10 Sophomore Slump Albums By Amazing Bands

10. Vol. III - Traveling Wilburys

It almost seems like a mistake that we got a band as musically stacked as the Traveling Wilburys. Even though the whole thing started as a goofy track that George Harrison wanted to use for his album, the fact that it was too damn good for a B-side resulted in some of the giants of classic rock coming together, with The Quiet Beatle playing opposite to Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. No one was expecting Orbison to be taken so soon though, and Vol. 3 is where you really start to feel his absence.

While the idea of naming your second album Vol. 3 is a decent dad rock joke for its time, most of this album feels a bit more underpolished than what we got on the band’s debut, sounding more like an impromptu jam session half the time. Although songs like Inside Out and She’s My Baby are definitely some highlights from the project, the rest of the guys just seem to be hoarding most of their really good songs for themselves, with Cool Dry Place being one of the dozier songs that Petty would contribute to the project.

Also, when you have someone like Petty, Jeff Lynne from ELO, and a damn Beatle in the band, how the hell is Dylan the one that sings most of these songs? While his wordplay might still be up to Dylan standards, songs like 7 Deadly Sins just sounds like your uncle strapping on his guitar for an impromptu singalong in your backyard. There might not have been too many expectations when the Wilburys first got together, but this is where they decided it would be better to stick with their own outfits.