1980s: Travelling Wilburys – ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’
The Traveling Wilburys, perhaps more so than any other supergroup, perfectly encapsulate what they’re really for. Sure, some might argue that the point of it all is to bring together the power, fame and musical prowess of a bunch of individual stars in the hope of merely multiplying the potential. But really, supergroups are more often than not an exercise in an artist shaking off their brand, shaking off the shackles, and all coming together to reinvigorate one another.
Traveling Wilburys did exactly that at a point where it’s members, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison, all needed it. As friends who has existed in each others orbit for quite a while and were already entangled in a complex map of collaborations, them playing together started naturally and was quickly something great, captured first on Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. Instantly, ‘Handle With Care’ knocks it out of the part as a song that would be powerful had it been written and released by any one member alone, but with all their voices and instrumentation together, it becomes like a kind of music Avengers with the finest all putting in their best.