Tuesday, March 26, 2013

What a job!


Am I correct in assuming that it was this person's job to listen to all of these Rubber Soul albums to make sure there aren't any flaws in the vinyl?    If so...then what a job to have!   Sure you have to listen to the same album over and over and over.   However.....this woman was getting paid to listen to the Beatles!   And I would guess that she got to hear Rubber Soul before it was officially released.  When asked what my favorite Beatles album is, I usually say "Rubber Soul."    I am not sure if I really have one single "favorite" Beatles album.   They are all good in their own way.    But I don't want to have these discussions with people who aren't real fans anyhow, so I just say Rubber Soul because it seems to be the album I listen to the most.  

8 comments:

  1. Wow, what a pic!!!

    I love the American "Rubber Soul", I believe its reputation (in America, Brian Wilson, etc) rests entirely on the American configuration, which has one solid theme throughout (ie: mostly acoustic and folky, woodsy and brown, like the album cover!). To this day, when I see that cover, I think of "I've Just Seen A Face", and "It's Only Love" opening up side one and side two!

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  2. The Beatles hated the American Rubber Soul - and all the other bastardised US versions of their work. They were absolutely meticulous about running orders and how they wanted their music presented, and really resented the way Capitol in the States chopped up the albums in order to squeeze more money out of fans.

    If anyone wants the music as it was actually intended to be heard, then the original UK mono vinyl pressings (at least until after Sgt Pepper) are the ones to go for. (The quality of the pressings is much better too.)

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    1. Yeah, tell us something we don't know..... but being an American, and growing up with the American versions....and having amply lived with the UK versions since the 80s (with the advent of CDs), I have a soft spot for the US versions. So sue me.

      And Rubber Soul's reputation as the "country", "laid back" album, with a "concept" (ala: Brian Wilson's words about what inspired him to make "Pet Sounds") is the American version, not the UK version. Period. All the other albums, I'll take the UK versions. For "Rubber Soul", it's no contest.

      Anyone who is on this site has the UK mono, has the original UK versions....and probably every other permutation of the Beatles' output. I know I do.

      But hey, thanks for weighing in!

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  3. I wasn't trying to say that you don't have everything, every "permutation" etc, and I certainly wasn't trying to say that you don't know everything - clearly you do.

    My point was there was no "concept" to Rubber Soul US - it was just an accident in that the tracks that Capitol had to scrape together at that point happened to be more acoustic.

    Good for you if you prefer it, but don't make out that there was some grand plan to it all, other than getting even more cash out of the fans.



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    1. I didn't make it out to be some grand plan. Where did I say that?

      (Well, actually, maybe there was, who compiled those for Capitol, Dave Dexter? A true Beatlehater. But the guy knew how to sequence an album. All the Capitol albums are sequenced well, rip-offs or no rip-offs).

      In the UK, "I've Just Seen A Face" and "It's Only Love" are buried on side 2 of "Help", next to inferior material such as "Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much" (love them though I do!). Opening up an album with the one-two punch of "I've Just Seen A Face" leading into "Norwegian Wood" is a magic sequence, and certainly was noticed (by, say, Brian Wilson) of an aural through-line. A woodsy, drink a coffee, have an herbal jazz cigarette and get introspective with the Beatles.

      Similarly, opening side 2 with "It's Only Love" instead of the fun but slight, faux-country "What Goes On", continues the mood left with "Michelle". Accident or not, it works.

      No one is saying that the electric/acoustic counterpoint of the UK sequence of "Rubber Soul", the "real version", isn't fab. It's a great collection of songs, ala all their previous albums. But the US version has a special vibe.

      If you don't believe me, go listen to it.

      (This'll get you: I also like that the US versions also have homes for all the singles, so that a songs like "Day Tripper" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" - a killer opener for "Meet The Beatles" - aren't orphaned on the clinical "Past Masters". I see the Brits adopted the US "Magical Mystery Tour", so they can't be all that bad!)

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  4. You clearly love them Beatles - me too!

    And I will go and listen to the US one and reconsider, after the above.



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  5. (Though I will still always think the US Rubber Soul is random.)

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  6. Just read and enjoyed the comments thread above. It's an interesting debate. As a Brit I have always just took it as a given that the UK versions were the best for the reasons outlined previously. But our American friend makes a good point about the theme of the album here.
    I have never listened to the tracks in the order of the US album but I will when I get home tonight!
    I have always thought What Goes On must be one of their weakest ever tracks. So I'd take It's Only Love over that any day.
    And I've Just Seen a Face has to be one of the best tracks on Help so it's interesting to transplant it to RS. (Although I guess doing so must make Help into a weaker album.)

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