Rubber Soul vs Revolver

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intedomine

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In recent years, there has been an upsurge in revisionist thought amongst music fans and critics alike that has attempted to glorify Rubber Soul and elevate it above well-documented classics such as Pepper, Revolver and Abbey Road.

It is perhaps legitimate to suggest thast Rubber Soul is unfairly overlooked and forgotten...

...but some critics have even gone as far to suggest that Rubber Soul is actually one of The Beatles strongest albums, and have claimed that it is better then Pepper and Revolver.

It's time to put this school of thought to bed....

As much as I love Rubber Soul and enjoy searching for the markers that highlight the gradual transition The Beatles were making with their music, the album does not compare with Revolver and Pepper.

It's not always the best method, but I tried a track vs track analysis with it's successor, Revolver, and the result was overhwhelmingly in favour of Revolver.

Drive My Car vs TAXMAN (0-1) Easy choice
Norweigan Wood vs ELEANOR RIGBY (0-2) Easy
You Won't See Me vs I'M ONLY SLEEPING (0-3) Very Easy
NOWHERE MAN vs Love You Too (1-3) Tough Choice
THINK FOR YOURSELF vs Here There Everywhere (2-3) Fairly Easy
THE WORD vs Yellow Submarine (3-3) Tough choice
Michelle vs SHE SAID SHE SAID (3-4) Fairly Easy
What Goes On vs GOOD DAY SUNSHINE (3-5) Easy
Girl vs AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING (3-6) Fairly Easy
I'm Looking Through You vs FOR NO ONE (3-7) Tough
IN MY LIFE vs Doctor Robert (4-7) Easy
Wait vs I WANT TO TELL YOU (4-8) Tough choice
If I Needed Someone vs GOT TO GET YOU... (4-9) Easy
Run For Your Life vs TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS (4-10) Very Easy

10-4 is pretty comprehensive....


Discuss your thoughts on Rubber Soul, how it compares with other albums, and whether there is any "danger" of it being remembered in a higher regard to it's traditionally highly-acclaimed successors.
 
First off, it's pretty much impossible to use a track by track comparison to mean anything. I prefer to rate each song on a scale of 1-5 and average the totals.

I actually enjoy listening to Rubber Soul much more as an album. It is more consistent to me. Maybe it's just a phase though because I tend to like the individual songs on Revolver much more.
I love almost all the songs on Revolver and the album is much more groundbreaking, but there are some songs that just seem like filler to me. (Doctor Robert, I Want To Tell You and I actually hate Yellow Submarine)

In any case, comparing Beatles albums from Rubber Soul to Abbey Road is like comparing most awesome to almost as awesome.(yes, even the Magical Mystery Tour)
 
ImOuttaControl said:
First off, it's pretty much impossible to use a track by track comparison to mean anything.

:up: Track position can be an unfair advantage as to which track on the other album it is going up against!

I like Rubber Soul but I prefer Revolver!
 
i remember on part of the beatles anthology video, george harrison was talking about how he sort of felt like rubber soul and revolver went together, rubber soul as part one and revolver as part 2. i haven't watched any parts of the anthology in years, and i can't remember exactly what he said, but ever since that i've kind of looked at the albums that way. they're both great, and they're both my favorite beatles albums equally. they both sound really good when you listen to them together. there's a subtle progression there, but the beatles were more or less in the same phase of transitioning from simplified pop to more experimental pop, or whatever you want to call it. there's no way i could choose one over the other.

funny thing, though. i think right now my #1 favorite beatles album might be a hard day's night.
 
I think from a songwriting standpoint, Rubber Soul has the edge, but the music on Revolver is so innovative and phenomenal there's just no comparison. Rubber Soul is where Lennon really came into his own as a writer, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man and In My Life being his two strongest compositions to date, as well as the most personal. There's certainly more whimsy and drug influence on Revolver befitting the musical exploration that takes away from the refinement of the previous album.

McCartney didn't develop too much between albums, although Rigby is certainly a great lyric, and Good Day Sunshine is unbelievably sophisticated. I've always been bored to tears by Here There and For No One, and personally I prefer his lineup on Rubber Soul (Michelle, I'm Looking Through You, You Won't See Me).
 
Funny, I've always seen Rubber Soul mentioned in top 20 lists...and I always got the impression it was considered one of their best. As for this comparison, the two are very different albums, with different strengths and intentions, so Revolver should be compared to Pepper in my opinion. However, I think RS was an even greater leap forward than Revolver, when you consider it came off the back of the Help! album..the songwriting, arrangements, additional intrumentation etc accelerated greatly in such a shot space of time. I think Revolver was more of a continuation in a way, but went off in other, psychedelic directions, but RS definitely laid the groundwork in the way it showed the band's progress.
 
lazarus said:
McCartney didn't develop too much between albums, although Rigby is certainly a great lyric, and Good Day Sunshine is unbelievably sophisticated. I've always been bored to tears by Here There and For No One, and personally I prefer his lineup on Rubber Soul (Michelle, I'm Looking Through You, You Won't See Me).


I don't think you're giving McCartney enough credit for Eleanor Rigby (its got to be one of their most unique songs)
 
When you listen to Rubber Soul, Revolver, The White Album, Sgt. Pepper's and Abbey Road, it's such a plethora of greatness that no one's ever going to agree which one is THE greatest.

My personal favorite is The White Album, FWIW.
 
ahh what hard choices we make...

From a songwriter's viewpoint, definitely Rubber Soul. Don't you catch the folk influence on Lennon? Blame Bob Dylan, he did us all a favor, and this album is a huge step in Lennon's development as a lyricist.

However Revolver is way more innovative, and you could sense they were gonna reinvent music itself...one more album away...blame the drugs, I don't mind, whatever sparks these geniuses...

Hmmm. It's a coin flip. Ill do it my way

best 3 songs RS vs best 3 REV (my humble opinion)

In My Life vs Eleanor Rigby
Norwegian Wood vs I'm Only Sleeping
Think for Yourself vs Tommorow never Knows

DAMN I still dont knowww
 
right now i enjoy rubber soul better than revolver. but beatles for sale is #1. my music taste might be on drugs.
 
It's got to be Revolver. 'In My Life' is one of my favorite songs ever written, but I think Revolver is a better album.

And not to sound like everyone else in this thread, but...

Tomorrow Never Knows :drool:
 
i may be the only person who has always found "tomorrow never knows" to be annoying as hell. but now that i think about it, that might still be 11-year old me talking. i haven't listened to it since then.
 
intedomine said:

It is perhaps legitimate to suggest thast Rubber Soul is unfairly overlooked and forgotten...

...but some critics have even gone as far to suggest that Rubber Soul is actually one of The Beatles strongest albums, and have claimed that it is better then Pepper and Revolver.

I agree with this, actually. Rubber Soul is one of my favourite Beatles albums. Personally, I prefer Rubber Soul to Revolver and put it about on par with Sgt. Pepper's.

But what do I know, I also like Let it Be better than Abbey Road :wink:
 
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