Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

This film was always going to be close to my heart, as a part time civil liberties activist the story of Harvey Milk is one that's constantly inspirational and to see it on the big screen was a sheer delight. Sean Penn is excellent throughout this film, he plays Harvey to a tee, and there is a real star turn by Emilio Hersch in this movie he encapsulates his character so perfectly. However the real heart of this movie is the story, a struggle for acceptance, for rights that have been denied, and ultimately a fight against the evil and folly of men. What really makes the movie great is the way it balances moods, at times the story is incredibly dark and a brutal unflinching tragedy, but through Penn's performance and some brilliant writing the film has a jubilant mood. You can't feel sad watching this film, you'll have a lump in your throat from the sheer power of the ideals and the scope of the drama but ultimately this is a film to make you smile, it feels like a triumph from the first moment to the last. My favourite scene, and without doubt the movies most powerful is the "Gay Freedom Day" speech. It's not the grandstanding speech, or the emotive power of Harvey's rhetoric that make the scene so powerful, it's on little touch before hand. Before Harvey walks on stage he's handed a note, it says the first bullet goes in his head the second he steps on that stage, Harvey pauses and reflects for just a second before taking to the stage. The way that scene is shot is just perfect and it captures the whole essence of the Man and the movement to perfection. It shows that important step that has to be taken to achieve true change, Harvey is willing to put his ideals and his message before his own life. It encapsulates the bravery needed to lead these movements so perfectly, a selfless quality that so very few of us possess. All in all Milk is a remarkably well acted, incredibly powerful motion picture and undoubtedly one of the most affecting I've ever watched.

I am going to absolutely kick myself for not putting this as my number one, I've been changing the top two slots around all day in my mind but I've decided to settle for this arrangement, and sadly Man On Wire comes second. For those of you that don't know Man On Wire is a documentary made by the BBC about Phillipe Petit a man with a simple dream, he wanted to walk across a tight rope between the two towers and do tricks. Phillipe Petit, is a truly remarkable man and his suspenseful story is truly mind blowing, but it's the way the director allows Phillipe to be himself, and convey every dimension of personality that makes this film brilliant. His enthusiasm and lust of life is insatiable and complete infectious, you totally fall in love with his character and his approach to life. What is really truly emotional affecting about this film is it's message. It takes the simply notion that if you have a dream and you whole heartedly believe in yourself it can come true, no matter how impossible, no matter how bizarre. Phillipe Petit works outside of conventional social structures, this film teaches us that we don't have to settle for the status quo, that we don't have to follow convention, that we are not defined by our role or place within society, that we can be anything, and we can do anything that our heart desires. This film is truly uplifting and the most inspirational film that I've ever seen, if you watch this film and don't feel inspired you must be dead inside. So if your sitting at home looking for a job or stuck a work being killed by the 9 to 5, this film is the ultimate ray of light, your life is defined by nothing other than you own imagination and your own internal drive.

1. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

So yes my favourite film of all time is effectively a romantic comedy, who would have figured? Well of course Vicky Cristina Barcelona is so much more than that. At it's heart is a perfect ensemble cast, everyone plays their role to perfection, and Scarlett Johanson continues to prove she's the greatest most effortless actress on the face of the earth, Penelope Cruz delivers a star turn as a demented crazy free spirited artist (she's so much better when she's not speaking English) and Javier Bardum, well as always he's too cool for school. However what struck me about this film is not the brilliant acting, gorgeous music or the incredibly beautiful cinematography it was instead the films exploration of romance and social convention. The traditional western idea of the story book marriage is torn to shreds and the deep inner cynicism of the "perfect couple" is revealed. But also we are given a glimpse into the artist world, as these three free spirits are thrown together and find themselves utterly dependent on one another. The way it test traditional moral values is perfect, the idea that some times three parts that fit together perfectly are better than two. The way the conventional mind is tested against the artistic is brilliant. The story never sits still the characters and emotions are always in flux intertwining with one another and every possible emotional and physical relationship is tested. But what makes this film truly brilliant and my all time favourite is it's conclusion, Scarlett is a free spirit she just saunters off, and Vicky doesn't turn her true love into a relationship and returns home to her "real life". The film has no overriding message, it isn't preachy, it examines, it explores, it asks the right questions, but it doesn't tell you what to think. You may sympathize with certain characters but there is no hard and fast conclusion to be drawn. And that ultimately is the best conclusion, it leaves love and life completely undefined, the way it should be. With brilliant acting performances and a sublime Woody Allen script Vicky Cristina Barcelona offers one of the greatest insights into love and life in film history, and despite drawing no conclusion, it's says absolutely everything it needs to say. This film is truly beautiful, and that's the only word that could possibly describe it.

It seems like a contradiction in terms but Magical Mystery Tour has to be one of the most underrated albums of all time. So why is that statement a contradiction in terms? Well first off it's not really an album, its two EPs stuck together and released as an album in the US (making it the only US version of a Beatles album to be better than the UK edition). The Beatles never felt pressurized to produce an album, there's no big overbidding concept, it's short, light and breezy almost a hodge podge. Now secondly I called the Magical Mystery Tour underrated, well that's a pretty bizarre thing to say as I've never actually seen a review of this album below ten out of ten or five out of five. However the reason I consider Magical Mystery Tour to be among the great underrated albums is that despite endless glowing reviews it feels like it's been lost, no one ever talks about this record, it's a side note, that's how The Beatles treated it, and that's how it's been remembered but it deserves so much more than that.

Split into two halves the Magical Mystery tour feels like two separate entities. The first EP forges this beautiful musical atmosphere that feels like an unexplored landscape. Nobody ever talks about these beautiful works, and the second EP is an incredibly greatest hits collection. We'll start with the first of side, and I have to say it's my favourite and one of my favourite stretches of any Beatles album. It's starts with this grand joyful musical opening in the form of the title track, it doesn't work as a stand alone piece, it's more this perfect trippy piece to be played over a tv show's opening credits before the curtain arises and the show begins. The horns are so vibrant and so full of life, it's glorious and fun filled and McCartney makes a simple promise "We've Got Everything That You Need, Satisfaction Guaranteed" and he isn't kidding. The arrangement really is wondrous using so many different elements switching moods with ease, it's one hell of an opening, the only question is what comes next?

It's immediately followed by the first EPs undisputed highlight The Fool On A Hill, it's introduced by the end of Magical Mystery Tour which concludes with sad bluesy piano line before McCartney's gorgeous lonely sorrowful ballad begins. Like the album opener it seems to balance these contrasting moods so deftly, The Fool On A Hill at times feels hopefully and light like a barmy waltz in a meadow on a sunny summers days. Then it will suddenly shift and feel ominous, hopeless and sorrowful but the transition is handled with such remarkable fluidity it's simply gorgeous. The transition into the instrumental follow up Flying is equally seamless, led by the melotron and the hypnotic chanting of the Beatles it feels so light ethereal and gorgeous. This is the first time since Rubber Soul where the Beatles really created a mood and an atmosphere, but here it's taken to a new extreme with lush instrumentals and gorgeous spacious soundscapes rather than lyrical imagery. This whole opening feels like a collage of dreams weaving together, culminating in the hazy and beautiful Blue Jay Way that feels almost nightmarish but stops short and instead feels like a thick hypnotic haze. The whole track is encapsulated by the first line "There's a fog upon L.A" and the listener feels like he's lost in this thick oppressive yet beautiful musical fog.

