Monday, October 30, 2017

The Traveling Wilburys - Volume 2





The Traveling Wilburys – Volume 2

(a soniclovenoize re-imagining)


Side A:
1.  You Got It
2.  I Won’t Back Down
3.  Lift Me Up
4.  Cheer Down
5.  Runnin’ Down A Dream

Side B:
6.  Every Little Thing
7.  Poor Little Girl
8.  California Blue
9.  Zombie Zoo
10.  Blown Away


In remembrance of Tom Petty after his recent passing earlier this month, this is a re-imagining of the unrecorded Traveling Wilburys album Volume 2, which would have logically appeared in-between  1988’s Volume 1 and 1990’s Volume 2.  Culling material from 1989 that featured shared-contributions from four of the five band members Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, this re-imagination attempts to fill the gap and present a cohesive album. Best sources have all been used and all tracks volume adjusted for continuity.

Just five friends, sitting around a campfire, strumming acoustic guitars and makin’ up songs.  Sound familiar?  We all might have done it at some point.  But in this case those five friends were Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, and the songs they just simply made-up became Top 10 Hits.  The back-story is well known: George Harrison needed a b-side for his “This Is Love” single and over dinner with friends Roy Orbison and producer Jeff Lynne, asked them for help.  Bob Dylan provided the studio and Tom Petty brought the guitars.  Soon enough, the quartet quickly wrote and recorded a song in April 1988, each contributing one-off lines of lyric.  The result was “Handle With Care”, a song Warner Bros thought was too great for a mere b-side.  The band—now called the Traveling Wilburys—adopted personas Nelson (Harrison), Lefty (Orbison), Otis (Lynne), Lucky (Dylan) and Charlie T (Petty) and recorded a full-length album.  Released in October 1988, Volume 1 became a hit and The Traveling Wilburys were the premier super-group at the end of the 1980s.  But then what?  When the fun was over, the five friends went back to their own individual projects, although the various members often continued to contribute with each other. 

Roy Orbison had already been working on his comeback album throughout 1988, partially produced by Jeff Lynne.  “You Got It” and “California Blue” were co-written by Tom Petty and Lynne, and “A Love So Beautiful” co-written with Lynne; both Petty and Lynne also performed on the album, with other tracks produced by one of Petty’s Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell.   Tragically, Orbison passed away in December 1988 and the album Mystery Girl was released the following January, making the album a posthumous hit and a fitting epitaph to the legendary rocker who helped shape Rock n' Roll. 

Tom Petty himself was also working on a new album throughout 1988.  This time abandoning his backing band The Heartbreakers in order to be free of any musical expectations (although ironically still featuring most of The Heartbreakers anyways), the album too was co-written and produced by Jeff Lynne, who played many instruments on the album.  Recorded in Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell’s garage, the trio worked on the album throughout 1988, compiling a very concise and strong body of work featuring fellow Wilburys George Harrison on “I Won’t Back Down” and Roy Orbison on “Zombie Zoo”.  Unfortunately, MCA records were originally unsure of the marketability of the album and hesitated to release it that year.  But after the success of The Traveling Wilbury’s (and the addition of the newly-recorded “I’ll Feel A Lot Better” to commercialize the album a bit) MCA welcomed Lynne’s slick sound and Full Moon Fever was released in April 1989 to critical and commercial acclaim, many considering it Petty’s masterwork. 

In contrast to Petty, George Harrison was just beginning to let his career go into hibernation.  Content with the success of 1987’s Lynne-produced Cloud Nine and being the figurehead of The Traveling Wilburys, Harrison only completed an unfinished track from the Cloud Nine sessions, “Cheer Down”, in March 1989.  Co-written by Tom Petty and once again produced by Jeff Lynne, the song was released on the Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack in August.  George also recorded two more tracks in his home studio Friar Park in July, meant for an October release on his upcoming Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 compilation: the solid “Poor Little Girl” and meager “Cockamamie Business”.  Although the production credit was assigned to Harrison, Jeff Lynne again contributed instrumentation and the songs more-than coincidentally sounded like Lynne’s idiosyncratic production. 

Jeff Lynne himself was busy in the studio recording a solo album, his first since Electric Light Orchestra’s Balance of Power in 1986.  Throughout 1989 and 1990, Lynne whittled away at Posh Studios in England, often with his familiar Wilbury bandmates: Tom Petty co-wrote “Blown Away” and Harrison was featured on “Every Little Thing”, “Lift Me Up”, “September Song” and “Stormy Weather”.  The album Armchair Theatre was released as a moderate success in June 1990. 

