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.

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 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.

Okay, what for next week?

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.