively weaker of the two, but it is always welcome in the rotation. Some absolutely classic songs here too, like “In My Life” and “Michelle.” I have always been upset with the misogyny of the final track, “Run For Your Life”, an unfortunate blot on the Beatles discography.
non so perchè non riesco a dare cinque stelle ai Beatles, ma credo di star aspettando alcuni album che so per certo esserci su questo benedetto sito. questo è splendido, bella la sperimentazione musicale (e non), ma non mi ha convinto troppo, a parte alcune eccezioni tipo Norwegian Wood che vabbè l'avrò sentita milioni di volte e non mi annoia mai. c'è sempre qualcosa che ancora manca, e non riesco a capire cosa sia.
Das erste Album das hier kam, dass ich schon kannte. Meiner Meinung eines der besten Beatlesalben. Ziemlich gut, aber nicht perfekt. 4 1/2.
I liked it less than I remember, though that might be because I listened to it in the car while my parents talked about god knows what the whole time
This is not yet the Beatles' best work, but I appreciate both the Folk and Baroque influences on their standard Rock sound. Favorite Track: In My Life
1️⃣Nowhere Man
fav songs: norwegian wood, in my life, wait least fav songs: run for your life
Middle Beatles continues to be my favorite Beatles. My goodness, though, Run For Your Life didn't age great.
При прослушивании данного альбома после передовых групп современности складывается ощущение, что пятый альбом битлов покрылся первым незаметным слоем пыли за свои 60 лет. Безусловно в нем есть яркие проблески песен, вошедших в классику мировой музыки, с которыми я уже был знаком (girl, michelle, in my life), но остальные треки звучат больше как филерные, как переход к великим и по-настоящему потрясающим песням. Альбом слушается легко, присутствует знакомый вайб альбомов the beatles, поэтому слушать его можно в любое время в любом месте и с удовольствием. Уверенное 4/5. p.s. Прослушав подкаст «1001» от Физтех.Радио, мое мнение, на удивление, совпало с мнением ребят. Не думал, что такое возможно :)
Fine album , some strange songs.
This is one album we have, so I listened to it rather than on Spotify, which by the way is a remastered version and much different regarding number of tracks and sequencing. Anyhow, this album highlights the Beatles as they begin to change direction. There are some vintage Beatles tracks along with some more creative ones. Many of these were big radio hits. Very good overall but not quite five stars.
Another Beatles so soon! But I have it in my mind that this is one of my favorite Beatles albums... let's see if that's true. I did not realise 'Drive my Car' is from the lady's perspective! Suddenly, a relatable bop. Beep beep, beep beep, yeah. Wait, she doesn't even have a car and the car is a metaphor? Don't make it weird, Beatles. I first heard 'Norweigian Wood' from playing it in my "Beginning Piano" 2-credit fun course in college. After hearing 20 of us noobs slowly play our way through it, dozens of times? I still like it. I like all of their sitar songs so far! And ones with animals in? (birds, Octopus, Piggies...?) I also like 'You Won't See Me' (even if the title is similar to 'You Don't Send Me' and liable to be mixed up with that by me, a master mixer-upper). 'Nowhere Man' and 'Think for Yourself' are just OK. 'The Word' is not great. This is the doldrums of the album. I don't think I'd actually heard 'Michelle' before, but I like it. The idea of Paul McCartney singing in French makes me lol. 'What Goes On' is just OK. I like 'Girl', although that may be because it's in the lauded film 'Across the Universe'. 'I'm Looking Through You' is decent. 'In My Life' is great and makes me sad. 'Wait' and 'If I Needed Someone' are good. 'Run For Your Life' is of course lyrically bad, but honestly it's so jangly I kind of like it. Long story shorter: yes! I do like this album! my favorite Beatles yet. It still feels like it'd be too big of a deal for me to give this my first 5, but it's like a 4.5. (It's hard to calibrate my ratings when I don't know what's to come! Maybe Wilco is actually a 5! Maybe all my bad days are actually good!)
Starting to hear bits of what they would become, too many of them are a bit bland by the standard of The Beatles. I always forget how good their voices actually are!
Baby you can drive my car. Vilken öppningslåt! Rakt igenom ett svängigt och nyskapande album. Kul!
Favorite Track: In My Life
wtf was that song threatening murder. but pretty good album just still not my thing. some really fun cool parts.
It's the Beatles!
I like this album because you can tell the band members are very talented. These songs are also very catchy.
I like the album because the guitar in the background sounds really cool. I like how their voices sound and how slow they are but not too slow. I like how the lyrics go with his voice and the background music is really cool. I would recommend this album to people like my family and friends.
Have you ever listened to the Beatles? I have. I like these songs because they are catchy and made by good singers
its goodish I'm not really sure but I like the background sounds. in some parts I cant really understand what they are saying. I would maybe recommend it.
Classic album! Plenty of proper bangers on rhis album. This album feels very influential. I do feel like it is pretty aged, but still holds up after 60 years. Not an album I am likely to play, but I'm happy to listen to.
these guys are so niche
I like this better than the last Beatles album I got. Felt more enjoyable, despite not having many of the hits.
Not my favourite Beatles album but a few great songs In my Life Nowhere Man, Norwegian Wood Beatles always pop up in my favourites
Hard not to give this a good rating when it has In My Life on it. However, Ringo is much preferred as the voice of Thomas than the voice of the Beatles. Lots to like.
