Tom Dunne: Rubber Soul comes bouncing back into my life, and it's as good as ever

A re-issue of The Beatles' 1965 album is a reminder of what an incredible slab of pop brilliance it really is

The Beatles around the Rubber Soul era. Picture: Courtesy of Apple Corps

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026 - 21:00

Tom Dunne is a music-lover extraordinaire who, as well as presenting radio and TV shows, can also be seen in the wild as the lead singer with Something Happens.

Among fans that experienced The Beatles first hand, buying their albums on the day of release, Rubber Soul and its follow up, Revolver, tend to be especially cherished. They are often simply their favourites. They like what came next, they admire it, but these two they love, end of.

They see these albums as imperial pop brilliance, nigh on perfect releases, peak melodic, commercial Beatles' genius on tap. Subsequent albums became more about The Beatles themselves: their ambition, personal relationships, mini dramas, the narrative. On these two albums, the songs just spoke for themselves.