Matt Berry reads a truly brutal letter from Robert Crumb

[@Bowie_E]

I will listen to *anything* Matt Berry reads. I'd listen to him read Terms & Conditions and be happy and enthralled.

[@Diecastclassicist]

I will listen to anything Robert Crumb writes.

[@LangstonDev]

"Third party confidentiality agrEEMEEENT!"

[@iggbowmon3171]

Brilliant! A great way for people to finally understand how those rapacious corporations are violating their rights. They'd quickly have a contract out on Matt's life, though.

[@Bobby3OOO]

Yes. We need a club! Has he ever done an audiobook?

[@brian32151867]

@@Bobby3OOO He did an audiobook called "Toast on Toast" which is over 4 hours (!) of him telling insane rambling anecdotes in character as Steven Toast. It's an absolute must!

[@LordlyJeremy]

"Am I a Squahre from De-la-whehre?" Matt Berry's diction defies transcription and it is magnificent.

[@bulletproofblouse]

Al Jah-zeee-raaahhh?

[@lukaszfilipiak]

@@bulletproofblouse someone been practi-sing 😅

[@PersonalPariah]

I thought he was from Arizonyaaaaa...

[@griffhawkins8909]

Fai-yah tha Noucleah weh-pawns

[@tmage23]

The man has made a nice career by adding syllables to words that shouldn't have them.

[@dg8620]

Apparently Mats Gustafsson named his next album "Torturing The Saxophone" in honor of Robert and pasted the letter in full on the album sleeve :)

[@mrbennbenn]

That's the best response 👏

[@chriss5266]

​@@mrbennbennToo bad Crumb's words were 100% accurate. Don't know how anyone can even call his stuff "music"

[@poptones9619]

As a fan of Crumb, Berry and Gustafsson this feels like a weird fever dream.

[@davidm8657]

Ignorant of all three until this video and comment thread , I’ve been enriched with this. Thanks to all

[@avosmash2121]

That, or a 70's blues rock trio.

[@BodywiseMustard]

​@@avosmash2121'70s *

[@thegovernment0usa]

Is "Barry and Gustafsson" one party?

[@josephjohnston612]

​@@thegovernment0usa I believe Berry to be reading the letter, addressed to Gustafsson, in the voice of Crumb.

[@jamesrjohanniii774]

Every character he voices over is hilarious. I love animation with his voice.

[@nustde00]

Matt Berry could read me my sentence to death for something I did not do and I would still smile a lot.

[@Archpope]

"It is, the summary ju-hudgement of this cohort, that you, Jarrrlaxule, are to be hang-ed, by thee neck... unteel dehead."

[@martinstent5339]

You've just gotta love both Robert Crumb for his honesty, and Mats Gustafsson for actually publishing the letter!! (I've been a Crumb fan since the 1970s. He is really my idea of everything a great artist should be!).

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

Your idea of an artist is a cranky pervert who draws racist caricatures of black people? (Please note I am a fan of Crumb too)

[@holidaytrout5174]

As a person who loves free jazz, I can totally understand this reaction to it.

[@briz1965]

someone went 'total Gustafsson' in the Bell Inn one Sunday in Notts.

[@Robinson8491]

Matt Berry could be the love of my life's attorney reading the divorce papers and I would still be delighted

[@Wileylikethehawk]

Victoria! You’re alive!

[@jaredkennedy6576]

That's it, April. We are through.

[@MZ99698]

😂😂😂

[@Robinson8491]

I thought you were from Iran?!

[@elizabethsime5751]

Thank you for this. Matt Berry has a magnificent speaking voice.

[@pencilled_robin]

This made me laugh so hard! It's a brilliantly scathing letter, and Matt's intonation and comedic timing is perfection 😂

[@AndyPresto75]

Matt Berry is always fantastic and while I'm not a big fan of jazz, Mr Crumb does seem like a square from Delaware. Even so, I'm very glad that he chose to share his thoughts in such a forthright manner, however the real hero is Mr Gustafson for hilariously bringing the letter to public attention.

[@discomfortzone]

So good. Love Matt. He could read anything and it would be incredible

[@bigbrian8060]

Crumb is such a character. You should watch his documentary, honestly scary.

[@dianajohnson83]

Was, I believe he's 'no more'

[@LordlyJeremy]

@@dianajohnson83 Not yet - he's still around at 79

[@LittleCozyNostril]

If you want a deep dive into the Crummy-verse you should check out my show, CANONICALLY CRUMB.

