Monday Night Music – Traveling Wilburys
In 1998 1988 (oops), George Harrison, looking for a “B-side” to go with the single release from his new album Cloud Nine laid down a track in Bob Dylan’s recording studio. Along with Dylan, Harrison corralled Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. None of them were in their musical prime. Indeed, all of them had seen much better days. Three of them hadn’t released an album in a very long time. Nevertheless, they showed in Dylan’s studio that they still had the chops to make amazing music. The single, “Handle with Care” so wowed a record exec from Harrison’s label, that he encouraged Harrison to record an entire album with them. They decided to use assumed names, to keep the publicity over the album to a bare minimum, and the Traveling Wilburys were born. It didn’t take long for the album to make news and to run up the charts. It topped out at #3, went triple platinum, and won a Grammy.
Shortly thereafter, the rest of the Wilburys released albums of their own. Roy Orbison put out Mystery Girl, Tom Petty put out Full Moon Fever, Bob Dylan came out with Oh Mercy, and Jeff Lynne released Armchair Theater, all very good albums that in two cases reignited career that I had thought were long-dormant. Unfortunately, Roy Orbison died before his album was released, cutting short what I thought could have been an amazing revival for an incredible singer (though the album went to #5 on the Billboard charts, which makes him the only other artist besides Elvis Presley to have two posthumous #5 albums). Being Wilburys had brought all of them something quite special. Each of the solo albums released by the Wilburys in 1989 and 1990 included other Wilburys as backing musicians and producers, except for Bob Dylan’s, who neither included nor assisted any of the other guys. You can call him a jerk if you like for that. I won’t stop you. I’m no big fan of Bob Dylan and, to be honest, he could have used some Wilbury backup.
After the jump are videos from two of the best songs from the first album, “Handle with Care” and “The End of the Line” (which I have to say, chokes me up a little bit when Roy Orbison’s ethereal tenor voice leads the chorus. Notice how the camera focuses on an empty chair with a guitar, a tribute to the man who had died before the the video was made). Enjoy.
Be sure to drop me some feedback on this post. I’m thinking of making Monday Night Music a regular feature.
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- Monday Night Music – Bill Withers
- Monday Night Music – Edwin Starr
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- Monday Night Music…on Tuesday!
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By the way, if you haven't bought the newly released "The Traveling Wilburys Collection" box set, I highly recommend that you do. No only will you get the re-mastered originals but you will get a few unreleased gems (which differ dramatically from the demo bootleg versions). Also included is a DVD that chronicles the making of the Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 album, which alone justifies the price.
I don't have that. I do have the Deluxe Editions of both albums, which has a couple extra tracks apiece. I like "Maxine" a lot. It probably should have made the album over, say "Tweeter and the Monkey Man". But I guess Dylan needed his spotlight time, right?
Okay, what for next week?
D'oh … just saw … 1988 not 1998.
You may not be a fan of Bob Dylan, but only he is still the most vital, active, and powerful voice left of the remaining "Wilbury's". Do your research. The group could not have existed without Dylan, and it is his influence that empowers the group, just as he has dominated the music and cultural world for the last half century. Dylan still matters. His work will be vital and enduring for centuries. Yours and mine dies as it is read.
Goodjoe – Wow…you act as if I had widdled in Dylan's Cheerios.
You are right to say that the album would never have occured if not for Dylan, since it was recorded in his studio which is located in his home. However, his influence was the least on the group. Harrison provided the inspiration to move the group forward. The characteristic sound of the Wilbury's is a combination of Jeff Lynne's old ELO layered sounds styles and Tom Petty's heavily-rhythmic forward-driving melodies.
Aside from the two songs on which he did lead vocals in the two albums, the most Dylan contributed to the overall sound of the group was his harmonica.
Not that I hate Dylan – far from it. But I think he did the bare minimum amount of work required to be a Wilbury and he clearly didn't relish the relationships of the other musicians.
Jimmy- "Widdled?" What is that? How old are you Boy? Why don't you man up and stand behind what you say instead of trying to obfuscate the point. Your Quote- "You can call him a jerk if you like for that. I won’t stop you. I’m no big fan of Bob Dylan and, to be honest, he could have used some Wilbury backup." That is what you said. Now you say, "Not that I hate Dylan – far from it." Son, don't talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time.
I simply told you that Bob Dylan has more talent than any of the other members of that group, and that it is Dylan that remains revelant and vital to this day. (His latest accolade being a Pulitzer Prize.) It is especially galling in your reply that you infer that Jeff Lynne should have any impact on the Wilbury recordings or any others. ELO was a blip on the radar screen of popular music. And as a producer, he doesn't even belong in the same category as Daniel Lanois who produced "Oh Mercy", or Jack Frost who has produced a pretty amazing album, released in Aug. of 2006 at No.1 on the Billboard charts.
One other point. When the first Wilbury volume was released, more than one critic pointed out that "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" was probably the best song on the album, and that Dylan had shown Springsteen how to write a song about New Jersey.
What Bob Dylan does matters. Eat your cheerios – Goodjoe
You're not the head of the Bob Dylan fan club by any chance, are you?
Look, I said I don't hate the guy. I also said I'm not a big fan. Are you familiar with the word "ambivalent", perchance?
If you can listen to the Traveling Wilburys' albums and not recognize Jeff Lynne's sound on nearly every single song, then I seriously doubt your musical chops. Ditto Tom Petty, whose album "Full Moon Fever" outcharted "Oh Mercy" and produced three Number One's on the Billboard Rock chart. Guess who produced that album, played several instruments on that album, and co-wrote most if not all of that album?
Yep. That'd be Jeff Lynne.
How about "Cloud Nine", the album that kicked off the Wilburys? That one charted higher than "Oh Mercy", too and produced a Number One. And who co-produced and played on the album?
Jeff Lynne again.
Orbison's "Mystery Girl" which also outcharted "Oh Mercy"? Yeah, that'd be Jeff Lynne as co-writer for several songs (including the one that charted highest), musician, and producer.
It sure looks to me like Lynne turned out some pretty good albums, better than the one Lanois turned out. At least the listening public thought so.
You think the sun rises and sets on Dylan. That's fine. You're allowed your hero worship just as I am allowed mine. What you can not say is that Dylan was, at the time, the standout Wilbury. Clearly he went his own way, and I (and the music-buying public) believe his music suffered for it.