Drive My Car (upbeat, catchy tunes), romantic, (Norwegian Wood, You Won't See Me), lighthearted
Not their best album, but I mean it's the Beatles! Definitively more melodic, compared with a lot of the other albums I've listened to lately.
Oh these guys doing their mid-Sixties jingle jangle music with clear catchy melodies at often jaunty tempos. Beep Beep and Beep Beep Yeah. This is the album before the album where they make their deep run of records that solidifies their greatness. Listen, that's not a diss — there's also something that still pleases the ear about this wax and many of the tracks here are already pointing the way on what's to come. But the fab four are only earning that today.
Una mezcla muy linda entre los primeros álbumes y los últimos, qué ternura!!!
It can be hard to rate the Beatles because their best songs set the bar incredibly high, and at the same time they had no qualms about including throwaway songs on their albums either (mostly due to the very short timeframes they were working with). And then of course there is the practice of not including the singles on the album. Replace Run For Your Life with Daytripper and that might be your fifth star. So, yes, it is a classic, but not a stone cold killer album.
Som med alla beatles skivor hållar jag denna högt, men tycker inte den är övergången från tidiga beatles, bara den bästa verisionen av det. Från ett musikrevolutionerande perspektiv är detta ingenting. Hursomhelst alla låtar är bra
Pretty cool album, good country music, probably will listen to it if I want something as my background music
I am not particularly lazy and usually have a lot to say, but the Beatles are the Beatles and again, there is a reason why they are timeless and live at the top of the pop rock food chain. This album is no exception, although ironically, considered one of the best, I find it not quite my favorite. Nevertheless it is as most of their catalog, worth listening to.
Excellent.
I don’t really have much to say for this one, it’s a great album made by a band that would change music forever
This is a super underrated Beatles album. It’s not my favorite but it’s still worth your time. I never liked this one as a kid but it’s aged well and has grown on me. There’s a bunch of good songs on this one even if you don’t like the big hit on this album.
Essy listen.
Definitely one of the better Beatles releases, one of the few that's not overrated. Some points reminded me of Nimrod-era Green Day
A classic banger! However some of the song lyrics do NOT hold up well 😂
ok, my fav Beatles album personally, Michelle is a banger
A great album that was arguably the turning point for The Beatles musically.
Well, I don't know, I think I'm giving a good note for this album just because it's the Beatles. It's an okay record, but it doesn't stand out of the line-up of other rock releases from the same era. Nice and polished sound, but otherwise it's more hype than actual good music. I like their experimental songs more, and Rubber Soul, in my opinion, is not it.
Beatles at their peak
Great Beatles album. One of their most enjoyable.
It's the beatles, pretty standard listen. I enjoy it
Good job Beatles
The Beatles album are nice because they are short, there is a high floor for the quality of the music, and the cultural cachet. This one is decent but a lot of the songs sounded more like the other 60's albums on this list, more so than Revolver or Abbey Road. As of now this is 3rd on my ranking of Beatles albums I've listened to (Revolver, Abbey Road, Rubber Soul, Hard Day's Night). Low 4.
7/10 - the Beatles always sound like the Beatles
Similar to other Beatles albums. Liked it a lot, really high 4
It’s a classic Beatles album, what more can be said
Great early sounding Beatles album
无需多言
I enjoyed the tracks I already knew - for nostalgic reasons, I guess. The ones I didn't remember seemed to be for good reason...
Nice
One of my favourite Beatles albums. Very nearly a 5 but not quite - regretting that 4 I hastily gave the White Album because it was the first Beatles I encountered in the project.
always fun
It's weird that I'm getting the beatles discography in order. I think this is the first "good" album by them. in that it feels like a cohesive album and not a series of songs. That being said, John Lennon is still creepy as hell. The more I listen to these early albums the more I realize just how good Yoko ono was to him as a person? or at least as a songwriter. Run is such a demented and terrifying song. But I love In My Life. Probably one of my favorite songs of them. I'm having a hard time giving this such a low rating because of that one song, but man what horrible lyrics...
This album has some of my favorite Beatles songs on it; I'll never get sick of Norwegian Wood, Michelle, Nowhere Man and I'm Looking Through You.
Cba to write a full review. Like the Beatles, like the album, love in my life
Rubber Soul is the turning point where you can clearly see the move away from songs in the style of She Loves You and Please Please Me, and the Fab Four exploring more mature themes and starting to include more instruments and production techniques. There are a few nods in this direction with Drive My Car and Run For Your Life. Norwegian Wood is an odd tale of late night encounters, simple and stripped back accompanied with sitar which was obviously a rarity in contemporary music in 1965. You Won't See Me, and Nowhere Man are well-written and have the classic three part harmonies working to lovely effect. Nowhere Man has some especially satisfying vocal melodies, ‘the wur-er-er-eld is at your command’ being my favourite. Think For Yourself has that wicked fuzzy lead riff throughout, again, good lyrics and vocals. Effective tambourine and shaker tinkering as well. The Word is junky, jerky and irreverent, while still having sweet harmonies at its core. I've always found Michelle a bit pretentious and wanky. It sounds nice enough though. What Goes On isn't even a good C-Side, god bless Ringo. I find Girl similar to Michelle but a far more well-rounded song and not wanky. I also like the sucking backing vocal thing they do, and the deh-deh-deh-deh-deh bits. Understated bit of mandolin sits nicely behind the plodding bassline and almost reversed symbol strikes. I'm Looking Through You is maybe my favourite. Everything is on point again, and Billy Preston has that mean bit of harpsichord that George plays a little riff over too. Billy also did a cool cover of this. The hand clapping/knee slapping even works. In My Life is sublime. Incredibly simple musically, but lyrically rich, a heartfelt composition. George Martin's piano solo is a joyous addition. Wait is also in contention for my favourite song on the album. It is one of the best examples of a Lennon and McCartney song, the angst and spikiness of Lennon's words and music, and the bouncing perkiness of McCartney’s. Day In The Life is the best example of a Lennon/McCartney number. If I Needed Someone sounds more like a song from Help! It's a little throw away but fine. Rubber Soul gets 4. Some superb moments, but not sheer brilliance just yet, and I feel compelled to mention how much I hate the cover and their hair at this time.
