x+y=z: Pop formulae

To get the discussion rolling... For some reason, Lester Bangs' description of Eno's 'Needle in the Camel's Eye' as a 'previously unimaginable combination of Buddy Holly and Velvet Underground' has always stuck me as perfect and unimpeachable, I suppose because that combination really _is_ unimaginable until you've heard the song. I guess the best pop formulae are like that; they strike one with the clarity of revelation. The best one I heard recently was Wilco's temporarily shelved weirdo-opus 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' as a combination of Can and 'Third'-era Big Star--I think this was Jim DeRogatis.

Most overused formula variables: Nick Drake and Velvet Underground (except in the above example, which is exempt because it was written in the early 70s.)

I used to say that Smashing Pumpkins were (The Cure + My Bloody Valentine + Nirvana + Black Sabbath) - (any relevance or talent). But that's too long.

Most overused (by me) *and* most underused (by everyone else):

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter + BBC Radiophonic Music x The Fourth Dimension = Music Has The Right To Children.

No-one else has heard these record, Robin, that's why.

(The Cure + My Bloody Valentine + Nirvana + Black Sabbath) - (any relevance or talent)

There's something just so wrong about this otherwise brilliant equation, though. Something about that one minus sign, does it really need to be there? ;-)

The fine fellers at Poplust have done things like this many a time, and once they had a contest. Two of my favorites:

Alex Chilton's High Priest x A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory + Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy + Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home divided by Hank Williams - soul = Beck

Plastic Ono Band x Tommy divided by Kiss = The Wall

don't know about formulae, but i've always hated X jamming with Y on ACID.

I did like some NME hack's description of Idlewild sounding like a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs though.

i thought that description (the stairs one) had been used for aphex?

possibly, it was the desciption rather than the artist that i remembered mainly

David Quantick once described the Jesus and Mary Chain as sounding like "giant bees trapped in a lift shaft" which was spot on, and shows how it should be done.

"a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs " - this is really quite funny. I'm going to use it often, I think.

>Alex Chilton's High Priest x A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End >Theory + Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy + Dylan's Bringing It All >Back Home divided by Hank Williams - soul = Beck

- soul? I wouldn't say he's totally devoid of soul. Anyway, it gets way too complicated when you consider "Mutations" ; you have to throw in + Neil Young + the Kinks + Early Pink Floyd + who the hell knows who could have influenced "Diamond Bollocks."

On a related note, it's funny that Beck would end up displaying a strong falsetto voice on "Midnite Vultures," while sensistive critic's darling David Garza would end up embarassing himself with his overamplified breathy whining on _his_ latest album. Sad to see the fall of a one-time "new Jeff Buckley."