What Do I Say?

[ernstinen]

Follow up: 1st, thanx for all your thoughts about this tough subject! I appreciate you all spending the time to help me think this through.Well, I thanked my friend for his CD in an email (wimp! ---- he knows me so well that he'd probably hear something in my voice if we talked on the phone). I complimented him on his great lyrics and that "you've got melodies coming out of your ears!" which is true. I also mentioned the "consistency of mood," which is also true ----He emailed me back, thanking me for my email and saying that he and the engineer are now working on CD #2 . And so it goes ------Ern

[arkjack]

I have 5 Cds worth of recordings, and I haven't "released" a single one. Not because I'm a tightwad , I just know they aren't ready at the level I would like them to be. I pressed a few off of my computer with some self produced artwork and passed it around to friends and relatives. I'd say everyone has something nice to say about them, but I suspect they can hear the difference between my album, and say Eric Clapton. So don't let your friend beat you up on it. He produced what he has outside of your influence, so the project is his responsibility. If he comes to you and says ' this doesn't sound right, will you help me fix it?' then that's a different story.ArkJack

[diogenes]

My opinion is to accentuate the positive. Find something (s) you genuinley like about it and tell him that. If he has no aspirations of being a pro and is proud of his work, just be supportive and sincere. Sometimes we don't need criticism...

[lopc]

Your opinion that this gentleman is a fine songwriter kinda tells the story.As for how to explain the "product", you can't say it any better to him than you did here. Perhaps lose the "terrible" and the reference in paranthesis. If he doesn't get what your overview intended, he may ask. Sounds to me like you are a guy that could explain it to him. Might even bring up a whole new avenue of topics for you guys. Anybody serious about this gig will take intelligent input wherever they find it. I doubt your guy is an exception if he is a good songwriter. Then again, did he ask for your opinion? If not, you may want to follow diogenes prior suggestion.

[matto]

Ern,if he's doing this for "fun", as a hobby, I think it's perfectly okay to let him have his fun and be supportive in the sort of way you were in your response.If he's serious, trying to pitch the music and interested in eventually making money from it, then I would tell him. Cause I think there's a difference between spending disposable income on a hobby, and investing money in your (hoped for) future.If the latter's the case then he needs to hear the truth IMHO.