Definitely on the bottom half of Beatles records for me but still very good. I have a very boring stance on The Beatles, which is that I think they're great. I love early Beatles, I love late Beatles. I still really like mid-era Beatles, just not as much.
A classic that I haven't probably given enough credit to in the past. "Run for Your Life" gets creepier with each subsequent listen.
Groovy and it's the Beatles, come on... can't be too bad. Even though I give 4 stars, I have to agree with Finn that the songs are a bit "whimsical".
Tunes that I would add to my playlist
Long ago i heard it, didnt have time and energy to listen again this time, sorry..but sure still worth listeniing
Good album. Underappreciated
It is hard to imagine what music would sound like without the Beatles. Even though I never listened to this album before, I still knew most of the songs. They are all solid. I even liked the out of place honky tonk tune Ringo sang. Actually, that was one of my favorites. All that said, I like this album, but don’t love it. That’s just my taste, always been more of a Stones guy. By the way, what was with Run For Your Life? Sounds happy and fun, but is an actual death threat? I can’t imagine they play d that one live very often.
I love a lot of these songs but I can't stand the breathing sighing in Girl.
as you would expect a solid Album
One of my father's favorite bands. This album has some good songs on it. Still before their more radical works.
Graded entirely on a Beatles Curve, and mainly 4 stars only because the best songs on this album are largely B-sides on a Beatles Greatest Hits album.
Straddles that line between purely poppy (Drive My Care, I'm Looking Through You) and starting to get a little more introspective (In My Life) with only a few misses (The Word, What Goes On.) Better than Revolver, but not the sheer genius of some of their later stuff.
It’s so tempting to go 5 stars for this one, it’s got Norwegian Wood! And Nowhere Man! But it also has some arguably more fillery songs, and ends with my least favorite Beatles song of all time. So, while this is nearly classic, it’s not top tier Beatles. But still I mean, really good.
There’s no denying that these guys were on a whole other level when making music. Some of the best musicians and songwriters of all time. That doesn’t mean all their albums are five stars. I can’t argue with this being on the list, it’s just not my favorite of theirs.
Liked it
Ενα κλασσικο αλμπουμ των Beatles. Φυσικα και αγαπω τον ηχο τους και τους πειραματισμους τους για την εποχη τους. Το συγκεκριμενο project εχει πολλα στοιχεια folk μουσικης οποτε δεν ειναι σιγουρα ενα απτα προσωπικα αγαπημενα μου. Rating: A-
I'll admit that I'm not a big Beatles fan, and as a result not particularly familiar with their discography or history, but even a great unwashed like myself know the album's name and its place in the pantheon of rock's history and trajectory. (Although I still found it hard to read through the excessive panegyric Wikipedia entry for this album; way too many superlatives and foundational statements.) This is one of the few albums in this collection where I really wish I could somehow listen to this album in the context of when and where it was released, so I could possibly better appreciate how earth-shattering it seemed to be to so many musicians as well as formative rock critics. There are only a few tracks that I haven't heard before (e.g. "What goes on" doesn't even sound like the Beatles to me, and not just because of Ringo Starr's rare vocal lead), and yet this is the first time I've heard the album in its entirety. I enjoyed it, and it was fascinating to hear a sort of transition from early- to later-Beatles taking place in this album.
Absolutely full of amazing songs, lots of which were unfamiliar to me to a greater or lesser extent. Norwegian Wood has a fairly repugnant meaning but instrumentally it's amazing, soft and gentle, beautiful. What Goes On sounds more like early Beatles, where they were trying to sound more American and hadn't developed their own style so much. Wait, really like the descending notes on this. If I Needed Someone also great, nice and simple but really clean. One reoccuring theme seems to be genuine bitterness and failed relationships - probably self-inflicted, in my opinion, at this stage in their careers and lives.