What about that pesky fifth Wilbury, Lucky?  Bob Dylan was mostly apart from his four bandmates throughout 1989, just starting his Neverending Tour and recording with producer Daniel Lanois in New Orleans from February to April 1989.  The resulting album Oh Mercy released in September (a month before Volume 1), while hailed as Dylan’s masterpiece of the 1980s, was the complete opposite of a Jeff Lynne-produced album: it was dark, atmospheric and organic.  After more touring, Dylan made a complete about-face and recorded the follow-up with producer Don Was in Los Angeles from April to May in 1990.  Although the resulting album Under The Red Sky did feature a guitar solo by George Harrison on the title song, the album was an over-polished shamble of absurdly simple songs—very uncharacteristic for Dylan--and was seen almost immediately as a career embarrassment.  It would take him another seven years to regain his creative footing.

After Orbison’s death, the remaining four Wilburys reconvened with a follow-up album tracked while Dylan was recording Under The Red Sky in Los Angeles.  Released in October and entitled Volume 3 as a joke at Harrison’s suggestion, the four members also donned new aliases: Spike, Muddy, Clayton and Boo.  Although a quaint sophomore release with moderate charting singles “She’s My Baby” and “Inside Out”, the album lacked the magic of Volume 1.  Upon Harrison’s death in 2001, The Traveling Wilbury’s were put to rest indefinitely without their founding brother.  But is there a way to make these volumes a trilogy and uncover the “missing” Wilbury’s album? 

Many have tried reconstructing a third Traveling Wilburys album, so my take on a Volume 2 will heed to a few rules.  Much like my CSNY Human Highway reconstruction, I will compile the solo material that each member recorded or released approximately in between both Volume 1 and 3 (generally in 1989).  I will also be selecting the songs that featured the most amount of Wilburys, with a minimum requirement of two contributing Wilburys for a song.  This will unfortunately exclude Dylan’s Oh Mercy album, as it had little to do with the other members.  Likewise, Under The Red Sky will also be disqualified since it was recorded simultaneously with Volume 3.  This is reasonable, since neither album really fits with Jeff Lynne’s production, in which the remaining tracks are steeping.  Sorry Bob…  The second rule is to follow the pattern of the other two Wilburys albums and only use original compositions.  This would exclude miscellaneous cover songs actually recorded by the Traveling Wilburys, such as “Nobody’s Child” and “Runaway”, as well as Jeff Lynne’s “Stormy Weather” and “September Song”.  I will also shy away from tracks that were later overdubbed by Dhani Harrison in 2007, “Maxine” and “Like a Ship”.None of these are needed anyways, as there is more than enough material spread across Armchair Theatre, Full Moon Fever, Mystery Girl and Best of Dark Horse

Side A of my Volume 2 begins with Orbison’s “You Got It” from Mystery Girl (featuring Otis and Charlie T).  Following is Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” from Full Moon Fever (featuring Otis and Nelson) and Lynne’s “Lift Me Up” from Armchair Theatre (featuring Nelson).  Harrison’s “Cheer Down” taken from Best of Dark Horse follows (featuring Otis and Charlie T), with the side closing with Petty’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream” from Full Moon Fever (featuring Otis).  Side B begins with Lynne’s “Every Little Thing” from Armchair Theatre (featuring Nelson) followed by Harrison’s “Poor Little Girl” from Best of Dark Horse (featuring Otis).  Orbison’s “California Blue” from Mystery Girl (featuring Otis and Charlie T) and Petty’s “Zombie Zoo” from Full Moon Fever (featuring Lefty and Otis) is next, and the album concludes with Lynne’s “Blown Away” from Armchair Theatre (featuring Charlie T). 

Of the ten songs assembled, including co-songwriting, performance and production: Tom Petty contributed to seven songs; George Harrison contributed to five songs; Roy Orbison contributed to three songs; Jeff Lynne contributed to all ten; Bob Dylan contributed to exactly none.  Although you might be miffed that Lucky was not so lucky this time around, it is reasonable that if Volume 3 did not feature Orbison, Volume 2 wouldn’t have to feature Dylan.  If you disagree, feel free to swap “Runnin’ Down A Dream” with “Under The Red Sky” and even the playing field a bit.   Otherwise, may your Halloween be a full moon fever. 


Sources used:
George Harrison – Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 (1989 Dark Horse Records, original pressing)
Jeff Lynne – Armchair Theatre (1990 Reprise Records, original pressing)
Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl (1989 Virgin Records, 2007 remaster)
Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever (1989 Warner Brothers Records, 2009 SHN remaster)


 flac --> wav --> editing in Goldwave --> flac encoding via TLH lv8
*md5, artwork and tracknotes included

57 comments:

  1. very nice ! thank you very much !!!1

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  2. Cool Sonic! Really looking forward to listening to this one. I liked the Wilburys a lot, so this should be loads of fun.

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  3. Thank you! Love them Wilbury boys!

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  4. In my opinion, the last great supergroup. Thank you very much for this reconstruction!

