how is your opinion of music affected if you know the person who made it?

It's quite reasonable not to like your friend's music, although I would try and find ways of being put in a situation where you have to choose between lying or saying that to his face. I'd quite happily tell other people I didn't like it. Like most of Dublin, I have a friend in the Jimmycake. I think they are a good band, but if I didn't I wouldn't pretend to my other friends that I liked them.

That's possibly a blatant 'you are shit' giveaway, but at least it's trying.

As far as reviewing it, I mean, what's more important, a fucking review or a friend? You're better off writing a glowing review than alienating a friend just because your particular taste doesn't jibe w/ his record. But, of course, not putting yourself in that position is the best idea.

That said, if I don't like someone - yes, it negatively impacts my appreciation of the music. If I do like someone, it doesn't really color my opinion favorably towards the music ... but I can have a tolerance for it not otherwise seen. I'll go see a friend's band play even if I don't particularly like them just because its fun to hang out with them. And I'll politely bob my head and such.

The above only applies if its not a shitty emo band or somesuch, in which case I'm pretty open about my distaste.

Consider yourself extremely lucky. Occasionally people bring up The Dropkick Murphys with me in a critical standpoint and learn to regret it. All I can think about is a 15 year old kid wearing nothing but denim every day and saying he's in a band called "The '77 Boys."

I've been given a few CDs by mates, I didn't like any of them, I just say I don't listen to rock music but comment on the production or say the vocals aren't high enough in the mix or something. It's tough to hold back sometimes. After my writing's been published more lately they ask even more, I'm barely established still and people think I can get their review printed.

I mean I slave all my life for this and everyone just wants a piece of me, well they can just GO TO HELL. WHERE WERE THEY IN 98?

Eh seriously I think it is best to just be fair and talk about the production.

I can never trust my friends' opinions of the music that I make, because I'm always convinced that they're either A) lying, to make me feel better or B) they only like the music as an extension of liking the personalities that made it.

It's a double edged sword. I want to trust friends' opinions more than strangers', but I know that I can't.

Whether or not knowing other people affects my opinion of the music they make... well, only if they're cute boys. I'm always willing to believe that cute boys have made better music.

If I think a friend *wants* me to be honest about the music they make, then I'll try to be. Even if it loses me that friendship if I'm critical. Though I'll try to stress the more positive aspects of a negative thing... i.e. "You seemed really nervous at the start of the set, but you overcame it once you hit your stride, and the latter part of the set was blinding!" or "You guys weren't particular tight, but the energy was fantastic and the sound was good!"

heh - true. i know plenty of people who will say "Don't hold back with the criticism!" (not necessarily referring to music-makers here) - but i know that the truth will upset them, so i just try to be enthusiastic.

There's nothing worse than playing a set which you *know* went all wrong and was awful, and have your friends give you these tentative smiles and say "erm, that was... erm... that was great, really!"

You *know* that they're lying, and that means that you will mistrust their opinions for the rest of time.

I'd *much* rather have something like "the sound was crap, but you made the most of it" or "it's not really my thing" or whatever.

Says - "Tell me what you think"
Means - "Tell me what I want to hear"

I mean, fair enough, maybe I'm just repeating the "tell me what I want to hear" thing when what I want to hear is validation of my impression that the performance sucked. Sometimes "Yeah, it kinda sucked, but you know what? You did the best you could, now let's go get drunk and forget about it" is what you really want to hear.

Honesty is the premier thing of importance (above "being nice") in relationships where trust is important. Though tact should always prevail - there is such a thing as constructive criticism.

I am thinking of a person who has worked very closely with my former band, as well as being a friend. I trust their opinion as a sounding board. If they say to me "Oh, it was great" then they compromise that trust. If they are honest, and say "It wasn't great, but these are the ways in which I think you could improve" then that is much more useful to me, both in the friendship and in the working relationship.

People to whom I'm not so close, and from whom I don't expect objectivity, I just want to hear validation from.

Then again, I have a friend to whom I just don't play *anything* because I know that they are just going to be critical in a slightly mean way just to show off their wit. I can do without that.

What's worse? Not hearing ANYTHING in terms of reaction at all, or that lukewarm sort of "yeah it was good" without anything else?

Haha, I know exactly what you mean!

Haha that sounds like something you say in a job interview...

If I do get trapped into having to play a friend something, then I struggle to avoid hearing their opinion. Pregnant pauses after a song are particularly bad and awkward - I fill those gaps in by saying something like, 'so, how's the new job going????' - I really suffer along with them.

On the other side of the fence, I have to concur with the two comments upthread - 'It's good, though not I would ordinarily listen to' and 'It's great!!' as universal panacaeas. Also, neither really has to be a lie, surely? You can say either in good faith without liking the record.

i think there is a bigger responsibility though when it's your g/b-friend and to not be supportive in some way or take into account the work they've done is being petty about something they're likely insecure about anyway. when someone you care about is trying to create something that means something to them it's not the time to take a cynical attitude. i was in a band and my supportive boyfriend made the experience fun and inspiring and my bandmate's boyfriend clearly didn't give a shit and made everyone uncomfortable.

I think a lot of fandom involves forgiving people you like for the occasional, or not so occasional, dud song, because you feel you know them, or identify with them. Hence people liking Morissey after 1988.

As for literally knowing the musicians: utter nightmare, keep well away. It's funny, cos if someone says they don't like a piece of writing, it's usually shrugged off: but I suppose would-be pop stars have slightly more fragile egos. When I made music I wasn't presumptuous enough to play it to anyone at all.

Well yeah cheers, but it's hardly common sense to sever links with your friends because they decide to make a record, is it? Keep their musical diversions at arm's length, certainly. Anyone who does that fucking luvvie "I was awful darling, wasn't I? Tell me I was awful" thing deserves indifference above all.

It's only one song I heard, but there's probably an EP and album on the way very soon. I may do just that, but if I don't like it I'd probably go anonymous.