Beatles - Rubber Soul

[Del Pickup]

I've been recording many of my old vinyl albums onto my laptop (using Audacity) and decided to add Rubber Soul to the digital playlist last night.

This was one of the very first albums I ever bought and I hadn't heard it for years and I'd forgotten just how good an album it was - apart from Michelle which still makes me cringe when I hear it!!

But what struck me when listening on headphones was how good the stereo panning was (albeit very basic). It makes me realise how simple can often be best. This must have been one of the first albums to be produced in stereo - my copy was bought around 1968 so remastering been done to it, it's as it came out of Abbey Rd in all its primitive glory.

Not bad for a 4 track studio and basic equipment (by today's standards).

[Brad Pittiful]

love that album!

[mal paso]

Michelle is actually quite a lovely melody. Try it acoustic, sans vox, very pretty

[gitold]

My favorite B album.

[Ben Bishop]

I found Rubber Soul on sale and grabbed it and noticed the Hard Day's Night soundtrack on sale too. Rubber Soul is a masterclass in songwriting, Hard Day's Night is a bouncing ball of fun. Their work holds up well.

[mal paso]

Oh, and while I'm here, Hard Day's Night kills Rubber Soul as far as I'm concerned.

[hekawi]

Originally Posted by mal paso

Oh, and while I'm here, Hard Day's Night kills Rubber Soul as far as I'm concerned.

AHDN is my favorite Beatles album.

Rubber Soul is the only one of their albums that i like the US version better.

and the only cringe worthy song from it is "Run For Your Life", unless you're talking about the UK version, in which case "What Goes On" induces cringes.

[jonal335]

We knew the Beatles were good, but when Rubber Soul came out a lot of musicians realized they were amazing - goodby Bobby Vinton!

[Alex W]

I dig the stark stereo style of those early stereo albums, the way things are panned full right or left. Matthew Sweet used that technique on the album Girlfriend and it gave it a 60s flavor I thought.

I love Rubber Soul. "You Won't See Me" used to just overwhelm me with this spell of melody and harmony. I wasn't able to parse out the individual performances at the time, it was just this incredible wash of beauty as the lead vocal sang "I wouldn't mind, if I knew what I was missing" and the backup vocals sang "no I wouldn't, no I wouldn't ooooh." It was one of the things that made me want to be a musician, to be able to cast that spell. (Still not quite there I'm afraid.)

[banjohabit]

Michelle is one of the best examples of the mastery of the Beatles i can think of. consider it seriously for a minute : when you were 23-25 yrs. old, could your band genuinely make that sound ? listen : it's three voices, bass, drums, and two guitars. and they managed to get that sound, THAT far removed from the rockin' guitar band music they usually did, and sound THAT good.

for that matter, get your mates together, go to a studio and do something that good now.

[Del Pickup]

I don't question the musical merits of Michelle. I have just never liked the song myself, that's all I was saying.

[tele-rain]

And now a comment from the local novice...

This 'in stereo" thing always confuses me. I notice the left/right thing in general, but many times while working, I only have one earphone in. But that doesn't work because the vocals are coming out of one. I have had embarrassing moments where I'd think, "shouldn't they be singing by now??" So, could someone explain in easy words, what type of recording is going on there?

In regards to Rubber Soul, that was one of the Beatles albums I owned for myself. My oldest sister had all of them, but someone this one got in my xmas pile as well. I played the heck out of it and still love it today.

[TMoxness]

My favourite of the early Beatles' albums.

[peteb]

Norwegian Wood, the album is classic.

[ringodingo]

Michelle won a Grammy, although that doesn't mean you have to like a song.
What Goes On, I like listening to the awesome hi-hat and bass on the left side and the sloppy Carl Perkins bits on the right with the cute harmonies.
Does You Won't See Me slow down near the end?
I've never been crazy about that obnoxious fuzz bass in Think For Yourself.
Great ALBUM.

[hekawi]

"Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out" were recorded during the same sessions, and released (at that time) only as a single. imagine Rubber Soul without "Run For Your Life" and "What Goes On", and adding "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out". i actually made a cd that way...kind of a Rubber Soul "re-imagined". i think that version, if were the real thing, would top a lot of "best album" lists

[mudshark]

my second favorite, after Beatles for Sale

[lexx9]

My favourite Beatles album always goes back and forth between Rubber Soul and Revolver. Both and always in my cars cd changer and don't come out...ever...

[metalmayhem]

A great album to finish 65 on after a year of touring US Shea stadium etc, the second album that year the other being Help and releasing their second movie. A busy year.

[studebaker hawk]

Originally Posted by tele-rain

And now a comment from the local novice...

This 'in stereo" thing always confuses me. I notice the left/right thing in general, but many times while working, I only have one earphone in. But that doesn't work because the vocals are coming out of one. I have had embarrassing moments where I'd think, "shouldn't they be singing by now??" So, could someone explain in easy words, what type of recording is going on there?

This an assumption on my part;

multitracking was fairly new at the time and with only four tracks, each track had several performances on it. A possibility might be all vocals and guitar solo on one track and so forth...

Also you have whatever choices were made in arranging the song.

Sometimes parts are placed on different speakers to separate parts that occupy similar frequencies.