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  5. Superb and again another labour of love given the notes alone are fascinating was to the structure and why you have selected those tracks at the expense of Bobby which ought to out me off but curiously doesn't!?. Keep on keeping on!

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  6. Ah, I was thinking about doing just this, but you've done it! Thanks!!

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  7. Too bad Harrison's "Zig Zag" is outside your timeline. Would have fit in nicely.

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  8. This a very cool and cohesive creation. It flows very nicely and feels like a genuine album. Even though there aren't Dylan songs, "Zombie Zoo" sounds like a song Dylan would've sang had it been an actual Wilburys song. I like it. Thanks also for including the "CD listeners" interlude at the end of Side One. Keep up the great work.

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  9. Can you make McCartney's Hot Hitz/Kold Kutz?

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry Sonic. It appears he is pulling these from YouTube and ignoring the info in the comments that discredit their authenticity.

      The two main elements the the real COL will have are the audible and distinct voices of John and Paul and the complete lack of any backwards sounds.

      Rodvi, With each of these you post, in my eyes you lose a few respect and credibility points. I wish you well. As Ringo says, peace and love. Keep up the good work, just be honest with yourself and others.

      Thanks Sonic for letting me vent. I'll go back to lurking for a while.

      Delete
    2. Dear Dan: please calm. Nobody is born knowing. I do not think he has committed any crime for asking, informing and countering. I commented with a friend what you told me the other day and he told me, that he had another versión.

      Do not have so many prejudices, or suppose that I resort to youtube or something more comfortable. The only thing I've done is to know if your information was correct and mine was not, and it seems that you were right.

      Now this has happened to me and I only ask, to the experts, who surely know more than me, like you, whether it is this version or not.

      But as I see that my presence irritates you enough, we better let you be and I leave the forum to avoid cause more discomfort, you and anyone.

      Thank you, and excuse me if I bothered you or someone else.

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    3. Rodvi, really, I was only trying to point out the misinformation versus facts. I'm no expert but I have read and listened to a lot of stuff. I have nothing against you personally. I don't even know you. I try to be a nice guy. If I have offended you I am sorry but sometimes we have to be blunt to get through. Remember, you are free to believe what you want to believe but others are free (and ethically nudged) to correct wrong information. Open minded skepticism is what I aim for. Peace. Love. Respect. Thanks.

      Delete
  11. Maybe you should crop Bob out of the photo on your cover. :)

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    Replies
    1. You should start a blog with your own Album reconstructions BTW

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    2. I literally had "Under The Red Sky" as track 5 up until the very last minute before uploading. I swapped it out for "Runnin' Down A Dream" for two reasons:
      1) As stated in the write up, it didn't fit the Jeff Lynne aesthetic which honestly really congeals this whole thing.
      2) If this was meant as a tribute to Tom Petty, then I'd want more than two Petty songs on this thing.

      If it wasn't such a last minute decision, I would have probably shopped him out of the cover lol

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    3. Hi Soniclovenoise, been on a hendrix deep dive, and was hoping to grab the flacs of New Rays. Would you mind please uploading again? Didn't see a contact email link, so figured I'd comment here on the latest thread. This blog is amazing...so looking forward to exploring its riches. TY!

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    4. All links working on my end...
      http://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.com/2014/10/jimi-hendrix-first-rays-of-new-rising.html

      Delete
  12. The_Lifehouse -- don't know if you were being serious or not, but with your nudge and inspiration from Soniclovenoize I've done just that. I'll post an entry every Sunday till I run out of stuff or get lazy, whichever's first :). My posts are not in anyway as detailed as Sonic's and I won't include actual downloads. But without further ado:

    https://albumsbackfromthedead.blogspot.com/

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    1. The downloads are the whole point - I'm here not just to read his excellent essays, or get a mixtape playlist, but that he remasters the material into a cohesive album. And no one is doing a better job. Anyone can give their opinions on what songs to remove from the White Album :)

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    2. Haha. Point taken. But Sonic tends to reedit, use alternate versions and other creative work. The point of my blog is reorganization of commercially available music.

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  13. Love this...Every Little Thing into Poor Little Girl works great. I love to think about what the set list would have been on this tour!

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  14. i despise that lynne sound.he makes everything jittery and unpleasant to my ears-only my opinion but maybe i'm not alone.he ruined Dave Edmunds for me

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  15. http://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-88vek-30e5e5e
    This podcast was so cool - lots of insight into the Wilbury's era.
    Thanks again, Mr. Sonic Love Noise !

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  16. Hi. This is my new site. All invited. Love for everyone.

    http://www.albumsforgottenreconstructed.com/

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  17. Well, since everyone was posting their sites over here, I thought I might as well post mine! Here it is:

    the-reconstructor.blogspot.com

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  18. Hahaha. Sonic, see what you've done? Now everyone has a blog!

