Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 - Underappreciated Gem?

I love this record. Sure the songwriting doesn't reach the heights of Vol. 1, but I think the production may be Jeff Lynne's finest work outside of ELO. The drums are incredibly raw (lots of room mic) and don't sound like they were tracked one at a time (unlike his work these days). Overall it's a heavy record but still has lots of ear candy. It never sounds over-produced. The original CD mastering is loud but still has a decent amount of DR to not cross the line, at least for this kind of vibe. Any other fans?

Favourite tracks:
She's My Baby
Inside Out
The Devil's Been Busy
Poor House
New Blue Moon
Wilbury Twist (the end is phenomenal)

 

I'm going to flat out and say that Vol. 1 was better. The songs were more fresh, more upbeat and Roy Orbison was still alive. It was hard to imagine the Wilburys without him, but I'm glad that the Wilburys weren't also a one-time thing.

I do think that Cool Dry Place and Wilbury Twist to be crap (least favorite songs by the Wilburys) and You Took My Breath Away isn't that much better (all three do end up coming before my least favorite track from Vol. 1 which is Tweeter and The Monkey Man). Where Were You Last Night is better, I think 7 Deadly Sins to be a rip of Congratulations from Vol. 1 (I still like 7 Deadly Sins) and If You Belonged To Me is dead in the middle of all the Wilbury songs that I ranked in order of how I liked them. Those are my bottom six tracks.

My Top 5 are She's My Baby (A nice rocking track), Poor House (I love the vocals between Jeff and Tom and the guitar solos), The Devils Been Busy, New Blue Moon (It was my favorite Wilbury song at one point when I was getting into them) and Inside Out. In that order.

 

It's less appreciated than Vol. 1, but I wouldn't call it underappreciated.

 

It was a huge step down from volume I. Volume 1 was FUN. The Wilburys were never great, but they were fun, and that was badly needed in music then (and now). They were having fun and making fun music and they had Orbison's voice.

Volume 3 sounds like work, and they miss Roy a ton.

 

I feel like it's difficult for people to take Vol 3 on its own merit because Roy wasn't there. I had the same experience at first. It's definitely a grower but in many ways I now like it better than Vol. 1. I suppose that's partly because 1 has been played out, in my house at least. 3 actually sounds a lot less produced than 1, to my ears. It's significantly looser.

 

No. It's one of the greatest disappointments in musical history. Barley 2 songs are worth listening to and where the hell is George on the album??? Guess he knew it was that bad so opted out of most songs. Wise move I guess.

 

"Tweeter and the Monkey Man" is a masterpiece! Dylan parodying his own work and that of his anointed "successor" Bruce Springsteen, in a song that also manages to stand perfectly well on its own merits.

 

I heard it a few times after I made the list and I quite like the lyrics to it, but I find it weaker than the other songs on Vol. 1. I also put it last because I heard it less than Margarita and Rattled (which follow Tweeter in the list of least favorites), but time will tell if I end up liking Tweeter. I do happen to love Congratulations and Dirty World and I "like" Like A Ship (it's a pun)

 

Musically I like Vol 3, But I find it has a TON of throw away lyrics.

 

It's nowhere near as good as Volume 1 but it still has some nice material.
"New Blue Moon" is the standout track for me.
The low point for me is Gary Moore's guitar soloing on the opening track which sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

I had Volume 3 (and played it to death) for about 5 years before I ever heard Volume 1 for the first time, so I was able to appreciate the album without it being overshadowed by what came before it.

I love the album, and whilst now I can see that Volume 1 is better, songs like Inside Out, If You Belonged To Me, The Devil's Been Busy, Poor House, New Blue Moon and Wilbury Twist, are great, fun songs!

Thumbs up for Volume 3!

 

He sings co-lead on Where Were You Last Night and a verse on a few other songs. And the sitar on The Devil's Been Busy is classic George.

 

Love this album... if you belonged to me being my favorite. Classic Dylan.

 

They're both good albums, though Vol 1 is better. There are some songs I care for less than others, She's My Baby being my least favorite Wilbury song. The rest are good enough I can listen to the whole album any old time and enjoy either one.

 

Not such a bad album but it lacks the extra something that Vol. 1 had. Roy Orbison first and foremost. His voice stood out but fits in perfectly anyway. And the songs... Vol. 3 is a bit more samey sounding.

 

It's okay but I don't like it anywhere near as much as Vol. 1. Too much Bob, not enough George, and no Roy whatsoever, which is a drag.

 

When I bought the album, I was expecting more George and was disappointed. Also disappointed that George didn't do the solo on She's my Baby. And I think there were too many Dylan vocals. Not a Dylan fan. It's not a bad album, but I think I've only listened to it twice in the last decade or so.

 

Eh. I remember how much I tried to make myself like it when it came out. It has its moments -- "Inside Out", "Cool Dry Place", "The Devil's Been Busy". Maybe "Poor House" and "New Blue Moon". But whereas Vol 1 sounded like an inspired weekend project, Vol 3 sounded labored, and a lot less spontaneous. "Wilbury Twist" an open admission that the songwriting well was dry - or "Margarita" by-the-numbers.

And the lead-off single... "She's My Baby" had none of the folksy charm of "Handle With Care", but instead sounded like the "60s rocker tries to make contemporary-sounding record" approach of the 1980s, right down to the "stick her tongue right down my throat" lyrics. Ugh.

Not just against Vol 1, but even next to other Lynne-produced efforts of that era (Petty albums, Orbison, Harrison's Cloud Nine, Lynne's solo LP), it feels labored.

 

2 days ago, I ordered the Kevin Gray-mastered vinyl box, so it's appreciated here.

And one of these days, Soundstage Direct might actually ship it !

 

I like it. They are both great.

 

Sure, Vol. 3 lacks the obvious highs of Vol. 1, but also the obvious lows mentioned earlier (Margarita and Rattled) — all of which adds up to a more consistent album, Orby's absence notwithstanding. And it's a much better Dylan album than Uncle Bob's own Under the Red Sky, released a few weeks earlier.

 

I listen to it about three times as frequently as volume 1.

 

I agree with most here.... it feels more like a Bob Dylan & Friends album with Orbison missing and Harrison and Lynne participation not as pronounced as Vol 1. Still it's a great album and I play it more often than Vol 1. I think mostly because it had less exposure so the songs are not as stale as the Vol 1 songs have become.

 

100% agree. Yep...like work. They missed Roy a ton and a half!

 

Solid tunes!