God, I loved them. Does anybody think they’ll re-release their album on CD? I have the album from back in '88, but don’t have a turntable any longer.
I see vol 1 and vol 3 on amazon.com…
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/227512/ref=m_art_dp/002-1691212-5264808
Thank you so much, Revtim! I had no idea Volume 1 had been put on CD.
I’ve never been able to find it in the music store or Best Buy, so I thought it was completely out of print.
<sniff> I still miss Lefty. <sniff>
DarkWriter: If you find yourself searching for some album/band/movie/TV show or another, and it seems they’re out of print, give Rhino Records (or is it just Rhino, now?) about two weeks, and they’ll be re-releasing it. It seems like anything that ever sold more than three copies to the general public ends up with them.
[sub]And, no, I’m not bitching. I love the stuff they get their hands on.[/sub]
Volume 1 is one of those albums that is worth the price, regardless of the price. 5 musical studs, not one bad song, and minimal commercial exposure all lead to one of those albums where, when you own it, you find yourself enjoying every song, and when you meet someone else that owns it, you both know just how much everybody else is missing out on.
Upon reflection, that was a very poorly constructed and convoluted sentence. But, I think it conveyed my thoughts.
Actually, that sums it up pretty well.
[sub]Well, for those of us who like alla those lads, anyway.[/sub]
I always have felt that Volume One is one of the most listenable albums in my collection.
Each member contributes mightily and this collaboration represents an acheivement for each member. That is really saying something considering the careers each has had.
For another “supergroup” of lesser known musicians, check out Golden Smog. Members of Wilco, Jayhawks, Soul Asylum etc… They put out a couple of pretty enjoyable albums.
Vol 1 is one of the all-time best albums ever. I have it on CD from back when it was first released, but I know that for a while it was unavailable. I alway figured it had something to do with the Orbison estate or something.
As you said Mullinator, not a bad song on the album.
She wrote a long letter
on a short piece of paper…
Does anyone think Johnny Cash could have replaced Roy?
No one can replace Roy. 
My pleasure DarkWriter. You might also try Barnes and Noble (http://www.bn.com/) for comparison pricing.
“End of the Line” is one of my favorite songs ever.
Johnny Cash would be a poor replacement for Roy Orbison, because Roy represented the heartfelt balladeer portion of the group. He hit notes that the rest of the singers couldn’t reach. They had 4 guys with distinctive voices, but voices that are more suited to singing/talking. When Roy belted out a group of lines, he was truly singing.
Johnny Cash, while phenomonal to listen to, would have smiply fallen into the same category as the other 4.
A bit of trivia (which I can’t provide a cite for sadly).
Del Shannon is the guy who wrote and performed the huge, HUGE hit called “Runaway” in the early 60’s…
Tom Petty (a rather young man at the time) produced Del Shannon’s comeback album in 1981. Jeff Lynne also produced further records for Del during the '80’s. There were serious links between these guys, OK?
Well… here’s the story. He committed suicide around 1990 or thereabouts. He was still very healthy and good looking at the time - but prone to great depression and self doubt apparently. He was on a major TV show as a guest down here in Australia not long before his death. The show was an Ed Sullivan type program and he was asked a few questions about the rumour that he was going to be Roy Orbison’s replacement in the Wilbury’s - and with some pride he announced the rumours were true. It seems he had been lobbying for quite some time to join the group, and we’ll never quite know who was doing the pushing or pulling therein, but when he was notified that “Nope, it ain’t gonn happen” he became so despondent he comitted suicide.
Now, it could well be argued he might have comitted suicide regardless, but I do recall that his life story was one of “great promise and near misses” insofar as he looked upon himself as being the equal of Roy and George and Bob Dylan etc in terms of age and talent, but it never QUITE worked out for him during his career if you know what I mean.
One thing’s for sure, I do recall his pride in announcing that the rumours were true. My gut feeling at the time was “Oh boy this really means something to you doesn’t it? You really want that last big ticket on the fame ride, don’t you?”
About 2 weeks later an official announcement was made that no replacement for Roy Orbison would be made. About 3 weeks later Del Shannon shot himself. It was all rather sad actually.
That song “Runaway” is a bona fide classic.
With the Wilburys, Orbison finally was part of a group that could fill in the missing pieces of his own abilities, and make the best use of that wonderful voice of his.
I love the whole album, but my personal favorite is “Not Alone Anymore,” which may have been Roy’s best song ever, too.
“Tweeter and the Monkeyman” is one of those classic Dylan storytelling songs.
All Things Must Pass was released when I was 16 and first in love. “Handle With Care” was on the radio when I was falling in love with the woman I later married. George Harrison kinda bookended my love life. 
A couple more connections among the members: Harrison and Dylan knew each other from way back, of course. And Dylan and Petty toured together a number of times in the 1980s, IIRC.
Both Wilbury’s albums are out of print, but before passing George Harrison bought the rights to them - you’ll see that if you go to http://www.travelingwilburys.com/ you’ll get sent to http://www.harrisongs.co.uk/
There is a plan to release the back catalogue of Wilbury materials soon (I don’t know the details).
From the rumours I’ve heard, Del Shannon had actually recorded some songs as a Wilbury and some of them may appear as bonus tracks on some re-releases.
And of course, Harrison plays on Petty’s “Full Moon Feaver,” which was released at just about the same time as Wilburys Vol 1. The similarities between the two albums is pretty striking.
I still get a chill when I think about the “End of the Line” video. Wonderful tribute to Roy as the train passes through a dark tunnel on his verse and they show his empty chair rocking along with the music. When his verse is over, they exit the tunnel once again and all sing.
Orbison also had his own album come out around the same time as Vol. 1, didn’t he? There was one song on it I absolutely loved. quick search of cdnow.com Ah yes, “You Got It”. Wonderful song (later ruined by Bonnie Wraite or someone)
Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and George Harrison all had solo albums around that time period that had at least one other Wilbury on it :
Jeff Lynne - Armchair Theatre
Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
George Harrison - Cloud Nine