(Credits: Far Out / The Traveling Wilburys)
Mon 2 March 2026 1:00, UK
The beauty of the Traveling Wilburys was that none of it could have been planned from the beginning.
Every one of them had a deep love and respect for each other before they even picked up instruments, and chances are they would have still made the record even if they weren’t going to see a dime for it. It was all about having a bunch of good friends getting together to play some tunes, but not every one of their songs had to be a walk in the park for them to nail down by any stretch.
When George Harrison was first floating around the idea, there were already a few questions surrounding the album before they played a note of music. ‘Handle With Care’ was an easy proof of concept that they all worked so well together, but there were many times when Bob Dylan seemed to get a little bit antsy in between the sessions. He wasn’t the kind to collaborate with others, but he was like a fish in water when they all got guitars in their hands.
Because, really, all of them were chasing after the same kind of high that they had when they first picked up guitars. A lot of that first album is some of the best retro rock and roll that they could have made around that time, and even though not everyone would have been able to pick someone like Roy Orbison out of a lineup, the new kids were never going to forget him once they heard his voice singing their songs.
So when Orbison finally fell silent halfway through the promotional cycle, no one even thought about replacing. There was no point in even trying to match that kind of voice, but after a tragedy like that, Harrison was determined to keep the band going. He didn’t assemble this bunch of friends only to play with them one time, but the next album left a lot to be desired for some fans who wanted the classic Wilburys experience.
There were many songs where Dylan dominated the vocal duties, and while he’s not a poor vocalist for this kind of music, he’s not exactly going to be the MVP of the session when Harrison and Jeff Lynne are there. But Dylan remained defiantly proud of the record, with Harrison saying, “I think everyone, particularly Bob, was more willing to do it this time. Never having been in a band before, Bob wasn’t quite sure what the result would be on the first one. This time, we knew what to expect.”
But after losing Orbison and taking a few months off, Lynne felt like the magic had gone out of some of those sessions, saying, “We did a second album after Roy died, but I could have done without it. Roy was just too big a part of the original group.” And for anyone looking for what the Wilburys sound like at their best, you’re far more inclined to like the first record a lot better than the second.
It’s not that the second record is a step down, but it’s going for a much different vibe than the first one. Not many people can make a record sound that pristine when they go into the studio for a few days, but there’s a lot more of a ramshackle feeling to the second record, almost like they were trying to embrace the sound of garage rock a bit more on tracks like ‘She’s My Baby’ and ‘Wilbury Twist’.
Still, there’s no reason to think that four of the greatest songwriters of the modern age were going to go into the studio and pump out a piece of absolute crap or anything. They had standards, and even if Traveling Wilburys III has a lot less going for it than the first, there’s no sense in trying to chase after perfection, either.
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.