In the stunning documentary Beatles Stories, Brian Wilson praised Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” album: “I remember listening to Rubber Soul with my wife and some friends and we were smoking marijuana. And we were stoned. Rubber Soul just took me away! And I went to the piano and started writing Pet Sounds*. It took me to Pet Sounds. It was a moment that lived forever in my heart!”
“Rubber Soul” is the sixth studio album by The Beatles, released on December, 3rd 1965. Produced by George Martin, it was recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market. Unlike the five albums that preceded it, this album was recorded during a specific period, the sessions not dashed off in between either tour dates or during filming projects. After this, every Beatles album would be made without the need to pay attention to other commitments, except for the production of short promotional films.
“Rubber Soul” is a folk rock album, and also incorporates pop and soul music styles. The album was described as a major artistic achievement, attaining widespread critical and commercial success, with reviewers taking note of the Beatles’ developing musical vision. Also, it was the first Beatles’ album (other than the British “A Hard Day’s Night” album) which contained original material only. The Beatles would record no more cover songs for their records until 1969 (the “Maggie Mae” excerpt appearing on the “Let It Be” album).
Rubber Soul was successful commercially and critically, and is often cited as one of the greatest albums in music history. In 2012, Rubber Soul was ranked #5 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time“. In September 2013 after the British Phonographic Industry changed their sales award rules, the album was declared as having gone platinum.
If you ask me, I simply love “In My Life”, “Girl” and “Nowhere Man”.
*Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by The Beach Boys, released in 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows”. In it, Brian Wilson wove elaborate layers of vocal harmonies, coupled with sound effects and unconventional instruments such as bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Electro-Theremin, dog whistles, trains, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans and barking dogs, along with the more usual keyboards and guitars (Source).
You mention “Nowhere Man”, which is on BRITISH version of Rubber Soul. Capitol in the U.S. released it on single in early 1966 and then on “Yesterday and Today” albm in June 1966. George Martin would point out that the British “Rubber Soul” is not as sharp of a change in sound as the U.S. version.