Now I know Why the Devil Didn't Want My Soul ('Cause It's Made Outta Rubber!)

Overall Album Score: 9.9 out of 10

Man! These late Beatles albums are going to be difficult to review! They're all, essentially, perfect! I'm pretty sure all of these late-period Beatles albums (except for Yellow Submarine soundtrack) will receive scores of around or over 9.5. Hey! These are the Beatles! They set the standards, and no band was ever able to consistently beat them at it.

This is the point in the Beatles discography when they finally metamorphose into more of an art-rock band. They no longer do R&B stuff. Rather, they concentrate on their classic Beatles sound (ala "Ticket to Ride" and "A Hard Day's Night") and use a variety of methods in making these songs interesting. This includes, using revolutionary techniques in the studio and using unique instruments! (Of course... the sitar is used here for the first time in a rock album--- a beautiful instrument that I feel is entirely underused.) Also, musically, the Beatles are maturing and are becoming diverse in some very creative ways!

Although, this album is said to be a transition between the early Beatles and the late Beatles. (I'd say Help! was the best example of a transition, but there are still some elements of the early Beatles in this album.) For one, most of these are love songs! The only non-love song on here is "Nowhere Man," which is the first psychedelic song by the Beatles. Albums after this will explore new and different subject matters. Also, you can hint some strong influences from Bob Dylan and The Byrds on here. As I go through this album, it's a hard thing to realize that such timeless songs are all under three minutes!

So... HOORAY!!!! I would also consider this a good place to start your Beatles collection if you're also interested in getting the less essential, but fun early Beatles albums. If you just want to get the BEST ones for now, purchase Rubber Soul and buy them down the discography (skipping Yellow Submarine for now) until you get Let it Be and then Past Masters Vol. 2. If you're an undying fan (like I was), then by all means get the early Beatles!!!!!! You won't regret having all of them in your collection.

Overall Album Score: 9.9 out of 10 (It dang near got a perfect score out of me. I knew it would. This is an essential album for EVERYBODY. Get it today.)

Average Song Score: 9.7 (Oh! A 9.7! That's too low! This album has some GREAT songs in it! Everything scored above a 9.0, except for two 8.5's.)

Album Tilt: 10 (A 10 to say the LEAST! All late-period Beatles albums are what turned rock & roll into such a major art form. It's not only musically interesting; it's also darn good pop! I love it!)

Artist Tilt: 10 (Nobody can underestimate the importance of this album. While they did gather their influences from other people active during this time, they were the principle movers in rock & roll. This is the first 'artistic' album in The Beatles catalogue.)

Track Reviews

Drive My Car 10/10

Oh! What less does this track deserve! Man! Do I have to describe this track? It's as catchy as hell! The instruments are, of course, played very well, especially the bass guitar! And the electric guitar passage is memorable as well. Punchy, perky, and perfect! The lyrics of the song revolve around letting a woman drive his car that he hasn't bought yet. Oh well! Nobody's perfect!

Norweigan Wood (This Bird Has Flown) 10/10

Man! Am I going to have to pick a best track out of all this? This track is even better than the last one! I have to give both 10's. This is the first rock song to ever use the sitar, and it also shares close ties with "The Byrds," which emerged with Mr. Tambourine Man earlier in 1965. (The harmonies are rich and kind of jangly.) I do own that album, and I must say they equaled "The Byrds!"

You Won't See Me 9.5/10

Man! This isn't QUITE as impressive, but the tune is undeniably EXCELLENT! (I just got finished reviewing a Led Zeppelin album ... I should KNOW!) However, the lyrics here are simpler, but the instrumentation is nice 'n thick! Perhaps it's a bit of a throwback to the old days, but not enough of one to count fer anything. This album's second rate material gets a 9.5??? What's next?

Nowhere Man 10/10

This song SUCKS because my CD is damaged here! (Halfway through the song, I get these helicopter noises.) Ehh... no probs. I have a copy of this song on a store-bought compilation that I now wish I didn't spend $40 on. :(

For the record, I'm NOT giving this track the full 10 because it's the first Beatles song to deal with something that's not love. In fact, the tune here is GREAT and is ... well ... kind of like a fine wine! (Yeah, like I've ever tried fine wines. I have, however, tried to make it out of fermented grape Kool-Aid.)

Think For Yourself 9.5/10

Here's a George Harrison composition! And, it's one of his best at this point. I really dig that muddled guitar! (Wow! George also introduced that sitar, too ... See? He did have a lot of influence over his 3 big brothers.) The tune isn't really that memorable, but the lines of this muddled guitar are great and make me TOTALLY enjoy this! A great song!!!

The Word 9/10

Wow! The track is still VERY 9-worthy! The tune's definitely classic Beatles, but the lyrics are kinda ---blah--- (*cou-Paul-gh!*) but, I mean, it's still wonderful and all that.

Michelle 10/10

This is one of the major classics in this album. (I was tempted to give it a 9.5 just to be Mister Deviant, but I decided that it just wasn't that important.) It's slow, quiet, bouncy and the melody is among the band's most memorable. (You know how much I feel like an idiot now? I completely misunderstood the lyrics until today, not realizing that part of it was in French. I thought he was saying: Michelle, my belle, Sunday monkey bone play piano and song. I know it doesn't make sense, but I figured it was some psycho 60's thing. Or "monkey bone" was another one of his dogs. Well $*#$! You learn something new everyday!)

What Goes On 8.5/10

Awwwww! It's a cute, upbeat number for Ringo! Yay! The melody is great, of course, it's just not one of the album's best moments! (Still! It's an 8.5!) It's an inspired country-western-ish song. Perhaps it's one of the album's worst songs.

Girl 9.5/10

This song strikes me as being similar to "Michelle." It also strikes me not quite as good. It's a little bit louder, but a lot of the instrumentation is more experimental and bold! YET another Beatles classic! The breathing in the song is also a rather interesting way to show emotion. I'm not sure if the Beatles originated it, but it was a good idea!

I'm Looking Through You 9.5/10

Yay! The first part of the song is pleasant and also a bit of a throwback to the early Beatles. But it's that instrumental interlude involving that muddy-electric guitar that makes this track PARTICULARLY interesting.

In My Life 10plus/10

Through a fairly slim margin, I'm calling this my favorite track of the album. The reason I like it so is because the melody here is probably the most complex as well as the instrumentation. (And the classical-music interlude was a pretty inspired decision in rock & roll as early as 1965! And, need I say, it works perfectly here.) Geez! Is this song really under 2 and a half minutes???? I'll have to listen to it again.

Wait 8.5/10

This song is actually dubbed as the album's "filler." I actually think it's slightly better than "What Goes On." But, I suppose the melody isn't very interesting.

If I Needed Someone 10/10

Wow! George Harrison Song #2 and it turns out to be one of the most interesting songs on here. This is another obvious throwback to The Byrds. This is almost an abstract art song, because it doesn't really have a proper melody-harmony line, and it's phenomenal in its own way. Way to go with that, George! (See??? He was influential to the Beatles, yet again! This song clearly shows the progression the band and the whole of 60's music was about to take.)

Run For Your Life 10/10

This is yet another perfectly catchy pop tune! And, it's a great closer to the album, too. It's perhaps not too interesting as some of the other numbers, but it's very pleasant nonetheless. Oh! What a great album this was!

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