Traveling Wilburys, "Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1"
Ken celebrates Lucky Wilburys' 80th birthday
Ken’s Pitch:
Before the world went on lockdown, we had these things called restaurants; you’d simply show up, sit down, pick a delicious dish out of some choices the employees had already printed out for you, and then strangers would bring you food in exchange for money. It was a delightful experience and someday I hope to do it again. There are lots of restaurant experiences you may be familiar with - the family dinner, the date, the business dinner, and of course dinner with friends.
Without fail, you always walk away from dinner with friends with a smile. Maybe it’s the good-natured ribbing you give each other, maybe it’s the three martinis, and sometimes it’s the old stories you recall. Sometimes though, you hear about someone else’s dinner with friends, and it looks a bit different. Sometimes, it’s the origin story (minus the tragedy) of a rock supergroup!
Jeff Lynne (of ELO fame) had just produced George Harrison’s Cloud Nine and was working on a new album for Tom Petty called Full Moon Fever. Harrison was in L.A., so Lynne got the gang together for dinner. Roy Orbison was there and as the elder statesman of the group, he naturally sent his soup back three times to be heated up. Sometime during the meal, George mentioned that he was releasing a new single but needed a B-side, and the others immediately offered to help. But when you’re famous they let you do anything, so George grabbed the dinner by the Pouilly-Fuissé and casually threw out the idea that they should invite his good buddy Bob Dylan to join in as well.
The result was the formation of the single greatest supergroup in the history of music. For all the unseriousness of the sessions, Vol. 1 is a seriously good album. Five unanimous-first-ballot-hall-of-famers making a fun record with no egos getting in the way. In 2021, we can’t even field a basketball team without egos being bruised over playing time or arguing over who is actually the team’s de facto leader. But in the spring of 1988, the stars must have been aligned because Vol. 1 is unimpeachably fun.
From the self-deprecating “Handle With Care” and “End of the Line”, both of which provide a serious side playing on the ever-advancing ages of the band members, to the good-natured jab (at Springsteen) from Dylan on “Tweeter and the Monkey Man”, these guys are clearly enjoying themselves. Petty contributes his signature vocals on several tracks, Lynne goes old school with the rockabilly throwback “Rattled”, and Roy Orbison, who died shortly after recording with the Wilburys and hadn’t released an album in almost a decade, gave us the gift of the hauntingly melodic “Not Alone Any More” (written mostly by Lynne), which is arguably one of the best singles of his career.
We use the word “supergroup” a lot to define a band that takes musicians from other well-established bands. But if we’re calling Crosby, Stills & Nash and Cream supergroups, then The Traveling Wilburys are a “legendsgroup” that will never be matched.
Don’s Response:
Jack Nicklaus won his first major championship in 1962 at the age of 22 before reeling off 16 more by the time he was 40. Had he never won another, he still would have gone down as the greatest golfer in history.
Tiger Woods came along and won his first at 21 before reeling off 13 more by age 32, staking his claim as the would-be best ever.
And while Tiger’s chief rival Phil Mickelson may have a less sterling record, he also was a generational giant, the last golfer to win a PGA tournament before turning pro and then winning 5 of his own majors during the next two decades.
All three men were transcendent talents who flashed greatness early and often before giving way to the next phenom.
But as much as golf fans savored Jack, Tiger, and Phil’s careers, hit after hit, those players’ most crowd-pleasing victories occurred during the twilights of their careers. Jack won his 18th at The Masters with a resounding back-nine charge at 46 years old. Tiger won his 15th after an 11-year comeback of an altogether different sort at 43, also at Augusta. And just this past weekend, Phil one-upped them by winning another for the ages – the PGA at 50.
There’s something most satisfying about one last triumph before hangin’ ‘em up, reminding the world that true greatness isn’t fleeting, it’s eternal.
The Traveling Wilburys were that kind of band. They were rock royalty with nothing to lose and the wisdom to know when they had a winning hand. Their eponymous “debut” was as effortless as a Mickelson wedge, as true as a must-make Tiger putt, as sure as Jack under pressure, and as funny as Caddyshack.
All 10 songs are a treat. While the 5 members shine in their own rights, to me Dylan is the star. His vocals are pitch perfect on “Congratulations” and “Tweeter and the Monkey Man.” And his lyrics in “Dirty World” are downright hilarious, a veritable Russian Doll of double-entendres. The band were having a ball. So have I, rediscovering The Traveling Wilburys this week.