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    Replies
    1. It isn't my blame either, started mine in December of last year, it's becoming a trend now, ahahahah.

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    2. My Beatles blog predates Sonic by two years but Sonic took it to another level and another direction and inspired me (as did others here) to open another for non-Beatles projects. If anyone else has a blog or knows of others I have a list of links on my blog. I would love to add more.

      http://beatles-whatif.blogspot.com/
      https://whatif-misc.blogspot.com/

      Thanks, keep up the good work. (Still lurking)

      Delete
  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. Hi everybody...

    Who´s Right?, the unreleased album from "The Who", now in three different ways:

    - Original lost LP.
    - Unreleased "summer EP" - reconstructed.
    - Reconstructed LP (upgrade).

    With complet artworks on this site:

    http://www.albumsforgottenreconstructed.com/

    See you there, if you want. love for everyone.

    PD: Dear uncle Dan, you are invited too.I hope you enjoy it.

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  21. Already looked it over. Looks interesting. Added a link to you (and others) on my page. Your site is not a blogspot blog so I couldn't add it to the blog roll so it's on the normal link list. The past is past, moving forward.

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  22. Any chance of an early Xmas gift of a new "album that never was"?

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  23. Very cool. I probably would have included the alternate take of Dylan's Handy Dandy, which I believe has George Harrison on slide guitar.

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  24. Really cool, thanks for all your hard work

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  25. Very cool, but I would love to have some of the Del Shannon tryout stuff on here as well.
    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. He was supposed to fill in the "older rock guy"-shaped hole left after Orbison died. I don't think they ever got around to asking him to join before his suicide.
      It also strikes me as odd having Orbison on here, seeing as he died right before one of the music videos for volume 1.

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  26. interesting concept. i'm enjoying exploring your blog

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  27. Thanks for this. Stumbled over this whilst looking for the elusive volume 2 not knowing much of the Wilburys stuff. Cheers!

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  28. Nice work. I would have fudged the rules a little and included a couple of the better cuts from "Under The Red Sky" to round it out and give Lucky his due. "Handy Dandy" has a suitably Wilbury vibe and I think "Wiggle Wiggle" would fit fine and would give the record a little lighter feel (it is no sillier than "Wilbury Twist"). Maybe I will put this together myself. Still overall, I love what you do!

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  29. "Wilburys" was a slang term coined by Harrison and Lynne during the recording of Cloud Nine as a reference to recorded "flubs" that could be eliminated during the mixing stage (i.e., "'We'll bury' them in the mix"). The term was used again when the entire group was together. Harrison suggested "The Trembling Wilburys" as the group's name, but they decided to use "Traveling" instead. After Orbison's death, there was undocumented speculation in the news media that Del Shannon might join the band, but his 1990 suicide precluded any possible involvement. Del Shannon's Walk Away would have made for a great inclusion here. Duane Eddy was also rumoured as a possible addition. Some possible reasons for the skip from Vol. 1 to Vol. 3 include the fact that some consider Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever as Vol. 2 (Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison perform on the album), a nod to the many bootlegs titled "Volume 2" containing early studio mixes/alternative takes, to honour the death of Roy Orbison by not releasing the project started with Orbison, or as a simple joke. Harrison once claimed in an MTV interview that the band had written material for a Vol. 2, but the material was stolen before completion.

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  30. Thank you so much. ANY INFO ???
    ???ANY INFO??? The Traveling Wilburys
    >>> ** One rejected song of Roy Orbison??? Title ???
    >>> ** Still unreleased demos /among them Roy Orbison, too/ ???

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  31. Hey Sonic, any chance for a reup?

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  32. empty3
    https://mega.nz/file/30B32axK#8MuGFtKZcMU3u6XE9f6JDoKqXzInyGmPBNKZQQW48bc

    listless
    https://mega.nz/file/C0QnmAbb#3-ABR5LOjV_PSPxBWq2vAo_qsm1Z8ixiO7i6R0maygE

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hello
    Thanks for your great job. Please any chance for a new reup ?
    Many thanks

    ReplyDelete
  34. qk0xEIIC#NP3gXLfUwSVsYRWjw0w-L0cFs5X8hIWjXtCeH1eMrKU

    ao1j1CYI#IdWpAN8hfAM1XAlbYgc2cxDigAvkP70qnOp2iuI8xt0

    ReplyDelete
  35. Can't seem to access the latest link...any chance for a new link?

    ReplyDelete
  36. Replies
    1. https://mega.nz/file/ao1j1CYI#IdWpAN8hfAM1XAlbYgc2cxDigAvkP70qnOp2iuI8xt0

      https://mega.nz/file/qk0xEIIC#NP3gXLfUwSVsYRWjw0w-L0cFs5X8hIWjXtCeH1eMrKU

      Delete