A great deal has been written about the Traveling Wilburys already and it's not like an album released twenty years earlier is much in need of another review.

Recently I stumbled across a reference to the Traveling Wilburys and realized that somehow I had neither the first album Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1 nor the second (called, in keeping with the spirit of silliness that makes all of this Wilbury business work so wonderfully, Volume 3). Happily I may now report that the deficiency in my collection has been rectified.

The uninitiated listener would do well to look into the Traveling Wilburys. Nearly every track reveals a sound that is unique not only for the Wilbury sound, but for the parts that make up the sum. How five heretofore unheard-of guys called Lucky Wilbury, Otis Wilbury, Charlie T., Jr., Lefty Wilbury, and Nelson Wilbury could manage this and produce such a great album becomes obvious upon closer inspection. The Wilburys are, respectively, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison. (After Orbison's death, Volume 3 was recorded with the remaining four being known as Boo Wilbury, Clayton Wilbury, Muddy Wilbury, and Spike Wilbury.)

Success of the band has depended not upon its star power but upon simple pleasure. The story of the project is well-known, a happy accident where five friends got together to create and to record an album after hearing the results of an impromptu session. The musicians' pleasure in creating the album is obvious and is in no small way responsible for the pleasure derived from listening to the work. Additional background on the project is found in the DVD included in The Traveling Wilburys Collection, which otherwise has both Volume 1 and Volume 3.

The Wilburys sound is timeless and the work is enduring. These are what make for greatness.