[@Celestialnavigator-nr6sb]

As soon as I think of the doc, I remember his brother swallowing the string. Yikes

[@grazstarr]

Which one? Remember what it’s called?

[@nivekian]

He's one of my favorite things about What We Do in the Shadows.

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

My husband & myself _lovelovelove_ that series. I thoroughly enjoyed his character in IT Crowd.

[@ThunderboltWisdom]

BAT!🦇

[@Ducky69247]

He's that good in everything he does btw

[@NitroModelsAndComics]

If I may quote Nathan Explosion. "That was completely brutal."

[@JDNicoll]

Lol. I just went and listened to a piece of Gustafsson's music. It sounded like swimming through a bowel movement. This letter seems to be on point.

[@fododude]

I hear Crumb's voice in my head as he reads and it's even more funny.

[@vijaynair2403]

Matt Berry could read my eulogy and I’d love it. Oh wait!

[@BluPotato]

I coulod listen to Matt Berry all day

[@nikkyboy1067]

Berries? Crumbs? These men are for the birds!

[@maydaymemer4660]

Thats very Normesque

[@nikkyboy1067]

@@maydaymemer4660 Rodney actually

[@jorriffhdhtrsegg]

Matt berry, like when you walk under a cherry tree and have to clean the doormat because they got trod in. Robert Crumb when you're mate Robert can't handle his biscuit

[@jorriffhdhtrsegg]

@@maydaymemer4660 possibly Saxon in origin

[@maydaymemer4660]

@@nikkyboy1067 ah and norm is very rodneyesque so it's like a circle of inspiration

[@pablozewoppa]

Thing is - as someone who doesn't play the sax - I'd take this from Robert Crumb. I'd carry on playing exactly the way I was playing.

[@jumbo4billion]

Beautiful

[@shedtime_au]

When you're too weird for Robert Crumb, you're really Out There.

[@vestibulate]

The only question I have is why Mats Gustafsson thought his music might be of interest to Robert Crumb. Anyone familiar with the cartoonist's preferences- and they've been comprehensively aired- would have known that his tastes are restricted to old 78s of 1920s dance-band and vaudeville style material, along with some 1930s country blues recordings. Incidentally, I've just been listening online here to "Defeat", a 2021 album by a band called "Fire!" which features Gustafsson on a variety of instruments. Have only heard the first track thus far, but am enjoying it.

[@davehamilton-smith9460]

Yep, Fire! are pretty great.

[@krashd]

I'm guessing he wanted to commission Robert to do some work for an album cover or something like that and sent a bunch of his music to see if he liked it.

[@vestibulate]

@@krashd That's the only reason I can see, now that you mention it. By the way, Crumb did the cover art for Cheap Thrills, the Big Brother album, while openly disavowing their music and the entire setting that spawned it.

[@heimdal8]

Maybe he confused Crumb with Harvey Pekar? Pekar has a well known interest in Jazz. However Pekar doesn’t draw his comics - he only writes - so there couldn’t have been a question about comission.

[@actualturtle2421]

Hasil Adkins used to send a copy of every record he put out to the President. I think he got letters from Reagan and Clinton. Might as well, right?

[@nodroGnotlrahC]

Now I want to hear some Mats Gustafsson.

[@gringochucha]

Believe me, you don't.

[@Aphasiesc2]

@@gringochucha This reading was pure pleasure! Crumb, Gustafsson and Berry meets on common ground. Gringo, you're plain wrong. Sure it's not for everybody, but free jazz isn't necessarily supposed to be that. Try this one on for size, a delicate piece from Fire! Orchestra, one of his bands anno 2017. Beautiful! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYOcg5WaiZx0laM&ab_channel=Fire%21Orchestra-Topic

[@GuppyCzar]

You should, you'll have a few words to add to Crumb's assessment.

[@if6was929]

Matt Berry's sonorous voice is in the same class of great orators like Orson Wells, Sir Alec Guinness and Sir Richard Burton, regardless of what they're saying, its always interesting.

[@soggyfritter]

I would love to see Matt Berry play Orson Welles. I loved Liv Schreiber but Berry is just... Something else.

[@bazeye]

I just listened to some Gustaffson and Crumb was spot on.

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Oh my... He was quite correct in my estimation. QUITE beyond me I fear...

[@GuppyCzar]

Horrible crap pretentious jazz fans try to convince people they enjoy because they think it makes them sound worldly.

