Traveling Wilburys - "Vol. 3" (1990)

The news about Tom Petty's unexpected death causes today's post as he was one of the members of the super group Traveling Wilburys. I only have one solo album with Petty, Southern Accents, and I have already written about that one. His sudden passing was sad news, Petty was relatively young, and although I don't have much of his music, I really liked him person wise. In all the interviews I read with him, and all the articles about him, he seemed to be an unusually nice guy. Down to earth and full of laid backed humor. Full Moon Fever is an album I've always been thinking of buying, but haven't so far, mostly because I've heard all the songs from the album so much that there's no curiosity left. And yes, I know lots of Petty fans think there are other, better, albums with him.

Vol. 3 was Traveling Wilbury's second album, it was George Harrison's idea to call it Vol. 3 to joke with and confuse the album buyers a little. The band was Harrison's creation, and he was considered to be its leader. The story behind the band was that Harrison needed to record a B-side on a single, and asked Jeff Lynne if he wanted to help out, then called Dylan to borrow his home studio, knocked on Petty's door to borrow a guitar (they all were in L.A, according to the story). And everyone asked if they could join in, and voila, a new band was created. How Roy Orbinson joined the story does not tell, but these five legends were the band on its first album released in 1988. Soon after, Orbison died, so at the time of Vol. 3, they were a quartet.

Nowhere on the record are the members mentioned by their real names, instead they are presented as their alter egos, the brothers Clayton (Jeff Lynne), Spike (George Harrison), Boo (Bob Dylan) and Muddy Wilbury (Tom Petty). As for the music, it's not really my thing, and this sequel got a slightly cooler reception than the debut. It's fast-paced rock, heartland rock, some folk and country & western, but obvious hits are missing. All songs are written by the members together, according to the record, and maybe that was so, although different members certainly contributed differently to different songs. According to what I read in some article they often sat around the kitchen table, someone found a riff, someone else added some, a third one came up with some lyrics, etc. I imagine they had quite fun together.

Personally, I've never been very fond of the kind of music that Traveling Wilburys offers, on Vol. 3, it's an album that's more fun to have in the collection than it's good. I rescued the record from my parents' collection when it was heading for the dump, or the local flea market. With now Petty deceased, and Harrison and Orbison since long, of the original Wilbury brothers, not even half remain.

Tracklist

Side A
1. She's My Baby
2. Inside Out
3. If You Belonged To Me
4. The Devil's Been Busy
5. 7 Deadly Sins
6. Poor House

Side B
1. Where Were You Last Night?
2. Cool Dry Place
3. New Blue Moon
4. You Took My Breath Away
5. Wilbury Twist