THE BEATLES Rubber Soul Vinyl Record LP Parlophone 1965 UK Mono Original -4/-4 ROG/RRP

The Beatles - Rubber Soul
(Original UK Mono Pressing with Black and Yellow Parlophone Label that has "THE GRAMOPHONE CO.LTD." and "SOLD IN U.K...." Label text. Housed in Front Laminated Laminated Flipback Garrod & Lofthouse Picture Sleeve, complete with polylined Emitex inner sleeve. KT Tax Code on side 1 label. -4/-4 Matrix)


Format: Vinyl Record - LP Album (33 rpm)
Country: UK
Year: 1965
Label: Parlophone
Catalogue No. PMC 1267

Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, stamped): XEX 579 - 4 3 ROG
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, stamped): XEX 580 - 4 4 10 RRP

Condition: VG+/VG+ (Sleeve is in clean condition. It has some laminate creasing at edges and small biro initials on the back. The vinyl is in clean condition. It has a couple of visible surface marks)


Track Listing:
1. Drive My Car
2. Norwegian Wood
3. You Won't See Me
4. Nowhere Man
5. Think For Yourself
6. The Word
7. Michelle
8. What Goes On
9. Girl
10. I'm Looking Through You
11. In My Life
12. Wait
13. If I Needed Someone
14. Run For Your Life

Rubber Soul is the sound of The Beatles shedding their naivety to embrace the complicated textures of adulthood. Released in December 1965, it serves as the definitive bridge between their early pop careers and the experimental style of their later years. It marks the first time the group had full creative control over the recording process, spending hundreds of hours in the studio without the distraction of touring.
 

Musically, it is a rich tapestry of folk-rock, soul, and proto-psychedelia. The album is famous for introducing "exotic" sounds to pop, most notably George Harrison’s sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". This particular -4/-4 mono pressing is highly regarded by audiophiles as the definitive 'corrected' cut, offering a more balanced and nuanced listening experience than the notoriously heavy-handed 'Loud Cut' that preceded it. Other innovations include Paul McCartney’s gritty fuzz bass on "Think For Yourself" and George Martin’s baroque-style piano, recorded at half-speed for "In My Life".

Lyrically, the "boy-girl" simplicity of their early hits gave way to ambiguity and introspection. Songs like "Nowhere Man" moved entirely away from romantic themes, while "Girl" and "Michelle" introduced more nuanced, often darker portrayals of relationships. Even the iconic cover art, with its accidentally stretched photography by Bob Freeman, offered a new, distorted reality. More than just a collection of singles, Rubber Soul redefined the long-playing record as an artistic platform, directly inspiring The Beach Boys to create Pet Sounds.