The most interesting part of the LP comes when you emerge from this deep atmospheric dreamlike haze that's been created with the first four tracks into this bizarre jaunty dance hall singalong Your Mother Should Know. It feels like a successor to When I'm Sixty Four but in these surroundings it's mind warping, it feels like a weird irony laden dream. There's something beautiful about the arrangement, it's a stark juxtaposition, musically is sad and sorrowful but McCartney's vocals are charming and light, compared to the epic ghostly piano line that seeps in and out of the track. It feels altogether more menacing than When I'm Sixty-Four and it's a real surprising thrill.

From then on it the rich atmospheric section is waved off with one big crescendo in the form of I Am The Walrus. This is the first track on the album that feels pre-engrained in your psyche before you even hear the first chord, it's a classic and you know it. It's full of brilliant imagery and great lines my favourite has always been "Boy You've Been A Naughty Girl, You've Let Your Knickers Down" the intonation in Lennon's voice when he delivers that line is just tremendous. The rest of the Magical Mystery Tour feels like a greatest hits parade, Hello Goodbye follows, another perfect slice of McCartney pop. Before the two gems of the aborted Liverpool tribute album, Penny Lane and of course Strawberry Fields Forever steal the show, two such different and beautiful pop songs. Penny Lane revels in the ordinary and those wonderful little flourishes of details and well Strawberry Fields Forever is one of the best songs ever penned, full of grand imagery, lush arrangement and wonderful sentiment. It feels like floating in a dreamworld and it's an absolute delight to immerse yourself within. The album closes with All You Need Is Love, I've always considered this track the national anthem of Beatlesland, a joyous loving send off guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The albums only down note is Baby Your A Rich Man it's by no means awful or even bad but it just doesn't quite come off. It's a wonderful concept and the start of the track is a genuine thrill with Lennon's shrill croon "How Does It Feel To Be One Of The Beautiful People" but the second half can't live up to the early promise and gives it's way to sloganeering and overly simple sentimentality. It feels more like a slog when every other second of this album feels like a sheer delight.

Ultimately what makes Magical Mystery Tour such a delight is the atmosphere conjured in the albums first half. These are not the Beatles most well known tracks, instead they create this wonderful dream like ambiance for the listener to lose himself within. It feels like taking a journey into the Beatles psyche, taking a walk in Beatlesland, it's an utter delight. The second half is crammed full of some of the Beatles biggest and best singles, and some of the greatest songs ever written, and after such a beautifully, light and refreshing listen All You Need Is Love feels like the perfect sentiment to end on, because this has been a beautiful loving experience. It's a testament to the quality of the musicianship that it's that first half and The Fool On The Hill that I keep returning to at the expense of the undisputed brilliance of Strawberry Fields Forever. While Magical Mystery Tour may not be the most famous of Beatles albums you'd be making a terrible mistake if you chose to ignore it even for one second. It stands alongside Rubber Soul, Revolver & Sgt. Pepper's effortlessly.

I have to admit that I've seen very few of Hitchcock's movies, I've never seen Vertigo or Psycho it's so hard to watch a film that everyone else has seen to death, but even with my limited background in Hitchcock films I know my favourite is North By Northwest. It's just a perfect film, it's gorgeous, thrilling, stylistic, dark, creepy and wonderfully tongue in cheek. Your never quite sure if you should be terrified, absorbed or just laughing at the insanity of it all. While the direction is subtle and toes the line between the sublime and the ridiculous perfectly, and the cinematography is beyond iconic, there is only one star of this show and it's Cary Grant. From the moment he walks on screen he's just magnetic, you're drawn to him, he toes this beautiful line between the confused victim and the ultra smooth hero with great ease. He's both sympathetic and insanely cool and that's not easy to pull off. What really makes North By Northwest brilliant is it's lack of pretence, it's very knowingly ironic, and Cary Grant captures this feeling perfectly, he seems like the one human character lost in a world of whirlwind romances and crazy plot twists. Ultimately it's all things to all people, it's a great love story, it's a twist laden mystery verging on Film Noire and of course it's a balls to the wall action film. It's Hitchcock's take on the ultimate lads film, it's stylish and intelligent but at it's heart are big set pieces, insane twists and lots of sexy seduction, what more could we ask for?

Okay so now it's really looking like I have a man crush on Bruce Willis, I mean seriously I've given him two films in my top twenty and Russell Crowe gets nada. Well regardless, this film isn't really carried by Willis, he's his likable, relateable, everyman self but it's the direction, storytelling and overall grittiness that make Twelve Monkeys and unflinching triumph. It's Terry Gilliam of Brazil fame so we were all expecting mind bending visuals and great direction but this exceeded all expectations. The vision of the future is horrifying, it's so ugly, confusing and claustrophobic. In fact this entire film is grotesque, the future is hideous, warped and insane, and the present is dark, gritty and uncaring. The film is full of horrific visuals and a genuinely terrifying atmosphere. We're thrown from a bizarre future to an unsympathetic past that has Willis committed to a nut house. Twelve Monkeys is tremendously well acted but it's Brad Pitt who truly stands out with his mad, paranoid, self obsessed character who you feel remarkably attached to. It's hard to talk about Twelve Monkeys without blowing all the twists, and the plot is a bizarre jumble, some will consider it incoherent, but they are truly missing the point. The whole film is meant to have this cobbled together element, it's small pieces of a puzzle all swirling around, you never quite get a grip on reality, the viewer is put into the position of Bruce Willis' lead character, everything is as distressing to us as it is to him. The result a brutal, gritty, disorientating thrill ride.

I've always felt sorry for Babel it's truly unappreciated for one pathetic reason; Crash a vastly inferior film won the Best Picture Oscar the previous year Babel was overlooked as it was too similar in theme. Babel is often characterised as cold, dark, miserable and overly pretentious, and with the exception of the "overly-pretentious" comment, they are correct. Babel is as bleak as it gets, it revels in misery, and has a real art house feel but that's why it's so brilliant. Crash was all warm and fuzzy round the edges it stank of silver scream sentimentality, Babel feels real, depressingly and tragically real. Oddly it's not Brad Pitt and the tragically overrated Cate Blanchett that steal the show, it's the other members of the ensemble cast. Rinko Kikuchi really shines in her role as the the death Japanese teenager recovering from family tragedy. Her performance coupled with some astounding cinematography and a gorgeous soundtrack create some truly beautiful and unique cinematic moments. The scenes in the night club simply have to be seen to be believed, you really are taken into her world, and it can be both wondrous and terrifying, often at the same time, this film plunges you from joy to despair so quickly. It's grimy, tragic and unflinching cold in it's message but Babel always feels real and is remarkably affecting. The final note on this film has to be about the soundtrack, it's simply gorgeous, especially the Spanish guitar that plays throughout, and the way they capture the different cultures perfectly and bring them together through music is truly a work of art. Babel therefore maybe too cold and bleak for some but it is first and foremost work of art, and a engaging narrative second.

