In a September 1966 review of "Revolver", "KRLA Beat" said that the title of "Rubber Soul" had "become a standard phrase used to describe a creation of exceptional excellence in the field of music", such that several highly regarded releases had since earned the description "a "Rubber Soul" in its field'". Writing in "Esquire" in 1967, Robert Christgau called it "an album that for innovation, tightness, and lyrical intelligence was about twice as good as anything they or anyone else (except maybe the Stones) had done previously".