 John Cale recalled that "Rubber Soul" was an inspiration to himself and Lou Reed as they developed their band the Velvet Underground.He said the album was the first time "you were forced to deal with them as something other than a flash in the pan" and especially admired Harrison's introduction of Indian sounds.In his chapter on "Rubber Soul" in the Cambridge Companion to Music's volume on the Beatles, James Decker credits the album with effecting the "transformation" of 1960s pop.