One of The Beatles’ best albums, Rubber Soul, has gotten the remixed box set treatment.
When I first bought Rubber Soul in December of 1965, it quickly became my favorite album. I was a teenager who’d only been collecting albums for a couple years, and of course that included all The Beatles albums. Looking back now, it’s easy to see this was a transitional album. The Beatles’ lyrics were becoming more sophisticated, and they started experimenting with other instruments and recording techniques.
This new remix was really needed to let us better hear the impressive studio work of John, Paul, George, Ringo & George (Martin). Back in ‘65, there weren’t enough recording tracks in the studio to accommodate the needs of The Beatles as their palate for new sounds expanded. Unfortunately, that meant voices and instruments were shoved together, and the stereo was not as balanced and clear as it should have been. There are some people who like mono recordings, and the new box set includes that mix, but honestly, mono recordings disappeared in about 1968, because they just don’t sound as good as real stereo. Mono was fine for our little transistor radios and cars with one speaker, but we moved far beyond that about 60-years ago.
The new box sets provide your choice of four CD’s or five records. They include the 2026 remix of the original British album, an album of 26 outtakes, the original mono mix, and the original stereo mix of the American version. In 1965, Capitol Records left off four songs, and added two acoustic songs they had held back from the Help soundtrack earlier that year. There’s also an 88-page hardback book. If you don’t want to pay for the box set (about $150 for CD’s or $230 for vinyl), you can get the full remixed album, 16 outtakes, and a 40-page booklet for about $25 (for 2 CD’s), or of course you can stream it.
Rubber Soul was probably The Beatles album most in need of remixing, and this new version doesn’t disappoint. Producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell have done a great job of centering the voices and the drums, and separating the instruments into a much more satisfying listening experience. We no longer have to put up with the voices all on one side.
The remix of the original British album is the main reason to listen to this release. Overall, the voices sound so much better. John really shines on the album, and especially on “Girl”. It sounds like he’s right there with you. Paul’s voice on “Michelle” is perfect. The remix of “Think For Yourself” let’s George’s lead vocal command the song, and Ringo’s lead vocal on “What Goes On” is definitely the best it’s sounded, since it stands out better in the chorus.
Rubber Soul was always an album with great harmony by John, Paul, and George. The remix lets you hear all the parts with greater clarity. “The Word” is a track that greatly benefits from this new mix. The improvement is in the vocals as well as the the funky rhythm section that gives credibility to the “Soul” in the album title. All the instruments throughout the album sound better too. Be sure to check out Paul’s “fuzz bass” on “Think For Yourself”, and George Martin’s piano on “In My Life”.
What’s new is this collection of outtakes (mostly unreleased).
These give us an inside look at how the songs developed. Even though Rubber Soul doesn’t have as many outtakes as later albums, there are interesting backing tracks, alternate arrangements, and even one incomplete acoustic demo from John Lennon, “Little Girl”. It’s not a great find, but rather a nice little curiosity. Unfortunately, we’ll never know if he could have developed it into something more. Don’t buy the box set just for the unreleased outtakes, because none of the tracks are lost gems like some of the songs on the Anthology albums.
As for the main album remix, it’s definitely a great refresh for one of the best albums ever recorded. Right now, it’s my favorite album again.
Extra: For the story of the recording of Rubber Soul and the differences between the British and American versions, use this link.
https://ontherecords.net/2019/04/the-beatles-rubber-soul-two-versions/