Ed Wood can be encapsulated in one world: charm. Everything about this movie makes you smile, it's made with such love and attention. You just feel that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were having a riot honouring one of their heroes Ed Wood. It seems an odd topic for a motion picture, a film about the life of the man widely regarded as the worst director of all time, it seems more like a Hollywood in joke than the premise for an Oscar nominated hit. Well what makes Ed Wood so brilliant is it's message. It's a simply moral lesson, that if you work hard and believe in yourself you can make your dreams come true. No matter how wacky, bizarre or just plain untalented you are, if you believe in yourself and have true desire you can make it. Your destiny is determined by no one or nothing but yourself. Now while Ed Wood has an unmistakably loving feel and a positive message, there is a deep dark undercurrent to all this uplifting sentiment. Depp's Wood is utterly ruthless in his ambition, he hurts those who he loves, he exploits his friends, he bankrupts studios and he prays on charities and swindles them with fast talk and lies. Ed Wood is utterly ruthless, but he's so darn lovable you can't help but root for the guy. The casting is brilliant Depp is superb, as is Marin Landau as horror legend Bella Lugosi. The film creates heroes out of nobodies and never opts for easy laughs over serious contemplation. I've always found this film deeply inspiring and thought provoking. Ed Wood teaches us that we can accomplish anything that our heart desires but if we're not careful it can consume us and cause untold damage to those whom we love. Now try to watch this film without smiling, I dare you.

There is simply too much I love about this movie, I just don't know where to start. Actually I do, it has to start with Japan. I could not think of a more perfect setting for this motion picture than Tokyo. As we see these two confused and lost souls cut a drift in a foreign land weaving their own unique relationship, I just couldn't imagine this film working in any other city. Japan provides such contrasts, at times it appears bright vibrant and futuristic like a neon paradise and at other times it feel intense, claustrophobic and alien. With the use of some great cinematography and some top notch acting this film switches moods effortlessly. At the heart of this story are two actors Bill Murray who is a great serious actor, much better as a disenfranchised depressed old man that he ever was as a funny man; and of course Scarlett Johanson. Scarlett is without doubt the best actress of her generations, miles better than Blanchett and as good as any male actor you could name. Every scene in this movie feels effortless and real, Scarlett acts so perfectly, she feels like a real human being, no scene ever feels scripted, it's organic, every look, gaze and frown, it's incredibly. That after all is Lost In Translation's great strength, it's utterly believable, these two perfectly written and acted characters coming together in such a natural organic way in the most bizarre and alien of back drops. It's a beautifully acted film and one of the 21st Centuries greatest works.

In my last review I concluded that Revolver was not my own personal choice for the greatest album of all time, or for that matter the greatest Beatles album but I never really explained why. For the most part it was beside the point, Revolver is a brilliant album, there is so much to admire, and next to nothing to criticise, so why bother ranking it? It's part of the reason I don't give album reviews scores, they really mean nothing, what's to be learnt from giving eleven different albums 10 out of 10. Well it struck me when listening to Sgt. Pepper's what it was that Revolver lacked, that Srg. Pepper's has in spades. It's a sense of cohesion. Revolver saw the Beatles really stretching their creative muscles in different directions all at the same time, Harrison, Lennon and McCartney were all experimenting with new sounds and arrangements within their own music, so Revolver never really felt settled, it jumped about, it's a collection of fourteen brilliant tracks but not necessarily fourteen tracks that fit together naturally. Sgt. Pepper's just feels right, there's still this great sense of experimentation, and in fact every track on this album feels like a departure, a revolution in song writing at every turn, but these thirteen tracks blend together magically. The production is sublime and the song selection is unparalleled, it's wonderfully fluid and remarkably cohesive.

Now alot has been written about this record, and it has to be said that alot of it is total nonsense. The old familiar story is that the Beatles wanted to escape being the Beatles so they created the concept of a washed up pavilion band having one last stab at fame and created a concept album around this notion. This simply isn't true Sgt. Pepper's is not a concept album, the concept does not extend beyond the title track and it's reprise. Instead it was a metaphor, The Beatles definitively freed themselves from touring and immersed themselves in the creation of music. Therefore Sgt. Pepper's is more a metaphor, it's a releasing of pressure, allowing the Beatles to shed their stage characters, to be themselves and created the music they always wanted. The results were predictably mind blowing. For a record whose influence is like no other, it's remarkable that when you listen to it now it still sounds so fresh and so distinct, this record could not be by anyone other than The Beatles.

Now returning to that theme of cohesion, the albums opening is just perfect, every single time you hear the transition from raucous goofy rocker Sgt. Peppers to With A Little Help From My Friends it just sounds right. It's an incredibly deft transition, because the two tracks couldn't be more different, the thundering rhythm and the slick guitar licks of Peppers... and the charming sing song hook of With A Little Help... should be totally at odds with each other, but their not, their perfect partners. It's a stark contrast to Revolver where the beautiful Here, There And Everywhere carelessly drops into Yellow Submarine. There's a really charm to the way the music comes to this huge crescendo after this thrilling opener and it drops into the soothing tones of Ringo Star. Ringo was a perfect choice for With A Little Help... because it's a simple and heartfelt song, and that perfectly matches Ringo's character and the tone of his voice.

There are so many stand out tracks on this album, every second sounds unique but it's hard to ignore A Day In The Life. Let's face it, it's the best Beatles song, now that wasn't to contentious was it? But it just is. When that opening chord sequence chimes and Lennon comes in with the unmistakable opening gambit "I Read The News Today Oh Boy", you just know it's going to be the perfect track. It's judged to perfection, the use of the big clumsy thuds of piano is divine, and the drums pound perfectly. It highlights the best of the both the Beatles lead songwriters; Lennon's verse is gorgeous and heartbreaking and McCartney's is earthy, charming and instantly relatable. The arrangement is remarkable, there's just so much going on it's truly staggering, every time I listen to this track I hear a new scratch here or a bounce of bass there it's just doesn't get old. The uses of the orchestra is perfect the tracks conclusion sounds like a earth shaking thunder storm, like a surrealist nightmare come to life, it's beautiful and grotesque, and most of all it's truly original, nothing before or after A Day In The Life truly compares.

However A Day In The Life may shine above others but it's merely the biggest star in a bright sky. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is perhaps the definitive psychedelic track. When I think of psychedelia today that hazy swirling hypnotic guitar line immediately fills my mind. The arrangement is remarkably complex and only the chorus is in traditional 4/4 timing, but as wonderfully trippy as this track sounds, it's not the music but the lyrics that steal the show. The imagination of this track is beautiful, Lennon captures the mood perfectly and it's the opening gambit that always captivated my imagination:

"Picture Yourself In A Boat On A River,

The song creates a mood so beautifully, it's so dreamy and hypnotic, the first two lines set the scene and that final punchline is incredible, the image of a Girl with kaleidoscope eyes is just wonderous. I don't know exactly why I find it so affecting but even though it's nonsense, I know exactly what he means, and there's something beautiful about that.