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

Art is subjective and music really shows that.

[@toctheyounger]

Matt Berry could read an imaging report describing a terminal cancer diagnosis for myself and I would be delighted and die happy.

[@reesekindle4784]

Glob Bless Matt Berry.

[@littlebylittle1686]

"There's somebody at the door. There's somebody at the door. There's somebody at the door"

[@georgebailey9238]

I met Crumb a couple of times, he and his wife Aline used to live in Winters which is next door to Davis where I went for undergrad. Crumb seems like he's very uncomfortable in his own body. I grew up reading his comics and love him even though he's very politically incorrect for our current era.

[@AndrewOxenburgh]

Not just our current era. He wasn't necessarily loved back then either. I love his work, but it's always been challenging.

[@oz_jones]

@@AndrewOxenburgh crumb is a character alright. Read his comics in high school, i think i should reread them soonish, its been 20+ years

[@BlackMasterRoshi]

I read my dad's crumb comics as a kid and loved the offensive humor

[@krashd]

Ahh, Winters and Davis, such well known global cities.

[@georgebailey9238]

@@krashd UC Davis is a top ranked school in central California. I figured Crumb fans would know what I was talking about because a lot of the 80s comix, Weirdo stories and the ones he did with Aline are set in Winters and reference Davis.

[@sushobhanparajuli6010]

After listening to his music, I agree that Crumb was right.

[@gringochucha]

Yup, I'm with Crumb on this one.

[@wutsein]

Robert Crumb said nothing wrong.

[@richbrock9876]

Captured my thoughts on most jazz perfectly

[@aaronjaben7913]

that's too bad. Gustafsson is nothing like Charlie Parker, for example

[@thepuppethead1188]

Familiar with R. Crumb's work? What other opinions of his do you find agreeable? Because most of them are as agreeable as "all jazz is noise",he's a thoughtful guy with real keen sensibilities so agreeing with him is only natural. Especially the one comic about finding a lady bigfoot in the woods and taming it as a wife for the express purpose of man-gigantic-ape-lady love making. I've had that exact fantasy myself countless times! second only to the one about finding the corpse of a beautiful woman and then...well you know the rest! I make love to the woman! the dead woman!

[@planetzebulon21]

Zappa said, “writing about music is like dancing about architecture “. And your vigor for life appalles me, also, Mr Crumb

[@Pouncer9000]

Appeals or appals?

[@planetzebulon21]

That would be appalls.

[@Pouncer9000]

@@planetzebulon21 Well _I_ knew that of course, I was merely asking on behalf of those who might've been confused. Glad we cleared that up!

[@chrisktcpt1252]

Steve Martin

[@KenLieck]

Jimmy Webb, who ought to know attributes the "dancing about architecture" line to Martin Mull. My own research leads me to concur.

[@shaftpunk84]

I love both Gustafsson and Crumb and think this was hilarious.

[@TheBluemindedGod]

I tried to google some of his music, but from what I can find, I'm on Crumb's side. Do you have any recommendations?

[@MartijnterHaar]

@@TheBluemindedGod Neneh Cherry & The Thing - The Cherry Thing is a good entry point to his music (The Thing is a trio with Gustafsson).

[@davidlloyd3116]

Playing the CEO Rheinhold in The IT Crowd - brilliant!

[@kristianTV1974]

*Reynholm

[@Stevofaves]

the idea of crumb criticizing a work of art for being aesthetically unappealing is hilarious

[@judydoyle1124]

Yes! This is exactly what I thought too! Utter hilarity

[@crs290]

Unintentional irony.

[@jacquestube]

Well two things can be true at the same time, one Rob Crum is an amazing illustrator/comic artist and most modern art most Contemporary Art is garbage. Those are two true statements

[@ferretyluv]

Dude makes comix, which have a distinctive style.

[@cwegers3]

Crumb is a genius . Sorry you can't see that .

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I need to hear this stuff!!!

[@emmanuelwolfmusic410]

Roberts honesty is amazingly good.

[@josephgambrell1715]

I don't know if it's just me but just clicked the like button...and to my shock the like button just had a level up and had a psychedelic experience try it ya self👌

[@mk1st]

“This noise” 😂😅😂

[@MrShanester117]

“I’m Douglas Renham and I’m not a scientist, but I do have a better understanding of what space is then any scientist living today.”

[@gordondean9189]

Curse these electric sex pants

[@hoki3697]

Hilarious but quite mean critique I thought, then I actually listened to it... it's pretty much spot on.

