Rubber Soul, the group's sixth studio album which released in December 3, 1965, was the most important leap in the Beatles' career depicted a shift away from the heavy demands of teen pop, toward more introspective, adult subject matter.
Their lyrics represented thoughtfulness, maturity, and complex ambiguities as if they began to explore their inner selves or in other word, their "soul" on record.
Rubber Soul was a substantial leap forward in term of music too, with intricate folk-rock arrangements that reflected the increasing influence of Dylan and the Byrds. In retrospect, the Beatles inspired and influenced the Byrds and, the Byrds in turn influenced the Beatles.
Oddly, the lifespan of a pop band's career in early 60s could often measured in months or in years, rarely in three-year increments. By 1965, the Beatles were in danger compared to their new peers, The Who, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks. Indeed, at the time the Beatles did need a new direction.
Therefore, the group and George Martin, their producer, began to expand the conventional instrumental parameters of the rock group. The record sessions had no disturbance in between.
The result had shown in each of their songs, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),"using a sitar "Michelle" and "Girl," Greek-like guitar lines "Think for Yourself,"fuzz bass "In My Life." a piano made to sound like a harpsichord by recording on a tape and play at half-speed.
Some said there was speculation that "Norwegian Wood" might refer to cannabis. According to Scott Plagenhoef, "Marijuana's effect on the group is most heavily audible on Rubber Soul. (By the time of their next album, Revolver, three-fourths of the group had been turned on to LSD, and their music was headed somewhere else entirely.)"
Lennon and McCartney were beginning to carve separate songwriting identities at this point, "In My Life", which usually assumed to have been written in the most part by Lennon, was the finest song on Rubber Soul and one of the last Lennon/McCartney songs that they wrote together before their friendship turned sour.
Another notable instance of Lennon's songwriting was "Nowhere man", with some help to polish off the rough edges from McCartney. It was the song that moved beyond romantic themes entirely.
"What Goes On" featured Starr co-contribution of the lyrics, his first-ever composing credit on a Beatles song. Harrison was also developing into a fine songwriter with his two contributions, "Think for Yourself" his growing more serious on the political and the Byrds-ish "If I Needed Someone".
"Day Tripper", written by Lennon, a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out" by McCartney recording during the session for the Rubber Soul album was released on the same date of the LP. "We Can Work It Out" was a reference to McCartney's relationship with Jane Asher. The song is an example of Lennon/McCartney collaboration at a depth.
After this album's record session, they took a break for three months during the first part of 1966, and used this free time exploring new directions that would be appeared in their next album, Revolver.
Help! was the group's fifth studio album, released in August 6, 1965 --containing 10 songs credit under Lennon/McCartney, 2 covers and 2 songs by Harrison including "I Need You", which was often claimed to contribute for his girlfriend, an English model and photographer Pattie Boyd whom he first met during the filming of the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, in which she was cast as a schoolgirl fan.
--, and the soundtrack to their second film which again directed by Richard Lester. The movie, in short, was about Ringo finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult and the band must try to protect him from it [imdb].
As the classic metaphor "double edged sword" has it, the same goes with Beatlemania. The Beatles, especially Lennon had fed up with the scream which were even louder than their music and the lost in order to get the fame.
"I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for 'Help'" Lennon told Playboy Magazine's interviewer.
Help! was, in fact, the song to express his stress after the Beatles' quick rise to success. The single with "I'm Down" written by McCartney was released on 19 July 1965.
Actually, their first single Ticket to Ride single with B-side "Yes It Is" was released on 9 April. "Ticket to Ride" showed the band beginning to incorporate the ringing, metallic, circular guitar lines that would be appropriated by bands like the Byrds [Richie Unterberger]
Not a long wait, "Yesterday" written solely by McCartney with covered song "Act Naturally" on B-side (a track which featured vocals by Starr) was released on 13 September (only in US).
Since "Yesterday" was extremely unlike other Beatles' songs at the time, McCartney had a hard time convincing the other members of the band that it was worthy of an album place.
McCartney's effort deserved its prize since this single spent a remarkable total of 11 weeks in the American charts, selling a million copies within five weeks. Moreover, "Yesterday" was the most-played song on American radio for eight years continuously.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine reviewed: "Yesterday," a simple, beautiful ballad whose arrangement -- an acoustic guitar supported by a string quartet -- and composition suggested much more sophisticated and adventurous musical territory, which the group immediately began exploring with Rubber Soul.
Critic had judged Beatles for Sale and Help! as the band's least impressive efforts. Help! LP had some of the weariness of Beatles for Sale. And the film was a much sillier and less sophisticated affair than their first feature.
But the group was continuing to push forward. Ticket to Ride( for incorporating ringing, metallic, circular guitar lines), Help! (for their first burst of confessional lyricism), Yesterday (employed a string quartet)
At the top of their game, this album still received a huge commercial success.
By this time, the Beatles had nothing to prove in their commercial terms.
It was Friday night in August 27, the Beatles had finally met Elvis Presley at his house in Beverly Hills.
Elvis was their long fond idol and inspiration to music world. Lennon had stated "Without Elvis there would be no Beatles" shown in Liverpool Beatles Exhibition.
Also "Before Elvis there was nothing" This billboard was located in front of Days Inn Memphis at Graceland.
Beside their music critics, it could be claimed that this year was the year of honor for the group.
They had met and spent time with the King of Rock & Roll. And also were awarded Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for import revenues from their record sales.
This displeasured some of the conservative MBE recipients because the honour was at that time primarily bestowed upon military veterans and civic leaders. In protest, some of the previous recipients returned their own insignia.
Only five months after the joyous "A Hard Day's Night", at the time the Beatlemania reached its peak, came the fourth studio album,"Beatles for Sale" containing 8 original self materials and 6 covers.
This album had demonstrated the minor turning point as lyricist and the sign of their growing maturity.
In fact, " Now, they sound beaten, worn, and, in Lennon's case, bitter and self-loathing. His opening trilogy ("No Reply," "I'm a Loser," "Baby's in Black") is the darkest sequence on any Beatles record, setting the tone for the album." [Stephen Thomas Erlewine]
Most likely because Lennon's discovery Bob Dylan and folk rock. "I'm a Loser" was claimed to obviously show Dylan's influence on him.
While in the studio recording "Eight Days a Week" for this album, Lennon wrote "I Feel Fine", which was released in November 1964 as the A-side(Side one) of their single "I Feel Fine" with "She's a woman" by McCartney on B-side(Side two).
This single was released about a week ahead of "A Hard Day's Night" album.
"I Feel Fine" marked the earliest example of the use of feedback as a recording effect.
2 LP Albums recording a year with number of singles and don't ever forget about series of touring and promoting, They were surely exhausted to the max... (￣Д￣；；
Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out 
Rubber Soul (December 1965)
Help! (August 1965)
I Feel Fine (November 1964)