In between all the mind blowing song writing, irregular song structure and experimentation, the Beatles managed to sneak in some of their sweetest and most immediate pop music. Gettin' Better feels almost hypnotic with it's thudding piano line, catchy chorus and the subliminal drone of Harrison's tambura. The track feels jolly and light but it has a dark twist lyrically;

"I Used To Be Cruel To My Woman,

And I'm Doing The Best I Can"

Gettin' Better is so light and charming you almost forget what it's actually about, yes Paul McCartney did just croon that he used to beat is girlfriend, this is no throwaway thoughtless pop delight it's so much more. Speaking of a light throwaway When I'm Sixty-Four is delightful, it's so unexpected, the arrangement is just designed to make you smile, it's so subversive. I can't imagine how people responded to it at the time, it's feels so ironic and charming at the same time. Lovely Rita flirts with folksy-show tunes and is utterly irresistible and for such a simple and charming song the arrangement is fascinatingly deep.

She's Leaving Home is another clear standout, it's so soulful and melodic and the contrast between McCartney's sorrowful verse and Lennon's ghostly chorus is truly beautiful. It's also notable as the Beatles don't play a single jot of music, it's all sung over a beautifully crafted orchestral arrangement. It's reminiscent of Eleanor Rigby, it feels equally tragic but more personal, Rigby feels like a ballad for a world a lost souls, She's Leaving Home feels intensely intimate with it's single narrative, a family trauma and an internal awakening. Musically it's so mature and meticulously crafted it's simply staggering how much McCartney and Lennon had evolved into in just four years! Its followed by Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! a Victorian circus freak show come to life. It feels both nightmarish and charming with the grinding accordian and the brutish harmonica, it draws you in, it feels utterly surreal and incredibly captivating, and it shows the extreme depth and breadth of the Beatles creativity and their talent as composers.

It's almost unimaginable that three such different, beautiful and brilliant tracks as She's Leaving Home, Mr. Kite... and Within Without You could possibly fit side by side so organically, let alone even be on the same album as each other, or be forged by the same band. Within Without You is Harrison's only entry on Sgt. Pepper's... but it easily matches up to it's peers. George Martin's string arrangement is wonderful and it seems amazing that they managed to trim this track down as it started at over thirty minutes in duration. Lyrically the track is fascinating, incorporating Hinduism and Indian philosophy sublimely into pop music, just as the music bends and swirls this is a track that will warp your mind and is a fascinating, contemplative listen;

I've always found those last few lines incredibly touching and affecting, but even if you think it's all gobbledygook it doesn't matter, as you can just sit back and enjoy the wonderful swirling arrangement.

Srg. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band really holds a special place in music history, it changed everything but I'm not here to give you a musical history lesson, what's truly important is how fresh, vibrant and unique this album still sounds today. Every track on this album feels utterly unique and totally Beatles, no other western pop bands has ever done anything like this. Sgt. Pepper's is a master-work, it channels all these divergent ideas, all this unending creativity and these deeply contrasting musical styles and brings them together divinely. Unlike Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's is more than the sum of it's parts, it's one fluid perfectly weighted album, and it's a pleasure to listen to, and best of all it contains some of the greatest and most creative pop music ever forged. Whether you want to bend you mind with Lucy In The Sky... and Within Without You, or whether you want to have a fun charming sing a long there's With A Little Help and Lovely Rita, or if you'd rather cry there's She's Leaving Home, if you want to rock there's Srg. Pepper's itself, and hell if you want a surrealistic Victorian waltz they've got that to, and best of all if you want some transcendent genius there's A Day In The Life. For too long now there's almost been a backlash against this album, it's too cliche to say it's amazing, well it's about time we all grew up because guess what, it is one of the greatest and most important albums of all time, and it always will be. Is it the Beatles finest moment? That's too tough to say, Rubber Soul is such a unique experience but this is the most creative, cohesive and important album the Beatles ever released.

Just incase you were wondering this is Geroge A. Romero's 1978 classic version, not the recent remake. Actually the remake is a good place to start, because it was an enjoyable fun pop corn flick with a completely nonsensical ending. All in all it was alot of stylish fun, but that was it, there was nothing more, no depth, no subtly, no brilliance. Romero's original was the exact opposite, it's gritty and dark, the action is slower, it doesn't try to make you jump every two seconds, or blow your mind with gore. The genius of the original, is that rather than making you jump, it makes you nervous, you genuinely care about the lead characters and their fate. Because the Zombies are so slow and ponderous, the film's main protagonists even make fun of the zombies frequently throughout the film, the terror is complete different. This movie is psychological, it's a slow inevitable death, a sense of real impending doom is built, a slow hopelessness. There's the obvious commentary on consumerism, but that's not what makes the film great. It's all about figuring out how the zombies will get them. Without giving to much away, the films conclusion is one of the greatest in film history, it's cleverly planned, the film has a great balance between careful logic and impending doom, and it's one moment of sheer unpredictable chaos that unravels everything. In many ways it feels like a defence of realism and an attack on consumerism at the same time, but really, it's just a bloody good zombie film. The zombies maybe brainless but this film is anything but.

I only stumbled across this film a year ago and I have to say it is without doubt my favourite De Niro film and my personal choice for his best ever performance. It's a simple but brilliant concept. De Niro is an up and coming comedian, he's convinced that he's the next big thing and when he gets his chance to impress his idol stand up comedian and talk show host Jerry Lewis, he's rebuffed again, and again, and again, until he's driven into insanity. De Niro captures the role brilliantly, as his drive and unrelenting belief in his own ability send him spiralling into madness and kidnapping. There's something terrifying about how cool and maniacally calm De Niro is when he gives his final performance he's so laid back and smultzy given the circumstances, he comes across as an uncaring, obsessed, unrepentant madman. It's hard to take your eyes off him, his performance is so captivating, Scorsese's direction is superb and this film feels more relevant than ever. It warns of the dangers of celebrity fixation and it shows that while it maybe all good and well to have a dream, you can't be completely ruthless in your desire to full fill it. Ultimately this film is creepy as fuck, a true study in obsession, one of De Niro's most haunting and unlikeable characters but one whose decent into madness is utterly captivating. Hmmn....makes me think maybe I should spend less time checking on a certain female singers twitter...ah who am I kidding (checks twitter).

Now it's an absolute cinematic tragedy that this film isn't better regarded. Now don't get me wrong I know why it isn't, it's a B-Movie but that was the point, and yes the girl's dialogue is completely unrealistic but again I feel that's the point. Death Proof is a tribute to the great B-Movies, the music is divine, the action is dark, gritty and realistic and the girls and guys are all uber cool. The girls talk how boys want them to talk in their imagination and that's part of the fun. I was sold on this movie almost instantly, the minute I saw Kurt Russell playing a sleazy creepy psycho-killer I knew I was gonna love it, and then the minute I heard the Down In Mexico by The Coasters I new I was in love, this film is just too cool for school. Oh yes and of course you can't have a great song like Down In Mexico without having the beautiful Vanessa Ferlito lap dancing to it, right? Well whatever, oh and best of all it has one of, if not the best ever, car chase scene in movie history! And do you know what makes it so awesome? The fact that they did every last inch of it, everything was 100% real and it looked amazing. In a decade where lazy CGI has destroyed action scenes, were gimmicky robots battle and crappy Computer generated convertibles crash into one another it was so great to see real cars flying and around and being smashed up. And yes that was Zoe Bell flying around on the bonnet of that car, now that's how you build tension, I was genuinely scared for her life, because she was genuinely risking her life. Brilliant cast + great direction +mind blowing action = Cult Classic.

