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145 of 150 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Travel back in time with the Wilburys, June 12, 2007
The two Traveling Wilbury albums that George Harrison cut with his friends are finally back in print. The first album is worth five stars. With a combination of Harrison, Lynne, Dylan, Petty, Orbison and honorary Wilbury Jim Keltner on drums how could it not be? "Volume 1" is a great album that hasn't aged for me at all. The two bonus tracks on disc one "Maxine" and "Like a Ship" are both terrific and would have fit well on the album. Sound is very good for the album with more punch to my ears.
The second album "Volume 3" missed Orbison but is almost as good as the first album. Definitely worth four stars in my book, Dylan is a bit more center stage on this one although all the Wilbury's still share lead vocals on a number of tracks. The two bonus tracks here have been released one on the "Nobody's Child" benefit album the other as the b-side of a single. The first "Nobody's Child" a cover of a 50's tune and the second a cover of Del Shannon's classic "Runaway" add to the album although they aren't quite as spectacular as "Maxine". FYI for completists--"Runaway" is DIFFERENT from the single version. Jeff Lynne went back overdubbed guitar/harmonica on it and some other bits as he was never quite satisfied with the "finished" version on the single.
"Volume 3" had two great singles the rocking "She's My Baby" and "Wilbury Twist" and while it still sounds terrific it doesn't quite have the off-hand vibe that made the first album perfect. It's still a terrific follow up.
The DVD has a documentary with interviews of the band and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage of the recording of the album as well as some clips from the first couple of singles. It also includes all five videos for the two albums. It's a pity we won't see this quintet or quartet recording any more as they did a pair of terrific albums. The DVD by the way is multi-region according to my box. The package also includes a booklet with comments from former Warner head Mo Ostin discussing how the group came to be as well as the full credits for each album, photos and the contents of the booklets for the original CD releases.
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61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The carefree travels of the most incredible super group ever., June 14, 2007
What I think made the Traveling Wilburys so special was the spontaneous formation of these 5 über-rockers. George Harrison, wanting a little help for an extra track for his single This Is Love, got much more than just a B-side in what I consider one of the best pop rock songs of the 80's: Handle With Care. An idea for an album followed, and these extremely talented singer-songwriters formed a superb collection of tracks which would become Traveling Wilburys Volume 1. There isn't a single bad song in Volume 1, and it's no wonder it's listed as one of Rolling Stones 100 greatest albums of the 80's.
After Handle With Care, which needs no introduction, we get Bob Dylan's sexually suggestive rocker, Dirty World, followed by the country sounding Rattled, voiced by Jeff Lynne. On an album full of staggering hits, Rattled may very well be decent elsewhere, but may be my choice for the weakest of this album, if it's even right to call any of these songs weak. The catchiest track of the album, Last Night is probably the next strongest song, although Roy turns in a stunner with Not Alone Any More right after it. The album continues with the guys taking vocal and writing turns, and originally ended with End Of The Line.
I know some people may still feel volume 1 is superior, and considering the price of this set, and how much they can probably go out and get the out of print Volume 1 once this collection hits, some may be considering just finding the first Volume cheap. Well, one very strong argument not to get the original is that you are missing out on the George Harrison song Maxine. It's vintage George and it's a shock that this never made it on an album. It's a great never officially released song that every Harrison fan should have. Like a Ship is decent, but it's Maxine that makes these Bonus Tracks on Vol. 1 so special.
While there are two unofficial Volume 2's (a bootleg containing demos and extended tracks; and Full Moon Fever, Tom Petty's album where George, Roy, and Jeff collaborated) Disc 2 in this collection is the DVD, which features a 25 minute documentary shot in 1988 which covers the formation of the band and their work on some of the album's songs, including Tweeter and the Monkey Man. It also includes all of the band's 5 videos. The picture quality is fairly sharp, however I am not convinced they were digitally remastered. I liked all the videos, with maybe the exception of the Wilbury Twist, which seemed to be the End of the video artistic Line for the band, as it was a little on the dull side. Handle With Care is easily the best of the videos, just based on Roy's slight head bobbing up and down, when he first comes in to full camera view to start singing his part. A nice Roy touch to the video, to go with his immense contribution to the song. The End of the Line, with the band playing while traveling on a train, is probably my next favorite.
Disc 3 is Volume 3, and the second album released by the group. It is sadly missing the recently departed Roy Orbison. Some say this lost a little magic for Volume 3, however we get some final great songs from the band. Their single She's My Baby starts it off, followed by my pick for the best song of the album, the harmony filled Inside Out, which features an almost Beatles like 60's chorus and lyrics, albeit with a touch of Tom's unique voice thrown in to give it an updated twist.
Bob Dylan is featured prominently over the next several tracks, including If You Belonged to Me, which is all his vocals, and my second best pick off this album, Where Were You Last Night, which features George and Bob taking turns with the vocals. Two 50's sounding rockers are featured with New Blue Moon and 7 Deadly Sins, and there's the humorous country tune Poor House, and the somewhat silly new dance called the Wilbury Twist. Rounding out my 3 top picks off this album is Tom featuring on the song Cool Dry Place. It's a more subdued sounding Tom that sounds great. The bonus tracks on this album are a big treat as well, with George, Bob, and Tom all taking turns singing on Nobody's Child, a poignant song about orphans, and what is probably Jeff's best vocal contribution on either disc, the Del Shannon remake Runaway. Another reason to pick up this new collection.
This is overall a fine slice of 80's rock history, and a complete showcase all in one place, for a very shortlived but now legendary band. All their videos, all their songs, plus a few extra bonuses, make this set a no-brainer. Don't even think about taking the cheap way out and going for the old CD's, as you'll surely be missing out. One final note, the DVD is NTSC, but also listed as being compatible for Regions 1-6, which I believe is pretty much the same as a Region 0.
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48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The music is still a treat after almost 20 yrs., June 12, 2007
The title of this set is simple and accurate, but it could also have been called "The Complete Traveling Wilburys." Since George Harrison was the original guiding inspiration for this fun, shambling supergroup, it's safe to say there won't be any new material, and so this set collects all that there was (audio & video). These guys were good friends, and their love of the music comes through in the music. For collectors, the bonuses contained in this collection are rather slight. On the DVD there's a 25-minute promo documentary on the recording sessions for Volume 1. It's pretty low quality footage of the home movie variety, but still an interesting insight into the dynamics of these legends getting together. Each of the two CDs has a pair of rare or previously unissued cuts, the choicest of which is a version of "Runaway" (with Volume 3). As for the two original albums, they stand up pretty well after all this time. Admittedly the songs on Volume 3 are less impressive, but there are still some keepers such as "7 Deadly Sins." All in all, I found it a joy to get reacquainted with this stuff several years on. Whether you pronounce it Will-breeze or Will-burries, this is a well assembled set that would be a good addition to your collection, especially if you don't already own both Volumes 1 & 3.
By the way, it really feels like the spirit of the Beatles is strong lately, what with George Harrison popping up on this reissue, McCartney putting out a new solo record, and the new Darfur-Lennon tribute album.
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