[@deandupont5503]

After hearing this, I had to hear the music. The album 'How to Raise an Ox' is now near the front of my playlist.

[@greenvelvet]

This perfectly sums up my feelings about John Mayer's music

[@sarahlindsay7767]

He reminds of the animation of disenchantment I used to watch it and love to listen to the voice.

[@petertaysum5563]

I once watched/listened to Lol Coxhill play for an hour or so, 24 hours later he was still going. I didn't get it, but I liked it.

[@toratio8547]

"Am I square from Dela-ware?" So so good

[@roddmatsui3554]

This is funny material. Fan of Crumb’s work since the old days.

[@RickReasonnz]

Had to search Mats Gustafsson for reference. Torturing the Saxophone is indeed an apt title.

[@Alpine_Joe]

Being unfamiliar with Gustafsson I had to check him out for myself having heard this evisceration of his music. To be fair I think Crumb was more complementary than I'd have been. Nah ... it's not for me either.

[@musicians_with_gunts]

"FATHERRR!!!"

[@omarwho949]

He could make balancing a check book sound incredible...

[@douchymcdouche169]

I hardly recognized him without the fangs.

[@jeremysteinmark2845]

“Am I square from Delaware” I got to use that line sometimes

[@nepdisc3722]

I found a video of Mats Gustafsson and immediately regretted clicking it, this letter is absolutely right.

[@jordanfaydherbe7394]

You are now reading every comment, in Matt Berry's voice.

[@JohannesWiberg]

"Bat!"

[@sagecolvard9644]

"That this noise could give anyone any aesthetic pleasure is beyond my comprehension" You've heard of manmade horrors beyond your comprehension, now get ready for manmade pleasures beyond your comprehension!

[@flux.aeterna]

Any cenobite worth their salt would argue they’re the same

[@snailduck]

@@flux.aeterna I love this comment so much.

[@jwcriddle]

"Am I a SQUAHRE from DELAWHERE?"

[@DursunX]

Toast personified 🍞 berry Berry good

[@catherinespark]

So the thing is...if you write a really amazing letter you have to genuinely think the person's work is really AMAZING or you're a suck-up. And if you do write that letter, they may well ignore and forget or worse still disbelieve all your praise and STILL get fixated on stuff that MIGHT be wrong if someone else is even SLIGHTLY critical about any aspect. And if you ARE that person who is slightly critical, you may give cause anxiety and insecurity for years. But if you're straight-up so brutal that the brutality becomes its own art form...well, that can be funny and easy to let slide off because it's so obviously out of all objectively credible proportion to the thing being slated, since it would be almost impossible for anything to be quite that bad unless it had some kind of major moral distortion or something. So in a sense, a letter like this maybe hurts less than one which pulls each bit apart scathingly and analytically. As Roald Dahl's Matilda says, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it."

[@sonnyalan9605]

This is exactly what I say about the modern jazz saxophone.

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

You're a square from Delaware, a Hick from Battle Creek, a Schmuck from Mount Keokuk.

[@claudio130]

Master Berry!

[@Nick.t.S]

This man can make anything poetry with the audible chocolate that is his voice.

[@latetotheparty184]

He's right too about modern jazz. Chaotic tortured incomprehensible noises.

[@bobevans2329]

I have no kick against modern jazz.

[@latetotheparty184]

@@bobevans2329 No? I kind of hold a grudge against it destroying a genre..

[@bobevans2329]

@@latetotheparty184well…unless they try to play it too darn fast, I guess

[@latetotheparty184]

@@bobevans2329 That's too damn funny.!!!

[@peabody3000]

if crumb's comics had a soundtrack, it would precisely be gustafsson's saxophone

[@sg639]

Re: Sean H: No. Crumb's soundtrack would be Primus.

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

Robert Crumb has introduced me to this music. It's even funnier than the letter.

[@briz1965]

Huge fan of Crumb & Berry, sounds like an ice-cream.

[@ShiceSquad]

I know the feeling. And I must confess, I do sit there politely and pretend to dig it, lest it come to light that I am nothing but a square from Delaware.

[@PanzerMold]

"--With a great sense of humor."

[@lomax343]

Pretty much my reaction to Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk. Oh, what happened to jazz?

[@opeltheartist]

Im gonna go listen to this album immediately 😆

[@pretorious700]

I would love a text transcript of this letter. I know some jazz poseurs I would love to send it to.