Now thankfully my friends have recently come around to their senses and actually watched The Cube, so I've been able to refresh my memory on one of my all time favourite horror films. The Cube is the perfect B-horror movie, it strikes the right balance between tension, shocks, gore and an intellectual argument. The concept is great, whack a group of random people from different back grounds, with different skills into a a living breathing rubix cube where some rooms have uber cool traps ready to end their lives, others are safe and they've got to find their way out. It works on so many levels, theres the social tension as this group of complete strangers are forced to co-existed and work together under the most horrific of circumstances. It's a mystery and a social experiment wrapped into one. All the different characters have a purpose and a differing perspective. What I truly love about The Cube is that the cube's origin is never explained, it's all left up to you and the characters to draw the conclusion. The characters come to a superbly telling and true conclusion; after exchanging conspiracy theories about evil corporations they come to a scarily realistic conclusion. The Cube is a bureaucratic nightmare, whoever originally designed is long gone, either retired or voted out, and the project has just continued to go along, for no other purpose than to justify it's own existence. Why put people into it? Because if you didn't you'd have to admit it was worthless and a waste of money, so the system keeps on churning remorselessly. It's such a subtle and true conclusion, it remained me of arms factories in America where they build outdated unused bombers. The factories are too important to the local economy to close, so the government subsidizes them, and the army are shipped outdated bombers that serve no purpose whatsoever, it's a cycle of mindless bureaucracy that cannot be broken. The Cube is far more subtle than it's given credit for, chilling, brutal and intellectually deft.

Quiz Show always feels like a lost classic, in a similar way to The King Of Comedy or even Amadeus, it's played on TV fairly regularly, but it's never quite had the hype to get the wide spread attention it deserves, especially in this country. Quiz Show is a remarkable believable, incredibly well acted historical drama based around the quiz show scandals of 1959, I have to say when I originally saw this film I had no idea that this was based on true history. To be honest it doesn't make a jot of difference the drama plays out perfectly and it works as a stand alone. Now the brilliance of the film is in it's honesty and it's morality. First off it exposes the truth about the television industry, that what is presented as reality is anything but, anything can be faked, everything can be scripted. John Turturro plays a nerdy unlikeable know it all who is the reigning quiz show champion, but the TV executives decide it's time to change things up and they opt for the not nearly so knowledge Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes is of course charming, witty and made for TV. The movie tests the morality of all the lead characters, it feels like an inquisition even though Fiennes is acting dishonestly and cheating you feel for him, you want him to succeed, for just the reasons the "evil" executives anointed him champion. Quiz Show is testing the morality of you the viewer as much as it is the characters. The writing, acting and direction are remarkably well textured and the film is incredible deft delving into the great socialital questions as well as the internal neurosis of the human mind. But most of all it's a brilliantly acted, incredible tense drama.

When it comes to breaking the mould, the really challenging albums the pinnacle has to Revolver. It seems strange saying it now because Revolver and The Beatles are a part of the fabric of pop music and British culture as a whole, but back in 1966 this was a brave and bold departure. The world must have still been reeling from Rubber Soul one of the richest and most gorgeous albums of all time, that felt light years ahead of it's predecessor Help! but Revolver, this was something else. It's definitely the same Beatles but somethings changed, Rubber Soul was a dark scathing brutal album that through the wondrous pop craftsmanship of the Beatles felt like an atomspheric delight. But at it's heart Rubber Soul was a deep study into emotional detachment and deep dejection. I don't know what happened in the eight months between records but Revolver was a giant leap forward in eight different directions at once. In fact, I do know what happened, I really shouldn't lie to sound dramatic, the Beatles moved on from Marijuana to the hard stuff, the trippy stuff, and they created the consensus choice for the greatest album of all time.

Aside from a hell of alot of drugs, new studio equipment and a new more sunny outlook the Beatles had one other radical shift in their creative process, they gave up touring. The Beatles retreated in Abbey Road studios and worked tirelessly to produce this record. Even on the earliest recordings of the Beatles you could tell that recording and making music was their real passion, this was a band that loved experimenting and loved working in the studio. Revolver really sounds like and album made by a band at peace with themselves, it feels entirely natural and it's the most peaceful and harmonious the Beatles would ever sound. Revolver saw each member of the band reaching out on their own, without the hassle of touring they could grow as musicians and individuals and experiment endlessly. Yet on Revolver there is still a feeling of togetherness, the record never sounds tense, it's calm, it's natural, it's beautiful and it's about time I started delving into the nitty gritty.

For the first time ever a Bealtes album opened not with Lennon or McCartney but Harrison, with his jaunty rocker Taxman. On Rubber Soul we saw Harrison begin to get political and existential but his work was vague and his lyrics open for personal interpretation, on Taxman, there is no confusion, no room for interpretation. This track is aimed at two men "Mr Wilson...Mr Heath" Harrison pulls no punches, today hearing the record it's easy to assume that this is the classic case of the mega rich complaining about needing even more money (see Lily Allen, she's running into this kind of argument with her war on piracy). However, Harrison had just discovered he was elligable for the 95% super tax on high earners brought in by Wilson's government, and of course he's just a little pissed off. The track is really deft in it's creation, McCartney provides a soft and funky guitar line, and Harrison is not brimming with rage, instead he's oozing sarcasm, his laughing at the pomposity of the idea, and the track itself revels not in the minutia of his individual gripe, instead it forms an everyman anthem;

It's Harrison's most immediate and most traditional effort on the LP. Elsewhere Harrison was pushing boundaries and revolutionizing music. Love To Love You took the eastern themes seen on both Rubber Soul and Help! to a new extreme. Previous the instrumentation had been rooted around a traditional western pop song structure, here Harrison was free to experiment and he is credited with creating the first completely non western pop song. The sitar winds gorgeously, it sounds positively otherworldly and starkly contrasts every other track on the album, like a hallucinogenic trip come to life . Harrison also immersed himself in Indian culture and Love To Love You was deeply philosophical and contains some of his most intriguing lyricism to date: "There's People Standing Around, Who'll Screw You In The Ground, They'll Fill You In With All The Sins You Seek". Harrison's final entry on Revolver I Want To Tell You still contains eastern influences, but it's far more subdued, it's instead a gorgeous slice of pop music, with some wonderfully subtle guitar work and a really slick arrangement. The highlight though is Harrison's lyricism that has come on leaps and bounds, the words are conflicted and confused but seem vaguely hopeful. "But If I Seem To Act Unkind, It's Only Me, It's Not My Mind, That's Confusing Things"; Personally I've always found that a powerful sequence, I can't count the number of times I've had just that feeling and those exact thoughts. I Want To Tell You is deep and light at the same time, it's remarkable, and across three very different tracks it's clearly that Harrison has fully evolved into a world class song writer of incredible depth with a great breadth of creativity.

