For those unfamiliar with the extensive catalog from The Beatles, it can be hard to decide where to begin. It makes sense to listen chronologically, starting with their debut from 1963, “Please Please Me,” but it’s just as understandable to jump in with their 1969 magnum opus “Abbey Road.”
Perhaps it’s most efficient to start when the Fab Four got “good” in the eyes of most critics from the 1960s to today — a turning point often attributed to the release of “Rubber Soul” in 1965. On their sixth album, The Beatles moved past the pop-focused rock ‘n’ roll that was already developing on “HELP!” by incorporating a new dynamic sonic palette, along with even more introspective songwriting. Drawing on inspiration from Bob Dylan and Indian classical music, the result is a relaxing folk-rock record that laid the groundwork for the psychedelia to come.
Nearly 66 years after the initial release of “Rubber Soul” came a new super deluxe reissue on Friday, Oct. 3. With four discs spanning nearly three hours of material, the deluxe provides a new listening experience for emerging Beatles fans and previously unheard content that can satiate the most diehard Beatlemaniacs.
The first disc provides a fresh mix of the entire U.K. release of the album, done by Giles Martin, the son of the Beatles’ producer George Martin. The mixes replace the standardized 2009 remasters of the Beatles’ catalog.
When “Rubber Soul” was created, the band prioritized mono mixes of their music, which was the most accessible way of listening for most of their audience. Stereo mixing was given less attention, which has made the stereo quality of some of their music inconsistent. The remastered 2009 mixes are infamous for frequent uses of extreme panning, where some or all instrumentals get squeezed on one side while the lead vocals sit awkwardly on the other.
The new 2026 mixes somewhat fix this problem. The panning is done more generously, giving a balanced listening experience while wearing headphones. The choice makes some tracks feel distinctly flatter, with the vocals and electric guitar coming across quieter. Conversely, Ringo Starr’s drumming and Paul McCartney’s bass have a bolder presence, bringing more attention to how their playing drives the rhythm.
The George Harrison-led “If I Needed Someone” certainly benefits from the change, with Starr’s alternating drum patterns now crystal clear. On the other hand, “Nowhere Man” loses the sense of the three-part harmony enveloping the listener, one of the song’s most endearing qualities.
The jangly “You Won’t See Me” sits somewhere in the middle. The mix allows the harmonized “la la las” to merge more seamlessly with the background “oohs” in stereo, but the rhythm electric guitar loses its sharpness, giving the track less of a punch.
Each track has a give-and-take exchange with these new mixes, making the decision of which edition to listen to a personal preference. If you’d prefer to avoid the headache altogether, fear not — the third disc contains the same track list in mono format. The fourth disc comprises the original U.S. release and stereo mixes of the album, which has slightly less and different tracks.
Of the four discs, the second is the most compelling. It features over 20 selections of studio outtakes, though many are early instrumental takes that largely align with the final product.
When it comes to the takes with vocals, it’s a treat to see how songs like “Norwegian Wood” developed. The first take lacks the bounciness of the final product, while the second take positions Harrison’s sitar as the main melodic force instead of John Lennon’s acoustic guitar.
Even more mesmerizing is the first take of “I’m Looking Through You,” which moves with a surf-rock jauntiness. It lacks a verse that made it on the final cut but makes up for it with McCartney’s screaming vocals toward the end, which rivals his performance on “Helter Skelter” three years later.
Other fun additions include McCartney’s catchy acoustic demo of “We Can Work It Out” and Lennon’s simple demo of “Little Girl,” a previously unheard song that never made it onto a Beatles record or his solo material. There’s also the nearly 8-minute “Beatle Talk,” a charming mix of banter and vocal rehearsals for “Think For Yourself.”
The new release of “Rubber Soul” may not be as exciting as the average Bob Dylan bootleg that features alternate takes, unreleased gems and live performances, or even as revealing as prior Beatles deluxe sets for their later work. But the new mixes still offer a novel way to engage with the record, and some of the inclusions on the second disc were truly worth waiting to see.