"Records became much cruder in the last 20 years. Let's put it that way"

In this quote, Art Garfunkel is describing a decrease in the quality of records over the past 20 years. He uses the word "cruder" to suggest that the records have ended up being less refined or advanced. This might be due to advancements in innovation, which have actually made it much easier and less expensive to produce music, leading to a flood of lower quality recordings. Garfunkel's usage of the phrase "let's put it that way" suggests that he might not want to explicitly mention his opinion on the matter, but is instead choosing to hint at it. In general, this quote highlights the changes and obstacles in the music market recently.