It's impossibly hard to pick a stand out track on an album the quality of Revolver but if I had to choose just one, it'd have to be Eleanor Rigby. I'm astounded by this song each and every time I hear it. The new remasters have George Martin's orchestral arrangement sounding even richer and more powerful. This was the moment when Paul McCartney caught back up with Harrison and Lennon after their creative break through on Rubber Soul. This would become the hallmark of McCartney, as he began to experiment with orchestral arrangement and delved deeply into his anecdotal social detailing. Eleanor Rigby is a record full of such deep sorrow, it feels piercing, like a heavy downfall of rain the strings jab and pound relentlessly, and lyrically Paul conjures this great sense of hopelessness. All these lives lost to the sorrow and nothingness of the daily grind. The most tragic moment of the track comes when Paul creates the image of "Father Mackenzie writing the words to a sermon that no one will hear", while it's not as traditional tragic as the idea of Eleanor Rigby's unattended funeral, or the image of all those souls not being saved, that line has a powerful resonance. McCartney captures the futility of life in that one statement, a man in Father MacKenzie who has all the good intentions in the world, but he knows it's hopeless nothing he says will ever matter, no one really pays attention to a word he says, yet he pursaviers regardless. It's tragic and yet sadly true.

It's clear that Paul's biggest influence and biggest rival was Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys but you have to feel that he surpassed them, first on this album and then later on Srg. Peppers. Here There And Everywhere was the latest in a long string of gorgeous ballads. This track in particular has a haunting feel, it feels ghostly and ethereal, and it's almost feels like an ironic joke that it drops into Yellow Submarine. For No One feels like a natural successor to Here There And Everywhere another haunting and poignant ballad. It has a powerful and retrospective vibe, and as the song reaches it's emotional peak this gorgeous French horn line comes in. The sound of the horn is so sharp and cutting it kicks the songs emotional appeal of track up to an even higher level. Lyrically it's utter dynamite and it's infinitely quotable, it feels like an early precursor for A Day in The Life in many ways, "Behind Her Eyes You See Nothing" always struck me as a remarkably powerful and affecting line especially combined with "No Sign Of Love Behind The Tears". It's another sign of McCartney, and The Beatles maturity, Revolver and Rubber Soul are utterly incomparable to what preceded them. Paul's final two tracks on the album are gorgeous arranged putting orchestral arrangements to great use with the far more uplifting Good Day Sunshine and the hopeful pop rocker Got To Get You Into My Life, it turns out he hadn't lost his smile or his charm after all, and it's tracks like these that give Revolver a totally different more uplifting feel than Rubber Soul.

So Pop 101 how do you write one of the most timeless and brilliant tracks of all time, that simply refuses to age, that will sound as revolutionary in fifty years time as it did the day you wrote it? The answer: go to your local book store, get some Tibetan philosophy, take huge doses of LSD, and then stand by with your pen and note paper. Yep that's it, that's how John Lennon wrote Tomorrow Never Knows a track doesn't need description, it's one of the Beatles best and most experimental tracks, and hell it's not just one of The Beatles best tracks, it's the Chemical Brother's best track too. Analysing this one would miss the point just "Turn Off Your Mind, Relax And Float Down Stream". Elsewhere we find Lennon floating up stream on I'm Only Sleeping, a truly charming pop song, you can't help but smile when you listen to this track, it's such a mood record, I don't think you could possible be angry when listening to this record. "Please Dont' Spoil My Day, I'm Miles Away" I don't think he could have possibly phrased it any better, it's state of mind that we all know, and the arrangement captures the essence of the lyrics so beautifully. Even on such a charming little ditty the Beatles still managed to pack in the experimentation, to get that trippy bizarre dream like feel, George Harrison guitar solo is record and played backwards as well as forwards.

Lennon themeatical is exploring his own mind more than ever, his tracks seem to question everything and are remarkably reflective, of course their laced from head to toe with acid. She Said She Said is not only one of his finest tracks but it also had the most bizarre of inspirations; something Henry Fonda said while he was tripping. That's along way removed from those songs about love and wanting to hold girls hands. It's easy to forget with all this talk of meaning and musical experiment that at the heart of this album are irresistable pop songs and gorgeous melodies. And Your Bird Can Sing is perhaps the finest example of this, it's driven by a great Harrison riff and a series of irresistible vocal hooks and lyrical couplets. So while Lennon was getting introspective and existential seemingly at the same time, he was still churning out beautiful pop music.

And that is the absolute right note to end on, because Revolver is such a fascinating album, it has incredibly depth, there's so much going on musically, with orchestral arrangements, weird vocal tracks, guitars being played backwards, eastern influences, philosophical debates, political attacks, and everything else under the sun, it's so easy to lose track of the simply notion that this is a pop record. It may not be a conventional pop record, it may just well be the most experimental, revolutionary and important pop record of all time, but it is a pop record and at it's heart are fourteen of the most irresistibly charming and beautiful pop songs ever written. Ultimately this is why Revolver is so well remembered and so deeply loved, because the music is beautiful, timeless and unbelievably accessible. Revolver saw all four of the Beatles hitting on a career defining purple patch (yes even Ringo). With three of musics greatest songwriters stretching out in their own directions with equal brilliance but still able to bring it together to create perfect pop music. Revolver is the moment when the Beatles tore up the rule book and threw it out the window, this is when they decided they would push the boundaries and revolutionize music, redefining western pop music for the next fifty years. It's important to remember that The Beatles never ceased to be a pop act, the boys who wrote I Want To Hold Your Hand maybe long gone but they didn't abandon pop music to become avante guard experimentalists, they instead redefined what it was to be a pop musician, and that ultimately, is both Revolver and The Beatles legacy.

So is it the best album of all time? Not for me personally, but if someone were to tell me I was wrong I wouldn't put up much of a fight, because quite honestly who cares? Revolver is a great record and who wants to argue about whether it's better than OK Computer or What's Going On when we could be listening to the bloody thing.

This is just a film that you can't help but fall in love with. I loved the beauty and ambition of this picture. They changed the formula dramatically, it wasn't the standard who's who of big name actors playing goofy comedy rolls, it wasn't a series of references to contemporary culture and the movies of the last 30 years. Wall-e's references points were far less cool. Wall-e was a throw back to silent cinema, it was all about gorgeous cinematography, physical gags, a wonderfully score and bare emotion. The opening of the movie is completely without dialogue, it's spooky and haunting and tremendously well shot. The use of music and the overtl quirkiness of the picture is sublime. At it's heart however Wall-e is a love story, it's about hope. It has big broad classic sci fi themes about the human condition, the evils of big business and the apathy of the human race towards our planet and even our fellow man but they all play second fiddle to the romance between Wall-e and Eve. The movie is summed up to perfection in one scene. When Wall-e and Eve float in space, dancing around one another, there's no dialogue, just a combination of great comedy, beautiful imagery, gorgeous sound and overwhelming emotion. Wall-e is a brave movie, huge in scope and ambition but based around the most basic of emotive building blocks. The fact that it was a huge run away success shows that their just might be some hope left for humanity afterall.

