Dylan's Blonde on Blonde: What does "wild, thin mercury sound" mean

This is the way, IIRC, Bob Dylan himself describes his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, and the critics love to repeat it when putting it in their top albums of all time lists. But what does this phrase actually mean?

 

It means Dylan was taking a lot of speed and everything probably sounded wild and thin.

 

For me, that phrase conjures up the tones of harmonica, organ and Dylan's vocals--all of which somehow sound metallic--like mercury.

 

http://www.observer.com/node/44500

 

While not perfect the Scorsese "No Direction Home" film captures his world in that spring of 66 pretty well. For me it's all about the sound of an artist, briming at the edge with creative/nervous/explosive energy. Dylan's pace built and built over about 18 months, in this highly creative period, he wrote and recorded in such a way that even he is in awe of his own work, and speaks of that Dylan in the 3rd person. Running on "Texas medicine" the pace of the thoughts in his mind, and the disorienting whirlwind of a confrontational electric world tour he ultimately crashed hard from his manic ride, and was never the same again. Obviously his brilliant mind and writing remained, but he was never THAT guy again.

 

Wild Mercury, Mercurialalis Perennis (Dogs Mercury in Shakespear) is a common English Hedgerow plant.

Much used in English Folk music
It is pollinated by the wind and is poisonous, a great metaphor.

 

Al Kooper's organ, as in 'Positively 4th Street' and 'Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands'.

 

Just listen to Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde & Blonde... Repeatedly...
What you hear is what it is, and what it is defies words imo...

 

Great link. Here is the original Playboy interview:

http://www.interferenza.com/bcs/interw/play78.htm

 

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture

 

Can we finally kill this quote, please? It's nonsense.

 

I agree. And I'm a HUGE fan of the person who uttered this nonsense (Elvis Costello).

 

I'm pretty sure the "architecture" quote comes from Zappa, not Elvis Costello. Regardless, it is indeed nonsense.

 

Just listen to Visions of Johanna over and over and you'll be hearing it.

 

Very well said, sir. Thanks
I always thought of mercury like in a thermometer and if it escaped the glass would just be wild and constantly changing shape. Like Dylan's Music.

 

I've never 'got' that one.
When I listen to BOB and the DCC Highway 61 it sounds full and golden to these ears.

Its always been evident that lots of things said by and about Bob are sent out cos they sound good - fair enough given the medium he works in - not because they have any logical/rational meaning.

I bet he has a good giggle when he reads people trying to rationalise the instinctive. A bit like James Joyce he has made lots of work for the 'old folks home in the college'. And was aware of that even as it flowed from him.

Perhaps that phrase means that the music is protean as is it's author and lots of it will remain elusive to those who wish to 'understand' it.
Bob had abandoned the didactic, easy to grasp song writing at this stage. Maybe his listeners should mimic this and not try to capture the magical and fleeting with the tools of prosaic analysis.
Now I'm starting lol

 

Not only is it a doltish idea on its face, but it's linguistically faulty: For the simile to hold up it should be "Writing about music is like dancing to architecture."

Anyway, wild mercury what?

 

It's actually neither, nor is it Thelonious Monk. There's a webpage devoted to tracking down the real source, which ended up being something like Fernwood 2night. I'm not joking.

Back on topic: "thin wild mercury," think of the what people mean when they say someone is "mercurial." Unpredictable, hard to capture, always moving and changing.

 

I remember one Dylan interview where he basically disowned that comment.
Even suggesting that the Playboy guy had made it up.

Maybe he was sick of being questioned about it, it's certainly had some legs over the years. Maybe beyond what it deserves.

I'm pretty sick of hearing it. Don't know what it means, don't really care.

 

It's been attributed to many people. IMO it doesn't sound like Zappa who was usually more plain-spoken than that.

 

Wow, I had no idea the "dancing about architecture" quote was one of those stupid lines that people deliberately mis-attribute. I did a quick search and found this page, which I presume is the one you're referring to. It says the earliest instances of the line they've been able to find in print are a October 1983 Musician magazine (in which Elvis Costello says it) and an October 8, 1983 newspaper article, in which Eugenia Zuckerman quotes the line and attributes it to Martin Mull. Supposedly Costello has been asked in a recent interview and also attributed the line to Mull.

As of yet, no one has been able to find a source where Mull said this line, however, and apparently no one has asked Mull about it yet, either. And even if both Costello and Zuckerman originally heard it from Mull, it's certainly possible he did not originate it. Maybe Kurt Vonnegut came up with it. At any rate, I'm surprised Costello would repeat such an idiotic line.