[@ErwinPommel]

Here's the full text, as included in the liner notes of Mats Gustafsson's next album, titled "Torturing the Saxophone": I finally gave a listen to those LPs and the CD you sent me, of your own saxophone playing and some Swedish modern jazz. I gotta tell you, on the cover of the CD of your sax playing, which is black and has no text on it, I wrote in large block letters, in silver ink, “Torturing The saxophone-Mats Gustafsson.” I just totally fail to find anything enjoyable about this, or to see what this has to do with music as I understand it, or what in God´s name is going on in your head that you want to make such noises on a musical instrument. Quite frankly, I was kind of shocked at what a negative, unpleasant experience it was, listening to it. I had to take it off long before it reached the end. I just don´t get it. I don’t understand what it is about. You actually go on TOUR with that stuff. WOW. People actually… sit… and… LISTEN… to that. I mean, they voluntarily go to the place, maybe even PAY… PAY to hear that stuff. And then they sit there, quietly, politely… and LISTEN. Unbelievable. I should go myself sometime and see this. Witness it with my own eyes. I don´t say these things with the intention to insult you. You seem to be a perfectly nice, civilized guy with a good sense of humor. I am speaking the plain truth of my reaction to the records and CD you sent. That this noise could give anyone any aesthetic pleasure is beyond my comprehension, truly. Is this the logical end of improvisational music? Is this where it ends up? Where does it go from this point? Is there any audience for this “free jazz” besides other guys who play it and maybe their wives who must patiently endure it? I just don´t get it. Am I too un-hip? Am I a square from Delaware? A thick from Battle Crick? A shmuck from Keokuck? -R. Crumb

[@vjcodec]

Steven this is Clem Fandango can you hear me?

[@TooSmalley]

Robert Crumb is a perfect manic

[@DanJackson1977]

Negative Unpleasent Experience... kinda like looking at any of Crumb's cartoons

[@MacIntoshMann]

love r crumb! if you get the chance, check out the documentary “crumb” about him and his brothers. very funny and very sad.

[@phlogistanjones2722]

"Free Jazz" it is styled... I confess not even free would tempt me to listen to Mats again. i can only imagine it is the sound that the worshipers of Yog-Sothoth would utilize for their lamentations.

[@lancebaldock6233]

Made my day

[@donaldasayers]

I was moved to go and find KZbin videos of Mats Gustafsson and I am forced to agree with Robert Crumb. I listened to about 30 seconds before I gave up.

[@RFC-3514]

Gets really good at 32 seconds.

[@honzo1078]

I'm on Team Crumb here. However, Matt Berry's performance is exquisite.

[@0Sirk0]

This is lazlo right? And his secret identity is Mr.Berry?

[@chrisrynn1]

I'm with Crumb on this

[@tomjoad1363]

Is that the guy from The IT crowd ?

[@wsc1018]

Yes.

[@mascadadelpantion8018]

Matt Berry truly showing that he can read a terrible script and make it actually sound listenable because clearly what he's reading isn't funny. The delivery on the other hand makes it kind of for a little chuckle

[@TheDexterReflector]

Matt Berry would have been perfect as a member of Monty Python. 🐍

[@ColinIngus1]

I Wonder what Crumb would think of The ordinary boys

[@pillettadoinswartsh4974]

If you thought this was particularly strident, go read Harvey Pekar's assessment.

[@baiwatch1]

Crumb acting as if he hasn't hated the current state of jazz music, all music, and popular culture since the 1960s.

[@ohbjuankenobi]

Did Clem Fandango give any instruction prior to this reading?

[@TheDarrenJones]

I just made the mistake of listening to some Mats Gustafsson after hearing this letter. I concur entirely with Mr Crumb's opinion.

[@fryewerk]

Pretty much Miles Davis’s assessment of Ornette Coleman as I recall. Free jazz seems like an inside joke of some sort.

[@Jnahumphreys]

Father!!! ✊

[@TigerDude333]

look up Mats Gustafsson, the letter writer isn't wrong.

[@deathisaprimitiveconcept]

Bubbles the Dolphin! Thought i recognised the voice 😂

[@mycatlikescheese8090]

I know what jazz maverick Howard Moon would say. “This is a travesty, Sir”

[@CTSpeed413]

Why do I want to hear the album? 😂😂😂

[@ryanblais6208]

When I listen to him speak I’m tempted to go out and buy women’s slacks for confidence.

[@ColinIngus1]

But would you go so far as to fix his electric sex pants?