When I think of my favourite three major actors the trio that come to mind are Russell Crowe, Leonardo Di Caprio & Bruce Willis. Remarkably not a single Crowe or Di Caprio film made my top twenty list despite their brilliant work, but we'll be seeing Bruce Willis a fair few times. It's hard to sum up Bruce's appeal he's a good actor, he's a great action hero, he's incredibly likeable, but he's no great looker, he's not oozing charm and let's face it he's not Humphrey Bogart but he is absolute Teflon at the box office. Well The Fifth Element is much more than a just a show piece for Willis. The Fifth Element was glorious silly, ridiculously over the top, and a total parody of itself from the word go, yet some how it was absolutely essential and irresistible. It felt like an art house film with it's sublime direction and creative camera work. Luc Besson direction is superb he creates this utterly daffy, completely nonsensical but gloriously colourful vision of the future. The film jumps around, one minute it showing the gritty depressing life of Willis' future cab driver and then contrasts it with the colourful comedy of...well everything else. The star of the show is without Mila Jolavich whose portrayal of The Fifth Element is simply superb, easily her best ever role. Ultimately The Fifth Element is a charming film, it's designed to plaster a smile across your face, it's full of great OTT performances and incredibly memorable scenes. An artistic triumph.

18. Reservoir Dogs

There's so much to love about Reservoir Dogs the soundtrack is of course sublime, it's Tarantino after all and the ensemble cast is excellent. Sean Penn is of course brilliant, seriously it's Sean Penn what else did you expect, he's both funny and incredible hateable you're just begging for this annoying prick to get iced. Steve Buscemi is superb and in my opinion it's still remains his best performance as the the quirky and paranoid Mr. Pink, the other true star turn comes from Micheal Madsen, who is too cool for school in this film, and I don't even need to describe the Stuck In The Middle With You scene. What makes Reservoir Dogs superb is that for a gangster movie, it's so minimalist, it's not loaded with action, it's all acting and character development. It's all about story telling and unique narratives. The majority of the movie takes place in a warehouse, and it feels like a tradition stage play, all the characters playing off against one another, the tensions run high, as each character questions each others background and motives, until the unforgettable finale. It feels like a great Miller or even Shakespearean stage play, every inch of this film is judged to perfection. Tarantino remarkably managed to seem cool, edgy and revolutionary while actually delivering a classic theatrical melodrama, now that's a hell of an achievement.

It's the first entry in the top twenty from my favourite director of all time. Stanley Kubrick truly was a genius, and what made him so special was not a destinctive style or approach but the fact that he could turn his hand to anything. He revolutionized movie making in so many different fields, it seems mind boggling that the same man who directed 2001 also direct Eyes Wide Shut, A Clock Work Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Dr. Strangelove and Path's Of Glory to name just a few. However of all his revolutionary movies none has had the influence of 2001... that sounds like a bold statement but really it isn't. Every movie and tv show involving space is in some way influenced by this film. Our very imagining of outer space is purely based around this one motion picture. The brilliance of 2001 is that it captures the emptiness of space, and it's utterly terrifying. Many people dislike this film, because it is so sparse, so empty and so cold, but that is why it is so perfect. The use of classical music, and these gorgeous empty scenes that just hang endlessly on screen is truly terrifying. For all the great exploration of the human condition, artificial intelligence, and the meaning of life, it will always be the beauty and emptiness of this film that makes it so remarkable. Nobody before or since has captured the sheer inhuman emptiness of outer space so well or in such a terrifying fashion. This truly is film as an artistic medium not a story telling devise, 2001 is a beautiful as it is chilling, a true masterpiece.

So after one of Kubrick's undisputed classics and one of the most revolutionary movies in film history I've opted for Kubrick's final work and arguably his least loved. Now many people found this film a let down, and I can understand why, in many ways it's similar to 2001 it's empty, it's cold, it takes a loving relationship and strips all the emotions away, it's contrasts love with raw primal emotionless sex. The whole later half of the film feels so dark, uncaring and almost horrifying. Kubrick conjures this wonderful mood, the secret club which Tom Cruise stumbles upon is so unwelcoming, so creepy and too bloody tense for words. Eyes Wide Shut really delves into the human psyche contrasting these great themes of love, romance, sex, fantasy, exploration and contrasting it with this constant threat of death, you fear for Cruise character in nearly ever scene, the film is so bleak, and intense. The brilliance of the film is it's open-endness it feels incredibly deep and yet utterly hollow at the same time. You can explore themes of trust and fantasy or you can sit back and enjoy the gorgeous vibrancy of the cinematography and wonder if there is anything to this film at all. Similar to 2001 it feels like the movie doesn't care whether you love it or hate it, it doesn't cater to the viewer, it feels absorbed with itself, there is little warmth, it's cold, harsh and strange yet remarkably it's beautiful and irresistibly captivating, you won't be able take your eyes of it, even for a second.

Sometime when your reviewing a record you have to put real thought into it, you have to consider every last inch, it's influences, it's effect and you have to draw comparisons, to some extent you have to use your own reference points. You have to have your own internal dialogue you'll say "this albums pretty damn good but is it as good as The Queen Is Dead", you have to consider whether a record has any deep meaning or whether it's simply and immediate thrill, you think about it's place in history even if it's not even in the shops yet. When it comes to Rubber Soul all of these thoughts and considerations are just thrown straight out the window, about a minute into Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) you come to the realization that you are listening to something truly beautiful, not without out influence yet completely unique. You don't compare Rubber Soul to OK Computer or Autobahn you simply sit back and become absorbed in the music, it weaves delightfully through your cranium, it intertwines with your soul, it's a record that makes you smile, cry and laugh all at the same time. It's a special feeling, it's a vibe that you only get from certain records, other albums will affect you in different powerful ways but the feeling of listening to Rubber Soul is completely unique to itself, it's beautiful, it's light, it's trippy, it's subversive and it's utterly gorgeous.

Now I'm sure quite a number of you are thinking; "hey hang on a minute that sounds an awful lot like a conclusion not an introduction", and of course you'd be right. However you can't start a review of Rubber Soul in any other way. Rubber Soul is a unique album, it's an incredibly affecting album, a scene had to be set, it had to be made loud and clear that this record bears no comparison. Is it the best album of all time? Probably not. Is it the best Beatles album? Nah not necessarily. But this is completely beside the point, because Rubber Soul is a record that you feel, it's special, it sits in a separate category. Now that's awfully vague but I'm afraid that's the truth, everyone who listens to this record will experience it in a different way, for some it may totally pass you by, but for most it will have a power and an effect like no other. Adjectives truly fail me, it's so hard to put a finger on this album, how do you describe it? It's so perfectly balanced, almost unexpectedly so. I can't begin to imagine how the Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys must have felt when they heard this record for the first time. Could anyone have seen this coming? Help! suggested the Beatles had more to offer than just slick pop but who could have foreseen this?

Enough abstract contemplation let's get down to business. Rubber Soul is kicked into life by Drive My Car, undoubtedly the albums most conventional track, it almost feels like a mirage, a dastardly trick by The Beatles. They throw out one last perfect pop single to start the album, it's like Help! all over again, but it isn't. It's feels detached from the rest of the album, but it grabs your attention, perfectly. Drive My Car is the natural progression of The Beatles song writing it buzzes with real energy, the main riff from Harrison is slick and dirty at the same time, the use of the piano is superb and the wink and nod flirty lyrics are a delight. Yet while it's probably the most well known of Rubber Soul's fourteen tracks it's easily the least interesting. It's thick gorgeous well composed power pop but it's so passée compared to what was to come.

