Post by Amadeus on Feb 12, 2014 21:05:08 GMT
"Plastic Soul Man, Plastic Soul"
The Beatles grow up? According to 'Recording Sessions' it was a last minute rushed album with no material ready! If that is infact true, it's a pretty DANG spectacular album. One that has stood out as the first BIG leap creatively for the 'boys'.
A note on MY 'Rubber Soul'. As far as I knew it was a pretty good folky album from The Beatles. I actually really liked it. The jaunty lead off track 'I've Just Seen A Face' sets the stage perfectly for what is mainly a nice acoustic-centric record. As I was usually thinking in those days, why do the Beatles make such SHORT albums? 'It's Only Love' was another of my favorite Rubber Soul tracks. the side two opener. And that false start thing at the beginning of 'I'm Looking Through You' made the record feel even warmer and welcoming. It was described by one latter day (early '80's) reviewer as being the 'wood and smoke' album.
THEN 1987 came around. Two of my favorite songs weren't on the album anymore! And a fair chunk of 'Yesterday...and Today' WAS on it! This all made it a vastly different album now. It wasn't a meditative folk album after all but a somewhat funky/folky lyrically experimental record. Ultimately, the UK version IS imprinted in my head but 'Yesterday....and Today' still is too, so when I hear 'Drive My Car', I expect one of two songs to follow and each sounds natural. 'I'm Only Sleeping' still sounds like the logical next song on the record.....but anyhoooo.....
Drive My Car
I gather for it's time, it was a very funky (with a capital F) track with, as Ian MacDonald would put it, comedy lyrics. I wouldn't quite describe them as comedy songs but some of the lyrics on that album are very different to the usual pop fare. A neat story song with a cynical twist in the chorus, "Maybe I'll love you". But that bass and guitar riff. Very deep and dirty funk for white guys at the time. The 'beep beep' bit is alittle silly but whatever. And the guitar solo is a bit weedy but not distracting.
Norwegian Wood
Another lyrically oddball tune. First off, the guy sleeps in the bath and when he wakes to find her gone, he sets the place on fire. Heady stuff for popsville 1965. The song itself is brilliantly played and sung with a lot of feel. And of course, the sitar must have been revolutionary at the time. It just made the song and by extention, the album that much more exotic because of that foreign sound. Nice tune.
Nowhere Man
As a kid, it was a sort of novelty song that, I think, was promoted (after the fact) on a kid's show like Sesame Street. But it is a tune with quite the lyrical depth. Who else was singing about being lethargic for a living? The song is great too. Nice tune and those super compressed Fender Strats. Sounds like bells. The guitar solo coming so early in the song was unexpected too. It made the song seem pleasantly longer. It was a single over here with Act Naturally on the B side.
Think For Yourself
I usually like George's songs. They generally, up to now, have a darker sort of edge to them. This one is no exception. The tune is great, but the 'fuzz bass' while unique for it's time, does sound a bit unneccessary.
The Word
I DO like this song. Really cool melody in John's solo verses. The keyboard is fine too. But this song does include something about this album I don't like. The guitar playing chords is so thin and weedy. A bit screechy. But I like the strat sound in, again, John's spots.
Michelle
Apparently a tune hanging around since teenage years. Or was it the lyric? I forget. I'm an expert. Obviously very well done and the tongue is firmly in cheek. Another of Ian MacDonald's 'comedy' songs. Not my favorite.
What Goes On
When my friend at school taped 'Yesterday...and Today' for me, he thoughtfully left off 'Act Naturally' which I like and included 'What Goes On' which I didn't like. Little burping and farting country(ish) guitars chortling away throughout the song. Only two chords. Oh wait!, they stuck a third one in there. You almost don't notice it. But Oh I Wish I Could Play Drums Like That. Just can't get my hi-hat hand and kick drum foot to do those things!
Girl
Another, for the time, unusual lyrical content and Macedonian type melody at the end, for a pop record. The intake of breath was strange to me as a kid. And the supposedly naughty 'tit-tit-tit'? I didn't get that. It could just as easily be 'dit-dit'dit'.
I'm Looking Through You
Without the false intro..... I love the tune. Pauls voice rocks and it's such a good set of chords and tune. But again as mentioned before, I DON'T like that screechy guitar. 'screech, screech! babadapa, screech, screech! babadapa...'
In My Life
Alright. It's a nice tune. Actually quite nice, but I don't LOVE it as much as the rest of the world. I mainly think about, when I hear it that Paul said he wrote most of the tune in disagreement with Lennon. Oh well, Lennon says he wrote most of the words for 'Eleanor Rigby' in disagreement with Paul.
Ringo is such a good and tastefully imaginative drummer.
Wait
Evidence that the album was last minute. Wait was a song rejected for the HELP! album. It's not bad but they should've done Normal Smith's song instead. I wonder what it sounded like. Apparently they dusted off the old HELP! track and added a couple of vocal dubs and Stan's your uncle.
If I Needed Someone
What a pretty and jangly (not in an Americana way) song. A very nice entrancing George melody. And this song also explains why Paul is one of the most imaginative bass players. Those Ric 12 strings. I think it was the last time they used them.
Run For Your Life
Why does this one get forgotten? Criticized? Is it because John said he hated it? I like this tune! It's a nice menacing little ho-down with a cool C&W/Blues guitar and a stellar vocal.
RUBBER SOUL
This record was the first to really break away from the fab four tweeny inmage. Obviously, herbal ciggies and cheap wine had an effect on their outlook in life and by extension, on their music. By this time they had already been to the dentist for chemical entertainment aids which would really find it's imprint on the next album.