Druk druk druk deze week. Maar dit album heeft niet veel woorden nodig, anders dan dat dit een dierbaar muziekstuk is. Het belichaamt dat moment dat de 'boy band' transformeerde in een geraffineerd en wereldwijs muziek ensemble. Echt een belangrijk ijkpunt in één van de belangrijkere discografieën uit de muziekgeschiedenis. Je hoort het onschuldige en speelse van de eerste jaren nog genoeg terug op het album, maar de experimentatie met verschillende (exotische) instrumenten en onorthodoxe akkoordenschema's zorgt dat het in een heel ander pakket wordt gepresenteerd. De sound is ondanks z'n Indiase inbreng ook nog gewoon heel erg Europees, en ik vind dit misschien wel hun meest continentale album die ze gemaakt hebben. Je hoort zoveel verschillende culturen terug op dit album, die de catchy tunes na meerdere luisterbeurten toch telkens verfrissend houden. Het einde is ietwat slapjes, maar het is wel weer gewoon een plaat die een sterk argument vormt voor het statement dat we het hebben over de beste popgroep ooit. 8/10 Highlights: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) You Won't See Me Michelle In My Life
Rubber Soul is een keerpunt is het oeuvre van the Beatles. Daarna zouden ze geen shows meer geven en klinkt vooral de muziek een stuk volwassener. Geen covers meer en de introductie van veel nieuwe geluiden in instrumenten. Rubber Soul verwijst nog wel naar de invloed van zwarte soul en rock 'n roll waar the Beatles (aldus henzelf) als witte Britse ventjes niet aan konden tippen. De eerste nummers van Rubber Soul gaan er vervolgens in als zoete koek. Stuk voor stuk hits. What Goes On vind ik een omslagpunt. Het is het Ringo nummer op de plaat en valt een beetje tegen. Daarna ben ik een beetje afgehaakt. Tuurlijk blijft het goed, maar het mist net de kracht van de volgende albums. 8/10 Highlights Norwegian Wood Nowhere Man
First album where the Fab 4 start to get interesting. It is flawed (see tbe last song) but pop wise rather it's rather epic.
This is the second Beatles album I've served up, and after being pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the first one it's more of the same here. I've never got The Beatles before, but there is no denying that they created some great music. It wasn't as good as Revolver (the other album) but not far off.
Now the Beatles are starting to really get going. Some all time songs and a few songs that I find too cookie cutter sixties. Overall great stuff
Not bad for being like 60 years old.
Good tweener for the Beatles. Still fairly poppy with plenty of replay value, but they were also starting to experiment with new and more interesting sounds. Enjoyable listen, although in my opinion their best was yet to come.
Not my favorite Beatles album. Drive My Car is just…stupid. I get there’s innovation and stuff we take for granted now, but as a current listen it doesn’t hold up for me. I’ll go to four stars for In My Life, but it’s really a 3.5 for me.
this one is so cute, so sunny, so comforting
This album definitely shows The Beatles transitional phase. The first two songs alone show their early more pop sound and the sound that would define their later work. Good mix, rating it against other Beatles albums.
It’s amazing. It’s not their best. It’s hard to give this less than 5 but 4.5 I suppose.
CD
I really enjoy this album. I am not a Beatles expert, but this is now the fifth album we've had by them and my opinions are developing. I enjoy this 'middle' era a lot. Their sound changes a lot from "With The Beatles" to "Abbey Road", and this album is a lot closer to the end than the beginning. It feels like a lot of the songwriting and compositional elements of Sgt. Peppers are present here, and I like that sound a lot. It doesn't have many standout bangers like Abbey Road does, but it has a very consistent quality throughout. 8/10
Seminal album in between their boyband love song era and their fully experimental era. In my life, Norwegian wood, Drive my car, Nowhere man all classics. A bit padded as an album but gets a high grade for these highlights.
Beatles becoming Beatles
nicht schlecht
Charming collection of songs. Clearly set up for more. Am I wrong in that this is their transition?
Awesome
Maybe one of my favourite Beatles albums, so far. Quite inventive (as usual) and some great, catchy songs starting with the opener, Drive My Car. However The Beatles rarely move me emotionally, most songs are just well-made pop songs. There is not a lot of musical coherence across the album, they are mostly individual songs (the lyrics align more though). And why do they always have to include some bad songs on each album? Here it's Michelle (really?) and What Goes On. But no doubt, this album is creative and very influential. Too good for a 3, but not quite a 5. For a 5 I'd like more coherence, no bad songs, and just me enjoying it more.
Not a bad track on it and good variety. Only really exciting song though is the very problematic one
A lot of classic pop tracks I’m pretty familiar with. It doesn’t dazzle as an “album” as opposed to a collection of great songs and the insuttumental is not outstanding enough but the song writing and catchyness and classic factors don’t let it drop below a solid 4
as paul says, "it's great, it's sold, it's the bloody beatles!" Love this album always. My top favorites will always be Drive My Car and I'm Looking Through You, but I really enjoyed Think for Yourself, Wait, and If I Needed Someone more than I remembered. Like REALLY enjoyed If I Needed Someone, like whoa have I been sleeping on that one for awhile (#don’t forget about GEROGE!). I love when you have period phases being obsessed with an album, and each time you get hooked on different songs, and over time you end up having had a Moment with every song on there. I feel like this listen was the final round for me that made that true of this album. Previously, I felt like there were some gaps between the real standouts where the album lags a bit for me, but those songs were the ones that got me this time??? So I guess the cycle is complete…. Fav tracks: Drive My Car, I’m Looking Through You, If I Needed Someone, Norwegian Wood, I’m actually going to stop myself because I can feel that I’m just about to list every song. (besides What Goes On…sorry Ringo) Actually no. I am going to instead rank the songs by category for an album like this that I know too well because I can’t bear the thought of not sharing my full opinions…. TOP FAVORITES (historically): Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, I’m Looking Through You Also awesome to me right now: If I Needed Someone, Think For Yourself Also awesome to me (historically): Michelle, Nowhere Man Middle category: In My Life, You Won’t See Me, Wait, Girl Meh: Run For Your Life, The Word No: What Goes On (sorry ringo again)
My main Beatles experience comes from listening to a few compilation albums my parents have, so I knew some songs from this album, but not all. In general I can acknowledge the massive influence the Beatles have had on music, but a lot of their songs are not what I want to listen to in my regular listening. I'm not sure what it is, because I do enjoy them. Just not enough. I would give this 3.5 stars so rounded it is ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The great outweigh the meh!
