Chuck Klosterman X: A Highly Specific, Defiantly Incomplete History of the Early 21st Century

by Chuck Klosterman

After Mr. McCartney was buried near Beaconsfield Road in Liverpool, Beatles bass-playing duties were secretly assigned to William Campbell, a McCartney soundalike and an NBA-caliber pothead. This lineup change resulted in the companion albums Rubber Soul and Revolver, both of which are okay. Despite its commercial failure, Rubber Soul allegedly caused half-deaf Brian Wilson to make Pet Sounds (this is also why EMI has released a mono version of the entire Beatles catalog—it allows consumers to experience this album the way Wilson did). If you like harmonies or guitar overdubs or the sun or Norwegian lesbians or taking drugs during funerals or the invention of sound, you will probably enjoy these records. Rubber Soul gets an A– because I don’t speak French. Revolver gets an A+, mostly because of “She Said She Said” and “For No One” but partially because I hate paying taxes.