This album holds together really well and I always think 'wood and smoke' when I think of this album.
The Beatles grow up? According to 'Recording Sessions' it was a last minute rushed album with no material ready! If that is infact true, it's a pretty DANG spectacular album. One that has stood out as the first BIG leap creatively for the 'boys'.
A note on MY 'Rubber Soul'. As far as I knew it was a pretty good folky album from The Beatles. I actually really liked it. The jaunty lead off track 'I've Just Seen A Face' sets the stage perfectly for what is mainly a nice acoustic-centric record. As I was usually thinking in those days, why do the Beatles make such SHORT albums? 'It's Only Love' was another of my favorite Rubber Soul tracks. the side two opener. And that false start thing at the beginning of 'I'm Looking Through You' made the record feel even warmer and welcoming. It was described by one latter day (early '80's) reviewer as being the 'wood and smoke' album.
THEN 1987 came around. Two of my favorite songs weren't on the album anymore! And a fair chunk of 'Yesterday...and Today' WAS on it! This all made it a vastly different album now. It wasn't a meditative folk album after all but a somewhat funky/folky lyrically experimental record. Ultimately, the UK version IS imprinted in my head but 'Yesterday....and Today' still is too, so when I hear 'Drive My Car', I expect one of two songs to follow and each sounds natural. 'I'm Only Sleeping' still sounds like the logical next song on the record.....but anyhoooo.....
Drive My Car
I gather for it's time, it was a very funky (with a capital F) track with, as Ian MacDonald would put it, comedy lyrics. I wouldn't quite describe them as comedy songs but some of the lyrics on that album are very different to the usual pop fare. A neat story song with a cynical twist in the chorus, "Maybe I'll love you". But that bass and guitar riff. Very deep and dirty funk for white guys at the time. The 'beep beep' bit is alittle silly but whatever. And the guitar solo is a bit weedy but not distracting.
Norwegian Wood
Another lyrically oddball tune. First off, the guy sleeps in the bath and when he wakes to find her gone, he sets the place on fire. Heady stuff for popsville 1965. The song itself is brilliantly played and sung with a lot of feel. And of course, the sitar must have been revolutionary at the time. It just made the song and by extention, the album that much more exotic because of that foreign sound. Nice tune.
Nowhere Man
As a kid, it was a sort of novelty song that, I think, was promoted (after the fact) on a kid's show like Sesame Street. But it is a tune with quite the lyrical depth. Who else was singing about being lethargic for a living? The song is great too. Nice tune and those super compressed Fender Strats. Sounds like bells. The guitar solo coming so early in the song was unexpected too. It made the song seem pleasantly longer. It was a single over here with Act Naturally on the B side.
Think For Yourself
I usually like George's songs. They generally, up to now, have a darker sort of edge to them. This one is no exception. The tune is great, but the 'fuzz bass' while unique for it's time, does sound a bit unneccessary.
The Word
I DO like this song. Really cool melody in John's solo verses. The keyboard is fine too. But this song does include something about this album I don't like. The guitar playing chords is so thin and weedy. A bit screechy. But I like the strat sound in, again, John's spots.
Michelle
Apparently a tune hanging around since teenage years. Or was it the lyric? I forget. I'm an expert. Obviously very well done and the tongue is firmly in cheek. Another of Ian MacDonald's 'comedy' songs. Not my favorite.
What Goes On
When my friend at school taped 'Yesterday...and Today' for me, he thoughtfully left off 'Act Naturally' which I like and included 'What Goes On' which I didn't like. Little burping and farting country(ish) guitars chortling away throughout the song. Only two chords. Oh wait!, they stuck a third one in there. You almost don't notice it. But Oh I Wish I Could Play Drums Like That. Just can't get my hi-hat hand and kick drum foot to do those things!
Girl
Another, for the time, unusual lyrical content and Macedonian type melody at the end, for a pop record. The intake of breath was strange to me as a kid. And the supposedly naughty 'tit-tit-tit'? I didn't get that. It could just as easily be 'dit-dit'dit'.
I'm Looking Through You
Without the false intro..... I love the tune. Pauls voice rocks and it's such a good set of chords and tune. But again as mentioned before, I DON'T like that screechy guitar. 'screech, screech! babadapa, screech, screech! babadapa...'
In My Life
Alright. It's a nice tune. Actually quite nice, but I don't LOVE it as much as the rest of the world. I mainly think about, when I hear it that Paul said he wrote most of the tune in disagreement with Lennon. Oh well, Lennon says he wrote most of the words for 'Eleanor Rigby' in disagreement with Paul.
Ringo is such a good and tastefully imaginative drummer.
Wait
Evidence that the album was last minute. Wait was a song rejected for the HELP! album. It's not bad but they should've done Normal Smith's song instead. I wonder what it sounded like. Apparently they dusted off the old HELP! track and added a couple of vocal dubs and Stan's your uncle.
If I Needed Someone
What a pretty and jangly (not in an Americana way) song. A very nice entrancing George melody. And this song also explains why Paul is one of the most imaginative bass players. Those Ric 12 strings. I think it was the last time they used them.
Run For Your Life
Why does this one get forgotten? Criticized? Is it because John said he hated it? I like this tune! It's a nice menacing little ho-down with a cool C&W/Blues guitar and a stellar vocal.
RUBBER SOUL
This record was the first to really break away from the fab four tweeny inmage. Obviously, herbal ciggies and cheap wine had an effect on their outlook in life and by extension, on their music. By this time they had already been to the dentist for chemical entertainment aids which would really find it's imprint on the next album.
This album holds together really well and I always think 'wood and smoke' when I think of this album.