So after a brief pop detour the album is suddenly kicked up to a whole new level with Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). Taking the eastern influence demonstrated on Ticket To Ride to the extreme George Harrison plays wonderfully on the sitar and compliments Lennon's bare acoustic guitar strumming. The song winds and soars with delicate beauty yet as the Lennon's lyrics begin to take affect and become less abstract and more antagonistic the arrangement takes this darker more sinister tone before dropping down into a more reflective and spiritual vibe as Lennon lyrically comes to terms with his rejection. It's a staggering work, it sounds so distinctive, and gorgeous on each and every listen, the music is so rich and brilliantly crafted yet like all the best Beatles work it retains a natural even effortless quality. Norwegian Wood is a track you can listen to again and again, in different moods and in different states of mind and take something different from each and every time. The lyrics are so opaque and Dylanesque you really can draw whatever reading or lessons you want from the track, but it remarkably never feels vacant. Reading now on Wikipedia, McCartney suggested that the end of the track was meant to imply that Lennon burnt down the girls house in her absence, I have to admit this never occurred to me, it's certainly not what I took from the track. I took a more fleeting nihilistic apathetic and less vindictive reading of the track. Yet the song is so opaque and inspiring even knowing it's inspiration I still stick with my own personal reflections.

When it comes to the real stand out tracks and the real musical advances this is Lennon and Harrison's record. While McCartney had been taking these great strides forward as a balladeer, on this record he's in back seat and contributes these charming light slices of divine pop and takes a back seat to the darker and more expansive song writing of John Lennon. Rubber Soul is stacked with now classic Lennon, Nowhere Man brims and shimmers, Harrison's guitar work is subtle and his brief solo fits the tone of the track perfectly, the rhythm section is almost hypnotic, the arrangement is simply sublime and it allows you to become completely lost in Lennon's lyricisms. Similar to Norwegian Wood it's incredibly affecting and evocative, even if no one is quite sure what Lennon's message was. Nowhere Man feels deeply philosophical, it oozes detachment with a real sense of being lost and direction less with the world at your feet but no belief, no passion and no conviction to drive you. Yet it also feels like an attack, you can't help but feel that Lennon detests the Nowhere Man you can imagine all these greedy soulless nowhere men ruling the world. However of course Lennon always claimed the song was deeply personal, about his frustration to find song writing inspiration and direction. Well the simplest explanation is usually the right one, but the song is so brilliantly written and the music is crafted so expertly that it just creates this atmosphere where you can happily derive your own conclusion, or just sit back and enjoy the sweet hypnotic sound.

The Word Lennon's next great entry on Rubber Soul buzzes and kicks like Drive My Car but it couldn't be more different, while Drive My Car is flirty and devilish; The Word is abstract, it's the first of Lennon's fist pumping anthems. Of course being Lennon, while it's filled with passion and vigour, you don't pump your fists you hold hands and embrace each other because of course The Word is love. Musically it feels leaps ahead of anything on the Beatles previous five albums, the pre chorus builds up and your expecting this huge crescendo and instead your greeted with delicious harmonies and peaceful sentiment, it's a wonderful contrast and the track's outro is sublime. The Beatles had never felt so cohesive as a band, every member and each instrument was pulling it's weight to create such rich and powerful music.

Lennon even finds himself getting in on McCartney's act with a sombre and powerfully ballad. Unsurprisingly Girl was genuinely co-written by Lennon & McCartney as it certainly feels like a McCartney track. Lennon sings with a beautiful haunting candour which feels reflective and sorrowful. It also contains the Beatles most obvious references to drugs, with the huge sharp intakes of breathe between lines, which of course is a less than subtle nod to marijuana. However Girl is instantly surpassed by the remarkable ballad In My Life, this truly was Lennon at his best, even fifty years on, this track is so incredibly affecting and emotive it still sets itself apart. It's influence can still be heard to this very day, it's one of those tracks that's so important that the musical landscape would be completely unrecognisable without it. The guitar work from Harrison is staggering, so subtle and the mood of the track is judge to perfection but most of all it's so vibrant and fresh In My Life simply refuses to age, it's truly timeless.

It's easy to get carried away with the deep powerful and emotive tracks on Rubber Soul but it's worth reminding that this album saw the Beatles take giant steps forward in the pop department. It seems almost ludicrous to think the world's biggest pop band could write better pop music but the fact is they did. Drive My Car, You Won't See Me, Wait and Run For Your Life are simple sublime, they have such vigour, their irresistible but musically they've become richer and lyrically deeper. Run For Your Life is the best example, it's so sinister the soft irresistible pop only makes the track darker, Lennon sounds simply maniacal and he croons in his best sunflower pop tone:

It's absolutely thrilling, the juxtaposition between jaunty pop and evil murderous rage is just delicious, this is The Beatles like you'd never heard them before. Of course you can't keep Paul McCartney down, the Beatles couldn't release a revolutionary LP without him contributing one slice of utter genius. I'm Looking Through You is the ultimate jilted lovers anthem, it's snarling with rage, yet it's controlled within McCartney's sweet harmonies. After all, he's controlled, he's calm, he's been wronged, but he's not been fooled, he knows exactly what happening, he's not going to throw a fit, he's above that he's disappointed and dejected, he's going to take the morale high ground. Lyrically it's an absolute delight;

"Why Tell Me Why Did You Not Treat Me Right,

Not to be outdone, Harrison not only cranks his guitar work up to eleven on this record but his song writing also takes a giant stride forward. Harrison begins his first attempt at political song writing, while it's never quite clear whether this track is a general call to arms or a reflection on a personal experience, regardless it has untold power.

"And Though Your Minds Opaque,

While the Think For Yourself is vague in direction if not message the fact that it's directly followed by The Word, cannot be coincidence. Together they feel like a call to arms against corruption and lies, to be free, to be yourself and act out of love and compassion rather than any from external pressures or social structures.

The Word and Think For Yourself feel like the appropriate tracks to conclude with, I could go on talking about Rubber Soul forever, I've hardly discussed the new musical techniques or arrangements but this is ultimately beside the point. Rubber Soul is dark, sombre, brutal, detached and has this overriding theme of rejection and dejection, yet when you listen to this LP from start to finish, you don't feel sad or depressed. It finishes with Run For Your Life the Beatles most revengeful evil track to date, but you don't feel angry or depressed you simply can't. All these years later it's the sentiment of The Word and Think For Yourself that define the album, the music is so rich and glorious, and the song writing so emotive and powerful, that the actually lyricism, is not important. This is an album you experience, not an album you understand. I've spent this entire review delving into the tracks but I've reach no concrete conclusions, no definitive understanding, I simply explored the feelings and themes that these tracks evoked in me. Consulting Wikipedia or a Beatles history you'll find like me, that the inspirations for these tracks and the purposed meanings are greatly different from your own personal understanding. This is of little matter, the album as a whole, feels opaque, it's like a hypnotic fog that surrounds you, and what you experience and feel will be totally unique to you personally. Rubber Soul is pure emotion, it's a record you feel, in fact it's a new indescribable feeling completely unique to itself. Rubber Soul may not be the perfect album, but it is absolutely perfect, you couldn't change a single note, or even rearrange the tracks, everything is in it's right place, from the album title and artwork to the last jangle of guitar on Run For Your Life, this album simply couldn't be any other way. Now if you haven't already, stop reading and listen to bloody thing, you'll probably disagree with every word I just wrote, but I bet you'll have a hell of a time doing it.