better than sgt peppers
Nice
Not bad. Not bad at all, apart from that super creepy last song. Having the vocals only on one channel was a little disconcerting, like Paul or John was sitting on a little stool in the corner of the room. Ringo, what are you doing way over in the other corner? Are you sulking? Did you boys have another tiff? Random thoughts: It amuses me to refer to the album as R. Soul It's a shame that when the Beatles were dabbling in computer graphics in early 1970 Ringo was in the pub with Keith Moon when they invented the .jpg format.
Listened to many, many times previously. The continued transformation of the Beatles from a pop band to psychedelia. Excellent album.
Finally. An album I like.
What can I say about The Beatles ? Not very much. I only own one of their albums (Sgt. Pepper"s) but know most of their songs. Weakest song of this album is Michelle, never really liked that one. Rest is enjoyable happy music.
Great album.
redefining music
This is a great album. Worthy of being on this list. It's where the Beatles start to grow up and become a bit less pop. Plus it influenced Brian Wilson to write Pet Sounds.
It’s by no means their best but if you put into context what follows, revolver then sgt pepper and what predated this I.e Help, it’s a huge moment artistically for the Beatles. Gone are the pop singles about girls and in are the folky, soul, jazz, and psychedelic infused deep songs filled with some of the best lyricism and vocals to go along with it. The Beatles if for nothing else, should be known for their ability to evolve and not stick to what worked. Songs like Norwegian wood, in my life, Michelle, etc stay on the brain all day and don’t tire. They’re masters of their craft and any day it’s a Beatles album is a good day!! It’s a 4 but only cause what follows after is just so so much better in every way but they don’t get let it be without this album just as much as Pink Floyd doesn’t get dark side without meddle and atom heart mother
One of the most important documents in pop music history really doesn't sound like it after nearly 60 years. But in its context it really was earth-shattering and made it okay for rock and pop artists to explore what THEY wanted, and not the record company or the producer. Push the envelope and try to do more than your friendly rivals, and you end up with arguably the most creative period in music. Play with exotic non-western instruments. Upend a song structure. Cut some tapes up and throw them back together. Rubber Soul is the root cause of every album you love (and possibly hate as well, I don't know for sure). But for sure The Beatles started it. Whatever it is. The music itself is great - not spectacular - but again the value is in the new construction, like post-modernism in art, nothing was ever the same after it. Sadly, we have returned to the pre-Beatles era where commercialism is the driving force behind pop music, leaving virtually no place for art. There are still great musicians and singers. But their self-expression is absent, it seems. Maybe another Beatles will come along and change that. But that's as unlikely as the first Beatles were.
Its easy to forget how actually impressive the Beatles were. I was expecting this to be a lot lower.
Been listening to this album for years. Run for your life is still a creepy song
Good album. Pretty enjoyable all the way through. 4/5
I think this is a good Beatles album, but I don’t think it is consistent enough for me. The few times I’ve now listened to it, I find there to be songs I love, and songs I think are just okay. Honestly, a lot of albums of theirs are like this for me. This album was a turning point for them, and their influence over the industry. But I’m not here to rate just on only influence, I also have to rate the music. So for this one I’m giving it a 3.5, rounded up to a 4 on the challenge site.
It's still sounds fresh for 1965. But it's Beatles so... They've packed a lot of songs on a 34 minutes album and most of them somehow memorable. But it's Beatles so...
Great album. One of the Beatles' best "early" albums, I daresay, along with Help! "In My Life" is especially beautiful and bittersweet.
Norwegian wood is a classic
So many great tracks on this album; Michelle, Girl, Nowhere Man. I'd say this is the Beatles album that showcases their harmonies more than any other. 7 / 10
mis re amores 8.5/10
Ok
It's the Beatles - early-ish album with a lot of known tracks. I enjoyed it.
Underrated Beatles album
It sounds a little more dated than some of the later Beatles albums, but is still a banger.
Some gorgeous classics mixed with some meh unknowns. Might have been five stars, but the last song is SO violently misogynistic I need to deduct. I understand it was different times but it still left a bitter taste.
I don't feel I can give the Beatles anything less than a four in good conscience. But this did test that theory.
Os caras são icônicos, não tem jeito. É uma das poucas bandas que conheço que são extremamente consistentes na qualidade de todos os seus álbuns. Rubber Soul não é dos meus favoritos, mas ainda assim é um ótimo álbum. Ele é divertido e bonito ao mesmo tempo. Não ironicamente já cantei muito "Drive My Car" no carro com o meu pai e já me apaixonei por "Michelle". "Norwegian Wood" tem as características de um belo poema e dá a sensação de que é uma música criada há alguns séculos atrás e sobreviveu à passagem do tempo. Em "Girl" eles estavam cheirados (é um elogio). O final do álbum lembra um pouco a primeira fase dos Beatles, tocando aquele rock dançante marcado pela batida do pandeiro. Enfim, bom demais. Fiquei bem feliz escutando.
