Bene bene; ci troviamo dinnanzi al quinto album dei Beatles: cosa avranno mai combinato i 4 ragazzacci di Liverpool? Cambiato le sorti della musica contemporanea naturalmente!
Dunque: recensire Rubber Soul. I due piccoli grandi geni del rock/pop dimostrano di essere cresciuti non solo come compositori (le linee melodiche, i testi e le strutture armoniche appaiono già al primo ascolto distanti sideralmente dall'ultimo disco pubblicato appena cinque mesi prima Help!), ma anche come arrangiatori.
Il disco esordisce con un piccolo capolavoro di McCartney, "Drive My Car" (tanto vicino al soul quanto la sua voce a quella dei grandi bluesman afroamericani), scivola, poi, attraverso la lenta ma accattivante "Norwegian Wood" (arricchita della presenza del sitar, strumento che tanto caro diverrà ad Harrison ed alla musica pop seventies tout court) per approdare, quindi, al cuore dell'album, un trittico di canzoni che rimarranno indelebili tracce nella storia del pop: "Nowhere Man","Michelle", "In My Life".
Suonato nella sua essenzialità, Rubber Soul stupisce per l'avidità con cui incalza l'ascoltatore, inchiodandolo allo stereo, lasciandolo senza fiato fin dal primo ascolto. I missaggi sono affidati al grande George Martins e stupiscono per le straripanti bordate di bassi e le ampie e delicate schitarrate acustiche. Da menzionare poi : l'assolo di pianoforte in "In My Life" (non vi ricorda un certo Bach?) e le chitarre distorte in "Think For Yourself" (primo esempio documentato su disco).
Ultimo appunto lo meritano i testi di Lennon: superbo in "In My Life" (assoluta poesia), sonnambulo in "Nowhere Man", profeta in "The Word", cannabiolico in "Girl" (ascoltare gli aspirati in cannula).
Quindi: voto: 5, Limpido.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Drive My Car (02:21)
Asked a girl what she wanted to be
She said baby can't you see
I wanna be famous, a star of the screen
But you can do something in between
Baby, you can drive my car
Yes, I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
I told that girl that my prospects were good
And she said baby it's understood
Working for peanuts is all very fine
But I can show you a better time
Baby, you can drive my car
Yes, I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
Beep beep mm beep beep, yeah
Baby, you can drive my car
Yes, I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
I told that girl I could start right away
And she said listen baby I've got something to say
I got no car and it's breaking my heart
But I've found a driver and that's a start
Baby, you can drive my car
Yes, I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
Beep beep mm beep beep, yeah
Beep beep mm beep beep, yeah
Beep beep mm beep beep, yeah
02 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (02:05)
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me...
She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine.
We talked until two and then she said, It's time for bed.
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood.
04 Nowhere Man (02:44)
He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man, please listen
You don't know what you're missing
Nowhere man, The world is at your command
Ah, la, la, la, la
He's as blind as he can be
Just sees what he wants to see
Nowhere man, can you see me at all
Nowhere man don't worry
Take your time, no hurry
Leave it all till somebody else
Lends you a hand
Ah, la, la, la, la
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man please listen
You don't know what you're missing
Nowhere man, The world is at your command
Ah, la, la, la, la
He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody
07 Michelle (02:41)
Michelle, ma belle
These are words that go together well
My Michelle
Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I love you, I love you, I love you
That's all I want to say
Until I find a way
I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I need to, I need to, I need to
I need to make you see
Oh, what you mean to me
Until I do I'm hoping you will know what I mean
I love you
I want you, I want you, I want you
I think you know by now
I'll get to you some how
Until I do I'm telling you so you'll understand
Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
And I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
My Michelle
09 Girl (02:29)
Is there anybody going to listen to my story
All about the girl who came to stay?
She's the kind of girl
You want so much it makes you sorry
Still you don't regret a single day
Ah, girl, Girl, Girl
When I think of all the times
I tried to hard to leave her
She will turn to me and start to cry
And she promises the earth to me
And I believe her
After all this time I don't know why
Ah, girl, girl, girl
She's the kind of girl who puts you down
When friends are there
You feel a fool
When you say she's looking good
She acts as if it's understood
She's cool, ooh, oo, oo, oo
Girl, girl, girl
Was she told when she was young
That pain would lead to pleasure
Did she understand it when they said
That a man must break his back
To earn his day of leisure?
Will she still believe it when he's dead
Ah, girl, girl, girl
Girl
12 Wait (02:13)
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh how I've been alone
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
But if your heart breaks
Don't wait, turn me away
And if your heart's strong
Hold on, I won't delay
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be
And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you
Will wait for me
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh how I've been alone
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be
And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you
Will wait for me
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh how I've been alone
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone
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Altre recensioni
Di Miki Page
“Rubber Soul è un album fondamentale nella storia del rock, quello che segnerà una svolta non soltanto nella carriera dei Beatles, ma anche e soprattutto per la musica che verrà dopo.”
“Cominciavamo a sentire suoni che prima non sentivamo” - McCartney
Di BRIOBLUE
I Beatles furono quattro musicisti mediocri che cantavano ancora canzoni melodiche di tre minuti.
'Rubber Soul' è sicuramente uno dei migliori album dei Beatles, ma la vera musica è da ricercare in altre band.
Di currahee72
"Rubber Soul fu il primo lavoro dei Beatles pensato e realizzato come un album e non come una semplice raccolta di pezzi."
"Un disco così solido su entrambi i lati che, per la prima volta, fu fatto uscire come 'doppio lato A'."
Di pier_paolo_farina
"È questo l'album dove si avverte il più netto miglioramento rispetto a quello che lo precede."
"Con esso i Beatles cominciano a giustificare appieno la loro smisurata celebrità, fornendo numeri d'alta ispirazione, estro ed originalità."
Di Rax
“Rubber Soul non è un capolavoro, ma la sublimazione dei primi 5 dischi del gruppo.”
“John in questo disco è davvero in stato di grazia.”
