Beep, Beep...Beep, Beep Yeah!

A friend just got The Beatles' "Rubber Soul," a favorite album of mine from one of my favorite bands (together with Metallica, who I argue are The Beatles of heavy metal). He called and asked me how the album got its name but I couldn't remember - though I know I read it somewhere, so I started the Internet search.

Didn't realize that it was 40 years ago this month that The Beatles began recording the songs that would make up that album, which features classics "In My Life," "Drive My Car," "Norweigan Wood," "Girl," "Nowhere Man," and "Michelle" along with other great songs including "Think For Yourself," "I'm Looking Through You" and "Run For Your Life." (I know "Run For Your Life" is often dissed but I find it delightfully creepy.)

NPR has a great piece on the album's germination as end-of-the-year product combined with the band meeting Dylan and pot.

As for the album title, according to beatles-discography.com, "the title was a pun on the phrase 'plastic soul,' which American musicians had been levelling (insultingly) at the British R&B scene."

The Beatles' 'Rubber Soul' Bounces Back [NPR]
Oh Look Out! Part 6, Rubber Soul [iamthebeatles.com]