Primeira vez escutando um álbum dos Beatles, então nesse caso acho que contexto é importante. Nunca tive dúvida da qualidade da banda, nem sou maluco a ponto de negar sua influência, mas ao mesmo tempo, nunca tive muito interesse em me aprofundar na discografia do grupo, ainda mais considerando que esse é daqueles conjuntos onde você acaba conhecendo muitas músicas por osmose. Embora ainda não tenha certeza se ouvir Rubber Soul seja o suficiente para mudar essa opinião, dá para entender melhor a notoriedade que esses músicos ganharam ao longo das décadas e que perdura até hoje. O som é muitas vezes pop, e as músicas dançantes, mas não é algo genérico. Inclusão de influências como um instrumento indiano como Sitar em "Norwegian Wood" (descoberta que fiz pesquisando mais sobre a música no google) ou versos em francês em "Michelle" trazem personalidade pro álbum e exemplificam a versatilidade da banda. Apesar dessa característica, determinadas músicas apostam na repetição das letras para ajudar a popularizar as faixas e envolver o ouvinte (o que funciona até certo ponto, já que na segunda vez escutando já tinha vários trechos gravados na mente), mas que pessoalmente acho que perdem a mão em alguns momentos. Mesmo com a curta duração do disco, com todas as músicas tendo pouco mais de 2 minutos cada, com exceção de "You Won't See Me", algumas delas podem soar repetitivas e cansar, me fazendo desejar logo a passagem pra música seguinte. Talvez seja apenas questão de costume ou ampliar o repertório da banda, mas que me chamou a atenção com o limitado conhecimento que tenho deles. Isso dito, curti a experiência, e talvez se torne uma porta de entrada para conhecer mais, o tempo dirá... 7.5/10
Beatles are always to be ranked highly, but it’s interesting to see that in their very short and popular run, there’s an album that is fairly light on the hits.
A surprisingly quick listen! Definitely heavier on the "folksy" elements than I usually think of for Beatles songs, kind of somewhere between the more straight 60's pop of their first albums and the more experimental later albums. I'm kind of surprised I haven't really heard any of these songs before, or at least not as often as with their other discography. Several very unique songs, even different from others on the album. Favorite song: "I'm Looking Through You" or "You Won't See Me" Best representation of the album: "The Word"
it's not my fave beatles album but it's great, love the calmer vibe
Classics, strong beginning and end to the album.
Love this album.
Se puede afirmar que Rubber Soul es el disco en el que los de Liverpool alcanzan la madurez en términos creativos y en los contenidos de sus canciones. Estilísticamente este disco es un clásico del folk-rock, claramente influidos por los Byrds, pero sus experimentaciones en el estudio les llevan también a incluir nuevas texturas de cuerda y a experimentar con algo de distorsión e incluso utilizar instrumentos ajenos al rock como el sitar que aparece en "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" o el piano con sonido de clavicordio que suena en "In My Life". Me encanta "Nowhere Man", primer tema en el que los Beatles dejan totalmente a un lado el contenido romántico para hablarnos de un ser que es libre a costa de no tener opinión ni expectativas de futuro. También me gustan los temas románticos, "Michelle" y "Girl". Pero si algo adoro en este disco es la simpleza lírica de canciones como "Drive My Car" y "You Won't See Me", en las que consiguen inspirar la imaginación para crear historias de amor y desamor con muy pocas palabras.
Gefällt mir grösstenteils, wenig Beatle-unerträgliches mit vielen bekannten Lieder.
Classic
I haven't spent much time with this beatles album compared to other beatles albums. I have really loved Norwegian Wood though for a while. I don't love the hard panning on this album. It kind of hurts my ears. In My Life is an amazing song. The lyrics of Run For Your Life are terrible.
This is a great record. This is that transition point for The Beatles, where they really start experimenting with what they can do with pop music and mixing in some psychedelic elements. The winners on this record are the bookends. It comes in hot, lulls in the middle and then picks up at the end. Drive My Car feels like early Beatles. Whimsical, upbeat, conventional. But then they shift gears with Norwegian Wood and gets really weird and wonderful with that Citar. And it really hums along and rolls all the way through Nowhere Man. After that, I kind of loose interest. Its fun, but nothing really draws me in. Until we get to I'm Looking Through You. That one starts, and I'm right back in it. I love the folk and bluesy elements of this song. In My Life comes up next, which is probably the real reason this is on this list. That's one the best songs ever written. ALLLLL the feelings with that song. And after its all great. It draws me back in and I remember how much I love this record.
Это классика, что тут скажешь
Pretty good stuff
Oh hell yeah.
There's a bit of 'filler' -if it's not blasphemous to say so. This is the Beatles doing away with the doowop but not quite at the groundbreaking experimentation of future albums. Songwriting is of course top tier - Norwegian Wood, In My LIfe, Ticket to Ride, and Drive My Car would all be enough to launch a career for other musicians.
Enjoyable Beatles albums, beautiful harmonies and composition
Decent 9 I’m surprised it was this quick for me to get a Beatles record but anyways, this is my 2nd favorite Beatles record! It has a mixed of their early and later works and the flow of the record is perfect. Fav Tracks: Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Think For Yourself, Michelle, In My Life, Wait Least Fav Track: Run For Your Life(I like it, was never a big fan as a closer tho)
Yes, it's a great album, but it's not nearly my favorite by them, and I don't really desire to go back to it. However, the influence is obviously insanely large, and it is a fun listen. And "Nowhere Man" may be one of my favorite Beatles songs.