Pitch Successful
CJ’s Response:
Generally speaking, I’m against supergroups. Not just in music, but in other universes as well. Basketball, for one. And beer, for another. I seem to remember three well-respected European brewers collaborating on a super beer back in the ‘80s. I raced to the liquor store to purchase said super beer and, upon taking a sip, was treated to a mouthful of carburetor fluid.
The Traveling Wilburys, however, were not a supergroup. They were five bad asses with enough road stories to make Pamela Des Barres blush, who got together to have a few laughs and basically rule the earth.
George Harrison, freed from the shackles of mediocrity known as John and Paul, had established himself as the undisputed best Beatle. (Send your Beatles comments/complaints to Ken. There’s nothing I enjoy less than discussing the Blah Four.) Tom Petty, whom I’ve written about with such fawning adoration that I’m sure I’m on a Watch List somewhere, was peaking in his solo career. Bob Dylan was joining a cabal with Madonna (totally untrue, but completely believable). Roy Orbison’s hair, sunglasses and voice had achieved living legend status. And Jeff Lynne, well, everything that motherf’er touched turned to platinum.
And they pumped out the golden nugget that is Vol. 1 in a mere ten days.
I love most of the songs on this album, but my favorite is “Tweeter and the Monkey Man”. I feel like Dylan and Petty sat in a room, smoked an enormous amount of pot and repurposed Tom’s “Something Big” from Hard Promises into a parallel story of small-time New Jersey hoods. It’s like Dylan’s “Hurricane” only with fictional characters and a melody.
You can make a case for any song on this album and I’ll listen. Hell, you can play this album backwards and I’ll listen. I may never come around on supergroups, but these Wilburys travel well.
Pitch Successful
Mitch’s Response:
Poised to dominate the 1988-1989 basketball season, this scouting report on The Traveling Wilburys is based on their debut release, Vol. 1.
Player: Nelson Wilbury (George Harrison)
Position: Point Guard
Skills: Songcraft
Strengths: Handle with Care, Heading for the Light, End of the Line
Nickname: Dark Horse
Highlights: Make no mistake, the Wilburys’ are Harrison’s team and the magic starts with him. His voice and slide guitar are always on point. His top-shelf songs send the whole team to cloud nine.
Player: Lucky Wilbury (Bob Dylan)
Position: Shooting Guard
Skills: Storytelling
Strengths: Dirty World, Tweeter and the Monkey Man
Nickname: Jack Frost
Highlights: Deception is the name of the game for this ringer from the north country. With unmistakable vocals and wry lyrics, this perennial all-star found new life by playing in a team context.
Player: Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. (Tom Petty)
Position: Small Forward
Skills: Teamwork
Strengths: Last Night, Margarita
Nickname: Earl
Highlights: The kid from the SEC keeps the good vibes flowing by stepping back and letting the veterans shine. He even gives “Margarita" to Dylan. A selfless, winning performance.
Player: Otis Wilbury (Jeff Lynne)
Position: Power Forward (he’s 6’9” with the afro)
Skills: Sonics
Strengths: Not Alone Anymore
Nickname: Mr. Blue Sky
Highlights: His production style defined the rock sound of the late ‘80s and gives this album a wonderful sonic consistency. His magical presence inspired a run of remarkable solo albums from the whole team - a true glue guy. Plus, he wrote Roy a phenomenal song to sing.
Player: Lefty Wilbury (Roy Orbison)
Position: Center
Skills: Towering Presence
Strengths: Not Alone Anymore
Nickname: The Big O
Highlights: In his final season Orbison put up a gritty, dominant performance that harkened back to his youth. A voice untouched by time, and a spirit that gave the team grace and warmth, Orbison was the true soul of the team, and it was never the same after he left us crying.
Pitch Successful
Ken’s pitch was a slam dunk and The Traveling Wilbury’s Vol. 1 has been added to the Newbury St. Collection.
Congratulations! We’ve reached the end of the line for another great edition of EONS. We’ve studied Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 inside out, but why don’t you twist on over to the comments section and let us know what you think.
Please join us next week as Don goes in search of some x-pensive winos as he uncorks Keith Richards’ first solo album, Talk is Cheap.