When The Traveling Wilburys first appeared on the scene, they spread joyous vibes across the music world. Here were five legends putting aside any ego, to the point that they even used fake names, to deliver effortlessly rootsy music that charmed and enthralled listeners.
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But when they returned for their second album a few years later, a bit of gloominess hung around the edges. One of the Wilburys had passed away in the interim, leaving a gaping hole that the four remaining members knew they couldn’t even try to fill.
The Wilburys Rise
The common story about the creation of the Traveling Wilburys is that it was a spontaneous thing. But that’s not quite the case. As he was making his 1987 album Cloud Nine, George Harrison expressed to Jeff Lynne that he wanted to one day put together a band featuring all his favorite artists. He mentioned Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan as ideal members.
That dream became a reality when Harrison, needing to make a B-side for a single, assembled Lynne, Dylan, Orbison, and Tom Petty. Harrison’s record company reverberated with excitement when they heard the finished product, “Handle With Care”. They asked if the collaboration could be more than a one-time thing.
In a two-week period in the spring of 1988, the five men put together enough material for an album. The band name evolved from Harrison’s term for when a studio recording sounded funny for unknown reasons. With all five men taking aliases, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 arrived in October 1988. It became an immediate sensation, both critically loved and commercially successful.
A Sudden Tragedy
Before there was much time for celebration, however, the ad hoc band was shaken to the core. In December 1988, Roy Orbison died of a heart attack, less than two months after the album arrived. Immediately, speculation ran rampant in the press that the group might recruit another rock legend to join. (The rumor mill favored Del Shannon.)
But the Wilburys didn’t entertain any such thoughts. Nor did they consider packing it in. But a hiatus was needed while Dylan and Petty went back to their own careers, the latter with an album produced by Lynne. (Lynne also helped produce Mystery Girl, Orbison’s final album, which was released posthumously in 1989).
In May 1990, a window in the schedule of the four remaining Wilburys opened enough for them to record. Dylan’s touring slate made it difficult for him to stay too long, although he ended up with more lead vocals on this record than the first. George Harrison named the album Vol. 3 with a bit of mischievous humor.
The Sophomore Album ‘Vol. 3’
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 arrived almost two years to the day after its predecessor, but it’s a far different record. Without Orbison, the vocal blend isn’t quite as varied. In addition, the music is a bit more rough-and-ready, as opposed to the more polished sound of the first LP.
While it’s a bit more uneven as well, the high points are excellent. Album bookends “She’s My Baby” and “Wilbury Twist” capture the spirit of hijinks that was evident on the first record. “If You Belonged To Me” is a killer solo showcase for Dylan. And “You Took My Breath Away”, sung by Petty and Lynne, is a sweet weeper that sounds like it could have been inspired by Orbison.
That would be the extent of the catalog. The four men often talked about another album or even touring, but they never quite made it back. But at least The Traveling Wilburys pulled it together for an encore, albeit one without their most powerful voice.
Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images
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