Am I becoming a Beatles fan in 2024??
I've listened to it several times, my father is a Beatles fan. And that I have listened to several albums of the Liverpool band many times, however never much this one.
So many great songs and one of my favorite Beatles songs in Nowhere Man. This album might be my #2 after the White Album but its pretty close to a three way tie for first between this, white alb, and Sgt Pepper's. What a killer period of music making.
Good album. Not my favourite Beatles album, but it's a great little listen.
Its the beatles innit
A mid Beatles album is still a very good album
I still think revolver is the best
In My Life is the best Beatles song imo
Unmistakably Beatles. Their harmonies stand out to me. Good background music, always great to add a little extra texture in a movie/show.
4-
It's the Beatles. Standouts are Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, In My Life, and Run For Your Life.
Good album with a few lesser known hits.
I've always been more Team Stones than Team Beatles. Shallow perhaps, but I love the swag and the energy. "Imagine" put me right off John Lennon when I was 12, and Macca has written some right old nonsense. However... I'm re-appraising the songwriting ability and influence of Lennon and Macca in the Beatles days (lol. Not like they needed me to). (I already rated George). There are a few misfires on here: songs that are too twee for me (Macca *cough* and "Girl" was pretty dreary). But it's the chord progressions that you need to appreciate, innit. I'm beginning to realise that collectively, they all did invent quite a lot of Stuff. I'm embarrassed to have to quote from Wiki: "it has been recognised by music critics as an album that opened up the possibilities of pop music in terms of lyrical and musical scope." Yeah, that. I owned this album already, and I stand by George's songs as being the best ones for my taste; I hadn't listened much to the rest, although I knew the hits. But I now concede: it's a good album, and Lennon and Macca are all right I suppose ;)
It’s pretty bloody good from start to finish. My only criticism is that John Lennon is involved…..
Having grown up taking the Beatles completely for granted it was good to listen to an album I’d never heard before. My dad had many of their albums but not this one. Enjoyed the tracks I already knew and good to discover some new ones.
Stone cold
I’d argue that Rubber Soul is THE album which led to the album itself becoming the definitive format for rock and pop releases, rather than singles/individual songs. The next 2 Beatles albums (Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s) furthered this trend, but this is where it began. Rubber Soul is where the Beatles started becoming more poetic and deeper in their lyrics (even if they didn’t really mean anything, they’re not just standard puppy love songs anymore) and experimental in their instrumentation. And while this isn’t a perfect album, it is very very good, and its success allowed The Beatles (and many other artists) to develop perfect albums.
7.5/10
i am scared of bugs
As someone who used to be a certified Beatles HATER, I have so much love for this album because it contains some of their music that made me GET IT ( in the beginning....i misunderstood... hahahahah) I love this album so much it is so cohesive and brilliant and amazing and the vibes are so good, I don't know how to explain but it makes me feel so alive and present and awake and real That being said...the exceptionally popular tracks on this record (Drive My Car, Michelle, Norwegian Wood and In My Life) REALLY shine, which makes the rest of it a bit dull in comparison I think it is incredibly solid, but not perfect 4/5
Okay I get what all the noise is about the Beatles. They're good and overall the album is really nice. I like the smooth riffs going on and the harmonizing between the voices is nice. Some of the song lyrics hit that sweet spot between being simple enough to understand while also be nuanced enough to make the gears in your brain turn.
Still not a Beatles guy, but I did like this album more than the other one I listened to. Still difficult to get past the corniness, don’t care how much of a legacy these guys have. I was able to appreciate more of it, though. The first time I’d heard In My Life it was with that Johnny Cash album where he did a cover. I’ll give the Beatles their proper due for that one. Great song. Standouts: You Won’t See Me, Nowhere Man, Michelle, In My Life, and Wait.
Beat, 1q965 -> 4
Excellent album that I own
While it’s not my favorite Beatles album today, Rubber Soul was the first of their albums that I really enjoyed. That said, I’m still not the biggest Beatles fan – I love certain songs, and I love Abbey Road, but I’m very rarely returning to their discography. So even though I would blindly rank Rubber Soul high on my tier list of Beatles albums, it’s probably been at least a decade since I’ve given it a proper, active listen. And yeah, it holds the fuck up. Side A is maybe the tightest side of any Beatles record, in my opinion. “Drive My Car,” “Nowhere Man,” and “Think For Yourself” are all excellent and push the band to be a little less teeny-bopper and a little more timeless, but songs like “Norwegian Wood” and “Michelle” really come in for the kill. And I like “You Won’t See Me,” even though it still has a bit of early-era Beatles stink on it. This said, “The Word” is a complete dud, and one of the lamest songs in their catalog, which is saying a lot for a band who I think has some pretty lame string cheese in their back pockets. But I’ll accept one dud. The real cracks start to show on Side B. Starting off with a Ringo song is bold, and it’s not a particularly good and/or even fun Ringo song. “Girl” and “I’m Looking Through You” are both enjoyable to me, but they play into Lennon’s and McCartney’s fallback comfort-area tropes of moody downtempo and rockabilly, respectively. The momentum is saved by “In My Life” – one of my favorite songs of all time, period, no question – and some great songs that feel like there was an actual element of true collaboration. That said, it ends on one of the weirdest Beatles songs ever; “Run for Your Life” is sonically good, but the second I pay attention to the lyrics, I immediately get the ick. Closing an album with a song about spousal abuse is not a good look given your track record, John. All these complaints are pretty nit-picky, though. Again, I’m not a huge Beatles fan, but even I can’t resist Rubber Soul. It’s so good that its valleys do little to distract from its peaks. Still, it 100% has peaks and it 100% has valleys, so it’s not a truly consistent record. But also, this is the album this list should have started with. Not their height, but pretty damn good, and I should definitely own a copy on vinyl.
