Chris Cornell, Timbaland, and the law of diminishing returns

"Diminishing returns is an economic or financial term that refers to less than proportional increases upon the addition of more resources beyond a certain point.

"Diminishing returns is not only inherently financial in nature. Some skills, learning curves, and other items may display diminishing returns. For example, in learning a new language, an individual may reach a point at which studying that language with the same effort for the same amount of time will no longer provide the same increase in comprehension as it had in the past."

Whatever you think of Justin Timberlake's music, he has sold quite a few albums and helped earn Timbaland a "Midas Touch" reputation for his producing skills. As Weezer notes in the song "Pork and Beans," "Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts. / Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art."

Anyway, Duran Duran's "Red Carpet Massacre," an attempt at a hip-hopified comeback via Timbaland, fell flat - just to mention one example. Earlier this month, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame released his Timbaland effort "Scream." According to Timbaland, the recording sessions were "The best work I've done in my career." He predicted that Cornell will be the "first rock star in the club".

You be the judge: