backwoods
 Ha ! That's awesome Danny :) 
 
The part about sending stuff back to the source for improvement must actually be one of the hardest parts of your job. I can imagine some guys would be really devastated.

Actually, it's been rare that anyone has gotten bent out of shape because they know part of my service to them is for me to evaluate the material while giving them an extra set of ears. I'd feel bad letting something go without telling someone that they *may* want to revisit it or fix it.
 
The hardest thing (which isn't hard for me any longer) was to be able to decipher when something was an artistic take or just blatantly bad and performed horribly with bad tone choices. The key is never to speak for the sake of having a voice or to appear to get my name on something....this way you keep subjectivity out of it. To me, bad is bad...and when I get faced with that to where it just really sounds bad and is pulling me away from the song, I'd be doing the client an injustice by NOT saying something.
 
Granted, I can also tell when someone's ability may not be super great, and that's ok too. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. BUT....sometimes we can make a huge difference just by telling someone "I think you have one more take in you that can be better" without annihilating them and making them feel terrible. I don't think I've ever made anyone feel bad. I always get thanked for speaking up in these types of scenarios because things wind up sounding better. Other times someone will say "I just don't have the skill to do it any better, that's the best I can do and I know it's a little loose." You just roll with it and do the best you can for the situation. :)
 
-Danny