"as "the first chapter in the [Beatles'] astounding creative takeoff", after which the band "grew up with an album of bittersweet romance, singing adult love ballads that feel worldly but not jaded".In an article coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release, for "The Guardian", Bob Stanley lamented that "Rubber Soul" was often overlooked in appraisals of the Beatles' recording career, whereas "Revolver" and "The Beatles" had each gained in stature to surpass "Sgt.