Nearly 60 years old and still sounds good. Early Beatles were not great but they did things properly.
8/10
Sure does beat that Tupac album I had to hear a few days ago.
classic, what more is there to say?
A Beatles album I hadn't heard before, so it was fun to listen to a new one. It's a 4/5 as far as Beatles go for me, mostly because I don't have as strong of a nostalgia factor for it compared to the White Album, Abbey Road, and Sergeant Peppers. Also not a big fan of "Run for Your Life" because it's so violent. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is similarly violent, but it's so over the top outrageous (and catchy) that it sort of gets a pass from me, where as "Run for Your Life" is about a very really problem of violence against women. Maybe it's a wet blanket opinion, but especially since it closed the album it didn't leave a nice taste in my mouth. Maybe I'd feel more similarly about Maxwell's Silver Hammer if it was the closer too, but we'll never know.
Un bon album des Beatles. Une appréciation similaire au White Album. 7.5/10
- Geiles, grooviges und eingängiges Album, dass ich so halb im Gedächtnis hatte, aber wieder überrascht war, welche ganzen Hits da drauf sind (wie bei fast jedem Beatles-Album) - Mein Lieblings-Song ist vermutlich The Word, holt mich einfach ab der Banger. Aber auch Wait, Drive my Car, Girl, im Looking Through You gefallen mir sehr gut. - Wie fast jedes Beatles-Album mit klarem Charakter aber dennoch total abwechslungsreich. 4/5
The Beatles
Really good album
Classic
Lovely
A solid 4, I could definitely buy this on vinyl.
Some classic well known songs here and some good songs I’d never heard of such as What Goes On.
I love the beatles and their discography so this was easy to listen to. I think it‘s a great one and their first step to a few more experimental sounds, 2 years before the release of Sgt. Pepper, and a more adult sound.
I find it difficult to rate "The Beatles" down because everyone is so used to their songs and sound. And all the songs are short so they don´t suck or bore. The A-side contains the best known "Drive My Car", "Nowhere Man" and "Michelle". The whole B-side for me is not at that level. 3,5
In My Life - 5 Star song! Good album, quite fun and enjoyable
Not to my taste, a consistent album though, had a good feel.
Norwegian Wood and Girl remain my top two favorite Beatles songs. The rest of the album is also solid, experimenting with different genres. I like the harmonized singing you see in this album, it's a shame that trend faded not too long after.
Not my favourite Beatles album on this list, but still an essential listen
Solid album, not many of the traditional favorites but can't knock it still. 4.5
I’ll probably be familiar with all these songs. I don’t know many full albums. I should do a chronological playthru, get better context for the progression of their sound Good sound quality (remaster) but the stark stereo mix dates the album Nowhere Man good harmony Bit of a slog through the middle of the album. Run For Your Life - wtf
3-4
It’s a great listen!! Wonderful melodies. Like the folky feel of the album
Great
For me the Beatles really lifted off with Revolver. On this one you can hear it coming.
It's a classic album with some all-timers on it. Hard to rate it low
classic. one of my dad's favorites. girrrrrllllllllllllllll
Le culot de mettre sur le même album la chanson «Girl», où John se plaint de sa copine pas fine, et «Run for Your Life», où il menace sa copine de mort, haha, la jalousie c'est tellement drôle. Malgré ce texte qui a mal vieilli, il y a de beaux morceaux d'émotion sur cet album («In My Life», «Nowhere Man»), les mélodies sont accrocheuses, les voix bien orchestrées. J'aurais donné 4,5.
there’s something so silly about popular music, even when it’s so well-crafted
Love this album, not a fan of the earlier Beatles albums, this for me is the starting point of the Beatles I know and love.
This is when it starts to be really interesting. You can hear that they start to explore new ways, to experiment, and move from the nice but not so interesting (from a music point of view) sound of their first years. And it will get even more interesting than this from now on. Apart from that, WTF with the last song? Seems that Lennon regretted it afterwards, but still.
The Beatles! A bloody corker of a record, where they started getting super weird. Love it. Big vibes, go go go super great excellent yeah.
All great songs, something just feels like it’s a random collection though.
Man I even liked this album while in a bad mood. That’s how you know it’s good
Almost all the songs are good or better, but album flow is odd, not cohesive
I'm going to give this a 4. It's still brilliant, but I need to leave room for 90% of their catalogue as I think this isn't top tier.
Some great songs on it from an album I’d heard lots about. In my life was my favourite because I remember hearing loads of songs from this album as a kid and that was a song I’d completely forgotten
Fun. Lots of songs I’ve never heard.
Hard to find any fault with this album. It's more adventurous than their previous efforts and certainly a harbinger of the magical mystery tour they would end up taking us on.
Album 418 of 1001 Beatles - Rubber Soul Rating : 4 / 5 Not the best of their albums, in my opinion, but still rates high for me. 14 songs in 35-1/2 minutes. Going away from the pop sound a bit and finding themselves.