Twice a month I drive two hours to my beach town to do house maintenance, see the waves, and take a break from the day-in, day-out of retirement. Half the fun is the drive, the music, the scenery along 101, surrounded by fields and hills, trees and sky. My old car still has a CD player, so I pulled a CD out of one of my many CD cases – Rubber Soul.
Let’s see, I was about ten and a half when that one was released by the Beatles. Sis was 13, and baby Sis was 7, and we all shared the half-story attic. Big Sis played her new album over and over. Sometimes I requested it. To me, it still holds as a perfect album, with lots of variety and such great songs.
Drive my car –Beep Beep.
Norwegian Wood – Sitar music and an interesting premise. Did John burn down the place?
You Won’t See Me – definitely has Paul’s print all over it, upbeat and scolding.
Nowhere Man– three-part harmony, great words, deep thoughts, one of the best on the LP. I strutted around in my ten year old self singing this one.
Think for Yourself – this has George written all over it.
The Word – this one evokes a memory in a park seven years ago, swing dancing with a guy 6 foot, 4 inches, as he twirled me around until I could barely breathe, so much fun, wish I had a video (I was younger then).
Michelle – because Paul used to speak fake French onstage, and then his buddy’s wife, A French teacher, helped him as he wrote the song.
What Goes On – the token Ringo song, weakest one on the LP.
Girl – Paul again? Or is it John? Maybe they wrote it together.
I’m Looking Through You – Paul singing about Jane Asher?
In My Life – John’s masterpiece before his future masterpiece, Imagine.
Wait – not sure if Paul wrote it, if John wrote it, or if they wrote it together, nice harmonies (Paul sings the bridge).
If I Needed Someone – George again, not as great as his future work ( Here Comes the Sun, Something, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, My Sweet Lord).
Run For Your Life – John wishing his girlfriend dead if she ever cheated. Great beat if you can past the attitude.
When do we ever get fourteen songs on one CD? That’s right, I forgot – no one does CDs anymore, but I do.
I loved singing along to the Beatles as I sped down 101 with two dogs in the backseat, the sun shining, and the wind blowing me all over the road.
Rubber Soul is the last Beatles album where I know all the words to all the songs. It’s the 6th album by John, Paul, George and Ringo. After that, Sis moved downstairs to her own bedroom, while Little Sis and I stayed upstairs and our two younger brothers moved to the basement.
Our mom wallpapered Sis’s new bedroom with black and white houndstooth wallpaper, which proves that she didn’t drink, because that pattern would’ve made her puke the next morning. But she liked it, and for some reason, she was being treated extra nice by our parents. It would be a mystery to me for decades to come.
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 