Though some might argue that the Beatles' unprecedented evolution from British Invasion pin-ups to pop music visionaries began with BEATLES FOR SALE, RUBBER SOUL is without a doubt the first album to definitively put the Fab Four in the running for Greatest Band Ever. Virtually every aspect of the Liverpool quartet's incredibly diverse sound is in evidence here: the dark, irony-filled Dylanism (Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man), pop perfection (In My Life), the passion for classic tin pan alley balladry (Girl, Michelle), and the love of good 'ol rock & roll music (Drive My Car). Peppered with nasty fuzz bass, exotic sitar, cartoonishly sped-up piano that sounds like harpsichord, and elements of country, Motown, and classical music, the album reveals a creative scope and willingness to experiment so revolutionary it can now only be termed Beatlesque. Though the Fabs don't go as far out on a limb here as on the more overtly experimental REVOLVER, RUBBER SOUL is perhaps the Beatles' most finely crafted and accessible work, and consequently many fans' and critics' favorite. The Beatles: George Harrison (vocals, guitar, sitar); John Lennon (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, piano, bass); Ringo Starr (vocals, organ, drums). Additional personnel: George Martin (piano); Mal Evans (organ). The album has been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.