The Talking Heads, OK Computer , My Bloody Valentine, Paul's Boutique , and Prince couldn't have done it without the company dollar. But for every Ricky Martin pelvis disaster, there's a thousand Mathletes. Successful pastiche is all about restraint. On Mellow Gold , Beck spat and spilled too much and too often, and the record suffered from clutter. There was a pinch of Mathlete in those old lo-fi tactics.
Genius needs money.
The Beatles couldn't have made Sgt. Pepper's if they had to tour and work second jobs. Midnite Vultures bursts with the rich texture that only multiple tracks and massive mixing boards the length of Oldsmobiles can produce. Your indie label can't afford funk like this. Arena choruses explode from shuffling verses.