Thursday's Earful: Traveling Wilburys vs. Monsters Of Folk

By: David Schultz

Traveling Wilburys: a late 80s supergroup made up of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne;

Monsters Of Folk: a late 00s supergroup made up of Jim James, M.Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis.

Traveling Wilburys: attempted to hide their real identities by using the thinly disguised aliases of Nelson, Otis, Lefty, Lucky and Charlie T. Wilbury;

Monsters Of Folk: attempted to hide their real identities by using the thinly disguised aliases of Yim Yames, Him, Bright Eyes and Mike Mogis.

Traveling Wilburys: came together on a lark in Dylan’s home studio when Harrison, Lynne and Orbison needed a place to record a song – Petty happened to be next door;

Monsters Of Folk: slowly evolved over a five year period until James, Oberst and Ward could clear their schedules - Mogis surprisingly free.

Traveling Wilburys: showed their versatility by rotating between different guitars;

Monsters Of Folk: showed their versatility by rotating between guitars, keyboards, drums and whatever else they could find;

Traveling Wilburys: didn’t really travel, not really Wilburys;

Monsters Of Folk: not really monsters, not really folksy.

Traveling Wilburys: sang about a girl named “Margarita” and pondered mortality at the “End Of The Line”:

Monsters Of Folk: sang about “A Man Named Truth” and pondered mortality on “Dear God”.

Traveling Wilburys: helped regenerate popular interest in the careers of Dylan, Orbison and Lynne;

Monsters Of Folk: created popular interest in the existence of Mike Mogis.

Traveling Wilburys: playfully mocked Bruce Springsteen by recording “Tweeter And The Monkey Man”’;

Monsters Of Folk: playfully mocked Eddie Vedder by not inviting him.